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Merle
Giesking, 70
July 12, 2006
Merle Gene Giesking, died on Tuesday, July 4, 2006, as a result of a tractor
accident. He was 70 years old.
Funeral services were held
on Saturday, July 8, at the Immanuel
Lutheran Church in Titonka, with Pastor Arlen Lloyd
officiating. Interment was in the Immanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery,
Titonka.
Merle was born on August 3, 1935
at rural Titonka, Iowa, to Carl and Hilka (Pannkuk) Giesking.
Merle graduated from the Titonka High School in 1953, when he
began farming and raising turkeys. He was united in marriage
to Alice Meyer on June 7, 1958, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church
near Titonka. In 1970, he also became employed at Winnebago
Industries in Forest City. He worked there from 1970 until
retirement in 1997. Merle continued farming until 2001.
Merle was a ‘master gardener’, enjoyed fishing, collecting
postcards and antiques. He also enjoyed traveling, sports,
including being a NASCAR fan as well as an avid Hawkeye Fan.
Most importantly, Merle was a kind and generous man, even
tempered and always showed respect to others. He loved his
family and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. Merle
was a member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church, where he had served
and was currently serving on the church council and was the
Benevolence Treasurer. He had also worked on the Titonka
Bicentennial Committee.
Survivors include his wife, Alice of Titonka; sons, Bruce Giesking and wife, Pam of Tampa, Florida
and Scott Giesking and wife, Priscilla of Wesley Chapel,
Florida; daughter, Lori Cink
and husband, Tom of Wesley, Iowa;
nine grandchildren; sisters, Clara Mayland of Titonka,
Vera Ostermann of Elmore, Minnesota and Leona Schmidt and
husband, Lowell of Mason City; brother, Carl “Butch” Giesking and wife, Dorothy of Titonka;
and sister-in-law,
Julia Giesking of Buffalo Center.
Merle was preceded in death
by his parents; brothers, Erwin “Shorty” and wife, Phyllis Giesking
and Lewis Giesking; and brothers-in-law, Elmer Ostermann
and Henry “Hank” Mayland.
© 2006 Forest City Summit
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Alan
Thompson, 45
July 12, 2006
Alan D. "Big Al" Thompson, passed quietly away
on Wednesday, July 5, 2006, at
the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City, Iowa,
after a brief but very hard fought battle with cancer.
Funeral services were held on
Monday, July 10, at the United Methodist Church in Forest
City, with Pastor Jerald Swanberg officiating. Burial was in
the
Oakland Cemetery in Forest City. Visitation was on Sunday, July 9,
at the funeral home and an hour prior to the services at the
church.
Al was born on July 17, 1960 in Forest City, Iowa, the son of Forry and Barb (Ewing) Thompson. He received his education in
the Forest City School System, graduating from the Forest City
High School in 1979.
After graduation, Al worked at Winnebago Industries with the
grounds crew in the Maintenance Department until the time of
his death.
Al had a special passion for working outside. You
could always see him mowing a yard, tilling a garden, cutting
down a tree - though he tried to make a living doing this -
most times he simply did it for the fun or to help someone out
in need. Never thinking twice about the money he wasn’t
making.
Those left to cherish his memory and spirit are his parents, Forry and Barb Thompson of Forest City; two brothers, Dave
(Michelle) Thompson of Forest City and Carl (Jill) Thompson of
Colorado Springs, Colorado; a sister, Robin (Tom) McCloskey of
Forest City; nieces and nephews, Hannah, Drew, Connor and Noah Thompson
of Forest City, Hillary and Amelia Thompson of Colorado
Springs, Colorado and Billy McCloskey of Forest City.
Also left to remember Al is a long list of friends and
sidekicks.
Al was preceded in death by his sister, Teri Lynn; his maternal
grandparents, Clifford and Maude Ewing and paternal
grandparents, Forest and Elinor Thompson.
© 2006 Forest City Summit
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Loretta P. Reineke, 95
July 18, 2006
Loretta P. Reineke, age 95, of Forest City,
died on Thursday, July 13, 2006, at the Good Samaritan Center in
Forest City.
A Mass of the Resurrection was held
on Monday, July
17, at the St. James Catholic Church in Forest City, with Rev.
Henry Huber officiating. Burial was in the St. James Catholic
Cemetery in Forest City. Visitation was on Sunday, July 16, at
the funeral home and an hour prior to the services at the church.
The Petersen Lund Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.
Loretta P. Reineke, was born on November 30, 1910 at Arcadia,
the daughter of Bernard and Katherine (Beyrink) Olberding.
At the age of one she moved with her parents to Nebraska. On
May 23, 1933, she married Anton Reineke. The couple farmed in
the Randolph, Nebraska area until retiring and moving to
Forest City in 1952.
Loretta was a member of the St. James Catholic Church and Guild.
She loved the Lord and her faith. Family and friends were
very important to her. She made many beautiful quilts for
her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and
friends.
She is survived by her children, Adolph (Bonnye) Reineke,
Rosemary Reineke, Evelyn (Duane) Vrieze, Helen Reineke,
Edward (Susan) Reineke and David (Donna) Reineke; a
host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren and one
great-great-grandchild; sisters, Rose Edna (Arthur)
Rohde, Vernell Horrocks and Mary Ann (Don) Gerbing; and
sisters-in-law, Marianne Olberding and Elsie
Olberding.
Loretta was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Anton;
a son, Anton; granddaughter, Charlotte Reineke; grandson, Joel
Haugen; great-granddaughter, Angela Peterson; great-grandsons, Brendon and Zackary Able and Tristin and Casey Fiedler; brothers, Bernard, Edwin, Julius
(Joy) and Norbert Olberding; and sisters, Alda Olberding,
Henrietta (Jerome) Dieter and Maxalenda (Joe) Reineke.
© 2006 Forest City Summit
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Merle
C. Halverson
July 18, 2006
Merle E. Halverson, 80, of
Granada, Minnesota, died on Thursday morning, July 13, 2006,
at the Fairmont Medical Center.
Funeral services were held on Monday, July 17, at the
Congregational Church of Granada-United Church of Christ.
Burial with full military honors by the Schwieger-Kahler
American Legion Post 522 followed in the Center Creek Cemetery
in rural Granada, Minnesota. Visitation was held on Sunday, July
16, at the Lakeview Funeral Home in Fairmont and one hour
prior to the services at the church on Monday.
Merle Edward Halverson, was born on September 19, 1925 in
Thompson, the son of Clarence and Caroline (Range)
Halverson. When Merle was six his family moved to Forest
City, where he attended school. He graduated from the Forest
City High School in 1942 and then entered the U.S. Army.
He was united in marriage to Bonna Fox in August of 1942.
Merle served in Germany and Japan during WW II until being
honorably discharged in 1944. He returned to Forest City and
attended Waldorf College then graduated from Luther College
in Decorah in 1948.
He started teaching Social Studies and
History and attended the University of Minnesota for his
Master’s Degree during the summers. They moved to Granada,
Minnesota in 1950, where he taught history and was a coach. In 1963,
they moved to Ellendale, Minnesota, where Merle was the
Superintendent of Schools. In 1968 they returned to Granada
where he was the Principal of the Granada School. In 1972, he
became the Superintendent of the Granada Schools.
Bonna passed away in January of 1978. He retired in 1981. He
married Marian Schuster on July 17, 1982 and they made their
home in Granada.
He is survived by his wife, Marian Halverson of Granada; one
daughter, Sally (Greg) Trytten of Albert Lea, Minnesota;
grandson, Tom (Beth) Phillips of Wausau, Wisconsin;
granddaughter,
Kelli (Lance) Tiegs of Albert Lea, Minnessota; great-grandsons,
Jacob, Michael, Sully, Matthew and Tommy; six step-children,
Judi (Don) Kuchenbecker of Blue Earth, Minnesota, Jane (Dan)
Kruse of Wells, Minnesota, Brad (Connie) Schuster of Fairmont,
Minnesota, Barbie Salic of Thousand Oaks, California, Bill (Ann)
Schuster of Side Lake, Minnesota, Jacque (Doug) Kruse of
Cadillac, Michigan; fifteen step-grandchildren; seventeen step-great-grandchildren;
and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by first wife, Bonna Halverson;
son, Kirk Halverson; grandson, Terry Phillips; sister,
Lillian Halverson; step infant grandson, Benjamin Kruse; and
step infant great-granddaughter, Jasmine Johnson.
© 2006 Forest City Summit
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Merle
W. Bilyeu, 85
July 18, 2006
Merle W. Bilyeu, 85, of Woden, died on
Thursday, July 13, 2006, at the Westview Care Center in
Britt.
Funeral services were held on Monday, at the St. John’s Lutheran
Church in Woden, with Rev. Arlen Lloyd officiating. Burial
was in the Grant Township Cemetery, with military rites by the
Woden Veterans Ceremonial Unit. The Cataldo Funeral Home was in
charge of the arrangements.
Memorials may be directed to the Grant Lutheran Church near
Woden.
Merle Wilbur Bilyeu, the son of Josiah and Karen (Hanna)
Bilyeu, was born on May 19, 1921 at Woden. He attended country
school near his home and graduated from the Buffalo Center High
School in 1939.
Merle worked at a consolidated air plane factory in
California until enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps in
October of 1942. He received his basic training at Midland,
Texas and then attended airplane maintenance school. Merle
was sent to the 364th Group and the 384th Squadron at Van
Nys, California and then sailed on the Queen Elizabeth arriving
in England on February 6, 1944.
He served as a crew chief
for P-38 “Lightnings” and P-51 “Mustang” airplanes. Merle
was awarded 6 Bronze Stars for his contribution during WW II
and was honorably discharged. He returned home and worked as
an automobile mechanic for Whiteis Motors in Forest City.
On July 5, 1947, he married Adeila Fay Anderson at Forest
City. They farmed near Thompson and later moved to a farm
near Buffalo Center. In 1965, they moved to their present
farm north of Woden where Merle retired from farming in
1989.
For the past 15 years he enjoyed attending reunions of
the 364th fighter group. Merle was an avid reader and
centered his life around his family.
He was a member of the Grant Lutheran Church, serving on the
church board, was a past commander and lifetime member of
the Woden American Legion, served on the Woden-Crystal Lake
School Board, was a 4-H Leader, Grant Township ASCS committee
member and belonged to the North Iowa Wood Carvers.
He is survived by his wife, Adeila of Woden; 5 children,
Steven Bilyeu of San Antonio, Texas, Keith (Libby) Bilyeu of
Ames, Jeff (Renee) Bilyeu of Fort Smith, Arkansas, Joel Bilyeu
of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Angela (Timothy) Bennett of
Monterey, California; 11 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren;
and sisters-in-law, Lucy Bilyeu of Mason City, Norma Bilyeu
of Mason City, Carol (Al) Cordes of Britt and Kathryn Bilyeu
of Omaha, Nebraska.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Archie,
John, Julius and Roy Bilyeu; and sisters, Edith Slattenow,
Geneva Hager and Elna Harms.
© 2006 Forest City Summit
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Tongilan Voutsalath, 70
July 25, 2006
Thonglian Voutsalath, died on Wednesday, July
19, 2006, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason
City. She was 70.
Funeral services were held at the Good Hope Lutheran Church in
Titonka, on Saturday, July 22, with Pastor James Berka
officiating. Interment was in the Good Hope Lutheran
Cemetery in Titonka. The
Garry-Roberts-Murphy-Schaaf Funeral Home was in charge of
the services.
© 2006 Forest City Summit
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Roy G. Waddingham, 96
July 25, 2006
Nora Springs-Roy G. Waddingham, 96, died on Wednesday, July 19, 2006, at the Nora Springs Care Center,
Nora Springs.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, July 22, at the
First United Methodist Church, 202 North Hawkeye, with
Reverend Wendy Johannesen officiating.
Burial was in the Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City. Visitation
was held one hour prior to the services at the
church. The
Sheckler Colonial Chapel was in charge of the arrangements.
© 2006 Forest City Summit
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