REV Cornelius John Gaul was born on
February 19, 1920, on a farm southeast of
Earling, Iowa, and was one of twelve
children born to Peter and Elizabeth
Schechinger Gaul. He was baptized,
confirmed and received his First Holy
Communion at St. Joseph's Catholic
Church in Earling, Iowa. While growing up,
he enjoyed helping his mother around the
house in any way he could. Rev. Cornelius
attended St. Joseph's Catholic School in
Earling and was a member of the graduat-
ing class of 1937. He then continued his
education at Dowling Junior College in
Des Moines, Iowa. Following Dowling
Junior College, he attended St. Ambrose
College in Davenport, Iowa for one year.
Rev. Cornelius studied Philosophy at St.
Paul's Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota and
Theology at Conception Seminary in
Conception, Missouri.
On July 25, 1945, Rev. Cornelius was
ordained into the Catholic Priesthood at St.
Joseph's Catholic Church in Earling, Iowa.
He was an assistant pastor at various
parishes for eleven years including,
Granger, Iowa in 1945-1948, St. Ambrose
Cathedral 1948-1952, St. Augustine 1952-
1955, St. Boniface 1955-1956, and a pastor
for twenty-nine years at different parishes
throughout the Des Moines Diocese. He
served at St. Patrick's Irish Settlement from
1956- 1958 and was the pastor of Sacred
Heart Church at Chariton, Iowa, from 1958-
1978. During that time, he completely
remodeled the church and the rectory and
built a new parish center. In 1975, Rev.
Cornelius began to offer mass for residents
of Wayne County, Iowa, at the Methodist
Church, which evolved into St. Francis
Parish. He was transferred in 1978 to
Greenfield, Iowa, where he was instrumen-
tal in providing spaces for the parish
offices. Rev. Cornelius retired on July 8,
1985, and moved back to Earling, Iowa. He
celebrated Golden Jubilee on July 23, 1995.
On April 18, 2000, Rev. Cornelius became a
resident of the Little Flower Haven in
Earling.
Rev. Gaul enjoyed singing, listening
to songs from the Big Band era and
playing golf. He was the chaplain for the
Catholic Daughters of the Americas for
several years and was a member of the 3rd
Degree Knights of Columbus Earling
Council No.17 41 and the 4th Degree
Knights of Columbus Honor Guard. He
also enjoyed attending senior citizens'
meetings and playing cards.
Rev. Cornelius died on Sunday, June
22, 2003, at the University of Nebraska
Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska,
having attained the age of eighty-three
years, four months and three days.
In addition to his parents, he was
preceded in death by his brothers, Isidore,
Ferdinand, Rev. Hilary, Gerald and an
infant brother, Joseph.
Survivors include his brothers and
sister, Sylvester Gaul and his wife, Betty of
Davenport, Iowa; Francis Gaul and his
wife, Claire of Longview, Washington;
Adelaide Croghan of Woodbine, Iowa;
Peter Gaul ,Jr.. and his wife, Hilary Mae of
Melbourne, Florida; Leo Gaul and his wife,
Agnes of Harlan, Iowa; Charles Gaul and
his wife, Irene of Holt, Missouri; sisters-in-
law, Madeleine Gaul of Davenport, Iowa,
Dorothy Gaul of Earling, Iowa, and Bernice
Book of Earling, Iowa, nieces and neph-
ews, other relatives and many friends.