Joseph "Joe" Anthony Franzel, beloved father, husband, brother and son, 53, of Wiggins, died suddenly at Swedish Medical Center in Denver on Sept. 21, 2007. Recitation of the Rosary will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 506 S. Main St., in Wiggins. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, also at Our Lady of Lourdes. Burial to follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Fort Morgan. Joe was born Jan. 24, 1954, in Forsyth, Mont., to Robert and Marguerite (Ernest) Franzel. When he was 6 years old, they moved from the family ranch in Sumatra, Mont., to Wiggins, where Joe lived until his death. He was a 1973 graduate of Wiggins High School and was a wrestler for the Tigers. For the majority of his life, Joe was a labor contractor working with everything from concrete to construction to sprinkler systems. He was a hard worker and enjoyed getting his hands dirty. Joe married Leonila Ragusta on May 21, 1997, in a small church in the Philippines. To this union, a beautiful boy, Renz Dale, was born Sept. 16, 2002. Renz and Joe had a very strong father-son bond. Joe was happiest when he was playing with Renz or teaching him new things. Renz adored Joe and will miss him greatly. Joe enjoyed hunting for arrowheads and other Native American artifacts, fishing and spending time with his family, especially his son. He was a life-long member of the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and a 4th Degree within the Knights of Columbus. He also was a member of the Northern Colorado Filipino-American Association. Joe is survived by his wife, Leonila Franzel and son, Renz Dale Franzel, both of Wiggins; his mother, Marguerite Franzel of Sumatra, Mont.; siblings, Mary Meyer of Arkansas, Paul Franzel and wife, Deanna, of Sumatra, Mont., Linda Howell and husband, Melvin, of Wiggins, Joanne Diehl of Lake Forest, Calif., Mike Franzel and wife, Michelle, of Fort Morgan, Shannon Young and husband, Will, of Wiggins, and Carol Franzel of Lake Forest, Calif.; nieces and nephews, Josh, Sheldon, Amanda, Chrissy, Erin, Heather, Joey, James, Felicia, Alexandria, Emily and Christopher. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Franzel, his sister, Peggy (Franzel) Koubek, and brother-in-law, Ron Diehl. Memorial contributions can be made to the Joe Franzel Memorial Fund for an educational trust for his son, Renz.