LeeAnn (Enabnit) Kurtz

LeeAnn (Enabnit) Kurtz, 85, most recently of Garner, formerly of rural Klemme and a Clear Lake, IA, native, passed away on her 85th birthday, Sunday, February 12, 2023, at Iowa Specialty Hospital-Belmond.

Public funeral services will be 10 A.M., Saturday, February 18, 2023, at the Clear Lake Christian Church, 302 Hwy. 18 West, Clear Lake, IA.  Pastor Drew Rietjens will be officiating.

Public visitation will be on Friday at the church from 5-7 PM and will continue from 9-10 AM Saturday morning at the church.

Burial will follow the service and luncheon at the Ell Township Cemetery-Klemme, IA.  Those wishing to express their sympathies thought a memorial in LeeAnn’s memory may wish to consider the Clear Lake Christian Church, to her family or the donor’s choice.  The funeral will be live streamed on the Andrews Funeral Homes Facebook page, just LIKE the page to view, and the church You Tube page.

LeeAnn Enabnit, the daughter of Jacob Arthur and Helen (Anderson) Enabnit, was born February 12, 1938, at her grandmother’s home on main street in Clear Lake.  In her early years she attended the old Christian Church in downtown Clear Lake where she was baptized, and the seeds of her lifelong faith journey were planted.

LeeAnn attended Clear Lake Community Schools and graduated in the Class of 1956.  Following high school, she was employed at the Lake Crest Cafe, Clear Lake.

One evening when LeeAnn and a friend were out cruising, and their vehicle broke down and some young men stopped to help, one of which caught LeeAnn’s eye and that happenstance meeting sprouted and eventually grew and LeeAnn and William Kurtz were united in marriage on June 21, 1957, Bill’s birthday, at the Christian Church.  LeeAnn continued to work at Lake Crest Cafe for a time.

Following their marriage LeeAnn and Bill lived on the Enabnit family farm south of Clear lake, and two daughters Kim and Kay were born.   Bill eventually went into farming and sharecropping with Earl Ashland and the family moved to a farm just south and west of Farmer’s Beach on the southwest corner of Clear Lake, just south of Ventura Heights. As the years progressed the family grew with the addition of daughters Karo and Konnie.

Bill and LeeAnn expanded their farming diversity by raising cattle and chickens in addition to the crops.  The daughters recall many adventures that arose from the cows when they would often times make their way off the farm into the Heights for a bit of their own roaming and exploring.

Along with being a full-time mother, wife and helping with the farming tasks, LeeAnn had worked at the Garner bakery until it closed in 1972.

Eventually, the family moved a bit further to the west and solidified their roots on what was known as the Miller family farm a bit further to the south and west. A farm that has now been in the Kurtz heritage for more than 100 years and LeeAnn and Bill’s grandson Kody, farms and resides.

In 1974, LeeAnn commenced a 29-year career at Winnebago Industries in Forest City.  Early on she worked on the fiberglass line, then moved to the window screening area and finally was in the ladder’s department before her retirement after rarely missing any days of work in almost 3 decades of diligent employment.

LeeAnn and Bill truly were a team in all aspects of their 60 plus years together.  They relished the role of raising their daughters together providing them with a nurturing and loving home, teaching them value of hard work, instilling the significance of a strong faith life and the importance of spending time with family and creating lifetime memories together.   LeeAnn was the stern parent in the tandem and Bill was the softie!  She supported him by assisting with the many different farming duties although sometimes the result of her assistance to her husband may have added a bit of adventure to the outcome of his expectations!  In later years Lee Ann would often ride along with Bill on his mail delivery routes.

She and Bill were tremendous supporters and cheerleaders for all their children and grandchildren’s athletics, concerts, and various other activities.  They rarely missed an opportunity to be present no matter what the occasion or event.  Their support was unwavering. Early on Bill and LeeAnn enjoyed card parties with friends and family and though she was not an avid card player, she did look forward to winning a friendly game of cards against Bill and her son-in-law Jo.  She loved family get-togethers and the special memories that came with them.  Though they had not done a great deal of traveling, the kids and the grandkids reflect fondly on family treks to visit relatives in Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania (where the Kurtz family initially settled in the States), D.C., Texas and the Black Hills.  The grandkids also remember grandma and grandpa taking them to the “Acquire the Fire” gathering.  Before the grandkids joined the family tree, LeeAnn, Bill and the kids had visited the Bahamas, Disney World, and Sweden. In later years LeeAnn and Bill had trekked to Jo’s retirement celebration at Adolph Coors Co. in Golden, CO.  Fond memories also were created on many picnics and camping outings to Lime Creek, Pilot Knob and other regional destinations.  LeeAnn was an excellent seamstress making and sewing many of her daughters’ clothes and was also active in the church ladies sewing groups over the years.  She enjoyed the solitude of a good book and the companionship of one of countless rescue dogs that Bill and her would adopt over the years.  She was a wonderful cook and baker and would bake hundreds of homemade pies and other delicious delights and then her and Bill would pack the van and head to area Farmer’s Markets in Clear Lake, Clarion, Belmond and Forest City.

LeeAnn shared her self-taught musical talents as the church organist at the Christian Church for 42 years.  Playing at countless Sunday services, weddings, funerals, baptisms and other occasions.  She was gifted the musical ability to hear a song one time and then be able to play it on piano without any sheet music or music books. A unique talent called “playing by ear”.    She had assisted with other events including orchestrating a larger annual spaghetti supper fundraiser for many years, as well as lending her time and talents to other church activities through the women’s fellowship.  In more recent years when daughter kay was on the B-K Outdoor Classroom Committee, LeeAnn once again gave of her time and cooking talents by helping with the Outdoor Classroom Annual Dinner Fundraising event until it was discontinued due to Covid.