Obituary for Marvin Franklin Fritz

A celebration of life for Marvin Fritz will be held at West Branch Friends Church, 116 N Downey St., West Branch, IA, on Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 2:00 pm. The service will also be available via Zoom. Email marvin.fritz.memorialservice@gmail.com for the Zoom information.

Marvin Franklin Fritz, 88, of Coralville, IA, formerly of Ackley, IA passed away on April 1, 2022 at Care Initiatives Lantern Park with his wife and daughter by his side.  

Marv was born September 13, 1933 to Frank and Cora (Stubbe) Fritz at home in rural Franklin County Iowa.  He attended country school through the 8th grade and graduated from Ackley High School in 1951.  He married Frances Meyer on August 15, 1953 in Pease, MN.  He served in the US Air Force from 1953 to 1957, spending 18 months in Japan during his service, as a radar operator.  After discharge from the Air Force, Marv worked for Civil Aeronautics in Kansas City, MO, Sioux City, IA and Alexandria, MN.  After his time in Alexandria, he returned to the Ackley area and worked a variety of jobs until 1967 when he began working for Sears as an appliance service technician.  He retired from Sears in 1995.  After his retirement he worked part-time as a weather observer at the Mason City airport.

Marv was an active member of the Ackley Geneva Lions Club until his move to Coralville in 2018.  He continued his involvement with the Lions by volunteering at the Iowa Lions Eye Bank in Coralville and attending meetings with the group working to form a Coralville Lions Club.  Marv was a charter member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Ackley and served several terms on the church council.  Marv was also a founding member of the Ackley Volunteer Ambulance Service serving as an EMT for several years.  

Marv was a fan of polka music and would attend polka festivals in Minnesota and Iowa with his wife.  There was always a polka tape or CD playing in his car.  He also enjoyed hunting and fishing and built custom fishing poles as a hobby in his retirement.  Marv was also a proud veteran and would share the story of his trip to Washington DC with the Honor Flight program with anyone who would listen.  

Marv is survived by his wife of 68 years, Fran, of Coralville; son Bryan (Lora) Fritz of rural Tipton, IA, and daughter Teresa (Allan) Winder of Iowa City, IA; grandchildren Elyn Fritz-Waters of St. Louis, MO, Dustin Fritz of Tipton, IA, and Blake Winder of Washington, IA; brother Francis (Barb) of Iowa Falls, IA.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his son Mark, brother-in-law Harvey Meyer, and sister-in-law Karen Meyer.

Memorials can be made to Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church or Iowa City Hospice.