Marvin Pals

April 10, 2007

Marvin L. Pals, 84, formerly of Belmond, died on Monday, April 2, 2007, at his residence in Sikeston, Missouri.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, April 7, at the Belmond United Methodist Church. Burial with military honors, was in the Immanuel Reformed Church Cemetery. There was also a funeral service at 6:00 p.m., on Thursday, at the Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston. The Andrews Funeral Home is handling the local service.

Marvin Louis, the son of Lambert and Marie (Stadtlander) Pals, was born on February 13, 1923 in Belmond. He was a life long farmer and belonged to the United Methodist Church. He served his country during World War II.

Marvin married Shirley Proger in 1956. Shirley preceded Marvin in death. He married Jean Daniel in 1988.

Marvin is survived by his wife; son, Brian Pals of Colorado; daughter, Virginia Quinn of Canada; and brothers, Alvin and Johan Pals of Belmond.
©Belmond Independent 2007

Delphine Watermiller

April 10, 2007

Delphine M. Watermiller, 81, of Belmond and formerly of Hampton, died on Tuesday, April 3, 2007, at the Belmond Medical Center, from complications of liver failure.

Funeral services were held on Friday, April 6, at the Bethany Reformed Church in Belmond, with Rev. Philip Arnold officiating. Burial was in the Meservey Cemetery.

Delphine, the daughter of Donald and Clara Margaret (Holm) Beenken, was born on May 23, 1925 in Titonka. She attended rural schools through the 8th grade. As a young woman she took on the responsibilities of helping her father raise her siblings following her mother's death in 1948. Her father died in 1972. The early role as a caregiver taught her hard work and to be independent throughout her entire life.

On March 5, 1948, Delphine married Alvin Kuhlers at Klemme. They owned Al's Place, a bar and grill in Belmond, for many years. Alvin passed in 1971. Delphine was employed as a cook at the Belmond Health Care Center for a period of time.

She married Herman Watermiller in 1975 at Belmond. They moved to Hampton where Herman was employed with Winnebago Industries until his retirement. Herman died in 2002. Delphine moved to Belmond one and one-half years ago to live with her daughter, Pam.

Delphine had many pastimes, including raising a garden filled with flowers and produce, much of which she canned. Her family will remember her wonderful cooking and her enjoyment for hosting holiday meals. Easter was her favorite holiday. Delphine had a lifelong love of music, and she played guitar and yodeled. She loved to dance, her favorite being the two step. Delphine was a fairly reserved person, but she was also always up for a good visit.

Preceding in death were her parents; husbands; brothers, Russell and Donald Beenken; sister, Marvella Overbeck; and infant sisters, Marilyn and Deloris Beenken.

Survivors include her son, Marlin (Linda) Kuhlers; daughter, Pamela (Fred) Bell; son, Ronnie Lee Kuhlers (special friend Shelly Black) all of Belmond; step-son, Jeff (Karen) Watermiller of Mason City; brother, Roger (Laura) Beenken of Clarion; sisters, Velma (David) Sabottka of Roberts, Wisconsin and Barbara (Carl) Ohrt of Cedar Rapids; and brother, Alan (Dixie) Beenken of Clarion; sisters-in-law, Nancy Beenken of Belmond and Marie Beenken of Clarion.
©Belmond Independent 2007

Judy A. Wiemann

April 24, 2007

Judy A. Wiemann, 60, died on Monday, April 9, 2007, at the Muse-Norris Hospice in Mason City.

Funeral services were held on Friday, April 13, at the First Reformed Church in Meservey, with Rev. Rodney Meester officiating.

Judy Ann was born on March 31, 1947 in Ft. Dodge, the daughter of Glenn and Marion (Wiggans) Darland. She graduated from the Goldfield High School in 1965. She married Gordy Wiemann in 1965 and they lived on an acreage near Meservey. She worked in several communities, including Belmond, Clear Lake and Mason City.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and her daughter, Heidi.

Survivors include her husband of Clear Lake; children, Marcy (Randee) Hyde of Garner, Becky (Rich) Formanek of Garner and Gary (Brooke) Wiemann of Mason City; sister, Beverly Hartnett of Colorado; and sister-in-law, Carmen Johnson of Belmond.
©Belmond Independent 2007

Gordon G. Lemke

May 2, 2007

Gordon G. Lemke, 69, formerly of the Klemme area, died on Tuesday, April 10, 2007, at his home in Garden Grove, California.

Memorial services were held on Friday, April 20, at the Westminster Memorial Park in Westminster, California.

Gordon was born on September 29, 1937, to Reuben and Edith Lemke. The Lemkes farmed near Klemme prior to relocating to California in 1960. Gordon attended the Liberty No. 6 School and graduated from the Klemme High School in 1955.

Survivors include his wife, Joan; sons, Gordon Lemke, Jr. and Ronald (Clair) Lemke; daughter, Lori (Tom) Gardner; grandchildren, Alexandra, Bradley and Breanna Gardner; sisters, Beverly Morrison, Audrey Olson and Kathleen Dodson; and brother, Herschel Lemke, all of California.
©Belmond Independent 2007

Jon Mehus

April 17, 2007

Jon K. Mehus, 67, died on Saturday, April 14, 2007, at the Genesis West in Davenport.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday, April 17, at the Runge Mortuary Chapel with burial in the Memorial Park Cemetery.

Jon was born on January 24, 1940 in Belmond, the son of Torkel and Olina (Nelson) Mehus. On October 8, 1971, he married Mary Young in Rock Island, Illinois.

Jon had been employed by Oscar Mayer for 16 years, retiring in 1978. He attended the Dewitt Evangelical Free Church and enjoyed hunting and fishing in earlier years.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Nellie Just; and a brother, Donald Mehus.

Survivors include his wife; sons and daughters-in-law, Kenneth (Lois) Mehus, Michael (Lynnie) Mehus, Timothy (Jaime) Mehus and Thomas (Sherrie) Mehus; step-son and wife, Richard (Julie) Young; 11 grandchildren; sisters, Mildred Lonnevik, Nettie Kimball, Joann Olson and Pearl Moundy.
©Belmond Independent 2007

Zelma M. Peterson

April 24, 2007

Zelma M. Peterson, 76, died on Friday, February 9, 2007, in Weslaco, Texas.

A memorial service was held on Saturday, April 14, at the Clear Lake United Methodist Church, with Rev. Rose Calderon-Kahn of Meservey officiating.

Zelma Mary was born near Kanawha, on April 17, 1930, to Oliver Henry and Eva Bell (Goodrich) Schnebly. She graduated from the Hayfield High School and Waldorf College. She married Darreld Floyd Petersen in 1949. They lived in several places, moving to Clear Lake in 1957. Recently they lived in Meservey and wintered in Texas.

Survivors include her husband; children, Darreld (Bev) Peterson, Jr. of Clear Lake, Clifford (Mary) Peterson of Fertile, William Peterson and Margaret Dickens of Clear Lake and Zelene (Mark) Schilling of Meservey.
©Belmond Independent 2007

Jody Priestly

April 24, 2007

Jody A. Priestly, 17, of Belmond, died on Sunday, April 15, 2007, as a result of injuries from an automobile accident.

Funeral services were held on Thursday, April 19, in the Belmond-Klemme Community School gymnasium, with Pastors Phil Arnold and Melvin Voss officiating. Burial was in the Belmond Cemetery.

Jody Amber, the daughter of Bobbi Jo and Guy Priestly, was born on May 22, 1989 in Mason City. She was baptized at the Bethany Reformed Church in Belmond and grew up in the Belmond area. She attended the Belmond-Klemme Schools and was a member of this year's graduating class.

In her early years Jody loved sports. As an eighth grader she was a member of the 4x4 relay team which set an NIC and school record. Jody was a lover of animals, especially her dog, Cookie. She had many, many friends who enjoyed getting together. She liked to "hang out" with her very best friend, her sister Ashly. This past winter Jody was crowned queen of the Winter Sports Festival at the high school. Weekends with her cousins and friends were always a highlight. She will be remembered for her huge number of text messages as well as her infamous "peace sign".

Jody is survived by her parents of Alexander; sister, Ashly Jo of Des Moines; Chet Burkett (a special person she loved); maternal grandparents, Robert (Bob) and Evanette (Evie) Foss of Belmond; paternal grandparents, Virginia Priestly of Wrightwood, California and Samuel Priestly of Yountville, California; maternal great-grandparent, Dena Pals of Belmond; aunts and uncles, Tony (Shelley) Foss of Belmond, Gayle (Les) Thompson of Belmond, Todd (Denise) Foss of Clarion, Sally (Brad) Lindeman of Belmond; Michael Priestly of Wrightwood, Christopher Priestly of San Francisco and Roxanne (Tom) Fitzsimmons of Grass Valley, California; and cousins, Randi, Nikki, Whitney, Brandon, Micki, ShaeMarie, Riley, Nevan, Ryan, Kelsey, Madison, Ryan, Heath, Tyson and Megan.
©Belmond Independent 2007

Harold Anderson

April 24, 2007

Harold Anderson, 69, of Goodell, died on Saturday, April 21, 2007, at the Mercy Medical Center in Mason City.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., on Wednesday, April 25, at the Evangelical Free Church in Clear Lake, with Pastor Randy Vaage officiating. Burial was in the Amsterdam Cemetery east of Goodell, with military rites by the Belmond Honor Guard.

Harold, son of Verdie and Mary (Goodridge) Anderson, was born on November 4, 1937, on their family farm near Goodell. He was raised on the farm, attended a one-room school house and graduated from the Klemme High School. Harold was drafted and served two years in the Army. Then he returned to the farm.

Harold married Bonnie Oltjernerun on April 26, 1969, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Mason City.

Harold loved farming, including haying, raising sheep and hogs, and sheering sheep with his brother. He also enjoyed going to farm sales and driving to town to drink coffee with his friends. Most recently he enjoyed spending time with his twin grandsons, Gregory and Andrew and his granddaughter, Kylie.

He was a former President of the Hancock County Pork Producers, served on the Hancock County Co-op Oil Board, was a thirty-year Trustee of Twin Lakes Township, currently served on the Prairie Energy Board, and attended the Evangelical Free Church of Clear Lake.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Harvey and Leonard Anderson; sisters, Marian Kinseth and twin sister, Harriet Halfpop; half-brothers, Clifford, Andrew and Harry Anderson; and half-sister, Mary Prelip.

Harold is survived by his wife, Bonnie of Goodell; son, Dennis (Julie) Anderson of Woodbury, Minnesota; sister, Loretta Smith of Belmond; and grandchildren, Gregory, Andrew and Kylie.
©Belmond Independent 2007

Robert Foss

April 24, 2007

Robert "Bob" Foss, 78, died on Sunday, April 22, 2007, at his home in Belmond surrounded by his family.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., on Wednesday, April 25, at the Bethany Reformed Church in Belmond, with Rev. Philip Arnold officiating. Burial with military honors was in the Belmond Cemetery.

Robert Hugh, the son of Louis Wesley and Blanche Esther (Rohrbach) Foss, was born on June 5, 1928 in Hampton. He grew up in Belmond and completed his education through the Belmond Schools.

Bob enlisted in the United States Marines, serving on active and reserve duty. His first duty was May 1946 through December 1947. His second tour included time overseas during the Korean Conflict from March 1949 through May 1953. Bob served as a telecommunications specialist and was honorably discharged as a corporal.

Bob married Evanette (Evie) Maxine Pals on April 17, 1952, at the First Reformed Parsonage in Meservey. They made their home in Belmond. Bob worked at the Belmond Independent for 30 years and Printing Services for 11 years. He retired in June 1990, and that November he opened a little shop in Belmond called Heads or Tails, featuring coins, collectibles, sport cards and taxidermy. He closed the store because of illness in September 2000.

Bob's family was first and foremost in his life, and he took great pride in raising his family and watching them succeed. Bob loved the outdoors and animals. His children have great memories of going on trapping and fishing excursions with him, their "Big Dad". They will miss him being in the middle of family get togethers and being their number one cheerleader. Bob was an excellent billiards player and was always up for a competitive game of cribbage.

Bob's knowledge of the Belmond area and its history was of keen interest to many people. For the past five years he had been compiling large picture books on Belmond history, and he was an active part of the Belmond Sesquicentennial Book Committee. Bob was a charter member of the Jaycees. He was an active member of Bethany Reformed for 53 years, serving as a deacon, and belonged to the Bethany Couples Club.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Richard; and granddaughter, Jody Priestly.

Bob is survived by his wife; children, Bobbi (Guy) Priestly of Alexander, Anthony "Tony" (Shelley) Foss of Belmond, Gayle (Les) Thompson of Belmond, Todd (Denise) Foss of Clarion and Sally (Brad) Lindeman of Belmond; grandchildren, Ashly Priestly, Randi and Nikki Foss, Whitney and Brandon Thompson, Micki and SheaMarie Foss and Ryan and Kelsey Lindeman; great-grandchildren, Rilley, Nevan and Madison; and sister, Charlotte Anne Winter of Colorado.
©Belmond Independent 2007

Dorothy M. Walrod

May 2, 2007

Dorothy M. Walrod, 80, of Belmond, died on Sunday, April 22, 2007, at the Mercy Family Plus Health Facility in Oelwein, following a battle with cancer.

Funeral services were held on Thursday, April 26, at the Andrews Funeral Home in Belmond, with Rev. Troy Pflibsen officiating. Burial was in the Belmond Cemetery.

Dorothy Maxine, the daughter of Lloyd and Hattie (Everhardt) Stevens, was born on August 6, 1926, in rural Cerro Gordo County. She attended Swaledale Schools, graduating in the largest class of the Swaledale High School prior to consolidation with Rockwell.

Dorothy married Laurence "Babe" McKinley Walrod on October 11, 1947, at the Methodist Parsonage in Thornton. They resided for a time with Dorothy's folks before moving to Sheffield and later to Belmond. The couple's union lasted 46 years and was blessed with a daughter, Nancy.

Dorothy was a hardworking and devoted wife and mother. She took great pride in providing for the needs of Babe and Nancy. She enjoyed the simple things of life. She also had a special camaraderie with her son-in-law, Dick. Whether a friend or acquaintance, people remember her genuine kindness, non-judgmental personality, and willingness to put other's needs before her own.

A proud accomplishment she reached in her later years was getting her driver's license following Babe's passing in 1994.

Following a difficult diagnosis with her health, she moved to be near her daughter in Oelwein in January of this year. She shared a mutual bond with the staff and enjoyed visits from Chaplain Mark, her daughter and son-in-law, and extended family.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and her husband.

Survivors include her daughter, Nancy (Richard) Green of Oelwein; sisters, Donna (Bill) Hopely of Klemme, Doris Ann (Fred) Flores of Mason City and Deloras (Merle) Frohling of Meservey; and brother-in-law, Dale (Nadine) Walrod of Belmond.
©Belmond Independent 2007

Ricky Hawley

May 2, 2007

Ricky Alan Hawley, 55, of Belmond, died on Tuesday, April 24, 2007, at the Mercy Medical Center in Mason City.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, April 28, at the Belmond United Methodist Church, with Revs. Michael and Paddy Druhl officiating. Burial was in the Belmond Cemetery.

Ricky was born on July 22, 1951 in Belmond, the son of Rex and June Hawley. He graduated from the Belmond High School as class president in 1969 and then attended Morningside College. During high school he excelled as a multi-sport letter winner. He continued his athletic endeavors in college where he played football and baseball.

Rick lived in Arizona for a time following college, before moving back to Belmond to work at P&G and the U.S. Post Office. He became Postmaster at Klemme in 1986.

Rick married Mary (Heeren) Perez in Las Vegas in May 2000.

Rick was an avid sportsman. He looked forward to hunting wild turkeys in southern Iowa, and pheasants and Hungarian partridge. He couldn't understand why anyone would need more than three shells to get their limit. Rick enjoyed his yearly fishing trips to Canada with pals Kevin and Lee. Few people were better at finding morel mushrooms and more generous at sharing them. He was always up for a game of cards, whether it was cribbage, 500, or black jack. Rick had a knack for story telling. Once you became a friend of Rick, you were a friend for life. He valued each and everyone as if they were a part of his family.

Rick was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Douglas; and infant sister, Janet.

Rick is survived by his wife, Mary of Belmond; children, Mandy Chaney of Springfield, Minnesota, Krista (Joel) Carlson of Stewartville, Minnesota and Joe Perez of Goodell; grandchildren, Alex, Kaleb, RyAnn and Emma; brothers, Ken (Laurie) Hawley of Belmond and Larry (Kaye) Hawley of Sioux Falls; uncle, Sonny (Nita) Greenfield of Belmond; in-laws, Carl and Dorothy Heeren of Hampton, Steve (Holly) Heeren of Alexander, Dean (Vicki) Heeren of Hampton, Paul Heeren of Iowa City and Dallas Heeren of Dumont.
©Belmond Independent 2007

Jennie Steenhard

May 2, 2007

Jennie W. Steenhard, 90, of Belmond, died on Friday, April 27, 2007, at the Belmond Care Center, following a stroke.

Funeral services were held on Monday, April 30, at the St. John Lutheran Church, with Pastor Lowell Halvorson officiating. Interment was in the Belmond Cemetery.

Jennie was born to John and Epka (Kaduce) Wiemann, on May 10, 1916 in Meservey. She was baptized and confirmed at the First Reformed Church in Meservey. Her mother died at an early age. She attended the Wisner No. 1 Country School until the 8th grade.

She married Clarence Steenhard on February 25, 1937, at the Zion Reformed Church. They lived in various towns and farms in the Belmond area. She worked for the Belmond Schools as a cook for 28 years and retired only after gentle insistence from her family who believed she deserved some time for herself. In 1998 she moved to the Belmond Care Center.

Jennie was a loyal and gentle servant for St. John Lutheran Church for over 50 years. She served on many LCW committees, decorated and cleaned the church, and prepared funeral meals. Her family was especially important to her. She loved cooking for them and always had more food than was needed, especially desserts. She was an avid Hawkeye basketball fan, and during the 2006-07 season skipped meals to watch them play. Until moving to the care center, Jennie loved to walk, long before it was fashionable.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; daughter, Marilyn Kling; two infant sons; one infant daughter; brothers, Henry and Leonard Wiemann; and brothers-in-law, Henry Pals, Lloyd Jurgens and Ivan Langlitz.

Survivors include her daughter, Sharon Hagie; sisters, Dena Pals, Frieda Jurgens and Thelma Langlitz; grandchildren, Sue (Rich) Whitty, Pam (Mike Rausch) Kling, Cindy Kling, Chris Hagie and Tim (Anne) Hagie; and great-grandchildren, Nathan Whitty, Justin Whitty, Jaymie Hagie, Mollie Fisher, Lyndie Fisher and Kelsey Fisher.

Memorials can be made to St. John Lutheran Church, Wright County Hospice or the Belmond Care Center Activity Fund.
©Belmond Independent 2007