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MASON CITY - Eldon Arthur, 64, of 16054 245th St., Mason City, died Thursday (March 25, 1999) at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit, Mason City.

CARPENTER - Delmar A. Stehn, 76, of 101 North Union, Carpenter, died Wednesday (March 24, 1999) at home.

GARNER - Veronica Thada, 81, of Garner, died Thursday (March 25, 1999) at the North Iowa Mercy Health Center East, Mason City.

GARNER - Margaret Ranberger, 88, of Garner, died Wednesday (March 24, 1999) at the Concord Care Center in Garner.

Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Concord Care Center in Garner, with the Rev. Robert Bronson officiating.

ROCKFORD - Fredrick "Fritz" Carl Vierkandt, 82, of Valleyview Nursing Home, Eldora, died Thursday (March 25, 1999) at the Marshalltown Medical and Surgical Center, Marshalltown.

Funeral services are tentatively set for 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church in Rockford. Interment will be in the Riverside Cemetery, Rockford.

Visitation will be held beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday until time of services at the church.

CHARLES CITY - Hoa Duc Truong, 62, of 112 Highland Ave., died Wednesday (March 24, 1999) at the 11th Street Chautauqua Guest Home, Charles City.

There will be no funeral services. His body was cremated. Burial will occur in Vietnam at a later date.

ALLISON - John Oltmann, 85, of Allison, died Thursday (March 25, 1999) at the Waverly Municipal Hospital, Waverly.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the St. James Lutheran Church, Allison, with the Rev. Jerry Laehn officiating. Burial will be in Allison Cemetery.

BRITT - Ted Weiland, 96, of Britt, died Wednesday (March 24, 1999) at the Westview Care Center in Britt.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 27, at the First Lutheran Church in Britt, with the Rev. James Mattson as officiant. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Britt.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the Cataldo Funeral Home, in Britt.

Theodore Carl Weiland, known by family and friends as "Ted," was born on Oct. 25, 1902, in Orthel Township in Hancock County. He was the son of Anton and Hattie (Weichmann) Weiland. He affirmed the faith of his baptism through confirmation by Pastor Otto Boening, April 1, 1928.

He received his education at Orthel Township #5 country school. Ted helped his father farm and, at the age of 21, he owned his own steam engine and helped the area farmers harvest their crops.

Ted was united in marriage to Emma Jesse on Jan. 6, 1926, in Britt, at the Lutheran Church. They were the parents of three children, Edith, Marian and Norman. Ted began farming on his own after their marriage. He farmed for 30 years in the Wesley area before moving into Britt in 1956.

Ted was employed for the Britt Community Schools as a custodian until his retirement in 1970. After his retirement, he continued to work numerous part-time custodial and maintenance jobs for the Hancock County memorial Hospital, Westview Care Center and the Britt Country Club.

In his spare time, he restored old two-cylinder John Deer Tractors and McCormick-Deering 1020s. He fully retired at the age of 85 years.

He was a member of the First Lutheran Church and had held various offices on the church board. He was very active and took an interest in his church up until his death.

He is survived by his daughter, Edith Olson and her husband, Charles, of West Union; a daughter-in-law, Carolyn Berghoefer and her husband, Leonard; grandchildren, Larry, Joan and Greg Olson, and Verla O'Shaughessy, Shawna Szalwinski and Rodney Weiland; stepgrandchildren Amy Miller and Carrie Brook; great-grandchildren Jeremy, Daniel and Dean Olson and Mackenzie and Madison Weiland; two stepgreat-grandchildren, Dillon and Morgan; a sister-in-law, Florence Weiland and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Emma Weiland, Dec. 11, 1993; a daughter, Marian Larson, Dec. 19, 1953; a son, Norman Weiland, June 11, 1984; his parents; a sister, Cora Weiland; and brothers, Jack Weiland, Everett Weiland, George Weiland, Clarence Weiland and Richard Weiland.

KENSETT - Earl Carl Walk, 81, of rural Kensett, died on Wednesday (March 24, 1999) at the Lutheran Retirement Home, Northwood.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 27, at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Grafton, with the Rev. Ernest Thompson and the Rev. Allan Stoa officiating. Burial will be in the Grafton Cemetery, with military honors conducted by the American Legion Post No. 616, of Grafton.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, Highway 65 South, Northwood.

Earl Carl Walk was born on Aug. 2, 1917, in Barton Township, Worth County, near Grafton, the son of Edwin and Jennie (Rademaker) Walk. He attended school in rural Grafton Union No. 3. He was baptized in the Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Grafton, on Sept. 9, 1917. Earl was confirmed on April 9, 1933, at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Grafton. He remained a lifetime member of Emmanuel Lutheran.

Earl worked as a farmhand for area farmers until he was inducted into the U.S. Army on Dec. 2, 1941, at Des Moines. He took basic training at Esseler Field and Sheppard Field Air Force Base, Texas. He was stationed at Duxford England Air Base for three years with the U.S. 8th Army Air Force 78 fighter group. Earl was a staff sergeant and a crew chief for the ground crew mechanics repairing and maintaining P-51s and P-47 fighter planes. Earl met a family at church at Grimsby, England, and spent his time off at their home. They visited his home twice and Earl visited them in England once. Earl was honorably discharged in October of 1945.

In 1946, Earl and his brother, Cecil, who was also honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, farmed one mile north of Grafton. After 1970, he farmed and resided with his brother, Dellis Walk, until 1994, when he became a resident of the Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood.

Earl loved his farm and farming, and was proud of his work and his crops. He loved to fish.

He was an usher at Emmanuel Lutheran for over 50 years and was usher for the first service in the new Church in 1936. He served on the Church board and elevator board. He was a member of the American Legion Post No. 616 of Grafton for over 50 years.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Cecil and Eugene; sister, Lucille Miller; sisters-in-law, Judeth Walk and Mary Walk; niece, Lennette Hinrichson.

Earl is survived by brothers, Dellis of Kensett, and Everett and his wife, Beverly, of Mason City; nieces, Deborah Hendrickson of Mason City, Valerie Midthun of Minneapolis, Alison Walk of Brooklyn Center, Minn., Linda Sash of Albert Lea, Minn., and Mary Gustin of Clear Lake; nephews Steven Miller of Clear Lake, Thomas Walk of California, and Jeffery Walk of Clear Lake; Aunts Anna Schultz of Northwood and Dorothy Rademaker of Manly.

GARNER - Russell Keith, 98, of Garner, died Wednesday (March 24, 1999) at the Concord Care Center in Garner.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 27, at the United Presbyterian Church in Garner, with the Rev. Dan Bloesch as officiant. Burial will be in Concord Township Cemetery with graveside military rites by the Garner Veterans Ceremonial Unit.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E. Fourth St., Garner.

John Russell Keith, the son of David and Agnes (Provan) Keith, was born July 9, 1900, in Goldfield. He attended and graduated from Goldfield High School in 1918.

Russell began working with his father at the Goldfield Elevator and then joined the Civilian Army Corps, from which he was drafted in military service, serving his country during World War I. After his discharge, he returned to Goldfield, where he continued to work at the elevator. He later moved to Vincent, where he worked at the lumberyard.

On Oct. 6, 1926, he married Mary E. Reddick at her parent's farm home near Vincent. They made their home in Vincent, moving to Garner in November of 1927. Russell worked as a bookkeeper at the Farmer's Co-op Elevator for 38 years and helped with the planning and construction of the first concrete elevator in Garner.

Russell and Mary moved to Ames in 1965, where they worked at Lyndon Hall on the campus of Iowa State University. They moved back to Garner from 1970-77 and returned to Ames from 1977 to 1988. In 1988, they moved to Prairie View Apartments. Due to ill health, Russell and Mary moved to Concord Care Center in Garner.

Russell's great love was horseback riding. He enjoyed reading, traveling and photography, which he organized in family home movies.

He was a member of the United Presbyterian Church, serving as church treasurer for 35 years, Masonic Lodge, Lion's Club and was a charter member of the American Legion in Garner. Russell was the last living veteran of World War I in Hancock County.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Keith, of Garner; a daughter, Mildred Young and her husband, Robert, of Garner; a son, Dr. Robert Keith and his wife, Kathleen, of Cincinnati, Ohio; grandchildren and great-grandchildren, John R. Young and his fiancee, Sheryl Anderson, both of West Des Moines, and his daughter, Angela, of Dallas Center; Annette McLain and her husband, David and their daughters, Amanda and Ashley, of Keosauqua; Brian David Keith and his wife, Renee, and their daughter, Addie, of Cincinnati, Ohio; Sean Robert Keith and his wife, Lauren, and their sons, Spencer, A.J. and Maxwell, of Fairfield, Ohio; Eric Scott Keith and his wife, Jennifer, and their son, Jacob, of Columbus, Ind.; Kristen Pennington and her husband, Sam, of Jacksonville, Fla.; and Amy Elizabeth Thornton of Cincinnati, Ohio.

CHARLES CITY - Grace B. Schultz Roby, 93, of Starr Home, Charles City, and formerly of 805 Sixth Ave., Charles City, died Thursday (March 25, 1999) at the Floyd County Memorial Hospital, Charles City, following complications from congestive heart failure.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 27, at the Trinity United Methodist Church, Milwaukee and Hulin Streets, Charles City, with the Reverends J. Larry Vallery and Debra Lincoln officiating. Burial will be in the Riverside Cemetery, Charles City.

Friends may call from 2 to 9 p.m. today at the Fullerton Hage Funeral Home, 401 Blunt St., Charles City, with the family present to greet friends from 5 to 8 p.m. Visitation will continue from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday morning at the funeral home and one hour prior to services at the church.

Mrs. Roby, the former Grace Beatrice Darrow, was born Jan. 11, 1906, in the former town of Deerfield, Iowa, the daughter of George and Minnie (North) Darrow. She attended school in Deerfield and Colwell.

In 1924, she was united in marriage to Albert Schultz, of Colwell. One son, Dale Allen Schultz was born to this union. Grace and Albert later separated.

On July 30, 1956, at the former First Methodist Church, Charles City, she was united in marriage to Ralph Roby, of Minneapolis, Minn. The couple made their home in Minneapolis until returning to the Charles City area in 1970 to be with her son, family and many, many friends. Mr. Roby preceded her on Sept. 15, 1987, in Charles City.

Grace was formerly employed by the Salsbury Chemical Company in the packaging department.

She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, and the United Methodist Women of the church. She was a lifetime member of the Chickasaw Historical Society, the Rebecca Lodge, and the Royal Neighbors Club of Floyd.

Grace's first love was for her family, her son, four grandsons and nine great-grandchildren. She had a special love for her home and flowers. Grace especially enjoyed being with people in all her activities.

Those thankful for sharing Grace's life are her son, Dale Allen Schultz and his special friend, Dell Gifford, both of Charles City; four grandsons, Dave Schultz, of Marion, Rich Schultz, of Mona, Minn., Tom Schultz, of Marquette, Mich., and Jerry Schultz, of Mason City; and nine great-grandchildren, Carrie, Emily, Michael, Toney, Jason, Tommy, Barry, John and Jamie.

CLEAR LAKE - Bernice M. Maine, 95, resident of I.O.O.F. Home in Mason City, died Tuesday (March 23, 1999) at the home.

A memorial service will be held for Bernice at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 27, at the Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 101 N. Fourth St., Clear Lake, with the Rev. John H. Cachiaras and the Rev. Fred Lewis officiating. There will be no reviewal. Cremains will be buried at a later date in Glendale Cemetery, Des Moines.

Bernice Margaret Thomas was born Nov. 29, 1903, in Council Bluffs, the daughter of Samuel L. and Noretta (Akers) Thomas. She spent her girlhood days in Sheldon, and Des Moines, graduating from North High School, Des Moines.

She was a secretary in the State Legislature, and the Polk County Department of Public Schools while earning her BA degree from Drake University. She was awarded a life-time teaching certificate for secondary education in Iowa. She was a member of Alpha Iota Chapter of Alpha Xi Delta National Sorority, and was a member of the Des Moines Chapter No. 89 of the Order of Eastern Star. After her graduation in 1923, she continued graduate studies and taught school in Collins.

On June 12, 1924, she married Ralph Maine and they resided in St. Louis, Mo., before returning to Des Moines, where Mr. Maine was associated with Iowa Packing Co. Bernice became a secretary to the Pathologist at the Veteran's Hospital, in Des Moines, continuing in this capacity from 1945 until her retirement in 1968. During those years, she also taught medical shorthand, administered Civil Service exams and taught adult education at night school.

She was a life-time member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees. She moved to Clear Lake in 1969 where she resided on the South Shore in the Methodist Camp.

She was an active member of the Clear Lake United Methodist Church, the Grandmothers Club, and the Senior Citizen's Center. She entered the I.O.O.F. Home in Mason City on April 11, 1988.

Survivors include her three children and their spouses, Thomas Maine and Shirley, of Carbondale, Ill., Richard Maine and Carol, of Cedar Falls, and Dorothy Cachiaras and John, of Rochester, Minn.; 12 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and one nephew and his spouse, Dr. John Thomas and Patricia, of Spirit Lake, Iowa; and three grand nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and one brother, Cyril Thomas.