Marlys Peterson

November 10, 2010

Marlys Peterson, 75, of Britt, passed away on Monday, November 1, 2010, at the St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

A gathering of family and friends was held on Friday, November 5, from 5-7:00 p.m., at the Ewing Funeral Chapel in Britt. A private family memorial service will be held at a later date.

Alvera A. Formanek

November 10, 2010

Alvera A. Formanek, 75, of Britt, died on Wednesday, November 3, 2010, at the Hancock County Memorial Hospital in Britt.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., on Friday, November 5, at the St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Duncan. Burial was in the St. John's Catholic Cemetery. The Cataldo Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements. Memorials may be directed to the Alvera Formanek Memorial Fund.

Alvera Alice Formanek, the daughter of Joseph and Ella (Kallis) Nowak, was born on November 29, 1934 in Wells, Minnesota. She attended school at St. Casmir in Wells until the eighth grade and graduated from the Wells High School in 1952. She continued her education at  Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea and became a registered nurse working at a hospital in Mankato. On June 23, 1959, she was married to Robert Formanek at the St. Casmir Catholic Church in Wells. They farmed and raised their family south of Duncan. Alvera worked as a nurse at the Kanawha Community Home, Hancock County Memorial Hospital and the Westview Care Center in Britt. She then worked as a cook at Duncan Heights  from where she retired after 18 years of employment. 

She enjoyed gardening, cooking, baking and spending time with her family. She was a member of the St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Rosary Society and Catholic Workman FCSLA w51.

Alvera is survived by her  four children, Linda (Dean) Brooks of Britt, Carol (Dirk) Bruns of Mason City, Tom (Brenda) Formanek of Britt and Robert Formanek Jr. of Ankeny;  11 grandchildren, Kathleen Brooks (fiancée, Doug Hood)  and Megan and Brittany Brooks; Adam, Leah and Andrew Bruns; Sara, Laura and Brett Formanek; and Trevor and Jourdon Formanek; sister, Elaine Buzicky of Britt; mother-in-law, Elsie Formanek of Garner; three sisters-in-law, Blanche Chizek, Marge (Tom) Ryerson and Marlene (Craig) Leerar; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bob on February 10, 2007; her parents; three brothers, Raymond, Jake and Ambrose Nowak; and a sister, Jane Schultz.

Gladys A. Shipman

November 10, 2010

Gladys A. Shipman, 92, of Mason City, died on Wednesday, November 3, 2010, at the Good Shepherd Health Center. 

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., on Saturday, November 6, at the Wesley United Methodist Church, with Rev. Keith Scott officiating. Interment was held in the Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation was held from 5-7:00 p.m., on Friday, at the Major Erickson Funeral Home and continued at the church one hour prior to the service. Memorials may be directed to the Gladys A. Shipman Memorial Fund. 

Gladys was born on February 16, 1918 in Kanawha, the daughter of Joel and Christina (Jackson) Johnson. She graduated from the Kanawha High School in 1937. Gladys married Carroll Shipman on June 3, 1940, in Lancaster, Missouri. Gladys spent her time at home where she enjoyed cooking for the constant flow of family and friends and baking, best known for her Aunt Chick’s Santa cookies and her divinity, chicken and noodles and many other recipes which she passed on to her family. Her mother taught her from a very early age how to sew and Gladys could make anything. Gladys assisted her husband in his many different business operations.

Gladys and Carroll traveled in their Winnebago to Arizona and California in the winters. She was a member and past President of the Washington Elementary PTA in the 1960s.

Gladys is survived by her son, Scott (Tracy) Shipman and their children, Zachary Boehmer, Alexander and Lukas Shipman of Mason City; granddaughters, Lori (Dr. Russell) Bandstra and their children, Stephen, Elizabeth and Christopher Bandstra; Stephanie (Michael) DeJong and their children,  Nicholas and Matthew DeJong of Pella; grandson, Carroll (Lori) Shipman III and their children, Cole Sarah and Samuel Shipman of Shorewood, Minnesota; and sister, Maybelle Mariner of Britt.

Gladys was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Carroll; two sons, Carroll and Vance Shipman; daughter, Shirley Olson; son-in-law, Roger Olson; brother, Lester Johnson; and sister, Doris Allos.

Brad Broshar

November 17, 2010

Bradley David Broshar, 32, of Kanawha, passed away on Sunday, November 7, 2010, at the Hancock County Memorial Hospital in Britt.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Wednesday, November 10, at 10:30 a.m., at the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Britt, with Reverend Dennis Miller officiating. Burial took place in the St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery in Britt. Visitation was held on Tuesday, November 9, from 4-7:00 p.m., at the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Visitation continued one hour prior to the funeral services at the church.

Brad passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. He was the loving husband of Stephanie Broshar and the devoted and proud father of Kaysen (4 years old) and Haylen Broshar (2 years old). Funeral services were planned for November 10 – Brad and Steph’s 10-year wedding anniversary. 

Following graduation from the West Hancock High School in 1996, Brad married Steph, his high-school sweetheart, and began farming with his father on land located near Kanawha. Brad truly enjoyed his profession and regularly blurred the lines between work and play. He helped implement many innovative farming technologies and was highly respected amongst his fellow farmers for his hard work ethic and attention to detail.

Always young at heart, Brad exuded a child-like exuberance for life. Besides being the ultimate family man, he enjoyed hunting, tinkering with tractors and semis, fishing, hanging out at the lakehouse and surrounding himself with family and friends at all times. Never short on words, Brad was always up for a lengthy conversation. He especially will be remembered for being an incredibly caring person who would drop everything to help anyone in need. Brad became a member of the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Britt on April 3, 2010. 

Brad is also survived by his parents, William and Christi Broshar of Kanawha; grandparents, Emily Harris and Floyd Broshar, both of Clarion; sister, Brandi (Mitch) Hoffman of St. Paul, Minnesota; brother, Ryan (Molly) Broshar of Boulder, Colorado; his mother and father-in-law, Donna and Steve Witte of Britt; brothers and sisters-in-law, Cody (Rayshel) Witte of Britt, Hannah (Mark) Muth of Britt, Tyler (Katie) Witte of Grundy Center, Logan Witte and Paige Harris of Des Moines; and nieces and nephews, Ella Hoffman, Coen and Embree Witte and Briggs Muth.

Brad was preceded in death by his paternal grandma, Carol Broshar; maternal grandpa, Robert Harris; aunt, Marcia Harris; and cousin, Michelle Lemieux.

Elina K. Shirah

November 24, 2010

Elina K. Shirah, passed away peacefully on the evening of Friday, November 12, 2010, five days before her 93rd birthday. 

She was born to Christian and Fredarikka (Hartvigsen) Kyhl in Britt. The youngest of  two brothers, Emil and Harty and two sisters, Freda (Katter) and Alma, who have all preceded her in death. Growing up on the farm in Britt was one of her best memories…climbing the big willow tree to hide from cleaning her room, running with her constant companion “Little Girl’s Best Friend-Buster the Terrier Dog”, riding bareback and going to church in the sleigh on Sunday. Elina, being a bit on the mischievous side, recalled “when it came time to confess at church the only excuse I could come up with is the devil made me do it"! 

Elina graduated from the Britt High School with a commercial scholarship to the Des Moines American Institute of Business. While still in school she apprenticed at Better Homes & Gardens as a typist and after graduation she moved to Baltimore, Maryland, to work for the Social Security offices and then transferred to the Department of Education. She married William M. Shirah on August 26, 1939. Together they went to the New York World’s Fair, had a daughter, Janet (Dahl) Shirah and opened a Juke Joint until they moved to Billings, Montana, in 1945. While in Billings, their daughter, Annelle (Shirah) Castleberry and their son, Eugene Shirah were born. Their first job in Billings was wrestling promotion and after that they started the first ambulance in Billings. After selling the ambulance they bought “The Fat Boy” – a mobile food trailer that was set up at the fairgrounds. Elina went to work for J.G. Link & Co. Architects until she was 50, followed by working at Epcon Company for two years. After that she passed the Realtor’s exam and began selling real estate for the next 28 years. She worked the majority of that time at ERA Home & Ranch.

Elina was involved in a number of endeavors & groups during her lifetime. The Unity Church was very important in her life. A few of the sayings she loved from church were, “I release you unto your own good so that I can know my good!”, “Synchronicity!” and “Light one little candle!”. She ran an ‘Artist’s Way’ study group, belonged to the Friendship Force, ARE (Association for Research & Enlightenment), on the steering committee for ‘Alternatives’ and tutored children at the Boys & Girls Club while in her 80s. Her family & friends  will remember her for her love of games- Scrabble, Bridge, Pinochle, Blackjack, Aggravation, ”31”, Rune stones, crossword puzzles, finding pictures in the clouds and using $20 words when a $2 word would have done. She had a talent for making amazing braided rugs out of recycled clothes; it was a glorious day if you were the recipient of one of these wonderful rugs.

Elina loved to travel and explore. She took many trips to Baja California to spend time with Annelle and Wayne, as well as a few trips back to the family farm with her grand-niece,  Dianna (Kyhl)  and Dick Frederick and played the ‘Driving Flip a Coin’ game (heads, you turn right and tails, you turn left) with most of the family. 

Elina was preceded in death by her parents; brothers and sisters; husband, William M. Shirah; and son-in-law,  Janet (Shirah) and Ronald E. Dahl; and granddaughter-in-law, Kimberly (Drew) Shirah.

She is survived by her daughter, Annelle (Shirah) and Wayne Castleberrry;  her son and caregiver of the last two years, Eugene K. Shirah and Jacque Todd;  her grandchildren, Tammie (Dahl) and Daniel Newman, Scott Dahl and Sally Dahl, Rhonda (Dahl) and Allen Mullins, Sheryl Dahl, Matt Haapala, Heather (Haapala) and Perry Sutton, Jennifer Shirah and Christ Anderson, Michael Shirah, Thad and Hope Lorenzen; great-grandchildren, Tylor Lorenzen, Chantannell Dahl and Erik Dake, Jeremiah DuMolt,  Justin Dahl, Monica Dahl, Jessy Mullins, York and Lisa  Mullins, Leah Haapala, Madison Shirah, Shawn, Christian and Kyhl  Lorenzen; as well as  many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and friends.

“Our fingerprints do not fade from the lives we have touched…” 

Elina had a knack for touching the lives of those she came into contact with; her infectious smile and simple grace stayed in the hearts of family, friends and strangers alike. If one word could describe Elina it would be “Dedicated”! She was dedicated to all that she did, especially her family. But one adjective is not enough to describe this amazing woman — loving, incredible, tenacious, compassionate, giving, stubborn, ornery, spirited, clever, well-traveled and the list could go on….and it will on December 4, 2010, at the Unity Church,  Billings, Montana, at 1:00 p.m., for a celebration of her life. Cremation has taken place. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Unity Church.

Rose Lundberg

November 17, 2010

Rose Lundberg, 96, of Britt, passed away on Sunday, November 14, 2010, at the Hancock County Memorial Hospital in Britt.

A private family memorial service will be held at a later date.

Rose is survived by her daughter, Gloria (Bill) Peterson of Britt and granddaughters, Debra Lester of Britt and Christine (Mark) Ice of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Francine A. Ryerson

November 24, 2010

Francine A. Ryerson, 60, of rural Forest City, died on Friday, November 19, 2010, at her home east of Forest City.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., on Wednesday, November 24, at the Cataldo Funeral Home in Britt, with Rev. Ed Bard  officiating. Burial will be in the Evergreen Cemetery in Britt. Visitation was held from 4-7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, at the Cataldo Funeral Home in Britt and will continue one hour prior to the services at the funeral home.

Francine Arnaman Ryerson, the daughter of Willie and Fern (Arnaman) Bartik, was born on July 19, 1950 at Forest City. She graduated from the Britt High School in 1968. On August 25, 1968, she was married to Jerome P. Ryerson at the Congregational Church in Britt. They lived east of Forest City near the Pilot Knob State Park, where they raised their two sons, Jay and Aaron. Fran was employed as a secretary for the Winnebago County Sheriff for many years. She later worked various jobs in the Forest City area. 

Fran was an amazing baker and cook and enjoyed spending time with her family, collecting antiques and caring for her pets.

Fran will be missed by her family and many close friends, especially Toni Beck. 

Fran is survived by her two sons, Jay Ryerson of Britt and his daughter, Emily; and Aaron Ryerson of Forest City and his son, Jeremiah; a sister, Janis (Larry) Sharp of West Des Moines; and many other relatives.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jerome on October 21, 2003; and her parents.

Duane Higgins

December 1, 2010

Duane Higgins, died on Tuesday, November 23, 2010, at the Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona, at the age of 84.

Graveside memorial services will be held at 10:00 a.m., on Saturday, December 4, at the Bingham Township Cemetery in Woden, with Father Randy Schon officiating.

Duane Higgins, was born on April 20, 1926, at the family farm east of Titonka, the son of George and Irene (Koppen) Higgins. He attended school in Titonka and graduated in 1943 at the age of 15. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served for two and a half years before being honorably discharged. Upon returning to the Titonka area, Duane began farming and was united in marriage to Doris Davis on August 3, 1948. Doris died on July 19, 1971 and Duane was united in marriage to Arlis Monson on February 14, 1975. Duane was employed at Forester and Winnebago Industries in Forest City. After having back surgery and becoming disabled, Duane retired in 1977. 

Duane enjoyed computer games, watching television, casinos and dancing in his earlier years. He was a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus and the American Legion. He also was a member of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Wesley.

He is survived by his wife, Arlis of Titonka; children, Michal Higgins of Leland, Patrick Higgins of Fairmont, Minnesota, Kathy (Ron) Dautremont of Iowa City, Brian (Vicki) Higgins of Clear Lake, Debra (Monte) Steinfeldt of Buffalo Center and Dennis Higgins of Titonka; step-daughter, Susan (Tom) Mead of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota; grandchildren, Christopher (Jenny) Higgins, Allison Dautremont, Bradley (Amie) Dautremont, Megan (Andy) Young, Nathan, Amanda and Ashley Higgins and Justin and Taylor Steinfeldt; great-grandson, Aiden Dautremont; and sister, Darlene Hagen of Titonka.

He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Doris; infant son, Daryl; brother, George; sister-in-law, Thelma Higgins and brother-in-law, Wayne Hagen.

Arrangements were handled by the Oakcrest Funeral Services of Titonka. Condolences can be left at www.oakcrestfuneralservices.com.