Eunice E. Kurtz

February 15, 2012

Eunice E. Kurtz, age 99, of Belmond, died on Thursday, February 9, 2012, at the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Tuesday, February 14, at the United Methodist Church in Goodell. Pastor Janet Rieckhoff-Faris will officiate. Burial will take place in the Amsterdam Cemetery east of Goodell. Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. until the service time at the church in Goodell on Tuesday. The Dugger Funeral Home in Belmond, is in charge of the arrangements.

Eunice Esther, the daughter of Lewis and Nina P. Emerson Wesenberg was born on November 16, 1912 in Goodell. Eunice grew up in Goodell, where she attended school and graduated from the Goodell High School in 1929. She attended the Iowa State Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls, but had to leave because of the Depression. Eunice held several important jobs over her life and never turned away from opportunity. She worked for the Hancock County Farm Bureau in Garner and the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California. Later, she returned to Iowa and did accounting for the family farm equipment business, Jim Howie J.D. Farm Equipment and Urich Implement in Garner. Eunice was united in marriage to Ernest Kurtz on July 13, 1940. The couple made their home in Garner. Eunice raised her brother’s three daughters while living in Garner. Eunice entered the Belmond Community Apartments after Ernie died in 1991. She moved to the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond in 2007.

Eunice was a woman before her time. She liked nice things and worked hard to acquire them. Eunice traveled throughout the United States. She enjoyed dancing, playing cards and doing crossword puzzles. Eunice and Ernie were accomplished antique collectors. She loved to do china painting, quilting and complicated hardanger. Eunice was a life-long member of the United Methodist Church in Goodell. She served the church in numerous capacities, lead the choir, played the piano, taught Sunday School and chaired Ladies Aid. Eunice also was a member of the Eastern Star since 1934.

Eunice is survived by a niece, Patricia Weisbrot and husband, Howard of Cushing, Maine; numerous great-nieces and nephews; and a host of friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ernie; two brothers, Wayne and wife, Viola and Lewis in infancy; sister, Naida Wilkinsen and husband, James; and niece, Pamela Wesenberg Christiansen and niece, Paula Wesenberg Rowland.
©The Garner Leader 2012

June A. Reding
September 11, 1935 - February 9, 2012

June Adel Reding, born on September 11, 1935 in Wesley, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, died on Thursday morning, February 9, 2012, of complications of lymphoma.

A Catholic Daughters of America Rosary was held at 3:00 p.m., on Saturday, February 12, with a scripture prayer service at 7:00 p.m. Services were held at 10:30 a.m., on Monday, February 13, all at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wesley. Burial was in the St. Joseph Catholic cemetery in Wesley. The OakCrest Funeral Services, Algona, was responsible for the arrangements.

June graduated from the Wesley High School in 1953. She married Verne on April 13, 1955 and they settled on a farm near Woden. They later moved to their current farm north of Wesley in 1967.

June was a faithful member of the St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Wesley since 2002, and before that the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Woden. At both parishes, June was active in the organizations and committees of the parishes. In Woden, she taught religious education classes, was active in the Guild and in Wesley she was a leader in the Catholic Daughters of the Americas serving as officer, also cooking for funerals, serving as lector, minister of the Eucharist and she often attended daily Mass besides.

She was a friend to everyone she knew, often caring for sick friends, neighbors, relatives with her delicious cakes, pies and other culinary delights. She belonged to the Birthday Club. Like her mother, June was the beloved "egg lady" of the neighborhood of Wesley, meticulously took care of a new flock of chickens each fall, planted a large garden every spring, and baked her delicious, famous pies almost daily. Her french silk pie and angel food cake were famous and her special dressing was always "a hit" at the church turkey supper.

Her grandchildren enjoyed spending weeks at a time "down on the farm" with her and Verne. June didn't mind teaching them to pray the rosary on trips with them even when they weren't so ready to do so.

June cherished her husband, Verne of Wesley; her four children, Verne Lee (Judy Vitzthum) of Wesley, Paul (Darla Hrubes) of Garner, Denise (Dennis Dornbier) of West Des Moines and Jerry (Marla Grandgenett) of Wesley; 12 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren, Kristi (Rob) Barslou of Johnston, Nick Reding and Abbey Reding of Wesley, Jennifer (Bret) Bredlow of Mason City and their 3 children, Hailey, Hayden and Heaton; Janessa Reding of Mason City, Justin Reding of Garner, Paul Dornbier of Chicago, Illinois, Ryan Dornbier and Sean Dornbier of St. Louis, Missouri, Kayla Reding of Edina, Minnesota, Cindy Reding of West Des Moines and David Reding of Iowa City.

She is also survived by three sisters and three brothers, Carolyn (Phil) Krejci of Corsicana, Texas, Suzanne (Paul) Blain of Groveport, Ohio, David Studer of Wesley, Fr. Louis Studer of Washington, DC, Muriel (Bob) Klosterman of St. Louis Park, Minnesota and Elmer Studer of San Francisco, California; a brother-in-law, Harvey (Marlys) Reding of Ottosen; a sister-in-law, Mary Ann (Edmund) Berte of Algona; and many nieces and nephews. She also enjoyed the company of numerous friends and neighbors.

She was preceded in death by her parents Paul and Sally (West) Studer; her parents-in-law, George and Nettie Reding; and a brother-in-law, Merlin Schmidt.
© OakCrest Funeral Services 2012

Evelyn Mae Arnold

March 14, 2012

Evelyn Mae Arnold, longtime resident of Klemme, died suddenly at the age of 89, on Wednesday, February 15, 2012.

A private family service will take place at a later date in Klemme. Those wishing to express their sympathy through a memorial can be made to the family. Those memorials are appreciated and will go to a charity or organization that Evelyn supported.

Evelyn Mae Arnold, was born on March 2, 1922, to Elmer and Ellie (Lau) Arnold. She grew up on the family farm near Klemme that her parents owned and operated. Her childhood involved a lot of time in the summer playing on the farmstead with the neighborhood kids. Cold winters were not to Evelyn's liking for she was found inside playing with doll and other toys to be best for her. During these early years, Evelyn developed her fondness for barnyard cats, a liking that stayed with her through her entire life. Grade school at the riverside country school near the Iowa River south of Klemme was her first step in her education. Most days she walked with other students the mile trek to school. Klemme High School was next. Evelyn played in the school band and was also active in other extracurricular activities. Occasionally in the summer she joined the youth group at the Methodist Lake Okoboji Camp for study and social events. She had made many Klemme friends and also visited with her aunt, Amanda Tice, in Mason City and made numerous friends with the neighborhood girls. As a young lady, Evelyn went to teachers college summer school in Cedar Falls and the fall of that year she graduated from high school in 1939. She started her lifelong teaching career in the same riverside school where she was a student. Evelyn continued her education throughout the years and received her B.A. Degree from Upper Iowa.

After teaching in several country schools, Evelyn taught in Meservey, Humboldt and also the Charles City School System, where she was a member of the Alpha Delta Kappa organization. In Charles City, she survived the destructive tornado by remaining in her apartment until it was over. Evelyn had an aging mother in Klemme and during this time for many years Evelyn finished her teaching duties then ran home to tend to her mother.

Teaching wasn't Evelyn's only interest. Evelyn enjoyed yearly visits to the Iowa State Fair and to the Clay County Fair. Even tractor shows were interesting but antique displays were much preferred. She enjoyed antiques and purchased collectables that caught her eye. Evelyn kept in touch with her students and fellow teachers even after retirement through various meetings and letters. Many former students sent cards and letters on special occasions. Although she traveled the Western U.S.'s deep gorges and rugged mountains, those didn't appeal to her. Evelyn preferred traveling Iowa and surrounding states. She liked to visit her nieces and nephews and remembered them with gifts on their special days. Family dinners, reunions and various family activities were among her list of enjoyable things.

After retirement, Evelyn continued to reside in Klemme and shared a home with her brother, Wilbur Arnold. She grew frail but energetic and continued on with the activities she loved. It is impossible to summarize her life in a few paragraphs and her life touched so many others in their memories.

Evelyn is survived by her brothers, Wilbur and Bruce Arnold; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Evelyn was preceded in death by her parents, Elmer and Nellie Arnold; brothers, Curtis and Roy Arnold; and several aunts and uncles.

Funeral service arrangements are being held by the Andrews Funeral Home, Klemme.
©The Garner Leader 2012

Gelaine Irving
January 1, 1923 - February 19, 2012

Gelaine Irving, 89, of Garner, died on Sunday, February 19, 2012, at the Mercy Medical Center - North Iowa in Mason City.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Wednesday, February 22, at the United Methodist Church in Garner, with Pastor Paul Evans officiating. Burial will be in the Concord Township Cemetery in Garner. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the services at the church. The Cataldo Funeral Home, Garner, was in charge of the arrangements.

Gelaine Evelyn Palma Irving, the daughter of Palmer and Hattie (Johnson) Jensen, was born on January 1, 1923 at Lake Mills. She graduated from the Lake Mills High School in 1940. On February 12, 1943, she was married to Herbert Irving at Bethany, Missouri. They lived in Garner where they raised their three daughters.

Gelaine enjoyed going to auctions and collecting antiques. She was a member of the United Methodist Church in Garner, UMW and the Garner American Legion Auxiliary.

Gelaine is survived by her daughters, Patricia (Gary) Maben of Garner, Carol (Paul) Anderson of Appleton, Wisconsin and Helen (Thomas) Sammons of Tyler, Texas; two grandchildren, Heather and Kendra Hallett of Tyler, Texas; four great-grandchildren, Dakotah Maben, Jeremy Maben, Jenna Maben and Taylor Sammons; a great-great-granddaughter, Riley Maben; a sister, Phyllis Quintus of Hampton; and a niece and a nephew.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert on March 14, 2006; her parents; granddaughter, Sarah Maben; and grandsons, Scott Maben and Jeffrey Graham.
© Cataldo Funeral Home 2012

Richard R. Park

March 7, 2012

Richard R. Park, 73, of Overland Park, Kansas, and Georgetown, Texas, entered into eternal rest with his Heavenly Father on Thursday, February 23, 2012. He passed away with his beloved family by his side in Georgetown, Texas, due to complications from pulmonary fibrosis.

Visitation will be at 9:30 a.m., on Saturday, March 3, at the Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, Kansas, with memorial services to follow at 11:00 a.m. Private interment will be in the Church of the Resurrection Memorial Garden. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children, Houston, Texas, with memo of “Richard Park Memorial for Wheelchairs and Walkers” or to the Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, Kansas.

Richard was born in Centerville, Iowa, on October 1, 1938, the first born child of Zellan H. and Alice M. (Hickerson) Park. He was raised in Seymour, Iowa, where he attended elementary and high school, graduating with the class of 1956. He then attended the University of Iowa and was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Banking. In the summer of 1959, Richard met the love of his life, Carol Rowe in Estes Park, Colorado, while they were both working summer jobs. They were married on August, 13, 1960 in Bazine, Kansas. They were blessed with three children, David, Robin and Tracy.

Richard and Carol made their home in Denver, Colorado, until 1961 when, due to the unexpected death of his father, they returned to Seymour, to assist his mother in liquidating the family Chrysler-Plymouth dealership. During this time, he developed a close relationship with Wilson Ervin, a Centerville, Iowa, banker who offered him his first job in banking at the Centerville National Bank after the dealership was liquidated. This began a 46-year banking career. Richard developed a special expertise for turning around problem banks and this led to subsequent jobs in Oelwein, Iowa; Bethany, Missouri; Russell, Kansas; Horton, Kansas; Brownsville, Texas and finally in Garner, Iowa.

Upon the sale of his last bank, Richard and Carol moved to Overland Park, Kansas, to be nearer family. Not cut out for retirement, he started a part-time position working with BPS Capital, a bank investment consulting firm located in Bloomington, Minnesota. He considered the President, Mike McLaren, a dear friend and appreciated the opportunity to work for BPS where he was still employed at the time of his death.

The move to Kansas brought him great joy as he was deeply involved in his grandchildrens’ activities. As their biggest fan, if he was in town, he never missed a sporting event or concert and he enjoyed taking his children and grandchildren to many Chiefs games and other events. In 2006, Richard and Carol started wintering in Georgetown, Texas, where they resided at the time of his death.

Richard was a member of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection; Za-Ga-Zig Shrine; Jackson Masonic Lodge #42 in Centerville, Iowa; San Gabriel Masonic Lodge #89 in Georgetown, Texas; The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, York Rite Bodies; Elks Lodge #2395, Overland Park, Kansas; Rotary Club; and Lions Club. He was honored to serve on the Legislative Committee and the Board of Directors of the Iowa Bankers Association from 1995-1998. Richard served as Pancake Day Chairman in 1971. He was one of the founders of the Southeastern Iowa Chapter of the Bank Administration Institute and was named outstanding banker of that chapter in 1977. He served on the Board of Directors of the North Iowa Red Cross and was named most outstanding member of that organization in 2000. Wherever he lived, he worked tirelessly for any project or endeavor he thought would better his community.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Carol; children, David Park of Overland Park, Kansas, Robin (Paul) Cupach of Overland Park, Kansas and Tracy Kruse of Leawood, Kansas; and grandchildren, Rachael and Ellaina Park; Jack, Harry and Emma Farrell; Katie, Molly, Alison and Hunter Kruse; and brother, Roger Park of Jacksonville, Florida.

He was preceded in death his parents, Zell and Alice Park; parents-in-law, Harry and Carrie Rowe; and son-in-law, Max Kruse.

The Signature Funerals of KCMO was in charge of the arrangements.
www.signaturefunerals.com
©The Garner Leader 2012