Jennifer A. Estes, 23

April 7, 2009

Jennifer Amanda Estes, 23, of Forest City, Iowa, died on Thursday, April 2, 2009, at the St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, from injuries sustained in a 4-wheeler accident.

Memorial services were held on Monday, April 6, at the Emmons Lutheran Church in Emmons, Minnesota, with Pastor Julie Fiske officiating. Family greeted friends on Monday, at the church for an hour prior to the services. Inurnment was in the Oak Lawn Cemetery, Emmons, Minnesota.
© 2009 Forest City Summit

Mary Lou Book, 61

April 7, 2009

Mary Lou Book, age 61, of Fertile, died on Thursday, April 2, 2009, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.

Funeral services were held on Monday, April 6, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Forest City, with Pastor Rod Hopp officiating. Visitation was held on Sunday, April 5, at the Petersen Lund Funeral Home in Forest City and for an hour prior to the services at the church. Inurnment will follow at a later date in the Lincoln Cemetery in rural Fertile.

Mary Lou Book, was born on June 10, 1947 in Mason City, Iowa, the daughter of Jacob and Melita (Schmidt) Alt. She grew up in Mason City and attended school there. On December 27, 1967, she was united in marriage to Duane "Snookie" Book at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Forest City. The couple lived in several north Iowa communities including Miller, Lake Mills and Fertile before moving to their present home in rural Fertile 37 years ago. Mary Lou worked for a time at Winnebago Industries in Forest City but mostly enjoyed being home and caring for her husband and children.

She was a wonderful cook and loved to bake. She kept a big garden and enjoyed her flowers. For many years Mary Lou and Snookie took the family camping and fishing - enjoying ball games at the same time. Spending time with her grandchildren was very special to Mary Lou. She was a long-time member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Forest City.

Mary Lou is survived by her husband, Duane "Snookie" Book of Fertile; four daughters, Toni Rasmussen of Forest City, Jodi Book of Joice and fiancée, Jeremiah Manns, Lou Ann (Allen) Hare of Fertile and Julie (Chad) Gentz of Forest City; 13 grandchildren, Jon, Samantha, Jacob, Jordin, Ashley, McKenzie, Jesse, Nevaeh, Melita, Hailey, Mikaela, Coltan and Sidney; her foster-father, Cecil Weaver of Mason City; and many friends.

Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Dennis Alt; her sister, Judy Alt; and grandson, Michael Brooks.
© 2009 Forest City Summit

Doris Mary Nelson, 87

April 7, 2009

Doris Mary Nelson, 87, died on Friday, April 3, 2009, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit, Mason City.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., on Wednesday, April 8, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church, Mason City, with Pastor Sid Bohls and Lay Minister Perry Aalgaard officiating.  Burial will be in the St. Paul Cemetery, Stanhope. Visitation was held on Tuesday, from 5-7:00 p.m., at the Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapel, Mason City.

Doris Mary Whaley, was born on September 29, 1921 in Webster City, the daughter of Fredrick and Nina (Bailey) Whaley. She graduated from the Webster City High School. After high school she moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she was a street car conductor. Doris was united in marriage to Dean Nelson on June 11, 1951 in Webster City. They lived in Lake Crystal, Minnesota, until moving to Rake, Iowa in 1959. They were blessed with two children and raised them on the farm in Rake. Doris helped on the farm but she was mostly a homemaker. After retiring they moved to Mason City in 1989. In 2005, she made her home at the Willows in Mason City.

Doris enjoyed sewing, Hardanger embroidery, jigsaw puzzles and watching sports, especially the Twins and the Vikings. She was a member of the St. Paul Lutheran Church.

Doris is survived by her children, Brandon Nelson of Lake Mills and Debra (Ron) Novak of Forest City; sisters, Helen Graham and Maxine Packard, both of Webster City; nephew, John Alexander and niece, Eva Struchen, both of Amarillo, Texas; niece, Donna Baker of Granville, New York; along with other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Fredrick and Nina Whaley; husband, Dean Nelson; brother, Delvan F. Whaley; and sisters, Mildred Russell and Louise Alexander.
© 2009 Forest City Summit

Esther M. Anderson, 96

April 14, 2009

Esther M. Anderson, 96, formerly of the Masonic Village, Bettendorf, died on Saturday, April 4, 2009, at the Kahl Home for the Aged, Davenport, after a brief illness.

A Memorial Service to celebrate her life was held on Thursday, April 16, at 2:30 p.m., at the Halligan McCabe DeVries Funeral Home. Private burial will be in the Davenport Memorial Park Cemetery. In keeping with her wish cremation rites were accorded. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Kahl Home or Scott County Library, Eldridge Branch.

Esther Marie Lindstedt, was born on June 9, 1912 in Moline, Illinois, a daughter of William and Ellen (Fryxell) Lindstedt. She was a graduate of the Moline High School and attended Iowa State University. Esther was united in marriage to Roy C. Anderson on April 30, 1938 in Galva, Illinois. He preceded her in death in 2005. Esther worked for over 30 years for the Rock Island Arsenal as an administrative secretary.

In her earlier years she enjoyed sewing, baking, crossword puzzles and bowling and lately reading. She truly enjoyed the time she spent with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and the lunches they shared together.

Survivors include her sons, Larry (Colleen) Anderson of Davenport and Keith (Lois) Anderson of Olympia, Washington; 7 grandchildren; and 6 great-grandchildren

She was preceded in death by her husband, Roy; and a sister, Mildred Sunlin.
© 2009 Forest City Summit

Luella Thompson, 89

April 14, 2009

BRITT-Luella I. Thompson, 89, of Britt, formerly of Ellendale, Minnesota, died on Sunday, April 5, 2009, at the Summit House in Britt.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., on Thursday, at the First Lutheran Church in Ellendale, Minnesota, with Rev. Arne Halbakken officiating. Burial was in the First Lutheran Cemetery in Ellendale. The Cataldo Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Luella Irene Thompson, the daughter of Amos and Olivia (Jolson) Farr, was born on November 3, 1919 at Geneva, Minnesota. She attended school at Ellendale, MN.  On September 11, 1935, she was married to Norris Thompson at Waseca, Minnesota. They lived on a farm near Ellendale until 1950, when they moved into Ellendale. Luella assisted Norris in the Allis Chalmers Implement dealership in Ellendale which they owned and operated until 1968. She also worked at the Ellendale Cafe, Pete and Rube's Market, Steve's Market and was a substitute school bus driver for a number of years. After Norris passed away in 1986, Luella continued to live in Ellendale until moving to the Summit House in Britt in July of 2003. Luella enjoyed wintering in Pharr, Texas for 22 years, scrabble and card playing, gardening, sewing, quilt making and entertaining friends.

She was a member of the First Lutheran Church in Ellendale and was a charter member of the Oak Street Club.

Luella is survived by her two children, Merlyn "Pete" (Harriet) Thompson of Britt and Charlotte (Dennis) Hill of Austin, Texas; four grandchildren, Brian (Karen) Thompson and daughter, Alyssa of Des Moines, Susan (Robert) Falbo and their children, Robert, Jr., Victoria and Richard of Lake In The Hills, Illinois, Michael Hill and son, Noah of Austin, Texas and Joel (Amy) Hill and their children, Emily, Bradley and Blake of Austin, Texas; two sisters-in-law, Beverly Farr of Geneva, Minnesota and Eileen Thompson of Ellendale, Minnesota; a brother-in-law, Lowell Haug of Austin, Minnesota; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Norris on November 9, 1986; her parents; three sisters, Isabelle Kilian, Ethel Kilian and Orlie Haug; a brother, Amos Farr; and four brothers-in-law, Marlow Thompson, Arvin Thompson, Lester Kilian and Raymond Kilian; two nephews, Jeffery Thompson and Bruce Haug; and a niece, Julie Thompson.
© 2009 Forest City Summit

Hap Ouverson, 62

April 14, 2009

Hap Ouverson, age 62, of Springfield, Minnesota, died on Wednesday, April 8, 2009, at his home in Springfield after a courageous battle with colon cancer.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday, April 14, at 10:30 a.m., at the St. John Lutheran Church in Springfield, with burial in the Springfield City Cemetery. Visitation was held on Monday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 14, at the Sturm Funeral Home in Springfield. Funeral arrangements are with the Sturm Funeral Home in Springfield. Memorials preferred to the St. John Lutheran Home Foundation and the St. John Lutheran Church Endowment Fund.

Rodney Lee ‘Hap' Ouverson, was born on May 10, 1946 in Mason City, to Lawrence and LeNora (Field) Ouverson. Hap grew up on a farm outside of Fertile and graduated from the Forest City High School in 1964. He then attended Waldorf Junior College in Forest City, graduating in 1966. Hap continued to further his education and graduated from the Mankato State College in 1972, with a business administration degree.

He was united in marriage to Fern Klipping in 1965 in Forest City. In 1981, Hap married MaryAnn (Will) Ward in Mankato. Hap began working at Heintz Pontiac, Cadillac & Toyota in Mankato in 1967. He progressed his way up the ladder from clean-up work to mechanical work, sales, and finally General Sales Manager. Hap worked for Heintz until 1985, when he and wife, MaryAnn purchased the GM dealership in Springfield from Bud Potter and named it Hap Ouverson Motors. He and MaryAnn worked side by side in this business for 17 years before selling to Kohls-Weelborg in 2002.

Hap loved playing golf, listening to 50's music, selling and washing cars and especially loved his sweets and his Iowa Hawkeyes. He was a member of the St. John Lutheran Church, served as usher and was currently a member of the St. John Lutheran Church Mission Endowment Fund. Hap was a current member of the Springfield Golf Club and a former member of the Mankato Country Club.

He is survived by wife, MaryAnn; his children, Chad and wife, Vidya Tomar Ouverson of Blaine, Minnesota, Shelly and husband, Tom Peterson of Apple Valley, Minnesota, Andrew Ouverson and special friend, Brianne Hoyt of Minneapolis, Ryan Ward and fiancée,' Kari Roiger of Eagan, Minnesota and Jason and wife, Nicole Ward of Hudson, Wisconsin; grandchildren, Priya Tomar of St. Paul, Minnesota, Chandler, Lauren and Morgan Peterson of Apple Valley, Minnesota, Carlyn Ward of Eagan, Minnesota and Ethan Netzke of Eagan, Minnesota; brothers, Jerry (Donna) Ouverson of Fertile and Paul (Carol) Ouverson of Boone; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Jack and Connie Will of Mapleton, Minnesota; sister-in-law, Jeanie (Dennis) McCabe of Mapleton, Minnesota; brother-in-law, Randy (Mona) Will of Janesville, Minnesota; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Lawrence in 1950; mother, LeNora in 2008; and twin brother, Ronald in 1972.
© 2009 Forest City Summit

Terri L. Schaff, 47

April 14, 2009

Terri Lynn Schaff, age 47, of Forest City, died on Saturday, April 11, 2009, at her home in Forest City.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, April 15, at 10:30 a.m., at the United Methodist Church, Clear Lake, with Pastor Diana Hoover officiating. Inurnment will be in the Riverside Cemetery in Charles City at a later date. Visitation will be held at the Petersen Lund Funeral Home, Forest City, on Tuesday, April 14, from 4-7:00 p.m. and an hour prior to the services at the church.

Terri Lynn Schaff, was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 4, 1961, the daughter of Gary and Sharon (Martin) Sylvester. She moved with her family to Iowa and received her schooling in Charles City and graduated from the Clear Lake High School. She furthered her education by graduating from Hamilton Business College in Mason City. Terri married Edward Schaff on September 29, 2007. The couple made their home in Forest City, where Terri worked for Winnebago Industries for over 28 years. Her work was very important to her and you could count on her to put in a full day. She enjoyed time spent outdoors with family camping and fishing.

Terri loved doing “handwork”, crocheting and creating intricate doilies and tablecloths for family and friends. A perfect afternoon for Terri would be snuggled up on the couch with her precious cat, working on a knitting project and watching NASCAR on TV with Ed. She loved her family very much and treasured time spent with her nieces and nephews and grand-nieces.

Terri is survived by her husband, Edward Schaff of Forest City; her parents, Charles and Sharon Jorgensen of Clear Lake; sister, June (Glenn) Myers of Webster, Minnesota; sister-in-law, Louise (Scott) Anderson of Forest City; four brothers-in-law, Frank Jr. (Paulette) Schaff, Dale (Kathleen) Schaff and Tom Schaff and fiancée, Dawn, all of Belfield, North Dakota and Adam (Dawn) Schaff of Inglewood, Colorado; an aunt, Mary Slifka of Cresco; and two uncles, David (Elfriede) Martin of DuPont, Washington and Ronald (Judy) Sylvester of Denver; and several nieces and nephews.

Terri was preceded in death by her birth-father, Gary Sylvester; her grandparents; a sister, Sherri Cosgriff; two brothers-in-law, Michael and Roy Schaff; and an aunt.
© 2009 Forest City Summit

Irene C. Helvig, 97

April 28, 2009

Irene C., Helvig, beloved aunt, age 97, died on Wednesday, April 15, 2009, at the Colonial Acres Care Ctr, Golden Valley, Minnesota.

Memorial services were held on Sunday, April 26, at 2:00 p.m., at the Colonial Acres, Golden Valley, Minnesota. Visitation was on Saturday, April 25, from 9-10:30 a.m., at the Albin Chapel, Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Burial was at 1:30 p.m., in the Oakland Cemetery, Forest City. Memorials may be sent to the Global Health Ministries, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

A 1932 graduate of Waldorf College, she worked on the family farm in Forest City, until 1966 and then was a nurse in the newborn nursery at the Methodist Hospital, Minneapolis until retirement in 1980. 

Irene was predeceased by her parents, Hans and Amalia (Mollie) Helvig; brother, Raymond; infant brother, Merle; and nephew, Mark Helvig.

She is survived by 3 nephews, John, Stephen and Paul Helvig; and niece, Elizabeth Kopelke.
© 2009 Forest City Summit

Jessie Brighton Kollman, 90

May 6, 2009

Jessie Brighton Kollman, age 90, of Forest City, died on Monday, April 27, 2009, at the Good Samaritan Care Center in Forest City.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, May 2, at the United Methodist Church in Forest City, with Pastor Jerald Swanberg officiating. Visitation was held at the church an hour prior to the services. Burial was in the Oakland Cemetery in Forest City.

Jessie Brighton Kollman, was born in a sod house on August 10, 1918 in Opheim, Montana, to Gilbert and Tena (Drugsvold) Christian. The young homesteader family returned to Iowa and settled near Lake Mills, where Jessie grew up and graduated from the Lake Mills High School. On July 23, 1938, she was united in marriage to James Brighton Sr., in Williams, Iowa. They lived in and around the Lake Mills, Northwood areas and eventually settled in Forest City. They were married until August, 1968, when Jim died suddenly.

Jessie was an industrious woman who never seemed to run out of energy. She was a “master domestic engineer” and took great pride in her work. She was both efficient and thorough when cleaning or ironing and her services were always in great demand. For many years both she and her daughters worked for the Forest City Theater. She was also a good friend and loving companion to Hazel Bowen for a number of years and accompanied her to Hawaii three times. Jessie was a unique “snowbird”. In the winter, she went south three blocks to house-sit for the Wally Petersons, while the homeowners went a bit further south to St. Thomas. There was always a period of adjustment while Jessie and the police department fined-tuned the do's and don'ts of the alarm system.

Jessie was a wonderful cook, well known for her paper thin cookies. She was a true Norwegian who loved her krumla and lutefisk. She had a terrific sense of humor and loved to dress in costumes for special occasions. Her adventurous side was clearly evident when she learned to drive after the age of 50. She was also in her fifties when she took her mother all the way to Virginia to visit family. Neither of them had traveled much and were first time flyers. In later years, Jessie was even daring enough to get on her grandson's horse!

In June of 1972, Jessie married LaVerne Kollman. Together they enjoyed camping, fishing and dancing. LaVerne died unexpectedly in April, 1975.

Jessie was a devoted member of the United Methodist Church. She belonged to card club, worked on puzzles and did a lot of reading. She enjoyed being with friends and family and especially enjoyed doing things with her young grandchildren. It didn't matter whether it was picking up sticks in the yard, playing croquet or softball, she was always ready. It was also important to her to make an annual trip to Louisiana where two of her grandsons lived. Distance put no restrictions on her.

Jessie is survived by two daughters, Pat Peterson of Forest City and Louise Kemper of Shreveport, Louisiana; one daughter-in-law, Suzanne Brighton of Titonka; nine grandchildren; sixteen great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren and a third soon to arrive; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, James Brighton and LaVerne Kollman; her son, James Brighton Jr.; an infant daughter; her parents; two brothers, DeLos and Forest Christian; and one sister, Inez Schimer.
© 2009 Forest City Summit