Maynard J. Johnson

March 31, 2010

Maynard J. Johnson, 95, formerly of rural Northwood, Iowa, died on Saturday, March 6, 2010, at the St. Ansgar Good Samaritan Center, St. Ansgar.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, March 10, at 1:30 p.m., at the Deer Creek Lutheran Church, Carpenter, with Rev. Gary Gonnerman officiating. Burial was in the Deer Creek Cemetery. Visitation was at the Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, St. Ansgar.

Maynard was born on August 28, 1914 in Deer Creek Township, Worth County, Iowa, to John and Maria (Gordon) Johnson. He was baptized in the Deer Creek Lutheran Church, by Rev. Waldeland and confirmed in Rev. O.E. Langehough’s first confirmation class at Deer Creek Lutheran on June 3, 1928. He was educated at the Deer Creek #3 School. On February 14, 1947, Maynard was united in marriage to Viola Borcherding in the First Lutheran Parsonage, St. Ansgar, by Rev. O.A. Langehough. He farmed all his life on the Johnson family farm. Maynard moved into the St. Ansgar Good Samaritan Center in the spring of 2008.

He was a faithful and a lifetime member of the Deer Creek Lutheran Church, Carpenter.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Viola; two brothers, Lloyd and Arthur; and two sisters, Selma Perkins and Alice Johnson.

Maynard is survived by sisters-in-law, Marion Borcherding of St. Ansgar and Mary Johnson of Northwood; brother-in-law, Raymond Borcherding of St. Ansgar; and several nieces and nephews.
© Northwood Anchor 2010

Hazel A. Kloose

March 24, 2010

Hazel A. Kloose, 89, of Northwood, died on Wednesday, March 17, 2010, at the Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood.

Funeral services were held at 1:30 p.m., on Sunday, March 21, at the Conner Colonial Chapel, with Reverend Randy Baldwin officiating. Burial took place in the East Newberg Cemetery in Carpenter. Visitation was held one hour prior to Hazel’s service at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Iowa in Hazel’s name.

Hazel Andrena Emelia Kloose, was born on May 26, 1920, to Otto and Emelia (Hanson) Kloose on a farm one and a half miles west of Grafton, Iowa. She was baptized by Pastor Landdeck at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Grafton. She received her education in the Grafton and Barton #5 Schools. She later moved with her family to a farm east of Lyle, Minnesota. She was confirmed at the Six Mile Grove Church east of Lyle. She worked for Christian Hanson of Otranto during garden harvest and later worked for Elmer Nicolson as a housekeeper before moving to Mason City, where she also worked as a housekeeper for the Bankens family. Her long term job was with Ernest and Sally Kuhn of Mason City. She worked as their nanny for many years and helped raise their four children, Sara, Paul, Tom and Ernest, Jr. When the children were grown she lived with Rose-Marie Kuhn once again as a housekeeper. She truly enjoyed the two dogs, Riley and Lady.

Hazel loved country music, bird watching, crafts, especially embroidery, going to movies and dogs. Four special dogs in her life were Lady, Riley, Rosha and Shawnee. She also enjoyed summer vacations at her sister and brother-in-laws, Esther and William, farm. When her health began to fail she moved to the Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood, where she has resided for the past nine years.

Hazel is survived by her brother, Martin (Shirley) Kloose of Sacramento, California; six nieces and six nephews; and several great-nieces and nephews.

Those preceding her in death are her parents; three brothers, Art Kloose, Carl Kloose and Rinoid Kloose; three sisters, Clara Kloose, Esther Gentz and Laura Wright; and two brothers- in-law, William Gentz and Walter Wright.
© Northwood Anchor 2010

Verna Lorraine Skellenger

March 31, 2010

Verna Lorraine Skellenger, 84, of Northwood, died on Wednesday, March 24, 2010, at the Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood.

Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m., on Monday, March 29, at the First Lutheran Church, Northwood, with Reverend Daniel R. Hart and Reverend Barbara Wills officiating. Burial was in the Sunset Rest Cemetery in Northwood. Visitation was held from 4-7:00 p.m., on Sunday, March 28, at the Conner Colonial Chapel in Northwood. Visitation was also held one hour prior to the service time on Monday at the church. The family of Verna would like to suggest that those wishing to give a memorial, may wish to consider the Alzheimer’s Association or to the First Lutheran Church in Northwood in her memory.

Verna Lorraine Skellenger, was born on December 16, 1925, in rural Joice, the daughter of Clarence and Lillie (Wogen) Slattum. Verna was baptized and reaffirmed the faith of her baptism through confirmation at the Bethany Lutheran Church in Joice. Verna attended the Joice community schools, graduating from the Joice High School. Verna also graduated from Hamilton Business College in Mason City. After completing her schooling, she worked for a short time at the Joice State Bank. She was united in marriage to Floyd Skellenger on March 26, 1944, at the Bethany Lutheran Church in Joice and to this union four children were born, David, Ron, Gary and Dennis. Verna and Floyd would have celebrated 66 years of marriage on Friday, March 26.

After their marriage they lived in Lake Mills for eight years before moving to Northwood. In the fall of 1953, Verna and Floyd started to build their motel in Northwood, which they named the Royal Motel and continued to operate the motel until 1979. In 1979, Verna worked as a certified nursing assistant at the Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood for 20 years until her retirement on March 1, 1999.

Verna enjoyed gardening, flowers, all kinds of cards, especially Bridge and 500, working on puzzles, camping with her family, fishing and showing her flowers at the Worth County Fair, winning several ribbons. She was a member of First Lutheran Church; Rebecca Circle, holding many offices in the circle; Green Thumb Garden Club, holding many offices in the club; Cub Scout Den Mother; and enjoyed selling sweet corn and strawberries.

Those left to cherish her memory are her husband, Floyd Skellenger of Northwood; four children, David (Karen) Skellenger of Wells, Minnesota, Ron (Marilyn) Skellenger of Northwood, Gary (Mary) Skellenger of Long Lake, Minnesota and Dennis (Jo) Skellenger of St. Louis Park, Minnesota; nine grandchildren, Randy (Sarah) Skellenger, Shelly (Scott) Johnson, Mike (Shelly) Skellenger, Mark (Jenny) Skellenger, Rodney Skellenger, Sara (Brandon) Kobilka and Brian, Lance and Kyle Skellenger; seven great-grandchildren, Hunter and Dustin Johnson and Caitlin, Ben, Grace, Tyce and Ashlyn Skellenger; her brother, Cecil (Barbara) Slattum of Richardson, Texas; her sister, Shirley (Kenneth) Chodur of Kensett; many nieces and nephews and many other extended family members and friends.

Verna was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Norma Alvey; and two brothers, Richard and Darrel Slattum.
© Northwood Anchor 2010