Wayne Leidahl

Wayne C. Leidahl, 89, of Waukon, IA, died Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at Good Samaritan Society in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Monday, December 15th, at 11:00 AM at Glenwood Lutheran Church in rural Decorah, IA, with Pastor Bryan Robertson officiating. Burial with military honors will be at Glenwood East Cemetery. Friends may greet the family from 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM Sunday at Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon. The service will also be livestreamed on the funeral home's facebook page: www.facebook.com/martinfunerals.

Wayne Charles Leidahl was born February 15, 1936, in Decorah, IA, the son of Guy and Caroline "Minnie" (Pankow) Leidahl. He was baptized and confirmed at Glenwood Lutheran Church in rural Decorah and graduated from Decorah High School in 1954. Wayne served in the U.S. Army from 1955-57. On May 12, 1957, he married Carol Severson at Big Canoe Lutheran Church in rural Decorah and they had three children: Danny, Brenda, and Dale. Carol passed away in 1999. Wayne was a foreman at H&H Distributing in West Union, IA, for 12 years. He farmed in Glenwood Township, rural Waukon, milking cows and raising hogs and crops, retiring in 2000. On May 27, 2000, he married Mary Lou Fiet at Glenwood Lutheran Church. They moved to Waukon in 2000, and Wayne mowed the greens for the Waukon Golf and Country Club. He loved this job and golfing with the guys.

Faith was very important to Wayne and he was a very active member of Glenwood Lutheran Church, serving on several committees. He taught Sunday school in West Union for many years and also mentored several young people in the church. Wayne was a board member of the DHIA as well. He loved spending time with his family, especially his grandsons, and enjoyed playing euchre. He and Mary Lou were able to take three fishing trips to Alaska.

Survivors include his wife Mary Lou Leidahl of Waukon; his children: Danny (Carla) Leidahl and Brenda (Brian) Freilinger, both of Decorah; five grandsons: Josh (Abbie) Leidahl, Jason (Amy) Leidahl, Luke (Raechelle) Leidahl, Randy (Melissa) Freilinger, and Brent (Jamie) Freilinger; 14 great-grandchildren; two stepchildren: Kathy (Nancy) Monroe of Nova Scotia, Canada, and Bill (Gabrielle) Monroe of Albuquerque, NM; step-grandchildren: Adam (Hannah) Monroe and Isabelle Monroe; and a sister Delores Hovden of Decorah.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife Carol; infant son Dale; and sisters and brothers-in-law: Helen and Orville Harger, Shirlee and Clifford Livingood, Alan Hovden, and Jack (Lee) Frost.

Honorary casketbearers are the Evergreen residents. Casketbearers are Josh, Jason, and Luke Leidahl, Randy and Brent Freilinger, and Bill Monroe.

Above all, Wayne was a gentle man and a gentleman.

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