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Dean Dippel
May 10, 2011
Dean A. Dippel, 54, died on Saturday, May 7, 2011, at the
Rehabilitation Center of Hampton.
Services were held at
10:00 a.m., on Wednesday, May 11, at the Bethany Reformed
Church in Belmond, with Pastor Melvin Voss officiating.
Burial, with military honors, was in the Belmond Cemetery.
Visitation was held one hour prior to the services at the
church.
Dean Alan was born on November 30, 1956, to Vernon and Lily
(Wenzel) Dippel. He graduated from the Belmond High School
in 1975 and joined the U.S. Air Force. Following his
discharge he attended Indian Hills Community College in
Fairfield and electronics school in Des Moines.
Dean worked at various jobs, including Wal-Mart in Ames,
Burke in Nevada and Winnebago in Forest City. Most recently
he delivered Meals on Wheels to Rowan residents. His
interests included Nascar, computers and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents; father,
Vernon; and brother, Dylan.
Dean is survived by his mother, Lily of Belmond; brothers,
Dennis and Daniel of Belmond and Daryl of Ankeny; sisters,
Dawn of Marengo, Illinois and Dixie (Tim) Daniels of Garner;
nieces and nephews, Nathan and Natalee Dippel, Nicholaus and
Isaac Schmit, Emily (Josh) Latina, Bryant, Austin and Carter
Dippel, Peter and Kandyce Daniels; and four great-nephews.
©Belmond
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Betty Jones
May 17, 2011
Betty D. Jones, 62, of Rowan, died on Sunday, May 8, 2011,
at the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond, where she had lived
the past 15 months.
Services were held on
Thursday, May 12, at 1:30 p.m., at the Dayspring Assembly of
God in Belmond. Rev. Mark Pluff officiated and burial was in
the Belmond Cemetery. The Andrews Funeral Home was in charge
of the arrangements.
Betty Dale, the daughter of Ernest and Vernice (Cummings)
Miller, was born on February 22, 1949 at Lawton, Oklahoma.
As a child she moved with her family to Iowa and graduated
from the Belmond High School. Betty married Dale Cletus
Jones on October 26, 1968, at the Belmond United Methodist
Church. Betty was a life long homemaker, devoted wife and
life partner to Dale and nurturing mother. She loved any
opportunity that involved sharing in the lives of her
family, including times spent with Dale, their sons Byron
and Dusty, Betty's siblings, or her nieces and nephews.
Betty's focus was to love and support her family in all that
they did and she appreciated the simple things in life. She
was an excellent cook and will be remembered for her
homemade chicken and noodles, pumpkin bars, banana bread,
zucchini bread, a one of a kind peanut butter and banana
sandwich, or a delicious potato and taco salad, all washed
down by a glass of her stout iced tea. She was always a kid
at heart, hopping on the trampoline or playing Red Rover
with the kids, a game of UNO, 31, Spoons, or other card
games. Betty and Dale enjoyed camping, traveling the back
roads with their sons on trips to Wisconsin and the region
and exploring a good second hand store, garage sale, or just
going junking. The couple enjoyed fishing and relaxing in
front of the television. Her family will remember her fun
sleep overs, her beautiful flowers and vegetables, her
fondness of cactuses and bleeding hearts, her collection of
Betty Boop memorabilia, her gentle nature, her heart warming
laugh and her love of receiving and pulling a good prank. A
special occasion in her life was being baptized with her
husband in Lake Cornelia.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brothers,
Earl “Frank”, Virgil, Dwight “Ole” and Ernie; nephew, Jason
Moore and his son, Zachary.
Survivors include her sons, Byron and Dusty of Belmond;
brother, Dwayne “Bo” Miller of Britt; sister, Byrul Faye
(Curt) Moore of Rowan; brother, Michael Miller of Latimer;
and sister, Renee (Dobie) Aldrich of Rowan.
©Belmond
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Niels Kjar
May 31, 2011
Niels J. “Buck” Kjar, 96, of Oelwein and formerly of
Hazleton, died on Friday, May 27, 2011, at Mercy Living Plus
in Oelwein.
Services will be held at
10:30 a.m., on Thursday, June 2, at the Jamison-Schmitz
Funeral Home in Oelwein. Visitation will be from 4-8:00
p.m., on Wednesday, at the funeral home and continue at 9:30
a.m. on Thursday. Interment will be in the Hazleton
(Fontana) Cemetery at Hazleton. Memorials may be given in
his name for the Hub City Railroad Museum in Oelwein.
Niels Jensen, was born on May 26, 1915 at Humboldt, the son
of Jens Nielsen and Margaret (Dietlefsen) Kjar. He graduated
from the Rowan High School in 1934. Buck married Lois
Laurene Schmidt on August 5, 1939 at Hampton. He was a
member of the Civil Air Patrol and was a flight instructor
at Chickashaw, Oklahoma, during World War II. He was a train
dispatcher for the Chicago Great Western Railroad in Oelwein
for 40 years.
Buck was a longtime Hazleton resident and moved to Oelwein
in 2005. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in
Hazleton, a 50-year Mason and a member of Hebron Masonic
Lodge 374 A.F. & A.M. Buck was a flight instructor at the
Oelwein Municipal Airport and enjoyed woodworking,
photography, HAM radio, was active on the computer and
spending time with his family.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Elsie Schlei.
Buck is survived by his wife of 71 years, Lois of Oelwein;
daughters, Niela (Charles) Pomernacki of Oakland,
California, Paula (Don) Bush of Oelwein and Fonda (Jeff)
DeBower of Audubon; son, Dennis (Arlene) Kjar of Northfield,
Minnesota; grandchildren, Lara (Aaron Rubardt) Pomernacki,
Alyssa (Tyson Nichols) Pomernacki, Daniel (Maya Patel) Kjar,
David (Ulrike Praeger) Kjar, Sara (Jeremy) Schwake, Katie
(Casey) Maricle, Josef DeBower and Macy DeBower;
great-grandchildren, Emma, Ethan, Lily, Lyla and Stefan;
brother, Paul (Elaine) Kjar of Thornton; sisters, Sena
(John) Keleher of Pittsford, New York and Anne Parsons of
Davenport.
©Belmond
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Roger Johnson
May 31, 2011
Roger C. Johnson, 85, a lifelong resident of Belmond, died
unexpectedly on Friday, May 27, 2011, in Belmond.
Funeral services will be
held at 10:30 a.m., on Wednesday, June 1, at the Belmond
United Church of Christ Congregational, with Reverend Donna
Buckman officiating. Burial with military honors will be in
the Belmond Cemetery. Those wishing to express their
sympathies through a memorial may wish to consider the
Belmond United Church of Christ Congregational, the Belmond
Historical Society, or the Talbot Belmond Public Library.
Roger Christie, son of Elmer Adolph and Goldie (Christie)
Johnson, was born in rural Belmond on August 12, 1925. Roger
attended the Belmond Community Schools and graduated in
1942. He then attended Teacher's College in Cedar Falls and
summer school at Iowa State College in Ames, prior to being
drafted into military service in 1943. Roger served in the
United States Army, spending time in New Guinea and in
Manila, Philippines. His duties were in the ship supplies
area. Roger was honorably discharged in 1945 with the rank
of Technical Sergeant.
Roger then continued his education at The California
Institute of Technology where he graduated in 1949 with a
degree in chemistry. He returned to Belmond where he worked
for his father in the custom corn shelling and trucking
business. Roger was united in marriage to Connie Benson on
July 26, 1953 at the old Methodist Church in Belmond. Their
union was blessed with six children, Christie, Gregary,
Jamie, Bradley, Wade and Eric.
In 1956, Roger went to work for General Mills and continued
when Central Soya purchased the Belmond operation in 1964.
He remained there until May 1983 when he took a position
with the Eaton Corporation. He became certified as a
Qualified Environmental Professional and continued in this
position until retiring from the company on June 30, 2004 at
age 78.
Roger was always proud of his family heritage and the deep
roots the many generations had in the Belmond area. He was
passionate about preserving and sharing the family history
with his own family and the greater community. In recent
times Roger enjoyed sharing his extensive knowledge of local
history with the Belmond Historical Society and Museum.
Roger adored his wife Connie and cherished times spent with
her, their children and families. He looked forward to
annual family reunions and playing games with the grandkids.
The couple looked forward to times spent with friends at
card clubs and in recent times Roger was always ready for a
friendly, competitive afternoon around a Cribbage or
Scrabble board with his friends and family. He enjoyed
spending time in what had been titled Roger’s Three Hour
Garden raising produce and flowers.
He was an avid reader and boasted his own personal library
of more than 2,500 books. Roger enjoyed music and was
especially fond of classical and music from the 30’s and
40’s. He was a long time member of the Belmond United Church
of Christ Congregational, where he served in numerous roles,
including the stewardship committee, usher and greeter. He
also shared his knowledge and interest in education through
his service on the Board of Education of the Belmond-Klemme
Schools.
Roger was preceded in death by his parents; sons, Eric and
Gregary; sister, Lois; and sister-in-law, Minnie Johnson.
Roger's legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of his
wife and life partner of nearly 58 years, Connie of Belmond;
daughter, Christie (Matthew) Clark of Wausau, Wisconsin and
their sons, Andrew, Nicholas, Harrison and Arthur; son,
Jamie Johnson of Forest City and his daughters, Erin and
Ashley; son, Bradley (Sharon) Johnson of Mountain Home,
Arkansas and their children, Anthony Johnson and Rebecca
Hanson and her daughter, Adrienne Hanson; son, Wade Johnson
and fiancée, Dana Joachim-Motoc of Minneapolis; and brother,
Eugene R. Johnson of Pueblo, Colorado.
©Belmond
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Laura Saunders
June 7, 2011
Laura M. Saunders, 86, of Belmond, died on Sunday, May 29,
2011, at the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond.
Services were held on
Thursday, June 2, at the United Church of Christ
Congregational in Belmond. Burial was in the Belmond
Cemetery. The Dugger Funeral Home in Belmond, was in charge
of the arrangements. Memorials maybe made in Laura Saunders’
name.
Laura Marie, the daughter of Morse and Marie Leens Hunst,
was born on May 13, 1925 in Fairview, Montana. At a young
age Laura’s family moved to the Belmond and Alexander area.
She graduated from the Belmond High School in 1943. Then she
taught in country schools for four years. Laura married
Lester W. "Bud" Stoffer on March 15, 1947. They made their
home in Belmond where Laura worked as a housewife and
mother. After her children became older, Laura worked in
various offices and stores in Belmond, including the Super
Valu Grocery, USS Ag, Acco Seed, Dr. Nichols DDS, North Iowa
State Bank and the telephone company. Bud died in 1985.
Laura married Junior Saunders in 1986.
Laura was an active sales person for Avon and was a Weight
Watchers leader for many years. She enjoyed knitting,
crocheting, walking, bowling and spending time with family
and friends. Laura was active in the United Methodist Women,
at Bethany Reformed and the UCC Sunday School.
She was preceded in death by her husbands, Lester in 1985
and Junior in 1999; son, Lonny in 2005; sister and husband,
Alice and Jimmy Peterson; brothers-in-law, Kenny Modderman
and Jim Steward; nephews, Jeff Modderman and Terry Stoffer;
brothers and sisters-in-law, Jake and Bobbi Stoffer and Ann
and Harold (Curly) Ellefson.
Laura is survived by daughter, Jill Stoffer and husband,
Mark Allen of Belmond; son, Leland N. Stoffer of Florida;
grandchildren, Chad Schuver (Mary), Clint Schuver and
special friend Erin, Logan Stoffer and Louise Stoffer, all
of Belmond; great-grandchildren, Luke, Cain and Hunter
Schuver, Ashton Redfield and Cariin Schuver;
step-grandchildren, Danielle (Jason) Humphrey of Cedar
Rapids and Brandon (Kacie) Allen of Belmond; step
great-grandchildren, Gavin, Avery, Owen and Kayla; sister,
Bonnie Steward of Garner; brothers and sisters-in-law, Ed
and Irene Stoffer of Belmond, Arlene Pals of Belmond and Bea
Stoffer of California; and members of the Junior Saunders
family.
©Belmond
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Geraldine Stout
May 31, 2011
Geraldine Stout, 93, of Newton, formerly of Belmond, died on
Sunday, May 29, 2011, at the Hospice House in Newton, North
Carolina.
A memorial service will be
held at a later date in Belmond. Local arrangements are
under direction of the Dugger Funeral Home.
©Belmond
Independent 2011 |
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Debarah Bentley
June 7, 2011
Debarah Ann (Barkema) Bentley, 63, died on Monday, May 30,
2011, at her home in Climax Springs, Missouri. A funeral was
held June 3.
Debarah was born on March 12, 1948 in Belmond, to Leland
(Bud) and Betty Barkema, the oldest of three children. She
graduated from the Belmond High School in 1966 and after a
brief time attending Ellsworth College in Iowa Falls. Deb
set her sights on life far from the familiar settings of the
Midwest. In 1969, she moved to Los Angeles where she met her
future husband and life-long companion, Steven Bentley.
While living in California Deb gave birth to two sons,
Michael Lee and Craig Martin. Upon moving to North Carolina,
Deb and Steve would welcome the birth of their third son,
Jon Christopher.
Life brought Deb and her family back to Iowa. She eventually
pursued a degree in agricultural business from North Iowa
Area Community College, followed by a degree in finance from
Buena Vista College. Deb was then accepted to the University
of Iowa College of Law and earned her Juris Doctor.
Deb’s interests ran wide. While in California, she was part
of a female barbershop vocal group the Sweet Adelines. Her
love of music would also prompt her to learn how to play the
organ. Deb loved to create handmade crafts of all types,
from dolls and personalized ornaments, to crocheting
scarves, hats and multi-colored baby blankets for her ten
grandchildren. She collected antique dinnerware and curio
plates, and had assembled a lovely doll collection. Family
and friends remember her unwavering positions on politics,
engaging debates filled with exceptional bravado, and
wonderfully enthusiastic opinions on life. Deb and Steven
retired to the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. There she
enjoyed gardening and spending time outdoors with her
husband and two Bichon Frise puppies.
Deb was preceded in death by her father.
She is survived by her husband; sons, Michael (Stacy), Craig
(Heather) and Jon (Jenny); mother, Betty Barkema of Belmond;
brother, Lee (Bonnie) Barkema; sister, Renae Barkema;
nephew, Daniel; niece, Laura; and her ten grandchildren,
Hannah, Adam, Noah, Katie, Owen, Sean, Anna, Samuel,
Lillianna and Caleb.
©Belmond
Independent 2011 |
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