Paul W. Schmidt

OSAGE — Paul W. Schmidt, 69, of Osage, died Thursday (Dec. 18, 1997) at North Iowa Mercy Health Center West in Mason City.

Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Champion Funeral Home, with the Rev. Blair Rohde-Frank officiating.

The body was donated to the Mayo Foundation in Rochester, Minn. There will be no visitation.

Paul W. Schmidt was born Aug. 12, 1928, at Osage.

Survivors include three daughters: Janice Schmidt, of Nevada, Melody Harrell, of Cushing, and Krystal Johnson, of Floyd; three sons, Michael Schmidt, of Floyd, Jeffrey Schmidt, of North Carolina; and Mark Schmidt, of Fort Knox, Ky.; two sons from a previous marriage, Richard and Dennis Schuett; 13 grandchildren; one sister, Gaye Younker, of Osage; and two brothers, Robert Schmidt, of Moline, Ill., and Frederick Schmidt, of Brush, Colo.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Margaret Sarah Swearingen

THOMPSON — Margaret Sarah Swearingen, 88, died Friday (Dec. 19, 1997) at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church in Buffalo Center with the Rev. Gary Bergman officiating. Burial will be in Harrison Township Cemetery, Swea City.

Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at Winter Funeral Home in Thompson and one hour prior to service at the church.

Margaret Sarah Swearingen was born June 22, 1909.

Survivors include two daughters, Donna Mayland, of Rake, and Sharon Lamb, of Scarville; four sons, Dennis, of Kiester, Minn., James, of Glenville, Minn., Danny, of Thompson, and Bill, of Thompson; two sisters, Glennice Schweiger, of Fairmont, Minn., and Daisy Gayle Funderbruk, of Oakland, Calif; 14 grandchildren; 22 great grandchildren; and two great great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and six brothers and sisters.

Earl F. Grabbe

HAMPTON — Earl F. Grabbe, 60, of 1768 Hwy 65, died Thursday (Dec. 18, 1997) surrounded by his family at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.

Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 17 second St. N.E., with the Rev. Jon Anderson officiating. Following the memorial service the family will be greeting friends and relatives during the lunch. Fullerton Funeral Home will be handling the arrangements.

Those planning an expression of sympathy may direct memorials to the North Iowa Hospice, and the American Cancer Society in memory of Earl Grabbe.

Earl was born Jan. 9, 1937, the son of Fredrick and Julia (Mensing) Grabbe in Hampton. He attended and graduated from the Hampton School system in 1955. On Dec. 19, 1980, Earl was united in marriage to Janet Boersma at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. He was a life long farmer who farmed a "Century Farm."

Earl loved the great outdoors, fishing hunting, and motorcycling. He was a conservationist who had won many awards for planting trees, no-till farming, and projects with Pheasants Forever. In 1992 Earl was named the Des Moines Register Iowa Conservation Farmer of the Year.

Earl enjoyed watching all types of sporting events including the Twins, Vikings, and other surrounding sporting teams, but was an avid Cubs fan. During the past summer Earl and his wife Janet were able to travel to Chicago to see them play which was a high light of the year.

The couple was also very determined to make sure the farm was always decorated for the holidays. Earl had a dog named Dusty and those two went and did everything together, when guests would stop to visit they would entertain them with Dusty’s tricks. There wasn’t a dull moment when Earl was around if he didn’t have a story to tell and wasn’t teasing someone then he was probably playing one of his great practical jokes. While traveling or at home Earl knew no strangers, he was always making new friends and visiting with old ones.

Earl will be missed by his wife, Janet; two daughters, Suzanne Smith, of Burnsville, Minn., and Mr. And Mrs. Charles (Beebe) Young, of Pretoria, South Africa; one step-son, Mr. And Mrs. Todd (Linda) Carpenter, of Long Beach, Calif; step-mother, Marge Grabbe; one sister, Phyllis Beemer, of Hampton; one aunt, Emma Schmitt, of Hampton; five grandchildren, Mallory, Joe and Taylor Young, and Emma and Michael Smith; mother-in-law, Elma Boersma; many nieces and nephews; great nieces and nephews; and many best friends.

Earl was preceded in death by his parents Fredrick and Julia Grabbe.

Merle W. Beresford

PLACERVILLE, Calif. — Merle W. Beresford, 59, died Thursday (Dec. 18, 1997) at his home in Placerville, of a massive heart attack.

Memorial services were held Monday, Dec. 22, 1997, in Placerville.

Memory Chapel, 675 Bee St., Placerville, was in charge of arrangements.

Merle was born March 28, 1938, the son of Orville and Alice (Richter) Beresford.

He graduated from Kanawha High School and Hamilton Business College in Mason City, Iowa.

He served in the United States Army in Anchorage, Alaska.

He was a member of the United Methodist Church.

He married Darlene Harringa on July 2, 1959. She died in November 1985.

He had made his home in Placerville since June 1986.

Survivors include his wife, Mary; and son, Darrell, of Placerville, Calif.; two granddaughters; two grandsons; an uncle, Leo Richter, of Titonka, Iowa; and an aunt, Emma Moore, of Algona, Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Darlene; and mother and father.

Elizabeth Antoinette Nowotny

VICTOR — Elizabeth Antoinette Nowotny, the infant daughter of Marty and Terri Barnes Nowotny, died Sunday (Dec. 21, 1997) at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. today at the Victor Memorial Cemetery in Victor, with the Rev. Dan Andrews, pastor of the Victor Baptist Church, officiating. There will be no visitation.

Smith Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Survivors include her parents, Marty and Terri Barnes Nowotny, of Victor; one sister, Catherine Nowotny, of Victor; three brothers, Christopher, Alexander and Andrew Nowotny, all of Victor; her paternal grandmother, Verneta Gordon, of Victor; and maternal grandparents, Bert and Val Valley Barnes, of Rockwell.

Elizabeth Draper

ALEXANDER — Elizabeth Hoover Draper, 89, died Monday (Dec. 22, 1997) at the Belmond Health Care Center in Belmond.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Tenold Funeral Chapel in Belmond, with the Rev. James Turner, of the United Methodist Church in Alexander, officiating. Interment will follow the services at the Graceland Cemetery in Webster City.

Visitation will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. today at the Tenold Funeral Home and will continue from 9 a.m. until time of services on Wednesday.

Elizabeth Draper was born June 7, 1908, to Ed and Carrie (Taylor) Hoover, in rural Lehigh, Iowa.

She graduated from the eighth grade in a small country school six miles southwest of Duncombe, Iowa.

On Oct. 31, 1931, Elizabeth was united in marriage to Harold E. Draper. They farmed near Duncombe and Rowan before moving to Alexander in 1942 where they raised their three children.

Elizabeth lived on the farm in Alexander until 1989 when she moved to Belmond. In 1992, she moved into the Belmond Health Care Center.

In addition to farming, Elizabeth enjoyed selling Avon products and made many friends while doing so. She also liked playing cards with her friends and neighbors; she enjoyed her collie dogs and her many cats on the farm.

Elizabeth is survived by her sons, Marvin and Gene Draper, both of Alexander; a daughter, Joan Brunsvold and her special friend, Charles Malcolm, of Fall City, Neb.; one brother, Harold Hoover, of Lehigh, Iowa; four sisters, Ethel Smith, of Smithville, Ark., Beulah Bangert, of Charles City, Lois Gerard, of Fort Dodge, and Eva Hively, of Duncombe; six grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; three sisters; one brother; and her husband, Harold, on Aug. 1, 1959.

Hermina Stenzel

LEDYARD — Hermina Stenzel, 81, of Ledyard, died Monday (Dec. 22, 1997) at St. Luke’s Care Center, Blue Earth, Minn.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Swea City, with the Rev. Robert Kobler officiating. Burial will be in Harrison Township Cemetery in Swea City.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 30, at the Henry-Olson-Fuhrman Funeral Home in Swea City.

Hermina Stenzel was born Nov. 18, 1916, at Lincoln, Neb.

Survivors include two sons, Ron Stenzel, of Elmore, Minn., and Larry Stenzel, of Eden Prairie, Minn.; three daughters, Shirley Myers, of Buffalo Center, Betty Elliott, Littleton, Colo., and Barbara Vollmer, Englewood, Colo.; 15 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; three brothers, Francis Loos, Minneapolis, Minn.; James Loos, Ottumwa; and Gary Loos, Tampa, Fla.; and five sisters, Esther Schrader, Burt; Annie Engal, Palo Alto, Calif.; Rose Dalen, Edina, Minn.; Norma Hellman, Bancroft; and Nadine Rosenbaum, Applegate, Calif.

She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers and one sister.

Bertha Josephine Weber

WHITTEMORE — Bertha Josephine Weber, 82, of 1802 30th Ave., died Monday (Dec. 22, 1997) at the Kossuth Regional Health Center.

Funeral services will begin at 11 a.m. today at the Geilenfeld-Murphy-Schaaf Funeral Home, Whittemore, with the Rev. Ed Murray officiating. Burial will be in St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 9 until 11 a.m. today at the Geilenfeld-Murphy-Schaaf Funeral Home, Whittemore.

Bertha was born June 5, 1915, at Mallard.

Survivors include five daughters, Mary Ann Weber and Joann Weber, both of Whittemore; Nina Weber, Algona, Karen Van Ginkel, Fort Madison, and Ruth Weber, of Whittemore; two sons, John Weber, of Myrtle, Minn., and Gary Weber, of Whittemore; six grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Frank Ulrich, Mallard, and Walter Ulrich, Ringsted; and three sisters, Rosie Thomas, Jamaica, Vi Christensen, of Minnesota, and Marie Bonnstetter, of Whittemore.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, three infant sons, and one sister.

Osa O. Tuthill

MASON CITY — Osa O. Tuthill, 77, of 144 Sunny Circle, Mason City, died Tuesday (Dec. 23, 1997) at St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester, Minn.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Hogan-Bremer Colonial Chapel, 126 Third St. N.E., Mason City, with the Rev. Sharon Betsworth of First United Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be in Elmwood St. Joseph Cemetery.

Visitation will begin at 5 p.m. Friday at the Hogan Bremer Colonial Chapel, 126 Third St. N.E., and will continue until time of services on Saturday.

Other arrangements are incomplete at the Hogan-Bremer Colonial Chapel, 126 Third St. N.E., Mason City.

D'Loras M. Price

BRITT — D'Loras M. Price, 80, of Britt, died Monday (Dec. 22, 1997) at home.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the United Methodist Church, Britt, with the Rev. Dennis Hopes officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Wesley.

The family will be present one hour prior to services on Saturday at the church to greet friends. The body was cremated. Ewing Funeral Home, Britt, is in charge of arrangements..

D'Loras M. Price was born May 16, 1917, in Eldora.

Survivors include one daughter, Jean Hansen, Cedar Falls; three sons, William of Fertile, James, of Westminster, Colo., and Donald, of Britt; 12 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Ardean Rasmussen, Garner, and Charlotte Hopes, Britt.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and one brother.

Ilene H. Anderson

LAKE MILLS — Ilene H. Anderson, 74, of Lake Mills, died Monday (Dec. 22, 1997) at Naeve Hospital, Albert Lea, Minn.

Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Asbury United Methodist Church, Lake Mills.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday at the Mittelstadt Funeral Home, Lake Mills, where other arrangements are incomplete.

Kenneth Brevig

KENSETT — Kennneth Brevig, 71, of Kensett, died Tuesday (Dec. 23, 1997) at the North Iowa Mercy Health Center East, Mason City.