Duane Brackey, age 75, of Lake Mills, died on Friday, November 5, 2004, at Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, November 8, at Salem Lutheran Church in Lake Mills with Rev. Roger Dykstra officiating. Burial will take place at Salem Memorial Cemetery, Lake Mills, with military honors performed by Lake Mills Otto/Chose Post 235 and by Emmons Louis/Tviete Post 317 of the American Legion. Visitation will be on Sunday, November 7, 2004, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Mittelstadt Funeral Home, 902 East Main Street in Lake Mills, and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Monday.

Duane Brackey was born on April 15, 1929, near Leland, Iowa, to parents Palmer and Myrtle (Kvale) Brackey. He was baptized at Winnebago Lutheran Church, rural Leland and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kiester. He was raised in the Leland, Lake Mills, Emmons, and Kiester areas where his parents farmed. Duane attended country school near Emmons and went to public school in Kiester.

On December 14, 1951, Duane was drafted in the United States Marine Corps and served in the Korean Conflict. He spent 13 months overseas as a radio operator for close air support bombing. Duane was honorably discharged from the military in December of 1953.

Duane was united in marriage with Arlys Bolstad on December 11, 1954 at Salem Lutheran Church in Lake Mills. The couple farmed east of Lake Mills and in the Emmons area until 1991, when they retired and moved into Lake Mills.

Duane was active with church council, and served as president of the Emmons Lutheran Church council; he was a member of the Louis/Tviete Post #317 of the American Legion at Emmons; and served on the Worth Mutual Insurance Board.

Duane was a loving husband, father, and grandfather who will be missed by his wife, Arlys of Lake Mills; three children, Deb Escherich and her husband, Lyle of Clear Lake, Iowa, Darla Rogstad and her husband, Dennis of Northwood, Iowa, and Paul Brackey and his wife, Barb of Naperville, Ill.; five grandchildren, Darci Janssen and her husband, Jason of Des Moines, Iowa, Devan Helgeson and her husband, Tim of Mason City, Bob Rogstad and his wife, Karla of Lake Mills, Brad Rogstad of Ames, Iowa, and Carli Brackey of Naperville, Ill.; a brother, Parnell Brackey and his wife, Marge of Emmons; and a sister, Helen Allison and her husband, Kent of Glenville.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and a sister, Alice Wehner.