Aviation Machinist's Mate, Petty Officer 2nd Class US Navy
Residence Manning, Iowa
Employer Peter Kuhl
Registration October 16, 1940
Next of kin John A. Theobald

Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Mapleton, with the Rev. Edmund Tiedeman officiating.

Burial will be in the Saint Patrick's Cemetery, Danbury, Iowa, with military honors provided by the American Legion Loren Hollister Post No. 496 of Mapleton.

Visitation will be after 2 p.m. Sunday with a wake at 7 p.m., all at St. Mary's Catholic Church. The Armstrong Funeral Home in Mapleton is in charge of arrangements.

Lester A. Theobald
Lester A. Theobald, age 81, of Mapleton died Wednesday, September 16, 1998, near Mapleton, Iowa. Funeral Mass was held 10:00 a.m. Monday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Mapleton with Rev. Edmund Tiedeman officiating and Rev. John Brennan and Rev. Ray Wieling concelebrating the Mass. Interment was in Saint Patrick's Cemetery Danbury, Iowa, with military honors by the American Legion Loren Hollister Post #496 of Mapleton. A vigil wake service was held at 7:00 p.m. Sunday at St. Mary's Catholic Church.

Lester Anton Theobald was born February 8, 1917, at Danbury, Iowa, the son of John and Mary (Hupke) Theobald. He grew up In the Mapleton area and graduated with the Mapleton High School class of 1934. He served his country for five years during World War II with the United States Navy, first as an airplane mechanic and then was trained as a Navy pilot He graduated from Iowa State University at Ames in 1950 In Agriculture Education where he nearly completed his Master's Degree. He then taught on-farm training based out of Denison, Iowa.

Les went on and started his own aerial crop spraying business and later started farming in the Mapleton area. It was then that he started his own line of Angus cattle. He was also a flight instrument Instructor and in conjunction with Walter Funeral Home, helped develop the first air ambulance service in the State of Iowa. He was a published author and developed the first guidelines for agricultural chemical use with Western Iowa Tech Community College. He was a gifted musician with a special, talent in playing the trumpet and violin. Having played in multiple bands throughout his lifetime, Les was able to use his skills to earn his way through college and went onto organize his own dance band. On January 7, 1961, Les was united in marriage to Sheila Boyle at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Danbury.

He was currently a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Mapleton and a 50 plus year member of the American Legion Loren Hollister Post #496, also of Mapleton. Voluntarily he gave his time and talent for the Legion or any group that requested to hear Taps and did so for over five decades. Les was Instrumental in the development of the Aerial Applicators of Iowa where he served as president, vice president and secretary of the organization. He was a past member of the Mapleton Flight Club and Willow Vale Golf Club.

Those survivors left to cherish his memory Include Sheila, his wife of 37 years; two brothers and their wives. Donald and Rosemary of Mapleton, Iowa and Harlan and Shirley of Ute, Iowa; two sisters and their husbands, Rita and Francis Zerwas of Manning, Iowa, and Theresa and Bob Sperry of Ute, Iowa; one sister-in-law, Phyllis Theobald of Chicago Heights, Illinois, along with many other relatives, neighbors and good friends. He will be deeply missed by his many nieces and nephews.

Les was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, John and Ralph, one sister, Rosena Hoesing and two Infant siblings. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in his name. Arrangements were made under the direction of the Armstrong Funeral Home of Mapleton.
Mapleton Press September 24, 1998