Emmajean Zeising

May 30, 2012

Emmajean Arlice (Paulson) Zeising, 78, died on Thursday, April 19, 2012, in Phoenix, Arizona.

A private family remembrance will be held on Saturday, June 2. Interment of her cremains will be in the Concord Cemetery in Garner on Tuesday, June 5, at 1:00 p.m.

Emmajean was born on July 6, 1933, the only child of Mildred (Hein) and Lyiel Paulson of Garner. On March 20, 1955, she was united in marriage to Paul Kenneth Zeising in Garner. She lived in Sioux City, prior to moving to Arizona to be near her children. Emmajean attended Morningside College where she majored in music. As a pianist and organist, she often played the organ and piano at the Unitarian Church in Sioux City and also for many family holidays.

She is survived by her two children, daughter, Renee Ann of Young, Arizona and son, Paul Kevin and his wife, Thu M of Phoenix, Arizona; three grandchildren, Jeremy, Melinda and Taz, all living in Arizona; and eight nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband; and one granddaughter, Chenille.
©The Garner Leader 2012

Joan Larson Skolas

June 20, 2012

Joan Larson Skolas, 56, of Prior Lake, Minnesota, died on Thursday, June 7, 2012, at McKenna Crossing.

Memorial services were held on Thursday, June 14, at McKenna Crossing, where Pastor Chris Wheatley officiated.

Joan was born Joan Karol Larson on September 1, 1955 in Belmond, the daughter of the late Sterling Larson and the late Judith Larson (nee-Haberkamp). Joan was born, raised and educated in Iowa. She graduated from Iowa State with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Design. She was a member of alpha Zeta Delta Sorority. Over her career, Joan worked as an admissions counselor and college recruiter for Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, Wisconsin, Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, Massachusetts and Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. Over the course of her life, in addition to her early life in Garner, Joan lived in Manitowoc, Wisconsin; Boston, Massachusetts; Landenberg, Pennsylvania and New Hope, Pennsylvania, before moving to McKenna Crossing in Prior Lake. Joan suffered from multiple sclerosis.

Four years ago, Joan moved to McKenna Crossing where she received loving, conscientious care necessitated by the increasing level of her disability. Throughout her life, in the face of extraordinary challenges, Joan was a source of strength, love, joy, and good humor to everyone who knew her.

Joan is, survived by her husband, John Skolas of New Hope; and her brother, Kimm Larson, her sister-in-law, Kathy Larson and niece, Kristi Larson, all of Gamer.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Crisis Intervention Services, Box 656, Mason City, Iowa 50401 or to the Zion E&R Reformed Church, 760 West 8th Street, Gamer, Iowa 50438.
©The Garner Leader 2012

Bill Young
July 13, 1933 - June 9, 2012

Bill Young, 78, of Garner, died on Saturday, June 9, 2012, at his home west of Garner.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Wednesday, June 13, at the St. Boniface Catholic Church in Garner, with Fr. Dennis Miller officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4-7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, at the St. Boniface Catholic Church, with a Scriptural wake service at 3:30 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the services at the church. The Cataldo Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Bill Young, the son of Verner and Gertrude (Klesel) Young, was born on July 13, 1933, on the family farm west of Garner. He attended country school near his home and graduated from the Garner High School in 1951. Following high school he farmed with his father and brother, Leonard. On June 3, 1957, he married Nancy Anderson at the St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Mason City. They lived on the family farm where they raised their family. Bill was a school bus driver for 33 years for the Garner-Hayfield Community School District and operated a detasseling crew for 39 years.

He enjoyed his family, fishing, playing cards, gardening, his trip to Alaska and was an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan. He was a member of the St. Boniface Catholic Church.

Bill is survived by his wife of fifty-five years, Nancy of Garner; five children, David (Roxie) Young of Hartselle, Alabama, Scott (Monica) Young of Garner, Lisa (Mark) Watts of New Sharon, Iowa, Gary (Amy) Young of Greentown, Indiana and Brenda (Tim) O'Hare of Rushford, Minnesota; grandchildren, Christopher (Stephanie) Young, Angela (Bo) Simmons, Pamela (Charlie) Boyd, Melissa (Sam) Rizzo, April (Adam) Brackin, Chase Suggs, Amy (Seth) Fitzgerald, Katie Young (special friend, Eric Butcher), Megan Watts, Tressa Watts, Samuel Watts, Caleb Young, Joseph Young, Austin O'Hare, Bailey O'Hare and Luke O'Hare; great-grandchildren, Tyler, Paige and Abby Rizzo, Cassie Young, Carter Simmons, Hannah Boyd, Adley Bracken and Haylie Fitzgerald; a sister, Betty (Bill) Lein of Kimberland City, Missouri; a sister-in-law, Donna Young Rayhons of Garner; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and a brother, Leonard "Slim" Young.
© Cataldo Funeral Home 2012

Robert F. Thomson, Jr.
April 17, 1934 - June 11, 2012

Robert F. Thomson, 78, of Corwith and formerly of Britt, passed away on Monday, June 11, 2012, at the Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona.

Memorial services will be held on Wednesday, June 13, at 6:00 p.m., at the Ewing Funeral Chapel in Britt. A gathering of family and friends will be held on Wednesday, June 13, from 4-6:00 p.m., at the Ewing Funeral Chapel in Britt. 

Robert Frank Thomson, Jr., the son of Robert and Pearl Thomson was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania. Following high school, Robert served in the United States Navy and later in the United States Air Force. Upon his discharge from the service, Robert met and married Peggy Jean Morris and the couple made their home in Savannah, Georgia, where Robert worked as a truck driver.

In 1983, Peggy passed away and Robert later married Nellie Jo Moss.

Robert later worked for Grumman Industries, which later merged with Gulf Stream Aerospace. He began in quality control and later worked as a field representative for more than 17 years based in the Los Angeles Area. Following his career with Gulf Stream Aerospace, Robert worked as a bartender at the American Legion Hall in Girard, Pennsylvania. He later moved to Britt and worked for Armour Swift Eckrich for many years until he retired in 1997.

Robert loved all things airplanes. He also loved motorcycles and attended many bike shows around the area. He enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. Robert’s military and professional careers afforded him the opportunity to travel around the world 3 times. In his younger years, he was an avid fisherman and always enjoyed sketching and drawing. Most of all, Robert loved being with the people who loved him. He was a selfless person who would do anything to help others in need.

Robert is survived by his children, Dewey H. Martin of Savannah, Georgia, Robert Botha of Christchurch, New Zealand, Angellyn Coker of Corwith, Roger Thomson of Corwith and Robert Thomson III of Tucson, Arizona; 18 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great-grandson.

Robert was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Penelope, in infancy; his first wife, Peggy Jean Thomson; his second wife, Nellie Jo Thomson; stepson, Steve Moss and grandchildren, Kristen and Bryan Moss.
© Ewing Funeral Home 2012

Elsie Rockow-Schroeder

June 20, 2012

Elsie I. Rockow-Schroeder, 87, of Dows and formerly of Garner, died on Saturday, June 16, 2012, at the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Friday, June 22, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner, with Rev. Dale Glawatz officiating. Burial will be in the Concord Township Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5-8:00 p.m., on Thursday, at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel, Garner and will continue one hour prior to the services at the church.

Elsie Irene Rockow-Schroeder, the daughter of James and Minnie (Ehler) Ryan, was born on March 11, 1925 at Rockwell City. She graduated from the Rowan High School in 1943 and then moved to Des Moines where she worked as a bookkeeper for the Baker Shoe Store and the Butterfly Coffee Shop. She later returned to Dows and was employed at the Clarion SuperValu grocery store. On February 14, 1948, she was married to Harley Rockow at the Lutheran Parsonage in Dows and for two years they farmed south of Williams and then at Ellsworth. In 1960, they moved to Garner and continued farming. In September of 1991 Harley passed away and then Elsie moved into Garner in 1992. On November 13, 1999, she was married to Wilbur Schroeder at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner. They made their home in Dows.

Elsie enjoyed spending time with her family and was an avid walker. She was a member of the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner, where she served as the chairman of the funeral luncheon committee for many years.

Elsie is survived by her husband, Wilbur of Dows; four children, Greg (Lila) Rockow of Iowa City, Dennis (Kathy) Rockow of Gatesville, Texas, Marcia Hamilton of Markleeville, Nevada and Gary (Sharon) Rockow of Klemme; eight grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; thirteen step-great-grandchildren; two step-sons, Steven (Nancy) Schroeder of Estherville and Douglas (Sherry) Schroeder of Swisher; five step-grandchildren; seven step-great-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Marge Ryan of Belmond and Vernie Ryan of Belmond; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; first husband, Harley; and her brothers and sisters, Edward, Harold, Walter, Alice, Ethel, Glen, Jean, Darlene and Darrell.
©The Garner Leader 2012

Pat Maben
June 19, 1944 - June 17, 2012

Pat Maben, 67, of Garner, died on Sunday, June 17, 2012, at the St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota.

Memorial services will be held at 10:00 a.m., on Thursday, June 21, at the United Methodist Church in Garner, with Pastor Paul Evans officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the services at the church on Thursday. The Cataldo Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Patricia Lynne Maben, the daughter of Herbert and Gelaine (Jensen) Irving, was born on June 19, 1944 in Garner. She grew up in Garner and was a member of the Garner-Hayfield Class of 1962. On September 11, 1965, she was married to Gary Maben at the United Methodist Church in Garner. They lived all of their married life in Garner. Pat worked as a bookkeeper and licensed insurance agent for Maben Insurance and Hancock Mutual Insurance Company for thirty-five years, retiring in 2003.

She enjoyed scuba diving, cooking, watching game shows and NASCAR racing. She was a member of the United Methodist Church in Garner, where had taught Sunday school, played the organ and belonged to UMW.

Pat is survived by her husband, Gary of Garner; three grandchildren, Jeremy, Jenna and Dakotah Maben, all of Garner; a great-granddaughter, Riley; two sisters, Carol (Paul) Anderson of Appleton, Wisconson and Helen (Thomas) Sammons of Tyler, Texas; and three aunts, Phyllis Quintus of Hampton, Eleanor Brozik of Garner and Norma Petit of Warsaw, Missouri.

She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Sarah; and sons, Scott and Jeff.
© Cataldo Funeral Home 2012

Lola LaVonne Eisenman
July 10, 1926 - June 20, 2012

Lola L. Eisenman, 85, of Britt, died on Wednesday, June 20, 2012, at the Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in Mason City.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Monday, June 25, at the United Methodist Church in Britt, with Rev. Robert Dodge officiating. Burial will be in the Evergreen Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m., on Sunday, at the Cataldo Funeral Home in Britt and will continue one hour prior to the services at the church.

Lola LaVonne Eisenman, the daughter of Herbert and Mildred (Anderson) Lee, was born on July 10, 1926 in Britt. She attended the Britt Community Schools and graduated from the Britt High School in 1944. She continued her education at Hamilton Business College in Mason City and was employed at an attorney's office in Mason City and at Mullin's Seed Company as a bookkeeper. On April 30, 1949, she was married to Donald Eisenman at the Britt United Methodist Church by Rev. F.F. Robinson. They farmed northeast of Britt until 1992, when they retired and moved to town. One of Lola's greatest joys was her children and especially her grandchildren. She loved her family and always looked forward to hosting family get-togethers and holidays.

Lola was a long-time member of the Britt United Methodist Church, where she was a Sunday School teacher and served on many church committees. She was actively involved in the Rebekah's and served as secretary for many years. Lola was also a member of the Women's Club and enjoyed being with the ladies at church making quilts.

Lola is survived by her four sons, Ronald (Peggy) Eisenman of Britt, Mark (Darcy) Eisenman of Britt, Robert (Kathy) Eisenman of Grundy Center and Craig (Deanne) Eisenman of Osage; thirteen grandchildren; two great-grandsons; two brothers-in-law, Chester, Jr. (Sandra) Eisenman of Britt and Duane Michelson of Independence; along with several cousins, nieces, nephews and many, many friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 61 years, Donald; her sister, Wilda (Fred) Hite; a brother, William Lee; a sister-in-law, Blanche Michelson; two brothers-in-law, Cyrus and Daryl Eisenman; and a nephew, Randall Hite.
© Cataldo Funeral Home 2012

Edward William Larsen
April 1, 1932 - June 22, 2012

Edward W. Larsen, 80, of Garner, died on Friday, June 22, 2012, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.

A private inurnment will be held in the Concord Township Cemetery in Garner at a later date. Visitation will be held from 5-8:00 p.m., on Monday, June 25, at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel in Garner.

Edward William Larsen, the son of Lawrence and Dora (Chapin) Larsen, was born on April 1, 1932 at Algona. He attended country school north of Algona and graduated from the Titonka High School in 1953. Following high school he helped his family on the farm. On February 28, 1959, he married Diane Meckstroth. They lived in Bancroft until 1972, when they moved to Garner. Ed was employed with Martin-Marrieta in Fertile for sixteen years and then at CF Industries east of Garner until his retirement. He enjoyed spending time with his family.

Ed is survived by his wife, Diane of Garner; four children, Julie (Jeff) Tegland of Forest City, Paula (Jerry) Appel of Fertile, Neil (Tabitha) Larsen of Garner and Jeffrey Larsen of Iowa City; and seven grandchildren, Jasa Tegland, Kory and Nicholas Mitthun, Braedon Appel, and Jasmin, Dimitri and Zane Larsen.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and siblings.
© Cataldo Funeral Home 2012