ELMER LEARY RILEY

Elmer Riley, 81, of Britt passed away Thursday, November 7, 2013 at Westview Care Center in Britt.

Memorial services for Elmer Riley will be held at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, November 12, 2013, at Westview Care Center, 445 8th Avenue South West in Britt with Pastor Stan Johnson officiating. Burial will be at a later date in Liberty Township Cemetery.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the care center on Tuesday.

Elmer was born to Elmer Sr. and Rose (Cross) Riley on September 21, 1932 in the Omaha area and spent his young life in Sioux City.  According to Elmer, there were seven children in the family, including a brother Johnny and a sister Joan.

Elmer has been in various institutions since a young age.  Elmer moved to Duncan Heights in 1991 and worked at the Opportunity Village Garner Work Center until he retired in March of 2011.  Elmer was active on the Duncan Heights softball team.  He moved to Westview Care Center in Britt in 2005.

Elmer was an avid fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and enjoyed football.  Elmer had a love for watches, jean jackets, bib overalls and new Levi’s.  He enjoyed playing in the Westview Bell Choir, going to BINGO and keeping track of the Westview staff and their families. Elmer was happiest when passing out candy to the kids at Halloween, eating sweets, watching Lawrence Welk and opening presents for Christmas and his birthday.

Elmer is survived by the staff and his friends at Westview Care Center and by his friend and Guardian, Janice Bertilson.

Elmer was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Joan, and other family members.

MERLE BERTILSON
September 12, 1922 - November 12, 2013

Merle E. Bertilson, 91, of Klemme died Tuesday, November 12, 2013 at his home in Klemme.

Memorial services will be held 2 P.M., Saturday, November 16th at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner with Rev. Scott Kozisek officiating. Graveside services will be held 11 A.M., Saturday at Otis Grove Cemetery near Dows.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 P.M., Friday at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner.

Memorials may be directed to Hospice of North Iowa. Cataldo Funeral Home in Garner is in charge of arrangements.

Merle Eugene Bertilson, the son of Bert and Agnes (Hawe) Bertilson, was born September 12, 1922 on a farm east of Dows. He attended country school in Franklin County and graduated from Dows High School in 1938. Merle was proud to have played on the 1940 Dows High School State Champion - Runner-Up baseball team. Merle farmed in Dows, Thornton and ended up near Klemme, settling in Liberty Township on the Bertilson farm. Merle's legacy is hard work and having fun and he taught his children the value of both. He was married to Charlotte Jean Iseminger on December 17, 1943, Esther Klinge on December 26, 1951 and Sonja Franzen on February 14, 1970. He loved to spend time with family, work on the farm, sing in the church choir and ride his motorcycle. Merle also enjoyed spending time in Florida for six weeks every year with his sister, Alta and daughter Carol and family, going to morning coffee at the Klemme Co-op, pitching horse shoes, watching the Hawkeyes, pitching softball until the age of 62 and teasing everyone, especially, his grandchildren and Grandma.

He was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church where he sang in the choir, Klemme Lions Club and the North Iowa Road Riders.

Merle is survived by his wife, Sonja; children, Mary Jo (Doug) Depping of Thornton, Dennis (Carol) Bertilson of Fithian, IL, Carol (Donald) Saling of Jacksonville, FL, Dean (Janice) Bertilson of Garner, Lori (Dan) Wolf of Klemme, Carolyn (Russ) Clabaugh of Iowa City and Mona Erdahl (Jim) Jones of Britt; twenty grandchildren; eighteen great-grandchildren; a sister, Alta Noland of Ft. Myers, FL; brother-in-law, Merle (Mary) Klinge of Garner; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Jean; second wife, Esther; a son, Douglas Bertilson; three brothers, Eldon, Maynard and Adrian Bertilson; a sister, Erdene Anderson; a sister-in-law, Lorraine Bertilson; and brothers-in-law, Tory Nodland and Dale Anderson.

DONALD HOPPEL
April 10, 1935 - November 22, 2013

Donald A. Hoppel, 78, of Garner died Friday, November 22, 2013 at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M., Tuesday, November 26th at Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake with Pastor Kirk Wilke officiating. Following the service his body will be cremated. Inurnment will be held at a later date in Concord Township Cemetery with military rites by the Garner Veterans Ceremonial Unit.

Visitation will be held from 3 to 7 P.M., Monday at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E. 4th St., in Garner and will continue one hour prior to services at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Garner-Hayfield Education Foundation to be used for a track/photo timing system or to the donor's charity of choice.

Donald A. Hoppel, the son of Clarence and Connie (Wenzel) Hoppel, was born April 10, 1935 in Belmond. He graduated from Belmond High School in 1954. He attended Webster City Junior College and from there continued his education at Iowa State Teacher's College in Cedar Falls graduating in 1958. Don served his country in the Iowa Air National Guard in Fort Dodge from 1958 to 1964. He signed a teaching contract at Garner-Hayfield Community School District for the 1959-1960 school year. He taught 7-8th grade science, was the athletic trainer and coached football, basketball and track. He received his master's degree from Northeast Missouri Teacher's College in Kirksville, MO in 1964. In 1965, he became building principal for grades 5-8. On August 12, 1967 he married Linda Gipp of Decorah. They were blessed with two sons, Scott and Mark. In 1969, Don was named the school's Athletic Director. Two of his many highlights during his athletic director's tenure was the 1991 football team winning the 2-A State Football Championship and the all weather track being named after him in 1993. Don retired from his teaching duties at Garner-Hayfield in the spring of 1993. After his retirement, he enjoyed contact with students as a substitute teacher, working at Garner-Hayfield sporting events and watching Iowa football and basketball games. Don was named Grand Marshal of the 2008 Garner-Hayfield Homecoming parade. He was a lifetime follower of the Cleveland Indians baseball team and Iowa Hawkeyes. The last few years, his most enjoyment was from his friends, family and grandchildren.

He was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake and was a lifetime member of the Iowa State Education Association and the National Education Association. He also was a member of the National and State Athletic Director's Associations and an honorary member of the Belmond High School B Club. Don was recognized with the School Administrator's Award from the Iowa High School Athletic Association in March of 1993 and received the Northeast District Athletic Director of the Year Award in April of 1993. In March of 1995, he was inducted into the Iowa Athletic Director's Association Hall of Fame.

Don is survived by his wife, Linda, of Garner; two sons, Scott (Beth) Hoppel of Osage and their two children, Nicholas and Katherine and Mark (Tammy) Hoppel of Mason City and their two children, Michael and Marissa; and a brother, Doug (Colleen) Hoppel of Little Canada, MN.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Don's family would like to thank the doctors, techs, nurses and secretaries at the Mason City Dialysis Center and Hospice of North Iowa for their great care and services

GERALD E URICH
October 5, 1948 - November 25, 2013

Gerald E. Urich, 65, of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, formerly of Garner, died Monday, November 25, 2013 at his home.

A memorial mass will be held 2 P.M., Saturday, November 30th at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Duncan with Fr. Dennis Miller officiating. Inurnment will be in St. John's Catholic Cemetery in Duncan.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the church. Cataldo Funeral Home in Garner is in charge of arrangements.

Gerald Eugene Urich, the son of Rudy and Dorothy (Brcka) Urich, was born October 5, 1948 at Mason City. He attended school at Hayfield and graduated from Garner-Hayfield High School in 1966. Gerald continued his education at the University of Southern Illinois and graduated from the Electronics Computer Programming Institute in 1969. After graduation, he was employed as a Systems Analyst for the State Comptroller in Des Moines. He retired from this position after twenty-four years of employment. Gerald built a home in Pleasant Hill, near Des Moines, in 1980 where he continued to live after his retirement. He had been confined to a wheel-chair since graduating from high school. Gerald was a history enthusiast, especially regarding WW II publications. He also enjoyed collecting data dealing with space and the solar system. In addition, he loved following sporting events and was an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan.

Gerald is survived by his mother, Dorothy Urich, of Garner; two brothers, Roger Urich of Garner and Bob (Billie) Urich of Loveland, CO; a sister, Carmen Urich of Fort Collins, CO; nieces, Jennifer (Lee) Freeman of Windsor, CO and Julie Urich of Fort Collins, CO; nephews, Mike (Jill) Urich of Ankeny and Matt (Shirley) Urich of Red Oak; and his caregivers, Laurie Reaves and her two children, Courtney and Angel and Dan Freidel.

He was preceded in death by his father, Rudy Urich.

BETTY DE JONG
May 11, 1925 - October 18, 2013

Mrs. Elizabeth L. “Betty” De Jong, 88, of Orange City, passed from this time into eternity on October 18, 2013, at the Orange City Area Health System Hospital. She was lovingly surrounded by her family at the time of her passing.

There will be a funeral service on Tuesday, October 22, at 11:00am, at the First Reformed Church in Orange City. The Rev. Mark Haverdink and Mr. Thomas Hydeen will officiate. Interment will follow at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. Visitation will be after 4:00pm on Monday, with the family present from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.

Betty was born to Albert and Agnes (Dykstra) Giesen, of Orange City, on May 11, 1925. She attended Orange City Christian School from kindergarten through eighth grade, after which she attended high school at Northwestern Classical Academy in Orange City. While there, she was a cheerleader and was invited to play clarinet with the college band. She also sang in the college choir and performed the solo “Somebody Did a Golden Deed.” She graduated from The Academy in 1942 and attended Northwestern College for one semester.

In 1943, she left college to assist her father at his grocery store, as many men were off to war. At the store, she performed multiple tasks, including assembling care packages for persons in the war-devastated Netherlands. She worked at her father’s store until it was sold due to his illness.

Following the war, Betty and Lloyd K. De Jong were united in marriage at First Reformed Church in Orange City on September 26, 1946. They became the proud parents of two children, Myra and Wayne. Betty was a loving wife and mother and enjoyed taking care of her family’s home. In addition, she held various jobs over the years, including working at the co-owned Corner Market and IGA grocery stores, the Capital newspaper, the Sioux County Treasurer’s Office, and Toyland at The Village during Christmas. Given her close ties to the war, Betty was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary for over sixty years.

Throughout her life, Betty enjoyed many different activities. As a child, she loved roller-skating in addition to playing clarinet and singing. Later, she enjoyed knitting baby sweaters, cross-stitching, and reading. Betty was also an excellent baker and was determined to ensure family and friends alike had plenty of cookies to eat. She also spent countless hours playing games with her family, including Yahtzee! and Farkle. Betty always enjoyed life, maintaining her positive outlook and sense of humor in every situation and shared a laugh with everyone she met.

Betty’s faith was center to her life, and she was a lifelong member of First Reformed Church of Orange City. She was a member of the Ruth Circle, but most dear to her heart was singing high soprano in the church choir for over fifty years.

Betty will be lovingly remembered by her children and their spouses, Myra and John Bowman of Britt, Iowa, and Wayne De Jong and Lisa Erdos of San Francisco, California; along with her grandchildren, Ryan and Kelly Bowman of Humboldt, Iowa, and Jill Bowman of Edina, Minnesota. She will also be missed by two special nieces, Noreen (Ted) De Hoogh of Sioux Center and Ellen De Jager of Sioux City; two sisters-in-law, Eleanor De Jong and Frances De Jong, both of Orange City; and several other relatives and friends.

Betty has joined in heaven, her husband, Lloyd; her parents, Albert and Agnes; her brother, Nanning Giesen; and her sister, Ella Harmina (Myna) De Jager.

Memorials may be directed to the First Reformed Church broadcasting ministry.

LARAE MERIEN (LuDuc) HOBSCHEIDT
January 16, 1949 - November 15, 2013

LaRae Hobscheidt, 64, of Britt, passed away Friday, November 15, 2013, at Hancock County Memorial Hospital in Britt.

A Mass of Christian Burial for LaRae Hobscheidt will be held on Monday, November 18, 2013, at 10:30 am at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 139 3rd Street SE, in Britt with Rev. Dennis Miller officiating.  Burial will be at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Britt.   Visitation will be held on Sunday, November 17, 2013, from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm at St Patricks’ Catholic Church, 139 3rd Street SE, in Britt.   A scriptural wake service will be held at 7:00 pm. Sunday at the church.   Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at the church.   LaRae was born in Britt, Iowa on January 16, 1949, to Robert and Doris LeDuc (Hinders).  

She attended school in Britt and graduated from Britt High School in 1967.  She was united in marriage on April 12, 1980, to Jerry Hobscheidt.  To this union there were four children.  They resided on a farm south of Britt and later moved to town.  LaRae and Jerry worked together many years operating an auto parts store and later owned and operated The Land of Hob Auto Parts where they made many lasting friendships.   

LaRae was a long time member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Britt where she played the organ and taught catechism for many years and served in many other ways at the church.  She was a charter member of the Britt Lionesses and served the community as an EMT.  She enjoyed being outside and could often be found working in her beautiful flower garden or on one of her many walks.  She loved to gather in the kitchen with her family where she always made sure everyone had plenty of food to eat.  Her family was most important to her and she cherished every moment with them.     

LaRae is survived by her husband, Jerry; son, Todd (Megan) Hobscheidt of Belmond and their children, Christopher, Brandon, Cody, Caleb, Koty, Chloe, Aiden and Aaron; Daughter, Sheila (Rick) Ferrell of Anamosa and their children, Meagan, Morgan (Andy) Bracy and Micaiah; son, Troy (Angie) Hobscheidt of Britt and their children,  Dillon, Ashleigh, and Trey; daughter, Karrie (Jerry) Pringnitz of Garner and their children, Jade, Jace, Joseph, Jenna and Jonah; two great-grandchildren, Teagan and Kade; sisters, Deb (Rick) Dirksen of Britt,  Barb (Russ) Trulson of Britt and Lynn Peterson of Louisburg, Missouri; uncle, Tom Hinders and his family of Ames; aunt, Linda LeDuc of Mason City; special great aunt, Mickey Noble of Britt and many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins.  

She was preceded in death by her parents; grandparents, Martin and Ann Hinders; her father and mother-in-law, George and Imogene Hobscheidt; brothers-in-law, Rollie Peterson and Dennis Hobscheidt and many aunts and uncles. 

LLOYD GJERDE
November 5, 1934 - November 20, 2013

Lloyd M. Gjerde, 79, of Britt died Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at the Mercy Medical Center - North Iowa in Mason City.

Funeral service will be held at 10:30 A.M., Saturday, November 23rd at the First Lutheran Church in Britt with Pastor Lee Nelson officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery with military rites by the Britt Veterans Ceremonial Unit.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 P.M., Friday at the Cataldo Funeral Home in Britt and will continue one hour prior to services at the church.

Lloyd Marlin Gjerde, the son of Lloyd T. and Florence (Bergman) Gjerde, was born November 5, 1934 at Crystal Lake. He graduated from Crystal Lake High School in 1952. LLoyd was drafted after high school into the U.S. Navy and was stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii. Following his honorable discharge, he returned home and hauled poultry. On December 12, 1958 he married Alice Hanson at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Scarville. They made their home in Woden until 1976 when they moved to Britt. Lloyd was a salesman for Electrolux and also worked as a custodian at Britt Community Schools from 1988 to 1994. In 1994, Lloyd and Alice moved to West Des Moines where they managed apartment complexes. In 2006, they returned to Woden living in the same house they moved out of thirty years earlier. They later returned to the Des Moines area before recently moving back to Britt in September of 2013. Lloyd enjoyed water skiing, basketball, and watching baseball and football.

He was a member of the First Lutheran Church of Britt and was a former member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Woden.

Lloyd is survived by his wife, Alice, of Britt; two sons, Mark (Gail) Gjerde of Britt and Joel (Michelle) Gjerde of Ankeny; grandchildren, Cody Gjerde, Maya Gjerde, Nicholas Lemmon, Natalie Lemmon, Nichole Lemmon, Jessica Gjerde and Morgan Gjerde; a brother, Ronald (Judy) Gjerde of Billings, MO; a sister, Jody Burma (Bill Rout) of Woden; a sister-in-law, Judy Gjerde of Columbus, MS; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; grandson, Nicholas Gjerde, Jan. 15, 2011; and two brothers, Eugene and Greg Gjerde.