Eleven priests to celebrate jubilees

April 12, 2007

Eleven priests of the Diocese of Sioux City are celebrating jubilee anniversaries this year. They will be honored at a 4 p.m. Mass on April 16 at Immaculate Conception Church in Sioux City. Father Merle Kollasch will be the homilist for this liturgy.

Father Gerald Wingert is celebrating his 60th anniversary of the priesthood. Fathers Ed Adams and Patrick Joe Nooney mark their 55th anniversary. Celebrating 50 years of the priesthood are Fathers Gerald Fisch, Francis Nemmers, Leo Riesburg, Don Smith and J. Charles Yetmar. Three priests are celebrating their 25th anniversary: Fathers Miles Barrett, Dan Guenther and Tim Hogan.

Father Wingert, the son of Lawrence and Mary Catherine (Thissen) Wingert, was born on Jan. 3, 1922 in Cresco, Iowa. He attended St. Joseph Grade School in Wesley, Sacred Heart High School in Waterloo and Wesley High School. He then attended two years at Loras College in Dubuque, followed by studies at Trinity College in Sioux City and St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.

Bishop Edmond Heelan ordained him to the priesthood on May 31, 1947 at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.

Father Wingert served at St. Mary Parish in Remsen, St. Patrick Parish in Sheldon, St. Lawrence in Carroll, St. Joseph Church in Struble, St. Joseph's in Neptune, St. Margaret's in Rolfe, Immaculate Conception in Moville, St. Catherine Parish in Oyens, St. Mary Parish in Auburn, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Holstein, St. Joseph Church in Schaller, St. Mary Parish in Mallard, Sacred Heart Church in Livermore and St. Mary Parish in Auburn.

He retired in 1992 and now resides in Algona.

Father Adams, a native of Fort Dodge, was born to Raymond and Katherine (Brenner) Adams on Nov. 8, 1919. He attended Sacred Heart Grade and High School in Fort Dodge before college studies at Trinity in Sioux City. He continued studies at Loras College in Dubuque, St. Louis University in St. Louis, Mo. and completed major seminary studies at St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland.

He was ordained on June 7, 1952 by Bishop Joseph Mueller at Cathedral of the Epiphany.

Father Adams served at Immaculate Conception Church in Sioux City, St. John the Baptist Church in Bancroft, SS. Peter and Paul Church in Carroll, St. John Church in Gilmore City, St. Patrick of Lizard, St. Joseph Church in Wall Lake, St. Mary Church in Larchwood and St. Mary Church in Hawarden.

Father Adams, who resides in Fort Dodge, retired in 1994.

Father Nooney, who was born on Sept. 24, 1922, in Sioux City, is the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Crotty) Nooney. He attended St. Joseph Grade School, Trinity High School and Trinity College in Sioux City. He then studied for one year at Loras College in Dubuque and four years at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.

Bishop Mueller ordained him on June 7, 1952 at Cathedral of the Epiphany.

Father Nooney served at St. Anthony Orphanage in Sioux City, St. Patrick Church in Estherville, St. Lawrence Church in Carroll, St. Joseph Church in Struble while attending Maurice, Gehlen Catholic High School, Sacred Heart Parish in Manning, Immaculate Conception Church in Moville, Sacred Heart Parish in Ayrshire, St. Mary Parish in Rock Valley while attending Sacred Heart in Alvord, St. Cecilia Parish in Sanborn, St. Joseph in Hartley, St. Joseph Church in Sioux City, St. Margaret Church, Rolfe, St. Michael Church, Kingsley, Marian Health Center as chaplain as well as Trinity Regional Hospital in Fort Dodge as chaplain.

He retired in 1996 and continues to reside in Fort Dodge.

Father Fisch, a native of Rock Rapids, is the son of the late Dr. Gerald and Anna (Dougherty) Fisch. Born on Oct. 25, 1931, he attended Rock Rapids Grade and High School, College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.; St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul and Mount St. Bernard Seminary in Dubuque.

He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Mueller on June 1, 1957 at Cathedral of the Epiphany.

Father Fisch served at St. Patrick Church in Estherville, Sacred Heart in Livermore, Sacred Heart Church in Alvord, Immaculate Conception Church in Moville, St. Michael Church in Kingsley, St. Mary Church in Larchwood and Sacred Heart Church in Ida Grove. Father Fisch of Sioux City retired in 2001.

Father Nemmers was born Feb. 6, 1932, in Bancroft to Lawrence and Hilda (Recker) Nemmers. He attended school at St. John Grade and High School, St. John University in Collegeville, Minn.; Loras College in Dubuque and Mount St. Bernard Seminary.

He was ordained by Bishop Mueller on June 1, 1957 at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.

Father Nemmers served at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City, St. Joseph Parish in Carroll, Kuemper High School in Carroll, St. Mary Church in Dow City while attending Buck Grove, St. Mary Church in Willey, Holy Rosary Church in Fort Dodge, St. Joseph Church in Granville, St. Lawrence Church in Carroll, St. Mary Church in Larchwood and St. John Church in Onawa while attending to Blencoe. He had also served as the director of vocations from 1970 to 1972. Father Nemmers of Bancroft retired in 2002.

Father Riesburg, a Templeton native, was born to Anton and Mary (Sondgeroth) Riesburg on Jan. 30, 1932. He attended Sacred Heart School in Templeton, College of Our Lady of the Ozarks in Carthage, Mo.; Conception Seminary in Conception, Mo. and Mount St. Bernard in Dubuque. He also earned a master's in education at Creighton University in Omaha.

Bishop Mueller ordained him on June 1, 1957 at Cathedral of the Epiphany.

Father Riesburg served at Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City, St. Mary Church and School in Remsen, St. Thomas Church and Emmetsburg Catholic High School in Emmetsburg, Christ the King in Dayton, Immaculate Conception in Lehigh, St. Benedict in Kossuth County, St. Columbkille Parish in Churdan attending Cedar, St. Catherine Church in Oyens, St. Augustine Parish in Halbur, St. Joseph Parish in Bode while attending Livermore and St. Joseph Church in Wall Lake. He also served as the director of the Family Life Office from 1972 to 1977. He retired in 2002 and resides in Carroll.

Father Smith, born Jan. 10 of 1925, is the son of Isaac and Johanna (Halligan) Smith. He attended Livermore Public Schools, Creighton University in Omaha, Wisconsin Institute of Technology in Platteville, Wis.; Missouri School of Mines and Metalology, Rolla, Mo.; Loras College in Dubuque and St. Bernard's Seminary in Dubuque.

He was ordained June 1, 1957 by Bishop Mueller at Cathedral of the Epiphany.

Father Smith served at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Fonda, Kuemper Catholic High School in Carroll, St. John Church in Ogden, Sacred Heart High School in Boone, Sacred Heart Parish in Laurens, Assumption Church in Merrill while attending Ellendale, St. John Church in Onawa while attending Blencoe and St. Mary Church in Rock Valley while attending Alvord. He retired in 1995 and presently resides in Sioux City.

Father Yetmar, a native of Clare, was born Oct. 6, 1931 to John and Margaret (Burke) Yetmar. He attended Deer Creek School No. 7, St. Matthew High School in Clare, Loras College in Dubuque and completed major seminary studies at Mount St. Bernard in Dubuque.

Bishop Mueller ordained him on June 1, 1957 at Cathedral of the Epiphany.

Father Yetmar served at St. Mary Church in Danbury, St. Mary High School in Danbury, St. Mary Parish and School in Storm Lake, St. Mary Church in Pomeroy attending Palmer, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Fonda, St. John Church in Gilmore City while attending St. Patrick's on the Lizard, Sacred Heart Church in Early, St. Bernard Church in Breda, St. Malachy Parish in Madrid and chaplain at State Hospital-School in Woodward, Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City, Holy Family Church in Emmetsburg, St. Joseph Church in Sioux Rapids and Holy Name Church in Rock Rapids. He retired in 2002.

Father Barrett, a native of Sioux City, was born to Ambrose and Mary (Collins) Barrett on Oct. 19, 1950. He attended St. Joseph and Epiphany Grade Schools, Trinity Prep High School and Bishop Heelan High School, Briar Cliff College and St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Ind. He earned a master's degree in music at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich.; a certificate in ethics from Catholic University/Georgetown Institute/Washington Theological Union in Washington D.C. and a master's in theology/biomedical ethics from Washington Theological Union in Washington D.C.

He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Frank H. Greteman on Feb. 20, 1982 at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.

Father Barrett has served at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City, Sacred Heart Parish in Spencer, Corpus Christi Parish in Fort Dodge, St. Cecelia Church in Algona, St. Cecilia Church in Sanborn while attending Hartley and since 1990 he has served on assignment outside the Diocese of Sioux City, serving as a U.S. Navy chaplain.

Father Guenther, a native of Sioux City, was born on Oct. 19, 1954 to Joseph and Hilaria (Wuebben) Guenther. He attended St. Boniface Grade School, Bishop Heelan High School, Loras College in Dubuque and St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.

Bishop Greteman ordained him on May 29, 1982 at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.

Father Guenther served at Kuemper Catholic High School in Carroll, St. Lawrence Church in Carroll, Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City, St. Paul in Scranton, St. Joseph Parish in Jefferson, St. Brigid Church in Grand Junction and Holy Family Church in Emmetsburg. He also served as the diocesan director of vocations. Presently, he is pastor at Immaculate Conception Church in Sioux City.

Father Hogan, who was born on Feb. 2, 1956 to Gerald and Joan (Noethe) Hogan is a native of Fort Dodge. He attended Corpus Christi Grade School and St. Edmond High School in Fort Dodge, Loras College in Dubuque and St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.

He was ordained May 22, 1982 at Corpus Christi Church in Fort Dodge by Bishop Greteman.

Father Hogan served at St. Mary Church in Humboldt, Holy Spirit Church in Carroll, Bishop Garrigan High School in Algona with residence at St. Joseph, Wesley, St. Mary School in Remsen, St. Catherine Church in Oyens, St. Benedict, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ashton, St. Andrew Church in Sibley and St. Michael Church in Sioux City. Presently, he is pastor at St. Cecilia in Sanborn, St. Joseph in Hartley, Sacred Heart in Sutherland and St. Anthony in Primghar.