Roxanne Thompson
June 10, 2008
Roxanne Thompson, 33, of Kanawha, died on Sunday, June 1,
2008, at her home.
A private family service with military honors was held on
Thursday,
June 5, at the Dugger Funeral Home in Belmond.
Roxanne, the daughter of Sandy Phillips and
Robert Raftis, was born on February 23, 1975 in Hobart, Indiana. She
graduated from the Hobart High School and joined the U.S. Marine
Corps where she served until 1998. While in the service
Roxanne met her future husband, David Thompson, and they
were married on June 14, 1996. Following their discharge they
lived in Humboldt and then rural Kanawha.
Roxanne is survived by her
husband; children, Nicholas, age 12 and Haley age 9; her
mother; and two brothers.
©Belmond
Independent 2008 |
Robert Avery
June 10, 2008
Robert (Bob) Avery, 77, of Rowan, died on Monday, June 2,
2008, in the hospice unit of the Wright Medical Center in Clarion.
Funeral services were held on Friday, June 6, at the United
Church of Rowan, with Pastor Nancy Hofmeister officiating.
Burial with military rites was in the Graceland Cemetery
near Rowan.
Robert Gean, the son of John and Eva (Fischer) Avery, was
born on April 23, 1931 in Miller, South Dakota. His family
moved to the Eagle Grove area when he was a young boy. He
attended country school and the Eagle Grove School until his
family moved to Rowan in his freshman year. Bob graduated
from the Rowan High School in 1949. He and Anna Mae (Annie)
Tudor were married at the Little Brown Church on January 6,
1952.
Prior to his
induction into the Army in March 1952, Bob worked for the
railroad and various farmers in the Rowan area. He was
particularly proud of his service to his country, including
a year-long deployment to Korea, where he served as a
Military Policeman. He was honorably discharged in March
1954 and returned to Rowan where he lived for the rest of
his life.
With help from their
parents, Bob and Annie began farming in 1954 on rented land
north of town. Bob was proud of his success at farming, and
he and Annie farmed until ill-health forced him to retire in
1989. Then they enjoyed winters in Weslaco, Texas with many
friends from the Rowan area.
Bob was an outdoorsman and
horseman, and took great joy in riding and greater joy in
sharing his love of horses with his family and friends. He
was an original member of the Belmond Saddle Club and a
member of the Hamilton County Saddle Club. He was
particularly proud of the riding skills of his
grandchildren. He was a lifelong supporter of the Rowan
community as a member of the United Church of Rowan, the
Rowan Legion and the Rowan's Lion Club. He served for years
as the Lion's Treasurer and will be remembered as the
guardian of the sausages at the pancake breakfasts. He was
one of the originators of the Rowan Endowment fund.
Bob rarely sat still and
took his hobbies as seriously as he took his work. He was
known for his clowning and trained mule, his skill as a
square dance caller, as an amateur auctioneer, his drumming
in the Aitken Hearts and Country Cousins, his decorative and
humorous welding, and his love of stories, practical jokes
and tall tales.
Bob was a great role model
and teacher for his family. He was especially proud and
supportive of Annie and daughter-in-law, Terri's musical
performances.
Bob is survived by his
wife; Jim and Terri Avery of Rowan; Jack Avery and Dan
Lontkowski of St. Paul; and grandchildren, Abbey, Caleb and
Brogan.
He was preceded in death
by his parents; an infant sister; and his father and
mother-in-law, Dillard and Luelda Tudor.
In lieu of flowers, the
family suggests memorials be given in Bob's name to the
Rowan Endowment Fund, the United Church of Rowan or the
Hospice of Wright County.
©Belmond
Independent 2008 |
Harry Hinckle
June 10, 2008
Harry M. Hinckley, 83, died on Saturday, June 7, 2008, surrounded by his
family at the Belmond Health Care Center.
Funeral services will be
held on Wednesday, June 11, at 2:00 p.m., at the United Church of
Rowan, with Pastor Nancy Hofmeister officiating. Burial with
military honors will be in the Graceland Cemetery, rural Rowan.
Harry Merton, the son of
Samuel Dwight and Nellie Belle (Carter) Hinckley, was born
on
June 17, 1924 on his parent's farm near Rowan. He attended
Rowan area schools. He enlisted in the United States Army,
serving during WW II. Harry spent time in Germany, having
some involvement in the Battle of the Bulge. Upon his
discharge he began farming in the Rowan area.
On December 12, 1948, he
married Jean Aldrich at the church in Rowan. In addition to
working the land and raising a crop, Harry, his wife, and
children raised sheep and milked dairy cattle. For a time he
was also a custodian at the Rowan School, did some custom
farming, and assisted other farmers. Harry eventually went
to work at Hagie Manufacturing in Clarion where he did
welding, cut-out torch work and milling for more than 20
years. In later years Harry could be found helping at the
Aldrich Tree Farm.
Harry and his wife were
wonderful parents. Their children fondly remember family
trail rides through Bingham Park near Rowan and the Grove
near Belmond, trips to a horse show, sledding at Gunderson's
Hill, and riding snowmobiles. Harry enjoyed the company of a
wide variety of dogs and cats, especially his buddy "Mel".
He enjoyed feeding the squirrels and birds. He assisted
with the Iowa State High School Rodeo for several years when
Belmond was the host and was a long time member of the
Belmond Trail Blazers Saddle Club. A favorite adventure was
taking his family to the Chuck Wagon Races at the Clay
County Fair. Harry was an excellent dancer and proficient
two-stepper, and he and Jean spent many years as members of
the Grand Squares square dancing club in Rowan. Harry always
supported his children and grandkids in their activities
and was their number one cheerleader on the field and in
life.
Jean died in September of
1983. After a period of time he enjoyed the companionship of
Hazel Lester for many years.
Harry was a long and
active member of the Rowan Lions. He was a member of the
Disabled American Veterans and a 61-year member of the Rowan
Legion Post 159. He was very patriotic and proud of his
military service and that of his comrades, illustrated by
his participation in the Rowan military funeral unit for 55
years.
In later years Harry might
be seen about town, checking on the happenings of the day,
stopping by to see what family was up to, and visiting and
drinking coffee at Keeling Auto. His daily adventures would
include a meal or two followed by a chocolate malt or ice
cream at Laurie's Diner. Later in the day Harry might be
found at an athletic event, car race, or following the Iowa
Hawkeyes basketball team on television. Though he was
somewhat quiet, he always seemed ready for a little
conversation. His friendly smile, the twinkle in his eyes,
and warm hello will be be deeply missed by his family and
many friends.
He was preceded in death
by his parents; wife; sisters, Marie Utz, Ruth Hoke and Neva
Aldrich; brother, Lyle Hinckley; and infant brother, Edward.
Survivors include his
daughter, Karen (Harlan) Tulp of Belmond and their children,
Elizabeth and special friend, Seth Malek of Garner, Holden
and fiancée, Tracy Heifner of Belmond and Kyle and Heath of
Belmond; son, Robert (Robin) Hinckley of Sheffield and their
children, Micah (Marty) Duncan of Fraser and McKray Hinckley
of Sheffield; son, Thomas and fiancée, Tammy Strand and Tom's
children, Brandon, Joshua and Mindy, all of Alta; sister, Ardyce Riis of Hampton; brother and sister-in-law, Dan and
Mary Aldrich of Phoenix; and special friend, Hazel Lester of
Fort Collins, Colorado and family.
©Belmond
Independent 2008 |
John Ysker
June 17, 2008
John Ysker, 56, of Belmond, died on Saturday, June 7, 2008, in an
automobile accident near Williams.
Funeral services were held on Friday, June 13, at the
Luick Memorial Auditorium at the Belmond-Klemme High School. Pastor Samuel Schmeling officiated. Burial was
in the Belmond Cemetery.
John Allen, the son of Robert and Evelyn (Trapp) Ysker, was
born on March 2, 1952 in Windom, Minnesota. He graduated
from the Windom High School in 1970 and then attended the
Jackson (MN) Vocational School for two years. John and Linda
(Zerke) were married on June 23, 1972 in Estherville. They
moved to Belmond in 1976 where he opened John's Body Shop.
John was very active in the Belmond
community. He was a long-time member of the Belmond Fire
Department and spent several years of service as a member of
the Belmond Jaycees. John was a member of Pheasants Forever
and the Richland Lutheran Church in Thornton.
John had many hobbies. You
could often find him attending old car shows. He loved his
old Case tractors and thoroughly enjoyed farming. His love
of the outdoors showed in many different ways, from bailing
hay, riding horses, hunting, trapping, and riding
motorcycles. The highlights of his life, however, were times
spent with family and friends.
He was preceded in death
by older brother, Gary and his grandparents.
John is survived by his
wife; sons, Nathan, Nolan (Julie) and Justin (fiancée,
Jennifer Goeman) all of Belmond; his parents of Windom;
sisters, Kathy (Mike) Earhart of Grand Rapids, Minnesota and
Gail (Dennis) Craig of Alexandria, Minnesota; and
sister-in-law, Linda (Richard) Paplow of Dundee, Minnesota.
©Belmond
Independent 2008 |
Rosa VanGerpen
June 17, 2008
Rosa Van Gerpen, 102, of Belmond, died on Monday, June 9, 2008, at the
Belmond Health Care Center.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, June 14, at the
Calvary Baptist Church in Belmond, with Rev. Gary Schneider
officiating. Interment was in the Belmond Cemetery.
Rosa Frances was born on November 22, 1905 in Aplington, the
eleventh of twelve children of Jann and Engelina Bruns. Her
parents were farmers, immigrants from Ostfriesland, Germany.
When Rosa was two her father died. Her mother remarried and
Aeilt Reemtsma of Aplington became her step-father when she
was seven.
Rosa
attended public school in Aplington for several years. At
age 13 she was baptized and joined the Aplington Baptist
Church. A few years later she became a housekeeper for a
retired sea captain in nearby Ackley.
On January 5, 1927, she
married John J. VanGerpen, a feed dealer from Buffalo
Center, where they moved and started a family. For three
years they farmed, then set up a hatchery and feed mill
operation which continued for a decade or so. After briefly
residing in Hampton and Sheffield, they moved to Belmond in
1941.
A loving mother, Rosa's
greatest joy was her family. She enjoyed cooking and caring
for flowers, for which she seemed to have a special talent.
Her church affiliation was Baptist.
She was preceded in death
by her parents; step-father; husband in 1993; and her eleven
siblings.
Survivors include her
eight children, Rev. Emory (Phyllis) VanGerpen of
Washington, Iowa, Myrna Vandermeulen of Colorado Springs,
Arthur (Carol) VanGerpen of LaHabra, California, Irvin
(special friend, Carol Lockett) VanGerpen of Hampton, Merle
(Eunice) VanGerpen of Webster City, Edythe (Bill) Henthorne
of Denver, Colorado, John (Pam) VanGerpen of Garner and Dr.
Royce (Cherie) VanGerpen of Spokane, Washington; 22
grandchildren; and 30 great-grandchildren.
©Belmond
Independent 2008 |
Pauline Frohwein
June 17, 2008
Pauline Frohwein, 63, of Dows, died on Thursday, June 12,
2008, at the Heritage Care Center in Iowa Falls.
Funeral services were held on Monday, June 16, at the First
Lutheran Church in Dows, with Rev. Robert Edwards
officiating. Inurnment was in the Fairview Cemetery, Dows.
Pauline, the daughter of
Otto and Ida Evelyn Johnson Bonin, was born on May 19, 1945
in Iowa Falls. She was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran in Iowa
Falls and confirmed at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran in
Fairmont, Minnesota. Pauline attended schools in Iowa and
Minnesota. She graduated from the Iowa Falls High School in
1963 and attended a one-year business course at Ellsworth
Community College. Pauline married Larry Frohwein on January
17, 1965. They were divorced in 1991.
Pauline worked for eleven
years at the USA Health Care Center in Dows. This was her
extended family. The facility closed in May of 2002.
Pauline was a member of
First Lutheran in Dows where she served as deacon and church
secretary from 2003 to 2007. Pauline was also a member of
the Mary and Esther Circle, Harmony Club, and Friends of the
Library. Her children, grandchildren and siblings were her
greatest joy.
Pauline was preceded in
death by her mother and a sister, MaDonna.
Pauline is survived by her
children, Bruce (Gayla) and their children, Derek and Riley
of Des Moines and Brenda (Kevin) Cummer and their children,
Andrew, Zachary and Tai of Waverly; father and step-mother,
Otto and Beverly of Dows; sisters, Judy Kreitlow of
Kirbyville, Missouri, Patricia (Donald) Lane of Dows, Lou
Ann (LeRoy) Sharp of Cushing, Oklahoma and Shirley (Charles)
Pack of Des Moines; and brother, David (Joy) Bonin of
Belmond.
©Belmond
Independent 2008 |
Dorothy Brede
June 24, 2008
Dorothy Sheriff-Brede, 93, a resident of the Klemme-Goodell
area, died on Sunday, June 15, 2008, at the Belmond Medical
Center.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., on Saturday,
June 28, at the Goodell United Methodist Church, with Rev.
Paddy Druhl officiating. Visitation will be from 9-10:00
a.m., on Saturday, at the church. Those wishing to express
their sympathies through a memorial may wish to consider the
Klemme and Goodell United Methodist Churches.
Dorothy Laurena, the daughter of Owen and
Blanche (Montgomery) Nuehring, was born on December 9, 1914
on her parents' farm in Liberty Township, Hancock County.
She was baptized and confirmed at the Reformed Church in
Klemme. Dorothy attended Liberty and Twin Lake Township
rural Schools and graduated from the Klemme High School in
1934.
She married William H.
Sheriff of Belmond, on March 11, 1936 at the Klemme Reformed
Church. They had two children, Robert Owen and Beverly Jane.
The couple farmed as a team in rural Hancock County. After
William's death, Dorothy married Dale Brede and brought
Dale's two children, Judith and Delwyn, into her heart and
under her loving care. Dorothy and Dale also made their life
together working the land and caring for hogs and other
livestock on the farm.
Dorothy was a life long
homemaker. The oldest of 12 children, she helped provide for
her siblings. She always focused on putting the needs of her
family and the hired hands on the farm before her own. She
was a dedicated babysitter to the Barkema kids and others.
Her hobbies included clipping recipes, gardening, bird
watching and refunding. She loved to babysit and was an
excellent cook. Dorothy enjoyed making baby quilts for
family and friends, and crazy patch quilts and pillows for
church bazaars. She was an active member of the Klemme UMW
and the Belmond Legion Auxiliary for more than 50 years. She
held memberships in both the Klemme and Goodell United
Methodist Churches and was on the Belmond Methodist Church
Building Committee. Dorothy belonged to the Friendly
Neighbors Club and the Farm Bureau Women.
Dorothy was preceded in
death by her parents; her two husbands; son, Calvin Joseph
Sheriff at age three; step-daughter, Arlene Sheriff Young;
step-son, Delwyn Brede; sisters, Grace, Clara and Betty;
brothers, Lyle, Morris and Ralph; sisters-in-law, Doris and
Elsie; and brothers-in-law, Warren Beier, Ken VanNurden,
Norman Eckes and Dick VerHelst.
Dorothy is survived by her
son, Robert Owen (Betty) Sheriff of Belmond; daughter,
Beverly Jane (Harvey) Harris of Herndon, Virginia;
step-children, Donald J. "Red" (Margie) Sheriff of Belmond,
William Sheriff, Jr. of Belmond and Judith Brede McClure of
St. Charles; siblings, Dean Nuehring of Osage, Keith (Wilma)
Nuehring of Webster City, Mavis Eckes of Long Prairie,
Minnesota, Marie VerHelst of Klemme and Inez (Bruce) Dunbar
of Mason City; brother-in-law, Art Kemp of Colorado;
grandchildren, Matthew (Debra) Harris of Manassas, Virginia,
Paul Harris of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Susan Sheriff of
Des Moines and John (Devna) Sheriff of Ames;
great-grandchildren, Jessica and Robert Harris of Manassas;
step-great-grandchildren, Jenna and Collin Pritchard of
Ames.
©Belmond
Independent 2008 |
J. E. Blank
June 24, 2008
Junior E. "Cap" Blank, 85, of Klemme,
died on Thursday, June 19, 2008, at the Kanawha Community
Home.
Funeral services were held on Monday, June 23, at the
Immanuel Reformed United Church of Christ in Klemme, with
Reverend Donna Buckman officiating. Burial was in the Ell
Township Cemetery, Klemme.
Cap was born on June 27,
1922 in Britt, the son of John and Cora (Roushia) Blank.
They lived in Britt until Cap was 1 1/2 years old, then
moved to a farm in Erin Township, where he attended the
Country School #7. He attended school through the 8th grade,
then helped his father on the farm.
Cap married Nadine
Charlotte Kimball on December 12, 1944. They lived with his
parents on the farm until his parents moved to Britt. Cap
and Nadine stayed on the farm for five years before buying
their own farm southwest of Klemme. Cap loved to farm and he
loved his animals, especially the cattle. Cap would farm
from dawn to dark and then go play softball. He belonged to
two teams, one in Klemme and one in Kanawha, and he was the
catcher. Fishing, pheasant hunting and the outdoors were his
favorite pastimes.
Cap and Nadine started
delivering Winnebagos in 1969 and traveled to 48 states plus
Canada. They retired in 1977 and remained on the farm,
spending winters in Arizona and California. Later they
wintered in Tonto Basin, Arizona, so Cap could fish Lake
Roosevelt. He held a record for the largest bass caught in
Lake Roosevelt. They made many, many friends.
Because of Cap's failing
health, they moved to the Klemme Apartments in 2004. This
past May he entered the Kanawha Community Home.
Cap was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Cecil,
Irvine (Bodie), Alvin (Joe) and Paul; and sisters, Dorothy
Nieman and June Nieman.
Survivors include his
wife; daughters, Janice (Gene) Ross of Johnston, Judy
(Daniel) Bauman of Goodell and Karen (Kevin) Boyce of
Peoria, Arizona; grandsons, Shawn (Caryn) Bauman and Mark
Bauman of Wyoming, Michigan; granddaughter, Samantha Boyce
of Peoria, Arizona; great-grandsons, Trevor, Zakary, Jayson
(Shawn) and Hunter (Mark) Bauman; and
step-great-granddaughter, Lexi (Mark) Wolf.
©Belmond
Independent 2008 |
Wayne Plagge
July 1, 2008
Wayne L. Plagge, 73, of Latimer, died on Monday, June 23,
2008, at the Mercy Medical Center in Mason City.
Funeral services were held on Thursday, June 26, at the St.
Paul Lutheran Church in Latimer, with burial in the church
cemetery.
Wayne Louis, son of Louis
and Louise (Imerman) Plagge, was born on August 24, 1934,
three miles north of Latimer. He lived on that Century Farm
until 2001 when he moved into town. Wayne and Evonne Freie
were married on February 4, 1956.
Wayne was preceded in
death by his parents; and his brother, LaVerne.
Wayne is survived by his
wife; daughter, Jolene Rodemeyer of Latimer; son, Jaylen
(Brenda) Plagge of Grimes; four grandsons; one
great-grandson; brother, Herbert Plagge of Latimer; and
sisters, Lorena (Don) Koch of Latimer and Elaine (Don)
Reinke of Geneva.
©Belmond
Independent 2008 |
Lloyd Fuller
July 1, 2008
Lloyd B. Fuller, 89, of Belmond, died on Sunday, June 29,
2008, at the Belmond Health Care Center.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, July 2, at 10:30
a.m., at the Belmond United Methodist Church, with Pastor
Mike Druhl officiating. Military rites will be provided at
the church and burial will be in the Berlin Cemetery,
Jackson Township, at rural Owasa at 2:00 p.m. Visitation was
held on Tuesday evening at the Dugger Funeral Home and will
continue one hour prior to the services at the church on
Wednesday.
Lloyd Benjamin, the son of
Benjamin Star and Myrtle (Shaner) Fuller, was born on March
25, 1919 near Owasa. Lloyd attended country schools, often
by way of a horse-drawn sleigh on a winter's day. When he
was ten the family moved to Bradford, and Lloyd graduated
from the Iowa Falls High School in 1936. The family then
moved to Popejoy where Lloyd farmed with his father.
Lloyd served in the U.S.
Navy from 1943 to 1946, including 18 months in Hawaii. He
married Marian Boyington of Bradford on June 13, 1944 in
California.
Following Lloyd's
discharge from the service he and Marian moved to Alden, and
soon, Belmond to continue farming. Lloyd and Marian farmed
for 35 years with Lloyd retiring in 1984. Then they took on
a new adventure, delivering Winnebago motor homes. This took
Lloyd to almost every state in the continental United
States.
Lloyd had many interests,
but his family was the highlight of his life. He and Marian
have great memories of their time spent on the dance floor,
whether it was square dancing or ballroom dancing. Lloyd
enjoyed fishing in the spring and summer, and ice fishing in
the winter. He and Marian also found enjoyment in camping
with their family and friends. His children, grandchildren
and great-grandchildren will remember Lloyd for his
determination and patience teaching them to water ski, play
cards, fish, and other activities.
He was an active member of
the United Methodist Church and the Odd Fellows Lodge.
He was preceded in death
by his parents; and sister, Eva.
Lloyd is survived by his
wife; daughters, Rochelle (Ron) Hook of Sibley, Sharon (Bob)
Crane of Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia and Janell (Richard)
Ringuette of Richmond, Virginia; son, Ben (Kathy) Fuller of
Bondurant; grandchildren, Kristine and Gregg Sherrard,
Jennifer and Joel Johnson, Sheri and Mike Kilbey, Stacey and
Michael Couch, and Jon Ringuette, Stefanie and Ryan Fuller;
great-grandchildren, Alyssa, Matthew and Joshua Sherrard,
Caleb, Grace, Nathan and Luke Johnson, Nicholas and Zachary
Couch and Markos, Julia and Matthew Kilbey.
©Belmond
Independent 2008 |
Donna Wessels
July 15, 2008
Donna L. Wessels, 74, died on Sunday, June 29, 2008, at her
home in Sunset, Washington. An inurnment was held on Sunday,
July 6, at the Saint John Cemetery.
Donna Lee, was born in Sunset, Washington on April 24, 1934,
to Ruby Mills and John Clark. She was raised in Sunset by
her grandparents, Horace and Leola Mills. She attended the
Saint John High School.
Donna married Airman Franklin D. Roths and moved to
Louisiana for a time, then to Iowa. They had three children,
Frank, Mike and Leanna Hergert. After Franklin's death Donna
married Bernard E. Wessels, a native of Belmond. They moved
to Sunset in 1973 and had one additional child, Lisa.
Donna was a homemaker who enjoyed crocheting, crafting and
reading. She and Bernie loved to camp and vacation in Iowa
to visit family. Their shared fondness for adventure and
travel led them to move to Prince of Wales Island in Alaska
from 1986 to 1995. Many beloved memories were made there,
including whale watching, fishing and experiencing life on a
floating log camp.
Bernie died on August 17, 2002. Donna spent the remainder of
her days in the Sunset home they had shared.
Survivors include children, Frank (Maryann) Roths of Dallas,
Texas, Mike (Shari) Roths of Sunset, Lea (Gaylon) Hergert of
St. John and Lisa (Tim) Bluemenshein of St. John; eight
grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; sister, Lenore
Swope of Ephrata, Washington; brother-in- law, Robert
(Kathy) Wessels; sister-in-law, Elaine Wessels; and nephew,
Duane (Barb) Wessels, all of Belmond.
©Belmond
Independent 2008
|
Luther Proeger
July 1, 2008
Luther W. Proeger, 87, of Belmond, died on Monday, June 30,
2008, at the Belmond Medical Center, following a battle with
cancer.
Funeral services will be held at 3:30 p.m., on Wednesday,
July 2, at the Belmond United Methodist Church, with Rev.
Michael Druhl officiating. Burial will be in the Belmond
Cemetery. Visitation was on Tuesday evening at the Andrews
Funeral Home and will continue one hour prior to the
services at church on Wednesday. Those wishing to express
their sympathies may wish to consider the Belmond United
Methodist Church or the Wright County Hospice.
Luther Warren, the son of
Martin Luther and Olive Virginia (Hoffman) Proeger, was born
on March 20, 1921 in Le Grand, Oregon. He moved with his
family as his father pursued his floral profession,
eventually ending up in Iowa. Luther served in the United
States Army during World WW II (1943-46) as a military
police officer and spent much of his time guarding POW
camps.
Luther married Mary
Catherine Whelan on July 29, 1945 at the Belmond Methodist
Parsonage. They raised their children and farmed just
southeast of Belmond for many years. In addition to farming,
Luther did some carpentry and worked for many years as a
custodian at the Belmond High School and Parker Elementary.
His many years as a custodian cultivated numerous
friendships with the staff and students. There was mutual
admiration and respect for one another as well as a time for
teasing and a good laugh. Luther retired in 1983.
Luther had many interests,
and his first love was his family. He received great joy in
spending time with his daughters and his grand and
great-grandchildren. He enjoyed conversations with family
and friends.
Luther had a green thumb
and could grow the most beautiful flowers, especially
orchids. He raised vegetables and fruits, both in and out of
his greenhouse. Luther also was very proficient in the art
of bonsai and enjoyed woodworking, a specialty was making
clocks.
Luther was a charter
member of the Belmond Jaycees, served on the Belmond City
Council, was a current member of the Zoning Board of
Adjustment, and was a longtime member of the Belmond United
Methodist Church. He served many years as a Boy Scout leader
and had taken scouts on trips to Ely, Minnesota.
He was preceded in death
by his parents; and sister, Shirley Plagge.
Luther is survived by his
wife; his daughters, Kathy (Roger) Linderbaum of Castalia
and Barbara Gallaher of Newton; brother, Linden (Carol)
Proeger of Prophetstown, Illinois; sister, Betty Conner of
Alexandria, Louisiana; grandchildren, Sara (Mike)
Richardson, Mathew (Hallie) Linderbaum, Seth (Jen) Gallaher
and Jill (Ron) Dehning; great-grandchildren, Harrison
Dehning, Ben Richardson, Hanna Dehning, Katie Linderbaum,
Betsy Richardson, Will Linderbaum and Kate Gallaher.
©Belmond
Independent 2008 |
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