DYSART – Austin Lee Brandt, 90, died Friday, Dec. 2, 2016 at his home. Brandt was born on May 7, 1926, on the home farm in Bruce Township, Benton County, Iowa, the son of Walter and Elsia (Lassen) Brandt. He attended Bruce Center School #5 and graduated from Geneseo Consolidated High School. Austin drove the school bus while he was in high school and kept the bus on the farm overnight. He served his country in the United States Army from 1950 to 1952 and was stationed in Germany during the Korean Conflict. On Aug. 8, 1954, Austin was united in marriage to Phyllis Mauser at the Methodist Church in Osage. The couple made their home on the family farm until October of 2009, when they moved to Dysart. Austin farmed his entire life, starting in 1947 with his father. He was a member of the Dysart United Methodist Church, Dysart Lions Clubs, Dysart American Legion, and the Masonic Lodge. A recent honor for Austin was going on the Honor Flight accompanied by his son, Walter. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Don; his father in law and mother in law, Lawrence and Esther Mauser; a sister in law, Lucille Newell; a brother in law, Glen Krogstad; and a nephew, Stephen Brandt. Austin is survived by his wife; two sons, Walter (Terri) Brandt of Dysart and Larry (Sue) Brandt of Apple Valley, Minn.; a daughter, Ellen (Mike) Bergman of Marshalltown; seven grandchildren, Alex Bergman of Kansas City, Mo., Kati Brandt of San Francisco, Calif., Lauren (Don) Brandt-Erickson of Des Moines, Jessica (Lance) Berndt of Fargo, N.D., Brandt Bergman of Iowa City, Kelsey Brandt of Minneapolis, Minn., and Shelby Brandt of Ames; three brothers, Russell (Mary) Brandt of Fishers, Ind., Ray (Chris) Brandt of Davenport, and Joe (Sheryl) Brandt of Waterloo; two sisters in law, Thelma Brandt of Dysart and Dorothy Krogstad of Osage; a brother in law, Dick Newell of Broomfield, Colo.; and two former foreign exchange students, Jan Goransson of Sweden and Susanne Bramsen of Denmark.Services were Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 10:30 a.m. at the Dysart United Methodist Church. Visitation was Monday. Burial was in the Dysart Cemetery. Military rites were conducted by the Dysart American Legion.Memorials may be made to the Dysart United Methodist Church or the Dysart Lions Club.