Funeral services for Paul D. Ascherl, age 93, of Emmetsburg, Iowa and formerly of Clare and Ft. Dodge, Iowa who passed away on Friday, July 3, 2026 at the Allison Rehabilitation Center in Allison, Iowa. His service will be 10:30am on Monday, July 13, 2026 at Holy Family Catholic Church in Emmetsburg, Iowa with Msgr. Kenneth Seifried ~ officiating.
Burial will be in the St. James Catholic Cemetery in Clare, Iowa. With Military Graveside Service provided by the 185th Air Wing Command of Sioux City, Iowa
Visitation with the family present will be Sunday, July 12, 2026 from 3:00 – 5:00pm at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Emmetsburg, Iowa, A Knights of Columbus Rosary will be prayed at 2:45pm.
Arrangements are under the care of the: Martin Mattice Funeral Home ~ Emmetsburg, Iowa. Online memorial condolences may be sent to: martinmatticefuneralhome.com
In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that memorials be directed to: The Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 2360 Carter Road, Dubuque, Iowa, 52001-2997 And or to St. Edmonds Catholic High School, 2321 6th Ave N Ft Dodge, Iowa 50501
Paul Duane Ascherl, was born May 31, 1933 in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the son of Hughie and Marie (Crowley) Ascherl. Paul attended Corpus Christi Catholic School in Ft. Dodge, Iowa until the 6th grade; he finished his education in the Ft. Dodge School System graduating from Ft. Dodge Senior High in 1951. After high school he helped his dad farm before joining the United States Army in September of 1953, he was discharged from active duty in August of 1955 and served in the Iowa Army National Guard in Ft. Dodge until 1960. On April 27, 1957, he was united in marriage to Lois Ann Albrecht at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church in Clare. The young couple made their home north of Ft. Dodge for a few years before moving into Ft. Dodge in 1959. Paul started (crop) farming northwest of Ft. Dodge in 1959 until 1969. In 1962; he was hired on at Hormel and the family moved to Clare, where he raised hogs from farrow to finish north of town. While living in Clare, Paul was the mayor and a charter member of the Clare Volunteer Fire Department. In 1969, they moved to an acreage in Deer Creek Township northwest of Ft. Dodge, where he raised hogs and feed out cattle. Paul taught his boy’s the value of an honest day’s work for an honest day’s wage, and he instilled in the boy’s to always tell the truth, because that their word was their bond. Paul loved the land and the outdoors and could fix or build anything and taught his boy’s the same, from replacing an engine, fixing a dent in a car, or even painting a car with a chicken feather (oh wait that’s a different story), to remodeling a home. Paul attended as many of his son’s sporting events, musicals or singing engagements that he could. In 1982, the Ft. Dodge Hormel Plant closed. Paul was transferred to the Hormel Plant in Beloit, Wisconsin. In 1983, Lois and their sons John and Luke followed and settled in Janesville, Wisconsin. Paul retired in 1998 from Hormel and moved to Emmetsburg, Iowa where they were centrally located among the grand-children. He was preceded in death by his wife, Lois on February 6, 2013. Paul remained in Emmetsburg until moving to the Allison Rehabilitation Center in Allison, Iowa due to declining health issues in April of 2026. Paul passed away at the Allison Rehabilitation Center in Allison, Iowa on Friday, July 3, 2026 reaching the age of 93 years, 1 month and 36 days.
Paul was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church in Emmetsburg, the Emmetsburg Knights of Columbus #936, the Emmetsburg VFW Post #2295 and the Emmetsburg Kiwanis Club. While living in Clare he was active with St. Matthew’s Catholic Church and was a member of St. Williams Catholic Church while in Janesville, Wisconsin. His son’s and grandchildren were very special to him and he would drive anywhere to see them perform in an event. He enjoyed playing cards, laughing, family and friends; he also enjoyed listening to singing. After his retirement he enjoyed restoring old Antique Farm Equipment and woodworking, he also became a good Grill Master.
Paul never met someone he didn’t know and if he did, he knew them when he was done; he could talk the paint off a fence post.
Left to cherish his memories are his eight sons and their spouses, Matthew and Elaine of Parkersburg, Iowa; Todd and Cathy of Dalton, Nebraska; Mark and Annie of The Colony, Texas; David and Sandy of Janesville, Wisconsin; Michael and Joan of Ft. Dodge, Iowa; Joseph and Donna of Johnston, Iowa; John and Stefanie of Waveland, Mississippi and Luke and Amy of Eagle Grove, Iowa; thirty grandchildren: Jeremiah, Kara (Brandon) Bueter, Megan (Derek) Snakenberg, Andrew (Liz) and Evan (Shay); foster granddaughter, Gina (Marc) Fowler; Elizabeth (Joseph) Kupper, Daniel (Amanda), Zach (Leae), Alex (Rachel), Brigette (Keith) Kenagy, Samuel (Jamie), Isaac (Karley), Theresa and Kadie; Paul, Patrick and Ally; Cassidy (Luke) Svehla, David (Elbee) & Michael; Jocelyn (Taylor) Hansen and Madeline; Caitlin (Andrew) Parthum, Collin, Caroline (Kylar) Honan and Connor (Margaret “Meg”); Fulton and William; Brett and Rylie; fifty-seven great-grandchildren, one great-great-granddaughter, a sister, Helen and her husband, Dave Coppinger of Waukee, Iowa; and other relatives and friends, especially Mike Cullen, Randy Janssen, Dave Shirk and Jim Stevens.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lois; his parents, 2 brothers, Tom, Emmett Ascherl; and a sister, Irene Kerlin Templeton and a foster great grandson, Josh Fowler.
