Louis Kramer

April 24, 2012

Louis Paul Kramer, 90, formerly of Belmond and Dassel, Minnesota, died on Tuesday, April 3, 2012, at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Home in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 28, at 1:00 p.m., at the Bethel Baptist Church in Iowa Falls, with Rev. Steve Hill Officiating. There will be a time to gather with the family one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.

Louis Paul, the son of Louie and Helen (Frohling) Kramer, was born on November 12, 1921 in Belmond. He grew up in the Belmond area where he attended school and was baptized and confirmed in the Christian faith. On October 23, 1942, Louis was inducted into the United States Army and served his country during World War II. He was discharged on June 24, 1944. On September 24, 1944, Louis married Vernadine Johnson. They made their home on the family farm near Alexander, where they farmed for 19 years before moving to Clear Lake and then Eagle Grove. He was a machinist in Davenport for several years. In 1969, they moved to the Dassel area where they operated a resort on Big Swan for 35 years and also worked at Reinke’s in Litchfield. In recent years he made his home in Darwin, Browerville, Clarissa, Grand Rapids and Sauk Rapids.

Louis enjoyed spending time fishing on Big Swan Lake and growing the biggest vegetables he could. He loved nature, cats and watching birds. He also enjoyed spending time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He will be missed by his family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and brothers, Raymond, Gordon and Robert.

Louis is survived by his wife, Vernadine of Grand Rapids; children, Lou Alan Kramer of Hector, Greg (Deb) Kramer of Sauk Rapids and Debra (Kim) Isaacson of Remer; grandchildren, Katherine Cook, Heather (Jeff) Wachal, James Kramer, Jacob Kramer, Matt Kramer, Steven Kramer and friend, Merideth Black; six great-grandchildren; and sister, Betty Kopenhagen of Vacaville, California.
©Belmond Independent 2012

Marjorie Trees

April 10, 2012

Marjorie “Marj” Estella Trees, 81, died on Wednesday, April 4, 2012, at the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond.

Services were held on Tuesday, April 10, at the Clarion Church of Christ. Interment was in the Belmond Cemetery.

Marjorie Wigg, was born on December 16, 1930, to Racine Wigg and Estella Hansen in Clarion. She was the sister of Phyllis, Robert and Donna. Marj attended school in Clarion. She enjoyed roller skating at the rink at Lake Cornelia where she met the love of her life, Paul Trees. They were married on July 30, 1948 and were blessed with children, Candace, Terry, Cynthia, Michael and Diane. Marj spent her life taking care of her beloved family. She worked hard around the farm preparing hearty meals. She was known for making delectable desserts, including fudge, coconut cookies, pecan tassies, plum pudding and anise candy.

Marj enjoyed playing cards, finding Sudoku and crossword puzzles in the paper, and reading a good book. She excelled at crocheting, quilting and was an exceptional seamstress. She created many family wedding dresses. Marj was a member of the I.O.O.F. at the Rebekah Lodge where she was a past Noble Grand. Paul and Marj enjoyed fishing excursions to Canada with friends. Marj was an avid Chicago Cubs fan and enjoyed bird watching in Missouri and at home. Being with family and friends is what Marj truly loved. She was always in attendance at a neighborhood pig roast or fish fry. Marj loved her life to the fullest and loved to have fun. She enjoyed caring for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband; son, Terry; daughter, Cynthia Rabe; brother, Robert; sister, Donna Orte; and brother-in-law, Tim Trees.

Marj’s love and memories will continue on in the hearts and minds of her children, Candace (Ron) Fjetland of Clarion, Mike (Colleen) Trees of Belmond and Diane Erickson (friend, Bill Keeling) of Mason City; son-in-law, Neal Rabe (fiancée, Tina Cook) of Belmond; grandchildren, Buffy (Ralph) Ramon, Daniel (Candace) Fjetland, Mark Fjetland (Stacy Snyder), Jeff (Kari) Rabe, Krista Hartwig (fiancé, Nate Ysker), Tyler Trees, Justin Trees, Spencer Trees, Jennifer (Mike) Countryman, James Erickson and Keyra Cook; great-grandchildren, Chelsie, Lucas, Andrew, Madison, Elic, Alianna, Molly, Ryan, Kamryn and Jackson; sister, Phyllis Arthur; sisters-in-law, Imogene Wigg and Marlyn Trees; and brother-in-law, Alan (Alice) Trees.
©Belmond Independent 2012

Austin Hartema

April 17, 2012

Austin Lee Hartema, 20, of rural Klemme, died unexpectedly at his residence on Thursday, April 12, 2012.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, April 18, at 3:30 p.m., at the Goodell Community Center, with Rev. Rod Hopp officiating. Public graveside services will take place on Thursday, at 1:00 p.m., in the Parkersburg Cemetery, Parkersburg. Those wishing to express their sympathies through a memorial may wish to direct them to Austin's family.

Austin L. Hartema, the son of Michael Dean and Tracy Jo (Kluiter) Hartema, was born on September 5, 1991 at Waterloo. He attended school at Belmond-Klemme and Waverly-Shellrock, graduating with the WSR Class of 2010. Following graduation he worked for periods of time at the Five Star Co-op in Rockwell, Krysilis, Inc., and most recently with Bell Recycling and Sanitation in Belmond. Austin was anxiously anticipating continuing his education in the wind energy cooperative field later this year at Red Stone College in Broomfield, Colorado, where he would have received training in the construction of wind turbines, a perfect career fit for his love of the outdoors and courageous, adventuresome spirit.

Austin was preceded in death by his great-grandparents, Jerry and Evelyn Kluiter, Robert and Shirley Dietrick, John and Dorothy Adelmund, Ed Hartema and Angie and Wally Dove; his grandpa, Clarence Trampel; aunts, Bev Korleski and Diane Trampel; and uncles, Greg Nelson and Jerry VanderWolde.    

His legacy will live on in the lives of his mom and step-dad, Tracy and Terry Trampel of Klemme; his dad, Mike Hartema and Tammy Gram of Waterloo; his brother, Tanner Hartema and companion, Sharai Keough; and nephew, Brayden Hartema, all of Allison; his step-brothers, Kody and Kasey Trampel of Ames; Brandon and Shuree Kendrick and step- niece and nephew, Aden and Elenor of Cresco; step-brothers, Zach DeBower of Plainfield and Doug and Josh DeBower of Waverly; grandparents, Donald (Sharon) Kluiter of Shellrock, Dennis (Sharon) Hartema of Parkersburg and Ruth Trampel of Klemme; aunts and uncles, Sheila and Brian Sweiter and cousins of Dike, Dawn and Tom Murdock and cousins of Beulaville, North Carolina, Julie Borunda of Beulaville, Richard Trample of Klemme, Joanne VanderWolde of Belmond and Dixie and Larry Treinen of Klemme; step-brothers, Eric McGlaughlin and his children, Ayden and Janie and Nathan McGlaughlin, all of Waterloo; and step-sister, Bobbi Jo Gram and her son, Landyn Brinyark of Waterloo.
©Belmond Independent 2012

Lauralee Schmid

April 17, 2012

Lauralee L. Schmid, 59, of Belmond, died on Friday, April 13, 2012, at the Belmond Medical Center.

Services will be held at 3:30 p.m., on Thursday, April 19, at the Belmond United Methodist Church. Rev. Bill Kem of the United Presbyterian Church in Clarion will officiate. Visitation will be on Wednesday, from 4-7:00 p.m., at the Dugger Funeral Home in Belmond. In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials be made to the American Cancer Society.

Lauralee Louise, the daughter of North and Laura Higgins Cheney, was born on July 23, 1952 in Springfield, Illinois. Lauralee grew up in Petersburg, Illinois and graduated from the Porta High School in Petersburg in 1970. She then attended the Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. It was there that she began her life’s calling as a teacher. After receiving her bachelors degree, Lauralee began her teaching career in Gardner, Illinois. Lauralee married Heinz Schmid on July 26, 1981 in Morris, Illinois. They made their home in Morris and later raised their family in Loda, Illinois. In December 1996, they moved to Belmond and Lauralee continued her teaching career at Belmond-Klemme. She was a natural born teacher, was well-liked and respected. Sharing knowledge and devoting time to her students was in her blood.

When not in school Lauralee enjoyed traveling extensively with Heinz. They made trips as far as Brazil and the Caribbean. She enjoyed Cirque de Soleil and had been to many productions. Gardening and taking care of her flowers and lawn were a passion. She spent many hours choosing the perfect set-up for her gorgeous garden. Other hobbies included bird watching for orioles and hummingbirds in the backyard, reading, criticizing style choices on Project Runway and spending any time she could get with her three granddaughters. They were the light of her life.

Lauralee was a member of the United Presbyterian Church in Clarion and had a full-time schedule helping at church. She liked singing in the choir. Lauralee was a devoted citizen of the Belmond community. Her active membership in the Culture Club, Beta Sigma Phi, and other committees is the proof of her dedication.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and sister, Beverlee.

Lauralee is survived by her husband, Heinz; children, Stefanie (Adam) Brunner of Plymouth, Iowa and Barrett (Marina) Schmid of Lake Carroll, Illinois; step-daughter, Christy (John) Faulk of Atlanta, Georgia; grandchildren, Kassidy Brunner and Alicia and Wren Schmid; brothers, North (Franci) Cheney and Larry (Kay) Cheney, all of Springfield and David (Wendy) Cheney of Brazil.
©Belmond Independent 2012

O’Larry Dorr

April 17, 2012

O’Larry Dorr, 84, of Belmond, died on Monday, April 16, 2012, at the Mercy Medical Center in Mason City.

Services will be held on Friday, April 20, at 10:30 a.m., at the St. Olaf Lutheran Church west of Belmond. Burial will be in the Belmond Cemetery. Visitation will be on Thursday, from 5-7:00 p.m., at the Andrews Funeral Home and continue one hour prior to the services at the church. Memorials may be made to the Belmond Ambulance Service, Belmond-Klemme Scholarship Foundation I or II, or the Belmond Medical Center.
©Belmond Independent 2012

Daniel Middleton

May 1, 2012

Daniel J. Middleton, 64, formerly of Belmond, died on Wednesday, April 18, 2012, at the St. Joseph's Hospital in Tucson, Arizona.

Graveside services were held on Friday, April 27, in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Morton, Minnesota. The the Andrews Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Daniel, the son of Edward and Alice (Clouse) Middleton, was born on November 20, 1947 at Morton, where he attended school. He was married to Pamela Stowell for many years. They later divorced. Daniel operated the Coast to Coast Store in Belmond before moving to Arizona, where he was employed with the NEC Corporation for a number of years.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by daughters, Kelly (Scott) Bloemke of Belmond and Tanya (Mark) McFarland and their children, Kylar, Tanner and Braeden, all of Phoenix; sister, Mary (Dale) Wohnoutka of Cottage Grove, Minnesota and their children, Scot and Kari; and his former spouse, Pam Bushon of Phoenix.
©Belmond Independent 2012

David L. Riedel, 62, died on Friday, April 27, 2012, at his home in Rowan.

Services were held on Monday, April 30, at 10:30 a.m., at the United Church of Rowan, with Pastor Nancy Hofmeister officiating. Burial was in the Graceland Cemetery near Rowan.

David Lee, the son of Stanley and Selma Behnkendorf Riedel, was born on September 25, 1949 in Fort Dodge. He was baptized in LuVerne and later confirmed at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Latimer. He attended kindergarten through fourth grade in LuVerne. He then attended school in Rowan and Belmond, graduating from the Belmond High School in 1967.  As a young man David scooped sidewalks and mowed yards in Rowan. These jobs enabled him to buy his first Cushman scooter. He also delivered the Des Moines Register and helped Dave Benton with the garbage business.

After graduating from high school David joined a water tower painting crew. Working in many dangerous situations high off the ground, this job lasted ten days. Following that he worked for R.F. Aldrich Construction. David attended NIACC in Mason City where he studied elementary education. In 1969, David began working with his father at Riedel Truck Sales. During this time David believed he would be drafted into the U.S. Army, but a severe automobile accident prevented that. After working for a time at Rath meat packing in Waverly, he attended ICCC in Eagle Grove, studying elementary education. In 1970, he began work with Eb Rietz at the Rowan Lumber and Grain and helped load box cars at the elevator.

David was united in marriage to Barbara Finn on December 4, 1971. They made their home in and around Rowan. David operated a dump truck business, an auto body business, and helped Erv Halverson farm. From 1980 to 1992 he worked for the Jackson Jordan Railroad in Kansas. In 1992, he purchased a tree business from Rich Reed, which he continued until his death. Dave and Barb raised four wonderful children, Tracy, Jackie, Emily and Josh. They encountered many ups and downs with their children. From a lawn mowing accident to kidney surgeries, the Riedel are fighters that persevered, perseverance that stayed with David right up to his own death.

David is remembered for many things, but most of all for the passion he had for the things he liked: Triumph Motorcycles, the New York Yankees, NASCAR driver #23 Jimmy Spencer, and most of all his loving family. The big blue eyes full of mischief, the full head of silver-fox hair, the Cheshire-cat grin, and the contagious unique chuckle were David’s, and will long be remembered. It is impossible to contain all that he liked. It is his passion that will live on in his loving family.

He was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents; and a son-in-law, Tim Dorr.

David is survived by his wife, Barbara; children, Tracy Dorr of Rowan, Jaclyn (Jason) Wessels of Belmond, Emily Riedel of Sac City and Josh Riedel of Rowan; grandchildren, Kaitlyn Dorr and Madison and Tristan Wessels; great-grandchild, Gage Dorr; and parents, Stanley and Selma Riedel; sister, Marcia (Randy) Burt; and brothers, Larry (Donna) Riedel and Steven Riedel, all of Rowan.
©Belmond Independent 2012