North Central Iowa
Genealogical Society
Box 237
Mason City, Iowa 50402-0237

Obituary Archive

Hancock County

Garner Leader
Garner IA
50438-1236

Britt News Tribune
Box 28,
42 Center Street West
Britt, IA
50423-1655
Kanawha Reporter

P.O. Box 190
Kanawha, IA
50447


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The NCIGS Hancock County Archive



Harlan Hayes, 1925-2009

April 8, 2009

Harlan HayesHarlan L. Hayes, of Garner, died on Thursday, April 2, 2009, at the Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in Mason City.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., on Tuesday, April 7, at the St. John’s Lutheran Church east of Garner, with Rev. Carl Hedberg officiating. Burial was in the Concord Township Cemetery in Garner, with Military Rites provided by the Garner Veterans Ceremonial Unit.

Visitation was from 4-7:00 p.m., on Monday, at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel in Garner and will continued one hour prior to the services at the church. Memorials may be directed to the St. John’s Lutheran Church or Lutheran Family Services.

Harlan Lester Hayes, the son of Warren and Blanche (Nelson) Hayes, was born on April 14, 1925 Webster City, the eldest of ten brothers. He graduated from the Webster City High School in 1943 and as so many others of his generation, immediately answered his country’s call to service with the United States Army in Central Europe and later in Japan. For his service, Harlan was awarded the Bronze Star. He returned to Webster City in May of 1946 where he delivered fuel for the High View Co-operative.

On June 19, 1949, he married Marilyn Boehnke at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Fort Dodge. They lived in Fort Dodge until 1951, when they moved to the family farm northeast of Garner. In 1991, Harlan and Marilyn retired from farming and moved into Garner. Harlan enjoyed his family, farming, hunting and fishing with his sons and delivering homes for Winnebago Industries.

He was a member of the St. John’s Lutheran Church and served as a Deacon and President of the congregation and Fellowship Club. Harlan was also a member of the Garner VFW and American Legion, Garner Shipping Association as well as a trustee for Concord Township. He served on many boards in the area including the Hancock County Fair, Hancock County Beef and Pork Boards, ASCS Committee and the Farmers’ Cooperative Society in Garner.

He is survived by his wife, Marilyn of Garner; seven children, Steven (Norene) Hayes of West Des Moines, Sandra (Robert) Wilson of Coralville, Dean (Irene) Hayes of Keller, Texas, Doug (Jaci) Hayes of Garner, Debra Kleckner of Clive, Linda (Dale) Wood of Garner and Rachel Hayes of Muscatine; grandchildren, Molly Hayes, Michael and Joanna Wilson, Kelsey Patterson, Mindy Gilbert, Shelby Allen, Sadie and Hillary Hayes, Sarah Kleckner, Andrew, Sarah and Samuel Wood and Lucas and Edward Bruns; nine brothers, Clifford (Dorothy) Hayes of Webster City, Robert (Glenda) Hayes of Webster City, LeRoy (Karen) Hayes of Urbandale, Roger (Teresa) Hayes of Webster City, Gary (Alice) Hayes of Webster City, Russell (Connie) Hayes of Stewartville, Minnesota, Gene (Janet) Hayes of Fort Dodge, Steven (Beverly) Hayes of Webster City and Theodore (Jerri) Hayes of Webster City; three sisters-in-law, Irma (Ralph) Nissen of Ames, Norma Nutting of Clear Lake and Linda Boehnke of Omaha, Nebraska; a brother-in-law, Quentin Love of Mesa, Arizona; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Susan Kinsella on May 6, 2000; son-in-law, Steven Kleckner; and grandson, Joshua Bruns.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2009



Janice K. Hrubes, 1948-2009

April 8, 2009

Janice Katherine Hrubes, 60, Clear Lake, died on Friday, April 3, 2009, at the Oakwood Care Center in Clear Lake.

Memorial services were held on Tuesday, April 7, at the Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake. The Rev. Dennis Ganz officiated.

Janice Katherine Hrubes, was born on June 23, 1948 in Alvin, Texas, the daughter of Kenneth and Evelyn (Greenwood) Shoemake. Janice graduated from the Alvin, Texas, High School in 1966. She attended the Mary Hardin Baylor College in Belton, Texas, for one year, where she met her husband, Jim, who was stationed at Ft. Hood. Janice was united in marriage to Jim Hrubes on September 29, 1967 in Hawaii, while Jim was on leave from Viet Nam. To this union two children were born, Robert Emmett in 1968 and Kerri Lynne in 1973. Janice later graduated from the Alvin Community College in 1989, with an associate degree in liberal arts.

Janice was a published author and loved science fiction, especially Star Trek. She was an ardent “Trekie” and regular convention attendee. She also loved to draw and won a blue ribbon at the Brazoria County Fair for a sculpture she did in 1966. Janice was also the proud grandmother of two grandchildren, Jake Vaughn Scott in 1992 and Kelly Nicole Scott in 2004.

Those left to cherish her memory are her husband, Jim Hrubes of Clear Lake; son, Bob Hrubes of Des Moines; daughter, Kerri Hrubes of Alvin, Texas; her mother, Evelyn Shoemake of Alvin, Texas; two grandchildren, Jake Scott and Kelly Scott, both of Alvin; one brother, Rodney Shoemake of Alvin; and a multitude of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. Besides her family Janice leaves many friends, who along with the family, loved her and will dearly miss her.

She was preceded in death by her father, Kenneth Shoemake.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2009



Cletus A. Liska, 1927-2009

April 15, 2009

Cletus A. Liska, 81, of Clear Lake, died on Friday, April 10, 2009, at the Muse-Norris Hospice Inpatient unit.

Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m., on Tuesday, April 14, at the Zion Lutheran Church, Clear Lake. The Rev. Jeff Ungs officiated. The Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, was in charge of the arrangements. Interment was in the Clear Lake Cemetery, with military honors by the Clear Lake V.F.W. In lieu of flowers a memorial contribution may be given to the charity of the donors choice.

Cletus was born on May 3, 1927, the son of John A. and Mary (Chizek) Liska in rural Garner. He graduated from the Hayfield High School in 1944. Cletus served in the U.S. Army in Germany during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged. Cletus married Charlotte Johnson in Mason City. They had two children, Curt and Robin. He married Marjorie Gabrielson on November 22, 1961 in Mason City. They had two children, Carolyn and Christine. Cletus worked for the U.S. Postal service from 1958–1985, when he retired as the Clear Lake Postmaster.

Cletus loved being with his family. He enjoyed woodworking, golfing, fishing, hunting and watching baseball. He also enjoyed gardening and watching Polka Joe on Saturday evening. He was a proud member of the Clear Lake V.F.W. color guard, Zion Lutheran Church and the Clear Lake V.F.W. He was a past member of the Clear Lake Noon Lions.

Cletus is survived by his wife, Marjorie of Clear Lake; four children, Curt Liska of Des Moines, Robin Fox and her husband, Fred of Rockford, Carolyn Oeltjenbruns of Eagan, Minnesota and Christine King and her husband, Brent of Urbandale; six grandchildren, Matthew and Brian Fox, Anna and Nathan Oeltjenbruns, Wyatt and Alexandra King; one brother, Walter Liska of Sun City, California; two sisters, Rosemary Schroeder of Anaheim, California and Barbara Nedved and her husband, Lewis of Garner; two sisters-in-law, Marian Liska of Albert Lea, Minnesota and Agnes Liska of Hayfield; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Leo, John and Don; and two sisters, Veronica Thada and Doris Fosdick.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2009



Harry L. Anderson, 1938-2009

April 15, 2009

Harry L. Anderson, 71, of Garner, Iowa, died on Saturday, April 11, 2009, at the Rockwell Community Nursing Home in Rockwell, Iowa.

A memorial service was held at 10:00 a.m., on Tuesday, April 14, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner. Interment was in the Amsterdam Cemetery in Goodell, Iowa. The Cataldo Funeral Home in Garner was in charge of the arrangements.

Harry was born on February 4, 1938, on the family farm in rural Goodell. He was the son of Elmer and Esther (Harberts) Anderson. He attended country school before attending the Klemme High School. After high school graduation in 1955, he attended DeVry Technical College in Chicago to study electronics. He moved back to Goodell and married Ann Berge on August 2, 1958 at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner. They had three children, Timothy, Valerie and Lorelei.

After Harry and Ann were married, they lived in Mason City, Iowa, where Harry worked for Goodyear. They returned to the Klemme area where Harry worked as a farmhand for Herman and Luverne Schmidt. In 1961, Harry began delivering petroleum products for the Hancock County Co-op Oil Association. He retired in December 2001.

Harry and Ann were members of the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner, where Harry served as Chairman and Deacon. Harry also was an active member of the Klemme community. He was a longtime member of the Slippery Elm Golf Course in Klemme and served as treasurer of the board. He also served as a longtime Klemme Community School Board member and served as President for a number of years. Harry was a member and officer of the Lion’s Club and the Klemme Volunteer Fire Department.

After Ann died on November 9, 2000, Harry met Anne L. Hustrulid. Harry and Anne were married on February 15, 2003. They enjoyed camping with their camping group and traveling to Texas each winter.

Harry is survived by his wife, Anne of Garner; three children, Tim of Garner, Val (Tom) Alden of Nora Springs and Lori (Mike) Flanigan of Tiffin; three stepdaughters, Lucinda (Dana) Draisey of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Melinda (Brian) Johnson of Eden Prairie, Minnesota and Jennifer (Steve) Weismann of Eden Prairie, Minnesota; six step-grandchildren, Alexandra and Patrick Draisey, Benjamin, Taylor, and Nicholas Johnson and Zachary Weismann; sisters, Ruby Smith, Ila Donnelly and Leila Wilhelm; and one brother, Harley Anderson.

Other survivors include his sisters-in-law; Barbara (Larry) Weians and Loretta Anderson; his brothers-in-law; Donald (Nicky) Berge, Alan (Carol) Berge, David Donnelly and Keith Wilhelm; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Ann; his parents; his brothers, Harlan and Howard; and an infant sister, Shirley.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Hospice of North Iowa or to the St. Paul Lutheran Church Foundation.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2009



Alice H. Boehnke, 1912-2009

April 22, 2009

Alice BoehnkeAlice H. Boehnke, 97, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, died on Tuesday, April 14, 2009, at the Penrose St. Francis Hospital in Colorado Springs.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., on Monday, April 20, at the St. John's Lutheran Church east of Garner, with the Rev. Carl Hedberg officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.

Visitation was held one hour prior to the services at the church on Monday. The Cataldo Funeral Home in Garner was in charge of the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts may be made to Lutherans for Life, Nevada, Iowa.

Alice Helena Boehnke, the daughter of Albert and Clara (Bohn) Roenfanz, was born on January 28, 1912 at Ventura. She was baptized and confirmed at the St. John's Lutheran Church east of Garner. She graduated from the Clear Lake High School in 1930. On September 5, 1937, Alice was united in marriage to Arnold Boehnke at the St. John's Lutheran Church. During Arnold's years in the ministry they served parishes in Knoke, Fort Dodge and Lake City; Great Falls, Montana; Jefferson; Leadville, Colorado and the surrounding areas; Ogden, Utah; and First Lutheran Church in Salida, Colorado, where Arnold retired from active ministry in 1976.

Alice is survived by her sons, Richard (Gayle) Boehnke of Perham, Minnesota and David (Lynn) Boehnke of Wellington, Colorado; a daughter, Lavonne (William) Lehmpuhl of Colorado Springs, Colorado; 14 grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Rev. Arnold Boehnke on May 3, 2002; a daughter-in-law, Barbara; a sister, Mabel Boehnke; and brothers, Walter, Ewald and Edward Roenfanz.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2009



Rick Quandt, 1958-2009

April 29, 2009

Rick QuandtRick Quandt, 50, of Garner, died on Thursday, April 23, 2009, at the Muse-Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City, surrounded by his family from esophageal cancer.

Funeral services were held on Monday, April 27, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner. The Rev. Dale Glawatz officiated. Burial was in the Concord Township Cemetery in Garner. The Cataldo Funeral Home of Garner was in charge of the arrangements.

Richard "Rick" Paul Quandt, the son of Paul and Marian (Olson) Quandt, was born on June 6, 1958 at Ames. He graduated from the West Delaware High School in 1976 and the University of Dubuque in 1980. After graduating from college, Rick moved to Wausau, Wisconsin, where he was employed as the safety director at Murray Machinery and James River. On March 26, 1983, he married Bonnie Lewis at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Wausau. In 1990, they moved to Manchester, Iowa, where Rick was the Human Resources Manager at Tredegar Industries. In 2000, they moved to Garner and Rick began working at Minnesota Rubber in Mason City as the Human Resources Manager.

He enjoyed spending time with his family, coaching, golfing, fishing, woodworking and was an avid Green Bay Packers fan. He was a member of the St. Paul Lutheran Church, where he served as a Deacon. He also was a member and former board member of the Garner Golf and Country Club.

Rick is survived by his wife, Bonnie of Garner; four children, Brooke (Josh) Banse and their son, Kadyn of Garner, Devon Quandt of Mason City and Landon and Damon Quandt of Garner; his parents, Paul and Marian Quandt of Waterloo; a brother, Roger (Lois) Quandt of Robins; two sisters, Rhonda (E.J.) Kennedy of Manchester and Roberta (Jeff) Seamans of Dunkerton; his maternal grandmother, Maxine Olson of Waterloo; and nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Richard Olson; and paternal grandparents, Arthur and Ella Quandt.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2009



Opal Arnold, 1916-2009

May 6, 2009

Opal ArnoldOpal Arnold, 93, of Fruita, Colorado, formerly of Garner, died on Friday, April 24, 2009, at the Family Health West Care Center in Fruita, Colorado.

Memorial services were held on Wednesday, May 6, at the United Presbyterian Church in Garner. Inurnment was in the Concord Township Cemetery in Garner. The Cataldo Funeral Home of Garner was in charge of the arrangements.

Opal Mae Arnold, the daughter of Earl and Lela Ferleman, was born on February 8, 1916 at Mason City. After graduating from the Mason City High School in 1935, she attended the La' James School of Cosmetology and then owned and operated "Opal's Beauty Shop" in Rudd. In March of 1940, she was married to Gregg Arnold. He joined the Marines and she followed him to San Diego until he was sent overseas for 3 years. During this time she lived and worked in Mason City. After the war, they managed a fishing resort in Minnesota and then moved to South Dakota. They eventually settled in Garner where they lived for over 50 years.

In 2002, Opal moved to Colorado to be closer to her only child, Mary Jo Smith. Volunteering and doll collecting kept her busy in her retirement.

She was a member of the United Presbyterian Church in Garner, where she served as the Naomi Ruth Circle Secretary and was a Sunday School teacher. She was also a Bible guide for Stonecroft Ministries and a member of the Garner VFW and American Legion Auxiliaries.

Opal is survived by her daughter, Mary Jo (Greg) Smith of Glenwood Springs, Colorado; granddaughter, Heather (Mark) Wilson of Des Moines; grandsons, Joshua (Lorena) Smith of Des Moines and Nathan (Kelly) Smith of Denver, Colorado; three great-granddaughters; a great-grandson; and a sister, Thora Draper of Mason City.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gregg; parents; a sister; and a brother.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2009

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