Verlyn Keeling

August 5, 2009

Verlyn D. Keeling, 62, of Rowan, the owner of Keeling's Auto Repair in Belmond, died unexpectedly on Sunday, August 2, 2009, at the Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, August 5, at the United Church of Rowan with Pastor Nancy Hofmeister officiating. Burial with military honors was in the Allison Municipal Cemetery, Allison.

Verlyn, the son of Orie and Alice (Dresher) Keeling, was born on May 19, 1947 at Clarion. He graduated from the Clarion High School in 1965. He served in the United States Army for two years, attaining the rank of sergeant. Part of his service was in Korea. Verlyn married Joyce Van Raden on October 5, 1969 at the Presbyterian Church in Clarion. They had two sons, Chadly and Robby. Verlyn was an auto mechanic for nearly 38 years, spending two years operating a mechanic's shop in Eldon, Missouri, following their marriage before becoming the owner of Keeling's Auto Repair in Belmond. He had also worked for a time for Wright County.

Verlyn was not only a proficient auto mechanic, he could also fix or build almost anything he put his hands on -- plumbing, wiring, and a variety of other handyman tasks. He was always willing to drop what he was doing to help others. Verlyn spent many years mentoring students in the Belmond-Klemme High School job shadow program, teaching the skills and knowledge of his trade. 

Foremost in Verlyn's life were times spent with his wife, sons and their families. He cherished each and every opportunity to be with his grandchildren. He loved to watch Robby in snow cross races and the boys' other activities. He spent time square dancing and raising wild flowers in "Keeling Park" at his home.

Verlyn loved hunting pheasants, deer and other game with his family and friends, using a gun or his compound bow. His favorite past time was fishing. He looked forward to excursions to Canada, Minnesota, Wisconsin, river fishing in Chamberlain, South Dakota, salmon fishing in Lake Michigan and trout fishing in northeast Iowa. He looked forward to hours of friendly, yet competitive games of 500 and other card games. Verlyn was always a people person and loved to host gatherings of friends and family. Friends would stop by his shop for pizza, pies, biscuits and other cuisine on his famous grill. He enjoyed auto racing, and Saturday he was at the track in Newton with his sons. He and Joyce and had just returned Friday from an Alaskan cruise. 
  
Verlyn was a member of the Belmond VFW Post 4244 and the North Iowa River Rider's snowmobile club.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father. 

Survivors include his wife; sons, Chadly (Jan) Keeling, their son, Adam and twins, Katelyn and Allison of Des Moines and Robby (Carisa) Keeling, their daughter, Ava and son, Blake of Ames; mother-in-law, Hinderene Van Raden of Waverly; and sisters, Shirley (Gerald) Curran of Kansas City, Beverly (Robert) Delger of Clarion, Judy (Roger) Weimann of Belmond and Lois (Raynard) Southard of Clarion.
©Belmond Independent 2009

Jean Coulson
(Note-For funeral information see September 2011 of this archive.)

August 11, 2009

Norma Jean Coulson, 79, of Belmond, died on Friday, August 7, 2009, at the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond.

According to Jean's wishes, her body has been donated to the University of Iowa. A private family burial will take place in the Belmond Cemetery at a later date. Arrangements are being handled by the Dugger Funeral Home.
©Belmond Independent 2009

Curtis Halverson

August 18, 2009

Curtis L. Halverson, 50, a native of Belmond, died on Tuesday, August 11, 2009, at his home in Fort Dodge.

Services were held on Monday, August 17, at the St. Olaf Lutheran Church west of Belmond, with interment in the St. Olaf Cemetery. 

Curtis Lynn, was born in Iowa, the son of Garfield (Gus) and Esther Halverson. He attended Belmond Schools and later went on to work for his uncle and aunt at Meint's Laundry. Curt had also been employed at EDS in Clarion. He resided in Orange City and Duncan Heights before moving to Fort Dodge five years ago.

Throughout his life, Curt's philosophy was to go with the flow. He was easy going and took things for what they were. He will be remembered for his famous reply when asked about how things were going. Curt would smoothly respond, "Everything is excellent!"  He had a unique personality and a captivating, jolly laugh that was all his own. Curt was brilliant with numbers and mathematical problems. He had enjoyed macramé and wire art.

Curt was preceded in death by his parents; grandparents, Bill and Tillie Meints; and several uncles and aunts.    

Survivors include his brother, Leslie (Kathleen) Halverson of Battle Ground, Washington; his sister, Mary Kay (Bruce) Wilham of Jamestown, Kentucky; nephew, Nicholas (Jennifer) Halverson and their children, Nicholas Gray and Lucas James Halverson and nephew, Adam Halverson; niece, Kristiin Halverson and niece, Emily Halverson, all of Battle Ground; niece, Amanda (Sammy Joe) Russell of Jamestown, Kentucky; his step-mother, Shirley Halverson of Belmond; his uncle and aunt (and god parents), Glenn and Jan Meints of Belmond; plus many other aunts, uncles and cousins.
©Belmond Independent 2009

Louise Buschmann

August 18, 2009

Louise Buschmann, 83, formerly of Klemme, died unexpectedly on Saturday, August 15, 2009, at the Manor House in Sigourney, where she had lived for a short time.

Services were held on Wednesday morning, August 19, at the Peace Reformed Church south of Garner, with Pastors Harvey Opp of Peace Reformed and John Hembry of the Sigourney United Methodist Church officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.

Louise, the daughter of Joseph and Clemme (Smith) Dudly, was born on July 16, 1926 near Hume, Missouri, the youngest of nine children. She graduated from the Hume High School in 1944. On September 20, 1950, she married Harm G. Buschmann at Eldorado, Missouri. They raised their two sons at Klemme and farmed near Klemme and Belmond. Louise was a life long homemaker and nurturing wife, mother and grandmother.

She had a strong Christian faith. In earlier years she was active at the Immanuel Reformed Church in Klemme, then she was a member of Peace Reformed. In recent years she attended Sigourney United Methodist, after moving from Belmond in April 2000.

Louise's family was always the focus of her life. Her grandchildren noted that Grandma Louise's homemade chocolate chip cookies were, "the best in the world." Louise loved animals, her favorites being her dogs -- a rat terrier and then a shitzu.

Louise rarely complained and always put the needs of others before her own. She persevered in whatever challenges she faced, including impairments from having polio as a child. She will be remembered for her great sense of humor and warm, sweet personality.

Louise was preceded in death by her husband in 1997; five brothers; and two sisters.

Survivors include her son, Paul (Susan) Buschmann of Platte City, Missouri and their children, Jonathan (Stephanie) Buschmann of Kansas City, Zachary Buschmann of Columbia and Sarah Buschmann of Platte City; son, Philip (Cyrena) Buschmann of Sigourney and their son, Kyle (Penney) Sheetz of Leon, Iowa; great-grandchildren, Elly and Joe Sheetz of Leon; brother, Marvin (Margaret) Hess of Hume; and sister-in-law, Mary Hess of Hume.
©Belmond Independent 2009

Jelto Boelman

August 25, 2009

Jelto "Jake" Boelman, 90, of Belmond, died of cancer on Friday, August 21, 2009, at the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond.

Services were held on Monday, August 24, at the Immanuel Reformed Church, with Rev. David DeKuyper officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. 

Jelto Merle, the son of Nyscoe and Fannie (Pals) Boelman, was born on July 5, 1919 at Belmond. He attended school at the Pleasant Township District 4. Jake married Janet Mennenga on March 24, 1944, at the Immanuel Reformed Church Parsonage. Their union was blessed with sons Jerry, Joel, and John. Jake was a lifelong farmer and with the help of Janet, raised agricultural crops as well as dairy cattle, sheep and  laying hens. He received great joy in working the land and providing for the needs of his family. Farming, church and family were the three main pillars in his life. Jake and Janet strived hard to instill the values of faith and hard work in their children and grandchildren.    
  
Jake had been active for many years on the Immanuel Reformed Church Consistory. He also served for a time on the Belmond Creamery Board and the Wright County Conservation Board.

Jake enjoyed any occasion that meant time with family. He truly looked forward to new grandchildren when they arrived and was very proud of them all. In earlier years the family took various trips, including ones to the Wisconsin Dells and Colorado. The couple had also taken four trips to Germany and other excursions to visit family in California and Arizona. Jake enjoyed card groups, watching fireworks and couples bowling. He bowled in many leagues and in later years enjoyed casual bowling with other senior citizens. He played for a number of years in adult softball and church leagues where he was a skilled catcher. Those who knew Jake remember him as a quiet man of few words that were well thought out before spoken.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and sister and brother-in-law, Minnie and Raymond Pals.

Survivors include his wife of 65 years; sons, Jerry (Mary) Boelman of Belmond, Joel (Cindy) Boelman of Belmond and John (Jan) Boelman of Gilbert, Arizona; sister, June (Cecil) Mosiman of Belmond; brother, Roger (Lucille) Boelman of Belmond; and grandchildren, Kari (Jonathan) Weitzel, Brian Boelman, Shanna Boelman, Eric Boelman, David Boelman, Trey Boelman, Kristin Boelman, Alina (Ryan) Barlow, Anna Boelman and Kaitlin Boelman.
©Belmond Independent 2009

Charles Papousek

September 22, 2009

Charles J. Papousek, 79, Lake Forest, Illinois, died on Friday, August 21, 2009.

Charlie was born on July 2, 1930. He grew up in Belmond where his parents operated a hardware store. He graduated with the BHS Class of 1949. He attended Iowa State Teachers College (UNI) where he wrestled. He taught school in Ackley and then moved to the Chicago area where he was employed in sales by a number of companies.

Charlie and his wife, Candy, had three children.

He is survived by his wife; and children, Charles III of Chicago, Cindy of Northbrook, Illinois and Chris of Houston, Texas.
©Belmond Independent 2009

Barbara Watne

August 25, 2009

Barbara E. Watne, 62, of Belmond, died of cancer on Saturday, August 22, 2009, at the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond, surrounded by her family.

Services were held on Tuesday, August 25, at the Trinity Lutheran Church, with Rev. Troy Pflibsen officiating assisted by Stan Watne. Burial was in the Belmond Cemetery.

Barbara Ellen, was born on July 13, 1947 in Belmond, to Stanley and Beulah (Trott) Ahlstrom. She was baptized in Hyattsville, Maryland in December 1947. After graduating from the Belmond High School in 1965 and Hamilton Business College in 1966, she worked for Leland Jenison, Consulting Engineer for two years. In the earlier years of her life Barb was an active member of the E.U.B. (Methodist) Church in Goodell as a Sunday School and Bible School teacher.

On September 22, 1968, she married Ted Watne at the Goodell United Methodist Church. She transferred her membership to the Trinity Lutheran Church in Belmond, where she was involved with WELCA. She was also involved in the Belmond VFW Auxiliary, the Goodell American Legion Auxiliary and the Belmond Community Service Women. She held the treasurer position in many of these organizations as her bookkeeping skills were impeccable.

Barb was a Tupperware representative, a stay at home mom and then worked at True Value in Belmond for over 25 years before illness forced her to retire. She enjoyed road trips with Ted, their children and grandchildren; going to work every day at True Value; bus trips with her friends; and trips to Florida, Georgia, the East Coast to visit family, and her Alaskan cruise. Barb looked forward to any opportunity for a shopping excursion, and if the outing included the grandchildren, they would definitely have to include a stop at Mc Donald's.

Many knew Barb as a giver and not a taker. She always worried that her family was happy and did whatever it took to make that happen. She gave from her heart and never expected anything in return. During her illness it was hard for her to become the receiver. Barb never wanted to be the center of attention. A woman of strength and faith, she was the glue that kept the family together. Saturday afternoon family dinners, her baking treats (especially Kringla), bargain shopping, unbelievable memory, strong-hearted compassion, perseverance and positive attitude are the things that will never be forgotten by her family and friends.

Preceding her in death were her parents; and her mother-in-law and father-in-law, John and Evelyn (Case) Watne.

She is survived by her husband, Ted; sons, Troy (Heidi) and Lance (Melysa); grandchildren, Cody, Paige, Brandon, Kyle and Kendra; and sister, Sonja (Brett) Lobdell, all of Belmond; sisters-in law, Marcia (Earl) Kolbeck of Ashton, Susan (Leland) Halfpop of Goodell, Phoebe (Charles) Soma of Belmond and Norma (Jerry) McNertney of Nevada; brothers-in-law, Jon Watne of Clarion and Craig (Connie) Watne of Belmond.
©Belmond Independent 2009

Raymond Larsen

September 1, 2009

Raymond Lewis Larsen, 84, of Alexander, died on Sunday, August 30, 2009, at Hampton Health Care.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, September 4, at 10:30 a.m., at the United Methodist Church in Alexander, with Pastors Phil Arnold and Craig Larsen officiating. Burial will be in the Alexander Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7:00 p.m., on Thursday, August 3, at the Andrews Funeral Home, Belmond and continue one hour prior to the services at the church on Friday. Memorials in Ray's name may be given to the Humane Societies of Wright or Franklin County.

Born to Fred and Lottie (Bell) Larsen on December 25, 1924, on the family farm north of Alexander, Raymond graduated from the Alexander High School in 1944. He taught his Shetland pony, Major to do tricks, such as counting by pounding his hoof on the ground when told a number. Raymond was a catcher on the baseball team and sang in the choir at the United Methodist Church, where he was baptized and confirmed. After graduating, Raymond worked for area farmers until he started farming on his own. His hobbies were playing accordion, riding his 350 Honda, woodworking and collecting toy tractors.
 
He married Betty Marie Hansen on December 17, 1951, at the Little Brown Church of Nashua. They lived on a farm near Coulter where they started a family. They later moved to a farm near Clear Lake, then near Mason City and in 1966, to Alexander where his trucking career began, first as an independent contractor, then for the Asgrow Seed Co. in Clarion where he worked for 20 years until his retirement in 1987. During his years as a truck driver he delivered seed to many states and Canada. He often took his children along to enjoy the sights along his route.

Betty died in 1983. He married Salinda Josephine Wilkinson on December 16, 1990 and they lived in Manly. Josephine died in 2005. Raymond lived in his home in Alexander, with the help of his children, until a stroke disabled him and he became a resident of the Hampton Health Care for three years.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Elmer, Wilbur and Clifford; and his two wives.

Surviving are his sons, Roger (Rose) Larsen of Bloomfield, New Mexico and Virgil (Kim) Larsen of Alexander; daughters, Nancy Sweeny of Belmond and Julie Weide of Grafton; grandchildren, Tony Larsen, Matthew Larsen, Becky Larsen, Aaron Sweeny, Angela (Jon) Lowery, Quentin Larsen, Kami Larsen and Christian Larsen; and two great-grandchildren.
©Belmond Independent 2009

Avis Howell

September 8, 2009

Avis B. Howell, 98, of Belmond, died on Monday, August 31, 2009, at the Muse Norris Hospice in Mason City.

To honor Avis' wishes, a private family graveside service and inurnment was held on Sunday, September 6.

Avis Berma, the daughter of Emma (Fridley) and Edwin Ole Edwinson, was born on March 30, 1911 in Ames. She grew up in Ames and graduated from the Ames High School in 1929. Avis married Dana M. "Gov" Howell on August 30, 1930 in Grundy Center. They lived in Ames while Dana completed college at Iowa State in 1935. During that time Avis worked at the Iowa Highway Commission. Before moving to Belmond in 1940, Dana and Avis managed dairies in Wichita, Kansas, Omaha, Nebraska, Fargo, North Dakota and Hampton.

In Belmond they opened an ice cream and Maid-Rite shop, later known as the "Mello Maid," which they ran until 1965. Dana had juke boxes in the surrounding 10 counties. Avis and Dana also owned Laundromats, which included dry cleaning facilities, in Belmond, Dayton and Mason City; car washes; and a drive-in south of Belmond. Avis retired in 1971.

Avis was a member of the United Methodist Church and the Methodist Church Women.

Avis was preceded in death by her husband on May 23, 2000; her parents; her brother, Ray Van Scoy; sisters, Jessie Johnstone, Mae Lyttle and Doris Wagoner; son-in-law, David Cleveland; and grandson, Tim Cleveland.

Avis is survived by her daughters, Marlys (Gene) Parks of Charles City, Janet Cleveland of Forest City and Lora (Russ) Talbot of Belmond; eight grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

The family suggests memorials may be made to the Belmond Public Library Foundation, Belmond-Klemme Scholarship Foundation-II, Belmond-Klemme School Building Project, or to the Belmond Community Hospital Foundation.
©Belmond Independent 2009