Telbert A. Tonderum

July 5, 2011

Telbert A. Tonderum, 79, died on Friday, July 1, 2011, at his home near Dows.

Services will be held at 1:30 p.m., on Wednesday, July 6, at the First Lutheran Church in Dows. Pastor Ron Yarnell will officiate. Burial will take place in the Fairview Cemetery at Dows. Graveside military rites will be conducted by the Dows American Legion Watson-Beach Post #523.

Telbert Arlyn, the son of Carl and Helena Christiansen Tonderum, was born on October 26, 1931 at Otteson. When he was six the family moved to Dows. Telbert was educated in the Dows Community School.   On November 3, 1951, Telbert married Eleanor Christensen at First Lutheran in Dows. To this union two sons were born, Arlyn in 1953 and Larry in 1957. On September 3, 1952, Telbert began serving his country in the U.S. Army. He served during the Korean War and was honorably discharged on August 4, 1955. Then he started to farm and retired in 1997, farming his entire life in Dows. He worked for Hagies in Clarion from 1995 to 1999.

Telbert was a member of the First Lutheran Church and the Dows American Legion Post. He helped coach Arlyn’s and Larry’s softball games. Telbert was a key figure in the restoration of the Quasdorf Museum for the Dows Historical Society and volunteered there since it opened. Telbert always had a friendly smile and was willing to help everyone. He could fix anything and had multitudes of projects over the years. Telbert will be remembered by many friends and family for his quiet and caring spirit.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sons, Arlyn in 1999 and Larry in 2001; and sisters, Jean Rostenbach, Evelyn Stebbins and Clareen Schmalzried.

Telbert is survived by his wife, Eleanor; brother, Merle (Loa Dell) of Dows; and grandchildren, Aaron and Laura.
©Belmond Independent 2011

Clarice Thompson

July 26, 2011

Clarice Carlson Thompson, 94, died on Wednesday, July 6, 2011, at the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond.

Services were held on Monday, July 11, at the Holmes Lutheran Church.

Clarice was born in Kanawha and attended the Norway Township School. She married Burdette Thompson in 1941. They lived in Clarion.

She is survived by daughters, Charlotte Kern of Clarion, Elaine Hollaus of California and Helen Dorenkamp of Arizona.
©Belmond Independent 2011

Bertha Aldrich

July 12, 2011

Bertha Barz Aldrich, 75, of Alden, died on Saturday, July 9, 2011, at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames.

Her body was cremated and will be interred in the Graceland Cemetery near Rowan. A celebration of life will be held later.

Bertha was born during a snowstorm on a farm four miles south of Dows, on November 30, 1935, the fourth child of Herbert and Margaret Oleson Barz. She grew up on a farm three miles south of Rowan and graduated from the Rowan High School in 1953. She was a member of the Blaine Livewires 4-H Club and showed her Ayrshire dairy cattle at the Wright County Fair. She was the catcher on the Dows All Stars girls softball team for many years, a team coached by her uncle, Ernest Barz. She was also an outstanding high school basketball player at Rowan. Bertha married Jerry Aldrich on September 20, 1953 and the couple had three children. After his graduation from Iowa State College, Bertha followed her husband to El Paso, Texas, while he was in the military. They later resided on farms near Popejoy, Alden, Grand Forks, North Dakota and back to Alden, where they lived at the time of her death.

She worked at Schager Produce in Alden, the Sears catalog store in Iowa Falls, at Weaver Construction and finally spent 20 years as a rural mail carrier. She had stints as a girls basketball chaperone and as a Cub Scout den mother. Upon retirement in 2000, she helped her husband with their Christmas tree farm and pursued many hobbies, flower and pond gardening, making stained glass windows and Tiffany style lamps, traveling, quilting, reading and competing as a senior athlete. In grade and high school she spent many hours working with her horse, Lucky. In mid-life she acquired Arabians, of which she was quite proud. As an adult she loved track and field. She competed at the state level and at seven Senior Olympics. She earned over 200 gold medals at the state level and seven Senior Olympic medals in cycling (road racing), race walking, shot put and discus.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother and spouse, Bob (Barbara) Barz; and sister-in-law, Donna (Bill) Barz.

She is survived by her husband; children, Steve (Nancy) of Dows, Doug (Gwen) of Bemidji, Minnesota and Carol (Steve) Scheid of Nevada; grandsons, Danial Scheid of Dubuque and Brian (Sarah) Scheid of Chicago; granddaughter, Dawn (Seth) Emerson of Fleetwood, North Carolina; brother, Bill of Newton; sister, Irene (Bob) Keleher of Fremont, California; brother-in-law, Lee (Lynne) Aldrich and sister-in-law, Joan (Roger) Rietz of Rowan.
©Belmond Independent 2011

Ormal Pals

July 12, 2011

Ormal L. Pals, 89, of Belmond, died on Saturday, July 9, 2011, at the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond.

Services were held on Tuesday, July 12, at the Immanuel Reformed Church east of Belmond, with burial in the church cemetery. Graveside military rites were provided by the Belmond Honor Guard.

Ormal Lewis, the son of Hilko and Ellen Schulte Pals, was born on May 24, 1922, on the family farm near Alexander. He graduated from the Alexander High School in 1940 and began working as a farmer for his father and other neighbors. On December 22, 1944, he married Hildegarde Gruis of Meservey. In April 1945, Ormal was drafted into the U.S. Navy and was stationed at Bangor, Washington. The couple lived in Bremerton for a year. After his discharge in May 1946, they returned to Iowa and began farming south of Meservey. Ormal continued farming and moved into Meservey in 1979. He retired from farming in 2000 and moved to Belmond in 2006.

Ormal was a member of Immanuel Reformed and served on the Meservey-Thornton School Board. Ormal and Hildegarde enjoyed 27 years of wintering in Arizona. After moving to Belmond he enjoyed going to coffee at Bloemkes. Ormal liked playing cards and golfing. He also enjoyed traveling the U.S. and Europe.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Loretta Nicholson; brother and sister-in-law, Lambert and Florence Pals; and brother-in-law, Harvey (and his wife Jean) Gruis.

Ormal is survived by his wife, Hildegarde; daughter, Veralyn of Chadrin, Nebraska; son, Vaughn (Jane) of Meservey; grandchildren, Brandon (Liming) of Clear Lake and Jonathan of Woodbury, Minnesota; great-grandson, Daniel; and sister-in-law, Marjorie Gruis of Belmond.
©Belmond Independent 2011

Clarence Johnston

July 26, 2011

Clarence E. Johnston, 54, died on Tuesday, July 12, 2011, at his residence near Clarion.

A graveside memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Saturday, July 30, in the Alexander Cemetery. The body has been cremated. Arrangements are under the direction of the Dugger Funeral Home.

Clarence, the son of Wallace and Ellen Suntken Johnston, was born on June 24, 1957 in Belmond. He attended school in Belmond and is fondly remembered by his classmates. As an adult, Clarence drove truck for a living.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Harold.

Clarence is survived by his sister, LaNae (Mike) Walrod of Latimer; and special nephew, Matt of Aplington.
©Belmond Independent 2011

Verlene McOllough

July 26, 2011

Verlene Carrell McOllough, 88, of Clarion, died on Wednesday, July 13, 2011.

Services were held on Saturday, July 23, at the Clarion Church of Christ.

She as born in Clarion and married Clair McOllough in 1945. Over the years she worked at Clarion Farm Supply, the Wright County Courthouse and the Clarion Public Library.

Verlene is survived by daughters, Viki Walbridge of Colorado and Jacque Stepanek of Ankeny; and sons, David of Clarion and Dan of Algona.
©Belmond Independent 2011

Gladys Skarr

August 2, 2011

Gladys M. Skarr, 92, of Dumont, died on Sunday, July 31, 2011, at the Dumont Wellness Center.

Services will be held on Wednesday, August 3, at 1:00 p.m., at the New Hope Parish of the United Methodist Church in Dumont, with visitation one hour prior to the services. Burial will be in the Belmond Cemetery.

Gladys was born on July 13, 1919 in Belmond, to Harry and Beulah (Guest) Larson. She attended school in Belmond and married Joseph O. Skarr on May 22, 1937. Together they operated Skarr’s Café & Bus Depot in Belmond. Then she lived in Mason City and for the last 25 years in Dumont. Gladys was baptized and confirmed at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Belmond and attended services at the United Methodist Church in Dumont.

She enjoyed cooking and baking for her family, spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, making special pillows for her family and playing bingo.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; son, Gary; and son-in-law, Don.

Gladys is survived by daughter, Kay Studer of Des Moines; son, Jay (Carol) Skarr of Dumont; grandchildren, Deann Howell of Dumont, Tammy Yescas of Sioux City, Jason Skarr of Mason City, Jeremy Skarr of Las Vegas and Julie (Jesse) Boelsen of Mason City; great-grandchildren, Tyler Rowe of Hansell, Joey and Chris Howell of Dumont, Javier and Andres Yescas of Sioux City and Braden Boelsen of Mason City.
©Belmond Independent 2011

Barbara Drury

August 9, 2011

Barbara Henke Drury, 89, died on Sunday, July 31, 2011, at the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond.

Visitation will be held on Friday, August 12, at 10:00 a.m., at the United Church of Rowan. A memorial service will follow at 11:00 a.m. The Dugger Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Barbara was a long-time resident of Wright County. She graduated from high school in Waterloo and from Iowa State Teacher's College in Cedar Falls. She taught school in Rowan. Barbara and her husband, Lloyd farmed and raised mink near Rowan.

Barbara was preceded in death by her husband; and her son, Leslie.

She is survived by her children, Donna (Melvin) McOllough, Dwight (Marilyn) Drury, Mary (Jim) Ashpole and Bill Drury.
©Belmond Independent 2011