Leland Naley

Leland Naley, age 89, of Decorah, IA, died on Saturday, September 17, 2011, at the Stoney Brook Village in West Union, IA. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, September 21, 2011, at the Decorah Lutheran Church with Rev. Bryan Robertson presiding. Burial will be in the Lutheran Cemetery, Decorah, IA. Friends may call from 4:00-7:00 p.m., on Tuesday at the Schluter – Balik Funeral Home in Decorah, there will be a VFW Service at 6:00 p.m. and visitation also after 10:00 a.m., at the church on Wednesday morning. Leland Myron Naley was born May 2, 1922, the son of Alfred and Anna (Forde Nelson) Naley in Lismore, MN, Township of Larkin in Nobles County. He was baptized and confirmed by the Rev. L.P. Lund at the Evangelical Lutheran church in Kenneth, MN. He graduated from Adrian High School on May 29, 1941 at Adrian, MN. He joined the Army in Oct of 1942 and served during WWII and was called in later to serve in the Korean War. He was discharged from duty in 1952 as a 1st Lieutenant. Leland married Edith Mae Gjetley on December 31, 1950 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Guttenberg, IA. He was a career truck driver for more than 40 years working with his own trucking business hauling for Ronan Bros. and others and then worked for several years with Kenneth Groth Trucking, and later with International Transport and Schneider Transportation. During his retirement years, he worked as a parts dispatcher for Standard Battery and spent several years working part-time for Gemini in Decorah working until he was 83. Leland was an active member of the VFW and Decorah Lutheran Church. Leland was an avid fisherman and loved going on fishing trips to Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Canada with his friends, children, and grandsons. He loved spending time with his friends for morning coffee and grilling for family gatherings. He enjoyed working and relaxing on his farm north of Decorah where he lived with his family for more than 50 years. He will be remembered for all the great jokes he told to his friends and family and mostly what a great husband, dad, and grandpa he was. Leland is survived by his wife of 60 years, Edith of West Union, IA. Six children: Linnea (Dr. Ahmad) Emami, Fresno, CA; Lois Wiskus (Albert Hageman), Ft Atkinson, IA; William, Decorah; Steven (Eva) Copperas Cove, TX; Brenda Naley, West Union, IA; and Denise (Robert) DeHaan, Lansing, KS. Eleven grandsons: Troy (Casie) Fadness, Travis Fadness, Seth Naley, Matthew, Andrew, and Adam DeHaan, Reza and Kamron Emami, Christopher, Michael, and Robert Naley. Two great-grand children: Hannah and Maxwell Fadness. Sister: Marcella Amundson of Decorah, IA, Two sisters-in-law: Jeanette and Charlotte Naley of Decorah, IA. Brother-in-law: Curt Gjetley, Cresco, IA. Leland was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers Merlin and Elwood and two sisters Ellen Naley and Jeanette (Kenneth) Baran, Brother-in-law Lester Amundson, three sisters-in-law: Lylas (Vernon) Rassmussen, Ruth (George) Dohm, Diane Gjetley. Niece: Joan Rasmussen Whalen, Nephew: Duane Naley, special friends: Kenneth and Dorothy Groth.