Frank Lorenz

Frank Lorenz, age 94, of Decorah, Iowa, passed away Monday, June 30, 2025, at Barthell Eastern Star in Decorah, Iowa.

Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at Helms Funeral Home, 306 E. Water St., in Decorah. Private inurnment will be in the St. Benedict Catholic Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home.

Frank was born on April 18, 1931, in Gakowa, Serbia (former Yugoslavia).  He often referred to his hometown as the most beautiful, little town.   He lived there happily with his parents and two older brothers in a house that his father built.  His family was of German and Austrian heritage dating back to the early 1800s.  He often reminisced of his younger days as joyful:  small community, helpful neighbors, and loving family.  His children and grandchildren enjoyed the stories he enthusiastically shared of his mischievous adventures as a young schoolboy.  Life was good until 1944.

World War II was ending for most, but the nightmare of the aftermath of that war was just beginning for many German-Yugoslavians.   Frank's "most beautiful" town was turned into a concentration camp by the Communist Party under the leadership of Marshal Tito.   Tito's men were given the authority to torment and kill those of German descent as retaliation for the war.

At the age of 13, Frank found himself alone:  his father was serving as a German Soldier, his mother and oldest brother were taken to other work camps, and his other brother was living in Hungary.  Frank was always a hard worker and that is what saved his life.  Many young boys were lined up to be shot but then spared at the last minute to work with horses in the fields.  They also ended up sleeping by the horses at night, which helped them survive the freezing cold of winter.  They had very little food.  Frank often wondered how he survived.

Returning from the war, Frank's father Stefan reunited the family, and together they made a daring escape from the camp.  Eventually they ended up in Austria working for farmers, but Stefan was determined to move to the U.S. where his parents, brother and sisters had already settled years prior.   They were sponsored by Frank's grandmother and ended up in Alabama where they bought a small farm.  The family members worked various jobs to pay it off.   At the age of 24, Frank enlisted in the Army National Guard where he was promoted to staff sergeant, earning high recognition for his leadership skills.  While in the service, he quickly learned the English language.

After attending a cousin's wedding in Chicago, Frank became interested in what the big city had to offer a young man.  He made the decision to move to Chicago where he met the love of his life Clementine on the dance floor.  They married in 1959 and welcomed the first of three daughters in 1960.  Frank supported his family working as a janitor for several apartment buildings.  He took pride in his work, but in the late 1960s while visiting friends who owned a farm near Decorah, they fell in love with the rolling hills of northeast Iowa and the picturesque town of Decorah.  Here Frank found the community he longed for from his past.

In 1971 Frank and Clementine moved the family to a farm north of Highlandville where they lived many happy years and created strong friendships that lasted the rest of their lives.

Frank is survived by his daughters Eva (Klaus) Ittner of Barrington, Illinois, and Caryn (Bruce) Buckley of Cresco, Iowa, and his five grandchildren:  Tony (Alyssa) Danger, Katie Schulte, Alex (Emmy) Schulte, Stefan (Natalie) Buckley, and Kirsten Ittner.  Frank was preceded in death by his wife Clementine, his parents Stefan and Eva Lorenz, his brothers John and Anton, and his daughter Monica (Jan) Schulte.

Frank's family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff of Barthell O.E.S Home for their wonderful and loving care of Frank.  He considered them family.  Frank's family also greatly appreciates the end-of-life care from Winn-Med Hospice which provided much comfort and guidance through the difficult last days.