George Crawford

April 7, 2009

George W. Crawford, 97, of Belmond, died peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, April 1, 2009, at the Belmond Health Care Center.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, April 4, at the Evangelical Free Church just north of Belmond, with Rev. Patrick Kennedy officiating. Burial was in the Belmond Cemetery. 

George was born on July 31, 1911 on a farm near Burdett, to William and Lura (Burgess) Crawford. He attended rural school in the Eldora area. George began working as a hired man for room and board when he was 16. He married Ardith Coburn of Rowan, on November 16, 1935 in Hampton. Ardith died in May 1986. In addition to being employed as a hired man in his early years, George worked as a carpenter. He hauled cream to the creamery in Dows using a Model A Ford he had converted into a pickup truck.

George operated a gas station in Clarion and worked in a fruit-drying yard in Modesto, California in 1940. He farmed for a time with his mother-in-law near Popejoy and in 1947, George and Ardith moved to a farm west of Belmond, where they lived and raised their family. He delivered Winnebago motor homes to dealers all over the United States for five years and then worked for We-3 Stores until he was 70 years old.

George gave time to various boards and organizations, including the Belmond Township #6 School, the Wright County Farm Bureau, the Belmond Creamery Board, the North Iowa State Dairy Association and the Wright-Franklin County Dairy Quality Control. In retirement George enjoyed antiquing, daily trips to the pharmacy for coffee and conversation, dining out, time with his family and the companionship of his special friend, Rose Dirks. He was an Odd Fellows Lodge member for over 50 years and attended the Evangelical Free Church.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Glynn; sister, Doris; and step-great-grandson, Benjiman Meints.

Survivors include his sons, George (Patricia) of Milton, David (Karen) of Belmond and Jon (Diane) of Belmond; sister, Mildred Lange of Iowa Falls; eight grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; 7 step-grandchildren; and special friend, Rose Dirks of Belmond.
©Belmond Independent 2009

Karl Loeffler

April 7, 2009

Karl Loeffler, 87, died on Thursday, April 2, 2009, at his home on Ocala, Florida.       
Karl, the son of Fred and Margaret Groh Loeffler, was born on a farm near Kanawha, where he started school. He also attended Lane Tech in Chicago. The family moved to Chicago, then back to Iowa, living in Renwick and Belmond. He helped his father on the farm and at Douglas Aircraft in the winter. He married Phyllis Swanson of Klemme on December 23, 1944, at the Methodist Parsonage in Klemme. They farmed near Belmond, Goodell, Floyd and Nora Springs for 19 years.

Karl went to work for Trojan Seed Corn in 1965 and moved to Lisbon. He was promoted to regional manager and moved to Illinois. In 1970, they moved to Florida where Karl and Phyllis started remodeling homes and rental properties. They retired in 1985 and moved to Inverness, Florida. Karl's health began to fail, so the couple moved to a mobile home park in Ocala in 2003.

Karl liked the farm and his seed job. He was a good salesman. He enjoyed two trips to Hawaii and visiting with people.

Karl was preceded in death by his brother, Fred; sisters, Helen Thompson, Olga Rogalla and Mary Schnack of Belmond; and nephews, Doug Thompson and Chuck Rogalla.

Survivors include his wife; sons, Craig and Vance of Hernando, Florida; daughter, Renette (James) Hess of Manchester, Tennessee; grandson, Charles Loeffler of Hernano; granddaughter, Karlie Watson of Ocala; sister, Eleanor Zeiger of Mason City; and brother-in-law, Don Thompson of Belmond.
©Belmond Independent 2009

Eleanor Zeiger

April 14, 2009

Eleanor "Ellie" Zeiger, 84, of Belmond, died on Sunday, April 12, 2009, at the Good Shepherd Health Center in Mason City.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2:30 p.m., on Wednesday, April 15, at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Belmond, with Rev. Msgr. John Hemann officiating. Interment will be in the St. Francis Cemetery.

Eleanor Ella, the daughter of Fred and Margaret Loeffler, was born on August 17, 1924 in Alexander. She graduated from the Alexander High School. She married the love of her life, Alex Zeiger, in Belmond. Ellie spent many years along side Alex, farming in the Belmond area. Later they moved into Belmond where Alex worked for the Belmond Schools and Acco Seed and Ellie worked at the We 3 Grocery. When the Belmond tornado took their new home, Ellie decided to attend beauty school at LaJames in Mason City. In 1969, they moved to Ventura where they both worked for the Ventura Schools. They moved to Des Moines for a year, returning to Belmond in 1982, residing at the Redder-McLaughlin Apartments. Alex died on August 31, 1984, with Ellie continuing to live in the apartments until December 2008.

Ellie was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who loved to cook for her family and friends. Her lemon bars and kringla were among their favorites. She also enjoyed golfing, playing cards, occasional gambling trips and time spent in the Senior Citizen and the Over 60's Clubs. She was a member of the St. Francis Xavier and an active member of the Catholic Daughters.

Ellie was preceded in death by her husband; brothers, Fred and Karl; and sisters, Olga, Mary and Helen.

Survivors include her children, Sandy (Mike) McCauley of Mason City, Larry (Linda) Zeiger of Des Moines and Diane "Pidge" (Russ) Steenblock of Mason City; grandchildren, Jill (Shane) Ver Steeg, Heidi Zeiger, Josh (Kathy) Steenblock, Adam (Jackie) Steenblock and Shauna Steenblock; great-grandchildren, Samuel, Will and Owen Ver Steeg and Avery and Taylor Steenblock; brother-in-law, Don Thompson; and sister-in-law, Phyllis Loeffler.

Memorials may be directed to either the Good Shepherd Health Care Center or St. Francis Xavier.
©Belmond Independent 2009

Don Brunstein

April 21, 2009

Don J. Brunstein, 79, of Meservey, died peacefully with his wife at his side on Friday, April 17, 2009, at the Muse-Norris Hospice in Mason City.

Funeral services were held on Monday, April 20, at the First Reformed Church in Meservey, with Rev. Rodney Meester officiating.

Don, the son of John F. and Inez (Ingham) Brunstein, was born on December 23, 1929 at Swaledale. He was baptized on May 11, 1937 and attended Mason City Schools. He enlisted in the United States Navy where he served for six years, part of that time on the U.S.S. Bradford, the first ship fired upon in the Korean Conflict. Don received the United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Medal, China Service Medal and the Korean Service Medal (Three Stars). In civilian life Don had a long career in the grocery and produce profession. He worked at Hoxy Fruit and Produce in Mason City, Associated Grocers in Colorado, Walmart Grocery Division in Omaha and Hy Vee. Don's outgoing personality brought a warm and welcoming feeling to the public he served. He lived for 30 years in Colorado, eight years in Omaha and the past three years in Meservey.

Don married Bonnie Suntken on May 25, 1968 at Denver, Colorado and throughout his life had a great enjoyment for the people around him, whether it was spending time with his wife and children, or on a fishing excursion with his children and grandchildren. Family members fondly recall fishing trips to Canada and a visit to Yellowstone Park. Don looked forward to any event that allowed time for a good conversation, fellowship and reminiscing, including family reunions and afternoon coffee in Meservey. He was always ready for a friendly, yet competitive game of cards.

In his early years Don enjoyed waterskiing and swimming. He was especially fond of his dogs, enjoyed the outdoors, including bird watching. Don was a past member of the VFW and American Legion in Colorado and a member of the First Reformed Church in Meservey. Don will be remembered as a very independent man with an engaging personality and wonderful laugh. During his battle with cancer, people recall his strength and perseverance and his ability to put the focus of conversation on others rather than himself.

Don was preceded in death by his daughter, Tia; brother, Larry; and brothers-in-law, Lawrence Suntken of Colorado Springs and Leo Jaspersen of Fremont, Nebraska.

Survivors include his wife; daughters, Janan of Iowa City, Lynn (Dale) Henamen of Mason City and Monica "Susie" Larson of Gretna, Nebraska; grandchildren, Olivia, Trevor, Jared and Lily Larson, all of Gretna; sisters, Betty Magner of Mason City, Marlys Jaspersen of Cedar Rapids and Jackie (Paul) Kuhn of Phoenix.
©Belmond Independent 2009

Genevieve Monson

April 28, 2009

Genevieve Monson, age 91, a long time Belmond resident, died in her sleep on Saturday, April 25, 2009, at the Bethany Life Communities in Story City, where she had lived since October 2008.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Friday, May 1, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Belmond, with Pastor Carolyn Pflibsen officiating. Burial will be in the Story City Cemetery. Visitation will be on Thursday, from 5-7:00 p.m., at the Andrews Funeral Home in Belmond and continue one hour prior to the services at the church on Friday. 

Those wishing to express their sympathies through a memorial in Genevieve's name may consider the Marie Sandvik Center in Minneapolis or the Riverside Bible Camp.

Genevieve, the daughter of Lewis and Agate Marie (Shaw) Monson, was born on August 30, 1917 at Spencer. As an infant she moved with her parents to Story City where she graduated from high school in 1935. Genevieve moved to Belmond where she worked for Dr. Steele's family for a number of years. Later she began a long career at the First State Bank in Belmond, retiring at age 65.

Genevieve enjoyed traveling and had been to many places throughout the United States and the world, including Israel and Hawaii. One of her favorite journey's was to Norway, as she was very proud of her Norwegian heritage. She made annual trips to Scandinavian Days in Story City. Genevieve had a tremendous passion for reading and keeping up on local and world events. Her personal library of books numbered well into the hundreds. She will be remembered for her keen and diverse knowledge, her strong dignity, her warm and friendly personality, and her famous hugs.

In earlier years she enjoyed knitting and made many items for family, organizations, and to give to those less fortunate. She was an excellent baker and was known for her homemade breads. She loved to go out for lunch, coffee with friends and play cards. She welcomed visits from her family. Genn was fond of cardinals and her home was adorned with cardinal collectables.

Genevieve had a very strong faith and was a longtime member of the Trinity Lutheran, where she was active in the Pearl Circle. She had been a member of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority for 60 years, the Belmond Historical Society, the Over 60's Club and the Son's of Norway. She enjoyed living at the Belmond Community Apartments, her many friendships and the activities there.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Herbert Oran Monson and her sister, Marion Solyst.     

Survivors include her nieces and their families, Gloria (Owen) Sampson of Story City, Barbara Ryan of Des Moines and her son, Jason Ryan of Highlands Ranch, Colorado and Gayle (Bob) DeMassey and their children, Addy and Shantine of Highlands Ranch; brother-in-law, Jesse Solyst of Hubbard; and sister-in-law, Clara Monson of Iowa Falls.
©Belmond Independent 2009

Kristie Buseman

May 5, 2009

Kristie Kay Buseman, 51, of Belmond, died on Monday, April 27, 2009, at the Mercy Medical Center in Mason City.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, May 2, at the Belmond United Methodist Church, with Pastors Mark Pluff and Mike Druhl officiating. Burial was in the Belmond Cemetery.

Kristie Kay, the daughter of John "Jack" and Sharon Evans Williams, was born on December 6, 1957 in Belmond. She grew up in Belmond and attended school there. She married Randy E. Buseman in 1973. Kris lived and worked in several Iowa communities. While in Belmond she worked for Triggs Manufacturing, Eaton, The Corner Bar and Restaurant and Casey's Pizza. While living in Delta, Kris worked as a full-time mother. In 2001, she achieved her GED from the North Iowa Community College.
      
Kris enjoyed collecting tins, crochet, crafts and going to garage sales. She will be remembered as a very loving relative and friend. To those she loved and was loved by, Kris lived a life of genuine forgiveness to all.

She was preceded in death by her mother.

Kris is survived by her sons, Chad (Amy) of Klemme and Donnie (Nancy) of Belmond; grandchildren, Mackenzie, Mariah, Cameron, Jesse Lynn, Chad, Alex and Kaydance; her father, John (Sandy) Williams, Sr. of New Mexico; sister and best friend, Rachelle (Terry) Buseman of Belmond; brothers, John "Jack" (Robin) Williams, Jr. of Mason City, Randy (Diane) Williams of Mason City and Jamie (Amber) Williams of Nevada; special niece, Nicole; step-sister, Denise (Randy) Wiese of Altoona; step-brother, Steve (Linda) Cunningham of Des Moines; and numerous other nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
©Belmond Independent 2009