LeRoy P. Bries

GUTTENBERG, IOWA

LeRoy Peter Bries, 93, of Guttenberg, passed away peacefully at home on Oct. 13, 2026.

Visitation will be held from 2 – 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, at Morris Funeral Home in Guttenberg. Visitation will continue prior to funeral mass from 10 – 10:45 a.m. on Monday, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Guttenberg, Iowa.

Funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Guttenberg with burial to follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Guttenberg where military honors will be accorded.

LeRoy was born on Nov. 8, 1932, at home (on the day Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected) near Luxemburg, Iowa, the first-born son of Regina (Ulbrich) and Arnold Peter Bries. He attended elementary school through 8th grade at Holy Trinity in Luxemburg, Iowa. During his teen years, he was a hired hand for neighborhood farmers. He served in the United States Army Co A 92 Armored Infantry Battalion with training at Fort Leonardwood followed by 18 months in Orleans, France, 1953-55 which he often called "a vacation" that provided opportunities to travel to Rome, Lourdes, Paris and Pompeii. He married Verna Rose Lansing on Feb. 14, 1957, and together they farmed north of Guttenberg, raised six children and were active in St. Mary Parish, especially in the early years of the Fall Festival.

He enjoyed annual deer hunting until the age of 84. He also looked forward to playing bid euchre with friends and family, a neighborhood card group (30+ years), and in later years, on his iPad. Over the years, he and Verna enjoyed trips to the Southwest, Northwest, Hawaii and other places. In retirement, he loved tending to a large garden and orchard, assisting in freezing and canning and sharing produce with family, friends and local food pantries. Winters were spent creating decorative items, clocks and Christmas ornaments with his scroll saw. Nearly until the end, LeRoy volunteered to peel potatoes and apples and cut up green beans.

He is survived by his wife, Verna; six children: Theresa Bries (partner Dan Lyngholm) of Bettendorf, IA, Dave (Terry) Bries of Montrose, CO, Larry (Gwenlee) Bries; Frank Bries of Guttenberg, Margaret (Dave) Brown of Ankeny, Iowa, and Joyce (Mike) Villa of Altoona, IA; fourteen grandchildren: Rebecca (Todd), Fabian (Abigail), Nathan, Tara (Jaime), Shelby (Aaron), Cliff, Canyon (Megan), Colten, Cordel, Tori (Ian), Eric (Holly) Augustine, Kaliana (Marino), Cecilia and twelve great-grandchildren ( and baby boy on the way): Jayden, Kyla, Logan, Emma, Mason, Hunter, Briesen, Jetson, Noah, Serenity, Oaklee and Leroy.

He is also survived by his siblings: Virgil (Janice) Bries, Luxemburg; Mike (Marita) Bries of New Vienna; Ron (Lee) Bries of Dyersville; Harold (Lois) Bries of Guttenberg; Gerry (Karen) Bries of Dyersville, Arnie (Joyce) Bries of Dyersville, Thelma (Dave) Oberbroeckling of New Vienna, Carol (John) Hartman of Guttenberg; sister-in-law Theresa Bries of McGregor; as well as in-laws: Bernice Lansing, Willy (Joan) Lansing, Betty Mullis and many nieces and nephews.

He was welcomed into heaven by his parents, Arnold and Regina; siblings: Imogene (Carl) Feldman, JoAnn (Donald) Wille, Jim (Darlene) Bries, Ken (Lois) Bries, Roger Bries, Charlie (Mary) Bries, Elmer Bries and Anna Marie Bries as well as his mother and father-in-law, Amanda and Lawrence Lansing; brothers and sisters-in-law: Joe (Ruth) Lansing, Art Lansing, Catherine (Hugo) Engelken, Jerome (Mary Margaret) Lansing, John (Rita) Lansing and Wilma (Leon) Mullis.

Thanks to St. Croix Hospice staff for their generous and loving support for the past eight months. Memorials can be shared with St. Mary's Church, Guttenberg or St. Croix Hospice.

Kramer-Morris Funeral Home (Dyersville, Guttenberg, Garnavillo, Monticello, Holy Cross) is assisting the family and online condolences may be left for the family at www.kramer-morrisfuneralhome.com.