Nowell David Leitzke, 87, long-time resident of St. Anthony Park, died April 18 of pneumonia at Lyngblomsten Care Center.
Nowell was born on Dec. 23, 1928, in Wausau, Wis., to Herbert and Minnie Leitzke. He graduated from high school in 1947 and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and his master’s in library science at the University of Minnesota. It was there that he met Julia Groff. They married in 1960 in Wayzata, Minn.
Nowell was director of libraries in Faribault and Austin in the 1960s. The family moved to St. Anthony Park (1463 Hythe St.) in 1970. Nowell was employed for 20 years at the Minnesota Department of Education Office of Library Development and Services. He retired in 1992, and he and Julia were able to travel extensively in the 1990s. The two of them were members of St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ until Julia’s death in 2013.
Nowell had been a resident of Lyngblomsten for nearly three years.
He and Julia were volunteers for Meals on Wheels and Nowell was also on the board of the St. Anthony Park Block Nurse program. Both he and Julia loved St. Anthony Park and looked forward every year to the Fourth of July celebration and the Arts Festival.
He is survived by son David of St. Paul; daughters Susan (Arthur) Charlton of Easton, Pa., and Sara (Michael) Quinn of St. Paul; brother William of Weston, Wis.; four grandchildren.
His memorial service will be held at St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ on Sat., May 28, at 11 a.m. The family requests that any gifts be made to the church or to the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library.
