Lester C. "Les" Brosamle

Lester C. Brosamle, 95, of Sioux City passed away Wednesday, May 28, 2008, at a Sioux City hospital following a lengthy illness.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Morningside Presbyterian Church, with the Rev. Matthew Miller of First Presbyterian Church, and Deacon Patricia Roberts of Calvary Episcopal Church officiating. Burial will be in Graceland Park Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m. and a Masonic service at 7 p.m., at Morningside Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home. Condolences may be sent online to www.christysmith.com .
Lester was born to Henry and Amelia (Hermecke) Brosamle on March 14, 1913, at the home farm place near Battle Creek, Iowa. He attended a one-room school through graduation from the eighth grade. He then worked on the farm and began honing his baseball pitching skills.
He moved to Sioux City as a young man and played with the Sioux City Cowboys. In demand as a "hired gun", he also pitched for many other area semi-pro teams during the 1930s.
On July 30, 1938, he married the love of his life, Dorothy Wilcox. They celebrated 60 years together before she preceded him in death on May 15, 1999.
He loved people and enjoyed serving their needs, first as a bread route salesman for Metz Bakery Co., two years on the Sioux City Police Department, then ownership of the Standard Oil Station at Seventh and Highway 75. He was an owner/operator trucker and later a salesman for Sioux City Brick and Tile.
During this time, he coached a Junior Legion baseball team sponsored by Sportsman's Sporting Goods. When Morningside College revived their long defunct baseball program in 1947, he helped coach their pitchers.
In the 1960s, he owned Morningside Service Laundry. He was awarded the Sioux City school's gym towel contract in 1965, he came to be known as the "towel man" by a legion of students who remember him to this day. During this era, he was one of the top bowlers in the Park Bowl Classic League and the couple were King and Queen of Morningside Days.
In 1973, he purchased Bush Cleaners, integrating the laundry and shirt service into it. He sold his interest to his son, Tom, in 1978 and retired to the golf links. Playing in Morningside Country Club's men's league, he was the only member to shoot holes-in-one on two consecutive weeks on the same hole. He had his last hole-in-one just two years ago at South Ridge at the age of 93.
He was a member of Morningside Presbyterian Church, where he served as president of the board there. He also was a member of Morningside Masonic Lodge 615. He was a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan.
Survivors include his son, Tom (Sheryl) of Sioux City; daughter, Nancy (Roger) Morris of Decorah, Iowa; grandchildren, Jill Swanson of Sioux City, Joey Skains of Dallas, Texas, Erich (Tasha) Morris of Minneapolis, Minn., Sonja (Jeff) Cheadle of Madison, Wis., Joe (Brianna) Morris of Janesville, Wis., and Jeffrey Sanford of New Jersey; 10 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to his wife, Dorothy, he was also preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Walter and Henry Jr. "Sonny"; and a sister, Ruth Elliott.
Memorials may be directed to Morningside Presbyterian Church.