Published Friday, July 7, 2000

Obituaries are presented as a community service of Fullerton Funeral Homes. Information is submitted by families or provided by funeral homes for publication in the Globe-Gazette and Globe Online.

JESSIE M. JACOBSEN

CEDAR FALLS -Jessie M. Jacobsen, 85, died Thursday (July 6, 2000) at Cedar Falls Lutheran Home, Cedar Falls.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Nazareth Lutheran Church in Coulter, with the Rev. Louise Stromberg officiating. Burial will be in Coulter Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Sietsema-Vogel Funeral Home in Hampton.

SOPHIE KRAPEK

OSAGE - Sophie Krapek, 98, died Wednesday (July 5, 2000) at Faith Lutheran Home in Osage.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the United Church of Christ, 630 State St., Osage, with Rev. Robert Melhorn officiating. Interment will be in Osage Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Champion Funeral Home, 702 State St., Osage, and will resume one hour before services at the church Monday.

Sophie Krapek was born the twelfth of 15 children on Jan. 15, 1902, in Cary, Czechoslovakia. Her parents, John and Anna Stroz, named her Skolastika which was changed to Sophie in America.

In 1920, at the age of 18, Sophie sailed alone to the United States to join two older, married sisters, Anna Pavlovic and Jutka Magdal, who were living in Johnstown, N. Y. Within a short time, she chose to move with her sister Jutka and her husband to Detroit. There she met and married Joseph Matejecek in 1923. Three years later, Joseph died from blood poisoning.

In 1928 Sophie met John Krapek, a widower with two children, Frank and Helen. John and Sophie were married in Detroit, where their son, Joseph John, was born. A couple years later, they moved to Osage to work the Fred Markham farm. A daughter, Mary Ann, was born in 1936 and in 1937 they moved to manage the Van Voorhis farm. Sophie was widowed again in 1939 when John Krapek passed away from a heart attack.

To earn a living, Sophie cleaned homes for several prominent families of Osage. In addition, she cleaned business offices and took in ironing. She loved and took great pride in the care of her own home, gardens and yard. Sophie loved baking, especially her native country's pastry called kolaches.

Her desire to become a U. S. citizen was realized in 1942. Through the years Sophie often thanked God for the opportunity of living in this country. Her grandson, Steven Krapek, honored his grandmother by having her name inscribed on the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island American Immigrant Wall of Honor in New York Harbor.

Sophie is survived by a daughter, Mary Ann McDonald and her husband, David, Orinda, Calif.; a daughter-in-law, Eleanor Krapek, Mason City; a grandson, Steven Krapek and his wife, Kelly, and their children, John and Annie, Chanhassen, Minn.; two granddaughters, Kim Krapek, Aurora, Colo., and Kay Nolan and her husband, Dan, and their daughter, Andrea, Monmouth, Ill; and a sister, Sidona of Slovakia.

She was preceded in death by her parents; 13 brothers and sisters; two husbands, Joseph Matejecek and John Krapek; and a sister-in-law, nne Van Voorhis.

VERA CONN

BRISTOW - Vera Conn, 96, of rural Bristow, died Wednesday (June 28, 2000) at Rockwell Community Nursing Home.

Funeral services were held Monday, July 3, at Bennezette Wesleyan Church, rural Bristow. The Rev. Neal Koppen and the Rev. Rod Griffen officiated. Music was provided by Loren Stoneberg and Deb Noelting. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery, Greene.

Funeral arrangements were provided by Seitesma-Vogel Funeral Home of Hampton.

Vera was born Feb. 15, 1904, to Edward and Margaret Jane Putt of rural Clymer, Pa. Vera graduated from high school in 1923 from Clymer, Pa.

After graduation she obtained her teacher's certificate from Indiana, Pa., Teachers College. She taught in a one-room school for one year. Vera worked as a cashier in the Clymer Bank for seven years before her marriage.

Vera married Cecil J. Conn of rural Bristow on Dec. 25, 1930. They married in her parents' home near Clymer, Pa., and moved to his farm near Aredale following the wedding ceremony. She lived on the farm for 69 years and moved to the Rockwell Community Nursing Home a year and a half before her passing.

Both Cecil and Vera were active members of the Bennezette Wesleyan Church. Vera taught Sunday school and served as church secretary for many years. She was a member of the local women's Better Way Club. Her hobbies included gardening, sewing, crocheting and tatting. Many friends enjoyed the fruits of her hobbies.

Those thankful for having shared Vera's life include two children, Loy Conn of Dougherty and Cleo (Lloyd) Tindall of Verona, Wis.; four grandchildren, Connie (Kenneth) Erpelding of Cedar Falls, Bradley (Emily) Conn of Cedar Falls, Stephen (Ilene) Tindall of Barrington, Ill., and Timothy (Kristen) Tindall of Holden, Maine; and five great-grandchildren, Cassandra, Andrew, Alicia, Connor and Elliot Tindall.

Vera was preceded in death by her husband, Cecil, on Sept. 17, 1988; her parents; her brother, Clarence; and sisters, Ruby Kirkland, Mary Marvin and Genevieve Sensabaugh.

MARIE VON KAENEL

MASON CITY - Marie Von Kaenel, 76, of 302 Second St. N.E., died Tuesday (July 4, 2000) at Good Shepherd Health Center, Mason City.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 15, at First Congregational United Church of Christ, Mason City.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete with Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Mason City.

Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory, (641) 423-0924.

W. HOWARD STEWART

MASON CITY - W. Howard Stewart, 91, of Cranbury, N. J., formerly of Mason City, died Monday (July 3, 2000) at Mercy Fitzgerald Memorial Hospital, Upper Derby, Pa.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Congregational United Church of Christ, Mason City, with the Rev. Richard Schneerer officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City, before the service at 10 a.m. Military rites will be conducted by the Mason City Memorial Association.

Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Mason City. A Masonic service conducted by Benevolence Lodge No. 145 A.F.&A.M will begin at 7 p.m.

Memorials may be directed to First Congregational United Church of Christ.

W. Howard Stewart was born Aug. 6, 1908, in Earlham, the son of Carle and Sarah (Anderson) Stewart. He graduated from Mason City High School in 1925 and attended Mason City Junior College.

He worked at the First National Bank in Mason as a teller and other positions from 1929 to 1943. He served in the U. S. Navy from 1943 to 1946. He worked at the United Home Bank from 1946 to 1961.

From 1962 to 1963, he was vice president of Highland Park Bank in Highland, Park, Ill. Howard returned to Clear Lake, founded and was president of the Community National Bank of Clear Lake from 1963 to 1968. From 1968 until his retirement, he had his own real estate brokerage.

Howard was a member of the First Congregational United Church of Christ, Benevolence Lodge No. 145 A.F .& A.M., Shrine, High Twelve, I.O.O.F. Lodge (Noble Grand), past commander in the American Legion posts 101 and 222, past member of Kiwanis and Rotary and a member of the Mason City Chamber of Commerce.

Howard is survived by his son, Daniel H. Stewart, of Cranbury, N.J.; two granddaughters, Carole Slater of Fort Wayne, Ind., and Kristen Ator of Brooklyn, N.Y.; two sisters, Mildred Adams of Mason City and Maxine Lilley of Cottage Grove, Ore.; and one brother, Burdette Stewart of Kansas City, Mo.

Howard was preceded in death by his wife, Izetta C. (Clingman) Stewart; and his daughter, Mary Stewart Ator.

Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory, (641) 423-0924

ILA M. GRAHAM

MASON CITY - Ila M. Graham, 89, died Sunday (July 2, 2000) at Good Shepherd Health Center, Mason City.

Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Rolling Acres Free Methodist Church, Mason City, with the Rev. Wayne Ryan officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City, at 11:15 a.m. Saturday.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. today and from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Mason City.

In lieu of flowers her family requests memorials be directed to Rolling Acres Free Methodist Church, Mason City.

Ila M. Bailey Graham was born Aug. 19, 1910, in Zwingle, to Frank and Jessie (Kiefer) Wagoner. She attended school in Zwingle and graduated from Dumont High School. She attended Bible School in Wessington Springs, S.D.

She married the Rev. Edward Bailey Oct. 1, 1933. He died May 18, 1959.

On July 1, 1961, she married Kenneth Graham in Yakima, Wash.

Ila was a member of Rolling Acres Free Methodist Church, where she taught children's Sunday school and child evangelism classes as long as she was able. She also served as president of the church's Missionary Society for many years.

She is survived by her husband, Kenneth J. Graham, Mason City; two adopted daughters, Rose Marie Koffkey, Standwood, Wash., and her children, Ken Koffkey, Flint, Mich., Kim LoVette, Beaumont, Calif., Craig Koffkey, Stanwood, Wash., and Tim Koffey, Tiffin, Ohio, and Judy Beenken and her husband, Roger, Nora Springs; three stepchildren, Phyllis Lindburg and her husband, Paul, Great Falls, Mich., Phillip Graham and his wife, Nancy, Billings, Mont., and Ralph Graham and his wife, Vicki, Prairie Village, Kan.; former foster daughter, Angela Christianson McLoughlin, and her child; 13 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and a sister, Arlene Miller, Dubuque

Ila was preceded in death by her parents, four sisters and one son-in-law.

Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory, (641) 423-0924

LEOTA M. DEVRIES

STEAMBOAT ROCK - Funeral services were held Monday at the First Baptist Church in Steamboat Rock for Leota Mae DeVries, 88, of Eldora, who died Thursday (June 29, 2000) at the Grundy County Memorial Hospital in Grundy Center of heart failure.

Burial was at the Steamboat Rock Cemetery. A memorial fund has been established. Creps-Abels Funeral Home of Eldora was in charge of arrangements.

Leota was born Sept. 16, 1911, the daughter of Orville and Blanche (Townsend) Johnson. She graduated from Steamboat Rock High School in 1930 and was united in marriage to Minert DeVries in 1932.

She was an active member of the First Baptist Church, where she was a member of the Dorcas Society.

Survivors include three children, Shirley and her husband, Mel Keul, of Des Moines, Keith DeVries of Ventura and Joyce and her husband, Dean Maddux, of Grundy Center; three grandchildren; three step-grandsons; two great-grandsons; and five step-great-grandchildren.

Leota was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Minert, in 1972; and two sisters, Gladys Fuller and Mildred LaVelle.