Funeral services will be held at 1:30 PM on Friday, August 16, 2013, at Salem Lutheran Church in Lake Mills with Pastor David E. Jordon officiating. Burial will be in Salem Memorial Cemetery, rural Lake Mills.

Visitation will be on Thursday, August 15, 2013, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Mittelstadt Funeral Home, 902 East Main Street in Lake Mills, and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Friday.

Josephine Elaine (Flattum) Sherwood was born on June 12, 1931, on the family farm to parents John A. and Anna (Anderson) Flattum. She attended country school through the 8th grade.

Following her schooling, Josephine worked as a hired girl for some local families as well as helping on the home farm.

On December 27, 1957, she was united in marriage with Harold Sherwood at Silver Lake Lutheran Church. The couple made their home in Lake Mills where they raised five children. Throughout the years, Josephine worked various jobs including Johnson Laundry and Land O Lakes, both in Albert Lea and the Cool Springs Canning Factory in Lake Mills.

Josephine enjoyed watching her children’s and grandchildren’s ball games, she was an avid bowler, played Bunco and Bingo, and did crafts.

Survivors include her five children, David (April) Sherwood of Rockwell, IA, Julie Sherwood of Forest City, IA, Harlan Sherwood and his partner Phil Rendina of Minneapolis, MN, Paul Sherwood of Lake Mills, IA, and Fern (Robert) Zabel of Lake Mills, IA; and four grandchildren, Andrew Zabel, Joshua Zabel, Courtney Sherwood, and Clancy Sherwood. She is also survived by a brother Arthur (Deb) Flattum of Albert Lea, MN; a brother-in-law, Ralph Sabin of Albert Lea, MN; and two sisters-in-law, Sadie Flattum of Albert Lea, MN, and Rosemary (John) Spratt of Webster City, IA; as well and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Harold; brothers Orville, Carl, and George; a sister Gladys; and a sister in infancy.

ERIC K "RAZZ" RASMUSSEN
May 30th, 1964 - August 10, 2013

Eric K. "Razz" Rasmussen, 49, of Waterloo, died Saturday morning, Aug. 10th, 2013 at Gunderson Lutheran Hospital in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. After a courageous battle with muscular dystrophy, Eric died from complications due to heart failure.

He was born May 30th, 1964 in Madrid, son of Phillip and Terry Rasmussen of Forest City, Iowa. His family moved from Madrid to a farm near Thompson, Iowa in 1967. He married Lori Boll in Manchester, Iowa on October 26th, 1990.

Eric graduated from Thompson High School in 1982. He then graduated from Waldorf College, Iowa State University and Kirkwood College.
He worked for Cedar Valley Medical Specialists as an orthopedic physician assistant. He most recently worked for The CBE Group in Waterloo.

Eric is survived by his wife Lori and two daughters, Kelsey and Makayla, all of Waterloo; his parents, Phillip and Terry Rasmussen; three brothers, John (Julie) of Joice, Iowa; Jim (Sharon) of Ankeny, Iowa; and Ken (Beth) of Britt, Iowa and his in-laws, Ron and Janice Boll, Dundee, Iowa. He is also survived by several nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand -nephews.

Services will be held at 10:00 am Wednesday, August 14, 2013 at Cedar Valley Community Church, 3520 Ansborough Avenue in Waterloo. Visitation 4:00-7:00 pm Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at Cedar Valley Community Church and an hour prior to the services on Wednesday. Arrangements by Kearns Funeral Service, Kimball Chapel (319) 233-3146

Memorials may be directed to Eric's family.

Eric expressed his servant's heart by his love for his Savior, his commitment to his wife and girls and his love for everyone he came in contact with. He had a passion for being with friends, sports and playing cards. Forever we will treasure Eric's mischievous smile, his playfulness, spunk, his love for people, his compassion for others and his ability to make people laugh.

FREDA BEEBE
September 20, 1919 - August 20, 2013

Freda Beebe, 93, of Forest City, died at Good Samaritan Center in Forest City on Aug. 20, 2013. There will be only private family services. Her body has been cremated and private inurnment will occur at a later date at Graceland Cemetery in Avoca.

Freda Pauline Beebe, the daughter of Herman and Helene Hansen, was born in rural Audubon, on Sept. 20, 1919. Both of her parents had immigrated to the United States, her father from Denmark and her mother from Germany. Freda graduated from Audubon High School in 1938 and then attended the Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing in Marshalltown, where she became a R.N. in 1941. She thereafter was night supervisor in Deaconess Hospital for three and one-half years. She later attended the University of Oregon where she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Her nursing career took her to Fort Smith, Ark., the San Francisco area, Harlan, and Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs where she taught nursing and established the P.N. (Practical Nursing) program. Many of her students would later say that they learned more from Freda than anyone else. 

She married Glen Beebe of Avoca on Sept. 18, 1976 and they lived there until 1999 when, for health reasons, they moved to Forest City, to be near her stepson, Raymond, his wife, Joan, and their family. Freda received the “Inspiration Award” from the Avoca Business and Professional Association in 1991 where it was noted that she had inspired her community in many ways including being an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church and teaching Sunday School and Bible School there for a number of years, delivering mobile meals to Avoca’s homebound, serving as President of the Avoca Federated Garden Club, active in the American Red Cross taking the blood pressure of Avoca citizens once a month, past President of the Pottawattamie County American Cancer Society and receiving the “Quality of Life Award” from the American Cancer Foundation and generally being recognized for “giving of herself for the needs of others and never expecting anything in return.” Upon marrying Glen, Freda assumed her new role as “Grandma” with lots of love and energy. She would take her grandchildren swimming, join them in a tent outside of their house for a camping experience, play with them for endless hours and generally support and encourage them in any way that she could. On their frequent visits to Forest City to see Raymond and Joan and their children, everyone came to expect and certainly enjoyed her wonderful homemade breads and rolls and in Raymond’s case, her frosted Christmas cookies. Whenever someone in Avoca was in need they knew that a call to Freda would “get the ball rolling” to find the needed assistance.  When Freda and Glen moved to Forest City, they joined Immanuel Lutheran Church and enjoyed various activities at the Senior Center.  Freda and Glen had been married for over 24 years when Glen died on March 6, 2001. Freda moved to Forest Plaza in December 2001 as one of its first residents.  Freda suffered from dementia and it later became necessary to transfer her to the Good Samaritan Center in Forest City. While suffering from the debilitating disease, Freda never lost her smile and she was well liked by the staff at Good Samaritan.

Freda is survived by her brothers, Dr. Bob Hansen of Colorado Springs, Colo., Louis (Etta May) Hansen of Lake Tapawingo, Mo. and her sister, Mardelle Gilbert of Audubon; her stepsons, Richard Beebe of Denver, Colo., and Raymond (Joan) Beebe of Forest City; six grandchildren, Stephen (Lara) Beebe of Los Altos Hills, Calif., Michael Beebe of Fort Collins, Colo., Blane (Sara) Beebe of Burnsville, Minn., Kristen (Dan) Ollenburg of Clear Lake, William Beebe of Forest City and Jeff Beebe of Forest City; and 14 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Herman and Helene Hansen; her husband, Glen; her brothers, Edgar Hansen, Alvin Hansen and Marvin Hansen; and her sister, Erna Krone.

PETERSEN LUND FUNERAL HOME  -  641-585-2685 www.petersenlundfh.com 

PAULINE KAREN THIELEKE

Pauline Karen Thieleke, 65, passed away at her Urbandale home on Aug. 17, 2013.  Funeral services were held 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Urbandale, of which she was a member.  Cremation followed services and private burial of cremated remains will be held at a later date.

The daughter of Albert and Addie Borg, Pauline’s youth years were spent on her parent’s farm near Forest City. She had leadership roles in 4-H, First Baptist Church youth activities, cheerleading, and was named Outstanding Girl of Forest City High School’s 1966 graduating class.

Pauline earned a degree in elementary education from the University of Northern Iowa in 1970. She taught mathematics and science to students in Linn Mar, Maquoketa, Bettendorf and Urbandale schools. Although she retired in 2004, her love of teaching continued through substitute teaching at Urbandale Middle School up to the time of her death.

Pauline married David Thieleke on June 6, 1970. She shared her passion for teaching with the couple’s children, Jeffrey and Jill, and later her five grandchildren. After retiring from classroom teaching, Pauline devoted extensive time to her family, gardening and providing for wild birds attracted to her home’s backyard.  She was a devoted grandmother who was adored by her grandchildren and was always there to cheer them on at their activities.  Pauline loved to laugh, read, and play games with her grandchildren.  She found great joy in baking for them and finding special things that they would enjoy. 

Pauline was her immediate, and extended family’s, consummate historian and poet, often composing poignant and insightful verse for significant family events.  The Christmas dinner gatherings she and husband, Dave masterfully, hosted for the Borg family are legendary. Her culinary and organizational skills are a beautiful legacy to her devotion to her family, her siblings, and their children.

Pauline is survived by her husband, David; son Jeffrey (Cheri) and their three children, Christopher, Michael and William of Ames; daughter Jill (Scott) Purcell and their children, Lucy, Dominic and unborn grandson of Urbandale; her siblings, Betty Sailsbury of Ames, Sharon Turner of Lakeland, Minn., Julie Ann Johnson of Colby, Wis., Eldean of Mount Vernon and Lyle of Pella.

  Her parents, sister Shirley Vorpahl, and brother Marlyn preceded Pauline’s passing.          

The family received friends from 6 - 8 p.m. Tuesday at Iles Funeral Homes-Westover Chapel. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Lung Association. Online condolences will be welcomed at IlesCares.com.

Kelly Broderick

Iles Funeral Homes

Westover, Dunn’s Brandt, Grandview Park and Sundberg-Kirkpatrick Chapels

6337 Hickman Rd.

Des Moines, Iowa 50322 515-276-4567