Rev. Leonard L. Root

DES MOINES: Rev. Leonard L. Root, 86, of Des Moines, formerly of Mason City, Iowa, died Saturday, July 25, 2015, at the Iowa Jewish Senior Life Center in Des Moines. Memorial services will be held 10:30 AM Saturday, August 1, 2015 at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1405 S. Pennsylvania Avenue, Mason City with Rev. David Shogren and Rev. Steve Hansen officiating. Private family inurnment will take place in Garden of Memories Cemetery, Waterloo. Memorials may be given to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) http://www.umcor.org/.

Rev. Leonard LeRoy Root, son of Arthur Washington and Ruth Mary (Grandgeorge) Root was born January 23, 1929 in Eagle Grove, Iowa. At the age of three, the family moved to Waterloo where Leonard grew up. He finished high school at East Waterloo in 1946. In 1946-48 he attended Miltonvale Wesleyan College in Miltonvale, Kansas where he received his Bachelor of Religion degree.

On August 27, 1949 he was united in marriage to Ava Alice Beals of Clay Center, Kansas. To this union were born a son, Paul in 1950 and daughter Cherry, in 1953. In 1950, he began his Christian ministry with the Wesleyan Methodist Church, serving in Guthrie Center, Marengo, and Waterloo, Iowa. In 1957 he transferred to the United Methodist Church, serving Republic Community near Nashua, while attending Wartburg College in Waverly. There he received his Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1960, he was sent to the Van Meter-De Soto parish. During this time he attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and received his Mastors of Divinity degree in 1964. Other churches served were St. Charles-Patterson, Waukon-French Creek; Prairie City-Pleasant Hill; Windsor-Christ in Des Moines; LeMars First United Methodist, and Union Memorial in Milford, Iowa. He retired from the ministry in 1992 after which he did interim work at the United Church of Christ in Sibley and Hartley, Iowa. After the death of his wife Ava in 1994, he moved to Mason City and did some supply ministry. On June 1st, 1996 he was united in marriage to Helen Welsh. Their marriage proved that love can be great the second time around.

He leaves to mourn his passing wife, Helen of Mason City; son, Paul and husband Bill of Kirkland, Washington; daughter, Cherry and husband David of Johnston; two grandsons, Fisk and wife Treacy of San Diego, California, Luke and wife Brittani of Urbandale; four great granddaughters, Ava, Madelynne, Fiona and Audrey; two step children, Steve Welsh and wife Anne of Manly, Vickie Eden and husband Larry of Lake Mills, along with their children and grandchildren. Leonard is also survived by foster daughter, Carol Whittle and her family.

Leonard was preceded in death by his first wife, Ava; parents, Arthur and Ruth Root; two brothers, Lynal and Richard and sister, Jacquelyn.