Services
Obituary
Leanne (Marlow) Castillo, 91, of Britt, passed away on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, at Hancock County Health System in Britt.
A Mass of Christian Burial for Leanne Castillo will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 139 3rd Street South East, in Britt, with Father Andrew Marr officiating. Burial will follow at St. Patrick's Catholic Cemetery in Britt.
Click the following link to watch the live stream of the funeral. https://meet.goto.com/131407821
Visitation for Leanne will be held from 5:00 - 7:00 PM on Friday, September 27, 2024, at Ewing Funeral Chapel, 178 Center Street, in Britt, and will continue one hour prior to Mass at the church.
There will be a Catholic Daughters Rosary at 4:45 PM on Friday afternoon, and a Scriptural Wake Service at 7:00 PM, all at Ewing Funeral Chapel in Britt.
Leanne Catherine Dorothy Marlow was born to Jess and Ida (Kollasch) Marlow on July 24, 1933, in Lone Rock, Iowa. She was raised and educated in Bancroft, attending and graduating from St. John High School.
Leanne was united in marriage to Jozef Bednarz, and to this union, 12 children were born. She later married Cruz Castillo. Both husbands preceded her in death.
Leanne was a gifted artist, a skill she developed at an early age, after suffering a burn that kept her housebound. Following high school, in 1953, she took a correspondence course through the Minneapolis Institute of Art. She freehand painted countless signs, vehicles and other commercial projects, and became well known in the area as a great portrait artist.
At the age of 46, with several children still at home, she attended Iowa Lakes Community College in Emmetsburg and earned a nursing degree. During her nursing career as an LPN, she was employed at Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Algona, Iowa and West View Care Center in Britt, Iowa. Her lifelong love of learning continued, as she was known to be an avid reader, often finishing a book each day. Her favorite books were Westerns, which was passed down by her father.
In recent years, she painted portraits of the Hobo King and Queen each year. The Hobos dubbed her an honorary Hobo and she was lovingly given the name “Iowa Shorty”. Her Hobo artwork was featured in the International Folk Art Show in London, England and in an exhibition in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She was published in countless periodicals and was featured on CBS Sunday Morning with Bill Geist in a story about riding the rails. In 2016 Leanne realized a lifelong dream with the opening of her own art gallery. The Hobo Art Gallery, located in downtown Britt, displays 75 of her Hobo King and Queen portraits along with other miscellaneous artwork of hers.
Leanne was a lifelong Catholic, a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, and loved saying the Rosary. She was a longtime member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Britt.
Among all of her accomplishments, Leanne’s family was at the top of the list. Her children describe her as being the glue that kept the family together, a strong, resilient and sometimes stubborn woman with a huge heart for others in need. She loved family gatherings and spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Leanne was able to share the gift of life through tissue donation, a full circle moment from suffering a terrible burn in childhood.
Leanne is survived by her children: Barbara (Joe) Goecke of Algona, Iowa, Katherine (Bruce) Ritchie of Branson, Missouri, Jan Christensen of Indio, California, John (Lynette) Bednarz of Ellston, Iowa, Angela Curell of Tucson, Arizona, Theresa Gerdis of Florissant, Colorado, Dr. Mary Jo Palmer of Burke, Virginia, Margaret Rose “Peggy” (Phil) Shellenberg of Algona, Thomas (Robin) Bednarz of Des Moines, Iowa, Dr. Sandra (Brandon Shahan) Bednarz of Dows, Iowa, and Sharon (Jamie) Stromer of Britt; 26 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; daughter-in-law Kelly Paulsen; brother Mike Marlow of Swea City, Iowa; along with numerous nieces and nephew, other relatives and friends.
Leanne was preceded in death by her parents; husbands Jozef Bednarz and Cruz Castillo; son Rob Michael; grandchildren Andrew Shellenberg, Luke Fraser and Zack Purcell; siblings Joan Donavan, Denise Cook and Edward Marlow.