Former Demo Head Dies Here at 54
Franz Charbonneaux, 54, former county Democrat chairman and acting Burlington postmaster, died Friday in Mercy hospital. He had been a patient since May 30
The body is at Sheagren funeral home.
Mr. Charbonneaux was acting postmaster for about eight months from July 26, 1968, to last March 10. He had been appointed after the death of O.J. Hertel.
The Post Office Department fired Charbonneaux, who was popular with postal employees here, after President Nixon issued his edict to take politics out of the mail system.

Demo Chairman
Mr. Charbonneaux was Des Moines County Democratic chairman when the Johnson administration gave him the post office job.
He became interested in politics several years ago and served as chairman of the first precinct of the third ward before taking over as county chairman about three years ago.
His ancestry goes back to Toussaint Charbonneaux, a guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition, a French and Indian half-breed, Toussaint’s wife, Sacagawea, the Bird Woman, was the famed Indian guide and interpreter for Lewis and Clark in the Northwest.

Once Schoolman
Mr. Charbonneaux taught at Denmark and Central City and was a superintendent at Center Junction and Oakville after he graduated with an English major in 1936 from Iowa Wesleyan college. He received his superintendent’s certificate from Iowa University in 1939.
During World War II he was in the Army in the European theater. He returned from the was to Oakville school and started his construction company in 1948.
He was co-chairman of the entertainment committee for this year’s Steamboat Days.
Survivors include his wife, Joy; four daughters, Mrs. Marion Butler, rural Burlington, Mrs. Clyde Gray, Gulfport, Mrs. Leola Ullrich. Chicago, and Judy Bannon, Burlington; a son, Franz Jr., Burlington.

The Hawkeye, Burlington, Iowa
Friday, June 6, 1969, page 12