Eleanor Amanda (Brones) Fogue McConkey
November 17, 2010
Eleanor Amanda (Brones) Fogue McConkey, 100 of Des
Moines, died on Thursday, November 11, 2010, her beloved Veteran's Day.
Funeral services were
held at 1:00 p.m., on Tuesday, November 16, at the Trinity Lutheran
Church, formerly known as the Norwegian Methodist
Church, in Forest City, followed by burial in the Forest
Home Cemetery east of Leland.
Eleanor was born on August
24, 1910 south of Lake Mills, to Ellsworth and Ida
(Halvorson-Brekke) Brones. She was baptized and
confirmed in the Norwegian Methodist Church that her
grandfather Peter Brones was a founder of. Eleanor
attended schools at the Higgenbotham and Vatne Schools
near their home in Mount Valley Township. She married
Norris Fogue and to that union one son, Richard Dean was
born. That marriage later ended in divorce. She then
married D.C. McConkey. Her husband and his brothers
built an apartment complex in which they lived and
managed for many years, until D.C. built Eleanor a new
home overlooking the city of Des Moines. He told her she
deserved a home, not an apartment. Eleanor managed the
apartments for more than 60 years until the time of her
death. She also had worked at S.S. Kresge's in downtown
Des Moines.
Eleanor volunteered
her services for many organizations. She loved helping
people in need. Eleanor would give up things for herself
in order to give to others. One of her favorite places
was the Veteran's Home. She knew these men gave up many
things for their country so, she said what she could do
for them was little compared to what they had given up.
She volunteered there for a total of 4,007 hours.
Another favorite was
Iowa Public Television, not only was it her favorite
station to watch, it was an opportunity for her to give
back. She was the beloved "Popcorn Lady" from 1987-1995
for Friends of IPTV telethons. She not only popped the
popcorn, she provided the poppers, popcorn and all the
seasoning for it.
She was a member of
the Clifton Heights Presbyterian Church, was a member and
served as president of the Civil War Roundtable
Daughters of Union Veteran's of the Civil War, the
National Organization of the Auxiliary of the Son's of
the Union Veteran's of the Civil War, a 50-year member
of AARP and for the last few years served as the AARP's
Sunshine Girl, a member of the Order of the Eastern
Star, and many more.
One of her true great
passions was working on her family tree. She had
traveled extensively doing research and was very excited
to go to Norway to see where it all began. She was very
passionate in getting her family to know where they came
from.
She was preceded in
death by her parents; her husbands; her son, Richard
Dean; three brothers, Lloyde (Ester), Richard (Dorthy)
and James (Violet); two sisters, Helen (Porter) and
Stella (Dean); and six nieces and nephews.
Eleanor is survived by
four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; one
great-great-grandchild; thirteen very special nieces and
nephews; and an abundance of special relatives and
friends.
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Diana L. Wilson
November 17, 2010
Diana L. Wilson, 84, of Forest City, died on Saturday, November
13, 2010, at the Good Samaritan Care Center in Forest
City.
Memorial services were
held at 1:30 p.m., on Tuesday, November 16, 2010, at the First
Baptist Church in Forest City, with Pastor Doug Snyder
officiating. Inurnment was in the Oakland Cemetery in Forest
City.
Diana L. Wilson, was
born in Mt. Vernon, Illinois on October 20, 1926, the
daughter of Roy and Jenny (Wagner) Mills. She received
her elementary education in Webster City, Iowa, and
graduated from the Webster City High School in 1944. She
furthered her studies at Drake University in Des Moines,
graduating in 1948 with a bachelor's degree in
education. On June 5, 1949, she was united in marriage
to H.R. (Ray) Wilson in Webster City. The couple made
their home in California while Ray completed his class
work at Long Beach City College. They also resided in
Des Moines and Chicago. In 1955, they moved to Forest
City where Dr. Wilson began his optometry practice.
Diana was a
kindergarten teacher. She taught in Webster City, Des
Moines, Hammond, Illinois and Lake Mills. In Forest City
she taught remedial reading at home. For 16 years, she
worked at "Wally's Furniture" in Forest City.
Diana was a member of
the Women's Optometric Association, serving four years
as secretary/treasurer. She was president of the Women's
Auxiliary for two years and a member of the "Order of
the Eastern Star." She was a long-time member of the
United Methodist Church in Forest City, where she taught
Bible School and Sunday School before retiring to Clear
Lake in 1992 and transferring her membership to the
Clear Lake United Methodist Church.
Diana is survived by
her children, Kristine (Riley) Lewis of Forest City,
Marsha (Robin) Wood of Forest Lake, Minnesota and Mark
(Barbara) Wilson of Battlefield, Mississippi; five grandchildren, Todd (April) Lewis, Karey
(Robert) Alvarado, Sara Adkins, Matthew Wilson and
Michael Wilson; three great-grandchildren, Noah & Elle
Lewis and Jordan Alvarado; and a sister, Cornelia Lukehart of Sioux City.
She was preceded in
death by her husband; her parents; her brother, Guy Mills;
and brother-in-law, Joe Lukehart.
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Harlan "Hal" James Hanna
November 23, 2010
Harlan "Hal" James Hanna, 68, died on Monday, November 15, 2010, in Dayton,
Ohio, from complications due to early-onset Alzheimers.
Services were held in
Dayton on Friday, November 19. A memorial will be held near
Forest City and an announcement will be published.
Hal was born in Forest
City, Iowa, on November 18, 1941. He attended the Brown Institute
in Minnesota for a degree in broadcasting. He worked as a
radar operator in the U.S. Air Force and was employed for
several radio stations until moving to Waterloo in 1969 to
work for KXEL radio. Hal retired in 1999 and moved to
Dayton.
He is survived by his
wife, Virginia Day of Dayton, Ohio; son, Brian Hanna of
Painesville, Ohio; daughters, Christina (Jeff) Blake of Cedar
Falls, Melanie (Luis) Monzon of Dayton, Ohio and Jill Piersol
of
Springfield, Ohio; six grandchildren; brothers, Vernon
(Sheryl) Hanna of Woden and Ronald (Marlys) Hanna, Swea
City; sister, Marcine (Guy) Carlson of
Minooka, Illinois;
sister-in-law, Betty Hanna of Woden; brother-in-law, Dick Havlik
of
Palmyra, Wisconsin; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death
by his parents, Sylvan and Olga Hanna; sister, Rosie (Hanna) Havlik; brother, Duane Hanna;
and grandsons, Paul Hanna and Keith
Hanna. |
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Barbara A. Shoemaker
November 23, 2010
Barbara A. Shoemaker, 64, passed away on Tuesday,
November 16, 2010, in North Kansas City, Missouri.
Funeral services were held
at 10:00
a.m., on Friday, November 19, at the chapel with burial in
the
Leavenworth National Cemetery on Monday, November 22.
Barbara was born on April 12,
1946 in Forest City. She was employed by the Argosy Casino
in Kansas City for nine years. She had a great love for what
she did and especially enjoyed playing slot machines. She
will be missed by many friends in the business.
Barbara was preceded in
death by both her parents and is survived by her husband,
Gene; sons, Jeff and Jason; grandchildren, Alex and Ryan and
brothers, Tom and Jim Lowman. |
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Francine A. Ryerson
November 23, 2010
Francine A. Ryerson, 60, of rural Forest City, died on Friday,
November 19, 2010, at her home east of Forest City.
Funeral services will
be held at 11:00 a.m., on Wednesday, November 24, at the Cataldo
Funeral Home in Britt, with Rev. Ed Bard officiating.
Burial will be in the Evergreen Cemetery in Britt.
Francine Arnaman Ryerson,
the daughter of Willie and Fern (Arnaman) Bartik, was born
on
July 19, 1950 in Forest City. She graduated from the Britt
High School in 1968. On August 25, 1968, she was married to
Jerome P. Ryerson at the Congregational Church in
Britt. They lived east of Forest City near Pilot Knob State
Park where they raised their two sons, Jay and Aaron. Fran
was employed as a secretary for the Winnebago County Sheriff
for many years. She later worked various jobs in the Forest
City area.
Fran was an amazing baker
and cook and enjoyed spending time with her family,
collecting antiques and caring for her pets. Fran will be
missed by her family and many close friends, especially Toni
Beck.
Fran is survived by her
two sons, Jay Ryerson of Britt and his daughter, Emily and
Aaron Ryerson of Forest City and his son, Jeremiah; a
sister, Janis (Larry) Sharp of West Des Moines; and many
other relatives.
She was preceded in death
by her husband, Jerome on October 21, 2003; and her parents. |
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Rutherford B. "Rudy" Monson
December 1, 2010
Rutherford B. "Rudy" Monson, 85, died on Monday, November 22, 2010,
at his home in rural Forest City.
Funeral services were held
at 11:00 a.m., on Saturday, November 27, at the Winnebago Lutheran
Church in rural Lake Mills, with Pastor Bill Peters
officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.
Rutherford B. (Rudy)
Monson, was born on a farm in Mt. Valley Township, near
Forest City, on November 17, 1925, the son of Nick and Etta
(Olson) Monson. He was baptized and confirmed at the Winnebago
Lutheran Church. He received his elementary education in
rural schools near his home and graduated from the Forest City
High School in 1943. He entered the U.S. Marine Corps on
March 23, 1944 and fought during WW II in the South Pacific
with the Marine Corps "Scouts and Snipers." Following his
discharge from the service he returned to the Forest City
area. On December 28, 1947, he was united in marriage to Doris Myre at the Little Brown Church in Nashua and the couple
made their home on the family farm east of Forest City.
Rudy was a lover of life.
After a lifetime of farming he enjoyed spending time
attending parades, local threshing shows, buying, fixing up
and collecting antique John Deere tractors and classic cars
and watching John Wayne movies.
Rudy knew and talked about
the genealogy of everyone in the county, going back more
than years. He loved driving around the countryside sharing
stories and checking everyone's crops. Once you got in his
car, you weren't sure just how long the ride would last.
Jane's Cafe in Fertile was a favorite gathering spot for
Rudy and all his buddies as they daily kept one another
abreast of all the local "happenings." Central to Rudy's
life was spending time with his family. He was never happier
than when surrounded by all his immediate and extended
family.
Rudy is survived by his
children, Craig (Teresa) Monson of Forest City, Ardella
(Dale) Johnson of Edina, Minnesota, Murray (Donna) Monson of
Boone, Iowa and Dr. Mark Monson of Mora, Minnesota; 15 grandchildren, Brian & Shawn Monson, Colby,
Cohen & Callen Monson, David, Vicki, Jeffrey, Brian, Bradley
& Gregory Johnson, Dr. Nathan Monson & Lucas Monson and
Elizabeth & Joshua Monson; 4 great-grandchildren, Logan
Monson, Drew Monson, Lucas Renneke and Maia Johnson; and a
sister, Evelyn Budlong of Mason City.
Rudy was preceded in death
by his parents; his wife, Doris; son, Norman; brother, Merle
Monson; sisters, Ora Syckes, Margie Olson, Sally DeBaker and
Gertie Smith; and a nephew, Greg Syckes.
The Petersen Lund Funeral
Home, Forest City, was in charge of the arrangements. |
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Dr. Robert O. Belsheim
December 15, 2010
 WASHINGTON
D.C.-Dr. Robert O. Belsheim, passed away on Tuesday, November
23, 2010.
He was born in Winnebago
County on August 26, 1924. After graduation from Iowa State
University in 1944 with a degree in mechanical engineering,
he was selected for research work at the Naval Research Lab.
He enlisted in the Navy with a special rank that allowed him
to continue this work during the last year of the war. He
spent the years immediately after the war at Purdue
University, earning his Ph.D. in 1954. Until 1977, Bob
continued his work at the NRL, consulting after 1970. He was
the author of many academic papers and the recipient of many
honors, centering on his research on mechanical stress,
especially in submarines and with application to NASA
projects.
He never tired of the
charms of Washington, D.C. or those of the mid-Atlantic
region, and was an inveterate explorer of them. In
retirement he added to these steady habits of local and
national driving trips with tours of the Baltic, China and
Canada. He spent time with family and friends and golfed
hopefully.
He took good care of his
long time friend in her decline and is remembered by her
family with gratitude and love.
He enjoyed good health all
his life and was self-reliant until his last months. Bob
will be missed by his family and long time friends in the
Washington, D.C. area and in Iowa.
In accordance with his
wishes, Bob will be interred next to his parents and
paternal grandparents at the Winnebago Lutheran Church in Lake
Mills, near the family farm.
Arrangements were handled
by the Keeney & Basford Funeral Home, 106 E. Church St.,
Frederick, Maryland. |
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Maynard Axel Teroy Iverson
December 1, 2010
 Maynard
Axel Teroy Iverson, 92, of Clive, Iowa, formerly of Lake
Mills, passed away on Wednesday, November 24, 2010, at the Iowa
Methodist Medical Center with his daughter at his side.
Funeral services were held
on
Saturday, November 27, at the Salem Lutheran Church in Lake Mills,
with Pastor David E. Jordon officiating. Burial was in the North
Prairie Cemetery in rural Lake Mills. He will be missed by
all who knew him.
Maynard was born on April 18,
1918, in rural Worth County, Iowa, to George and Julia (Aasland)
Iverson. He was the youngest of four children. Maynard was
baptized at the Bethany Lutheran Church in Joice and confirmed
at the Elk Creek Lutheran Church in rural Worth County. He
attended rural schools in Worth and Cerro Gordo
Counties. Maynard worked on various farms in northern Iowa
and South Dakota before purchasing his farm west of Lake
Mills in 1944. He enjoyed every aspect of farming and caring
for his animals. On February 4, 1956, Maynard was united in
marriage with Sylvia Gudmonson at the North Prairie Lutheran
Church, where they were members until the church closed in
2004.
They raised their two
daughters, Kay and Marsha, on the family farm. Without a
doubt, the joy of Maynard's life was his three
"sweethearts." He was involved in church activities,
including the cemetery committee.
In 2000, Maynard and
Sylvia moved off the farm; Maynard into the Mills Harbour in
Lake Mills and Sylvia into the Lake Mills Care Center. He
enjoyed this new community of friends. After Sylvia's
passing in 2002 and free from the obligations of farming, he
enjoyed "loafing" uptown. He would travel to area towns and
visit with local farmers over a cup of coffee. In 2004, he
was warmly welcomed to his new church home, Salem Lutheran.
In February of 2008, he
moved to the Des Moines area to be closer to his daughter,
Marsha and her family. At the time of his death, he was
living at the Walnut Ridge Assisted Living Facility in Clive. He
enjoyed outings with Marsha and attending the St. John's
Lutheran Church as a family on Sundays. He found great
pleasure in watching the grandkids grow and the energy they
brought to life. Annual trips to the Iowa State Fair were a
favorite activity.
Maynard was known for his
friendly nature, sharing conversation with a friend or
stranger. He enjoyed story telling, predicting the weather,
watching the moon and showing people his "chicken glasses."
Maynard is survived by his
daughter, Marsha (Blair) Hansen of Clive and grandchildren,
Thomas and Rachel; brother-in-law, Vernon (Betty) Gudmonson
of
Lake Mills; and several nieces, nephews and extended
family.
He was preceded in death
by his parents; wife; daughter, Kay in 2000; siblings,
Lester (Olga) Iverson, Norma (Cecil) Carr and Jermit (Ann) Iverson;
and brother-in-law, Marlyn (Ethel) Gudmonson.
In lieu of flowers,
memorial contributions can be directed to the North Prairie
Cemetery Corporation.
The Mittelstadt Funeral
Home was in charge of the arrangements. |
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Mary Rita Martinson
December 8, 2010
Mary Rita Martinson, 56, of Forest City, died on Wednesday,
November 24, 2010, at the Albert Lea Medical Center in Albert Lea,
Minnesota.
A Mass of Christian Burial
was held on Monday, November 29, at the St. James Catholic Church in
Forest City, with Father Donald A. Hertges officiating.
Burial was in the Madison Township Cemetery in Forest City.
Mary was born on August 25,
1954, to Frank and Margaret (Roche) Casterton and grew up in
Hayward, Minnesota, before moving to Albert Lea where she
graduated from the Albert Lea High School in 1972. She attended
and graduated from the Minnesota School of Business and then
worked at Pillsbury in Minneapolis following her graduation.
Mary was united in
marriage to Larry Martinson on September 7, 1974, at the St.
Theodore's Catholic Church in Albert Lea. They made their
home in Forest City, where Mary worked at The
Architectural Design Group, Inc. for 12 years. She then
worked as an executive secretary at Winnebago Industries for
24 years until she became ill.
Mary enjoyed spending time
with her family (especially her grandchildren), going to
movies, gambling, traveling and gardening. Mary was a very
active member of the St. James Catholic Church, where she took
communion to the homebound, served on the Parish Council and
Guild, taught CCD classes and was in charge of organizing
blood drives and the parish prayer chain, as well as being an
active volunteer for the American Cancer Society. She will
be most remembered by anyone who ever knew her as a living
example of Matthew 22:37-39 "Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second
is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself." Because of
Mary's deep love for her Lord, her life reflected that love
to others as everyone came first before she thought of
herself. Mary's sweet and loving spirit will be truly missed
by all who knew her.
Mary is survived by her
husband of 36 years, Larry Martinson of Forest City; her
children, Randy (Sarah) Martinson of Garner and Amy (Dusty) Abels of Ankeny; grandchildren, Matthew, Nicholas and Emily
Martinson of Garner; mother and stepfather, Margaret (Roche)
and Leo Hillesheim of New Ulm, Minnesota; mother-in-law, Geneva
Martinson of Lake Mills; sister-in-law and brother-in-law,
Linda and Gary Sigler of Owatonna, Minnesota; niece and nephews,
Nikki (Chris) Steinkraus, Mike Sigler and Tim (Laura)
Sigler; foreign exchange students, Sven Raugstad (Norway)
and Ariadne Vital (Brazil); and her beloved dog, Buddy.
Mary was preceded in death
by her father, Frank Casterton; father-in-law, Royden
Martinson; and several dearly loved aunts and uncles. |
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Richard Dennis Hanna
June 23, 1934-November 28, 2010
 Richard
D. Hanna, age 76, of Lake Mills, formerly of Joice, Iowa,
died on Sunday, November 28, 2010, at the Muse-Norris Hospice
Inpatient Unit in Mason City, Iowa.
Funeral services will be
held at 1:30 p.m., on Saturday, December 4, at the Bethany
Lutheran Church in Joice, with Pastor Bill Peters
officiating. Burial will be in the Lutheran Union (Hanna)
Cemetery, rural Leland, with military honors conducted
by the Otto Chose Post #235 of Lake Mills. Visitation will
be on Friday, December 3, from 5-7:00 p.m., at the
Mittelstadt Funeral Home in Lake
Mills and will continue one hour prior to the services at the
church on Saturday. Memorials may be directed to the Hospice of
North Iowa, Mason City, Iowa.
Richard D. Hanna, was born
in rural Winnebago County on June 23, 1934, to Dewey R.G. and
Ruby O. (Kittleson) Hanna. He was baptized and confirmed at
the Winnebago Lutheran Church. He attended rural Country School
in Mount Valley Township and graduated from the Forest City High
School in 1952. He enlisted in the United States Marine
Corp. and completed his basic training at Twenty-Nine Palms
Marine Corp. base near San Diego, California. He was proud
to serve his country and made many good friends.
On September 18, 1955, he
was united in marriage to DeLoris Dahl. To this union three
children were born, Cynthia L. Hanna Castelletti, Mark D.
Hanna and Randall D. Hanna. The family farmed in rural
Winnebago County until 1960, when Richard moved his family to
the present family farm southeast of Joice.
While engaged in farming
in the Joice area he served on many boards including the
Joice Coop, Worth County Pork and Beef producers, Bethany
Lutheran Church, Joice Betterment Committee and many other
related associations. In later years he was actively
involved in the Ag Ventures Alliance and was a director on the
Land O Lakes Regional board. He was an avid world traveler
touring eastern Europe, the U.S.S.R., China and India with
his wife, De. In later years, after De’s death, he went back
to his foreign travels serving with VOCA as an agricultural
representative promoting and helping farmers set up
Cooperatives in Albania, Russia and Uganda among other
locations. He thoroughly enjoyed helping other people and
was not afraid of taking a risk to “make something happen.”
On August 16, 2003, he was
united in marriage to Dorothy Hagen. He and Dorothy enjoyed
many years of wintering in both Florida and Arizona,
spending their time sightseeing, dancing and “escaping” the
Iowa winters. He was diagnosed in 2001 with Parkinson’s
Disease. He refused to let the disease prevent him from
enjoying his wife, children and grandchildren. He was able
to attend important times in their lives and this was very
special to both he and them.
Left to cherish his memory
are his wife, Dorothy Hagen-Hanna; daughter, Cynthia L. Hanna
(Steven) Castelletti; sons, Mark D. (Belinda) Hanna and
Randall D. (Rebecca) Hanna; seven grandchildren, Andrew
Hanna, Philip Hanna, Anthony Hanna, Nicholas Hanna, Sarah
Camp, Steven Castelletti, Jr. and Tory Christensen;
step-children, Lonna (Steve) Christensen, Terry (Barry)
Anonson, Bruce (Denise) Hagen and RaNae (Duke) Takle; and
step-grandchildren, Dustin Christensen, Liz Field, Dani
Hagen, C.J. Hagen, Kennedy Hagen, Maxx Hagen, Jamie Hagen,
Jake Hagen, Charles Takle, Miranda Takle, Rachel Takle, John
Anonson, Jake Anonson and Jill Bodwell and their spouses
and children. He is also survived by a brother, Tom (Marliyn)
Hanna; sister, Karen (Rollin) Dyer; and sister-in-law, Darlene
Hanna; along with many nieces, nephews, other relatives and
friends.
He was preceded in death
by his parents; wife, DeLoris; brother, Stanley; and a
brother-in-law, Gary Waddingham.
The Mittelstadt Funeral
Home was in charge of the arrangements.
© 2010 Mittelstadt
Funeral Home |
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