Six priests in diocese to retire in July
By RENEE WEBB, Globe associate editor
Posted June 27, 2002

Six priests in the Diocese of Sioux City will retire from active ministry next month. During the final days before retirement, the priests reflected on their years of service in the priesthood.

The retirees are Msgr. Thomas Donahoe, Father Dale George, Father Al McCoy, Father Francis Nemmers, Father Leo Riesberg and Father Charles Yetmar.

"As my retirement nears, I am very aware of how happy my years of priestly service have been," said Msgr. Donahoe, pastor at Immaculate Conception Parish in Graettinger. "I enjoyed administering the sacraments, saying Mass and teaching. I receive much satisfaction from all aspects of the priesthood."

He pointed out that service during WWII fueled his desire to become a priest.

"It made one have an unselfish outlook on life," said Msgr. Donahoe, the last WWII veteran in active priestly ministry in the diocese. "It inspired one to want to please God. A lot of the returning veterans thought about the priesthood."

He will retire in Fort Dodge where his brother and sister reside.

Many of the people will miss working with the people of God.

"I really will miss working with the people, but hope to become involved in sacramental ministry in Phoenix," said Father George, administrator at St. Thomas Parish in Manson and St. Mary Church in Pomeroy. "The people church here in the diocese have been terrific to me. They have loved and supported me and I have them through some very difficult times."

Father George plans to retire in Arizona.

"I enjoyed it (the priesthood) immensely," said Father Yetmar, pastor at Holy Name Parish in Rock Rapids. "I've been in some very interesting parishes and have enjoyed them all."

He pointed out that the help of parishioners and their encouragement were great assets to his priestly ministry.

He plans to reside in Fort Dodge and looks forward to taking it easy in retirement.

Father Riesberg pointed out that just as with any part of life there are ups and downs, but fortunately the priesthood brought many ups.

As he reflected on his years of service, the priest recalled many humorous incidents with little children. For instance, during the holiday season he asked the rhetorical question, "Do you think gift giving is overdone?" One little 4-year-old jumped up and shouted, "No."

"It's little things like that that stick in your mind," said Father Riesberg. "Working with the people was a real joy." He acknowledged that in parish assignments with schools, it was always "touch and go with the financing."

Retiring in Carroll, he plans to take it easy in retirement and will help out with liturgies when needed.

From a young boy, Father Nemmers said he was taught to put God first. He credited the strong faith community in Bancroft and parish priests such as Father Schultes, Father Hunt, Father Becker and others along with the Sisters of St. Francis for influencing vocations. The parish also nurtured a religious vocation of one of his siblings, Sister Michelle Nemmers who taught for 30 years at Briar Cliff University.

"It was easy to work with the people in the Sioux City Diocese because they were so cooperative and friendly," he said.

In retirement, Father Nemmers plans to reside in the family home at Bancroft, have more time for golfing and help out with weekend liturgies when asked.

"I've already been booked in at a few places," he added.

And while some priests joke with Father McCoy that not much will be different when he retires, he does plan to continue with a more structured schedule than most retirees. He will continue his ministry of the Tridentine (Latin) Mass on a weekly basis at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City, will celebrate Mass at the Carmelite Monastery two times a week and will be sacramental minister at Briar Cliff University.

"My health is good, so I wanted to continue ministering," he said. "It is not a strenuous workload."

He pointed out that he has enjoyed all of his assignments.

"Every place I have gone, there have been wonderful people in the parishes," said Father McCoy, who will continue to reside at Briar Cliff. "I've had some good years."