Obituaries

Services for Catherine N. Joenks, 63, will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, at First Congregational Church in Spencer. Rev. Casey VanderBent will officiate the service. Catherine, daughter of Milo Dean and Edith Faye (Homer) Nelson, was born Sept. 16, 1957, in Pocatello, Idaho. She graduated from Ben Lomond High School in Ogden, Utah...

Graveside services for Bernice Erickson, 94, of Grand Ledge, Michigan, formerly of Spencer, will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. Rev. Paul Frederiksen will officiate the service. Erickson passed away Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, in Grand Ledge...

Dennis Edwardson, 82, of Spencer, formerly of Sioux Rapids, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020 at the St. Luke Nursing Home in Spencer. Funeral services will be held on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, at 10 a.m. at the First United Church in Sioux Rapids. ...

Private family services for Clara Goeken, 97, of Everly, will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, at Hope Lutheran Church in Everly. Rev. Dan Taylor will officiate the service. Friends are welcome to drive-up and tune into the services from their vehicle...

Services for LaVonne June Weisbrod, 91, will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at Faith Lutheran Church in Spencer. Rev. Lee Laaveg will officiate the service. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. LaVonne June Weisbrod, the daughter of Leo and Cecelia (Henning) Lenhart was born July 12, 1929, in Hartley. Her childhood years were spent in the Greenville and Rossie area, where she attended school and graduated from Greenville Rossie High School in 1947...

Graveside services for Helen Mary Geddes, 84, of Spencer, will be conducted at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. Rev. Beth Preston will officiate the service. Helen, the daughter of Eugene and Emma (Smith) Penning, was born July 30, 1936 in Spencer. ...

Memorial services for Ruth Ann Fick, 79, of Spencer, were conducted at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, at the Grace United Methodist Church in Spencer. Rev. Tonna Parsons officiated the service. Ruth, the daughter of Oliver and Lois (Calkins), was born May 15, 1941, in Spencer. Her childhood years were spent in Everly where she attended Everly Community Schools. She graduated in 1958...

Billy Bangs, 85, passed away on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. He was born on April 27, 1935, in Fremont County, Iowa. His parents were Hope and Leo Bangs. Due to the current environment related to COVID-19, there will not be visitation or funeral arrangements at this time. A gravesite gathering with family will occur at Locust Grove Cemetery in Fremont County at a later date...

Funeral services for Dale Tigges, 73, of Peterson, will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, at St. John’s Cemetery in Peterson. Dave Orthmann will officiate the service. Interment will take place at St. John’s Cemetery. Tigges passed away on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020, at Ennoble Nursing Home in Dubuque...

Joshua Harold Boyd passed away Oct. 4, 2020, in a tragic motorcycle accident in Belleville, Kansas. Josh was born June 28, 1985, in St Louis Park, Minnesota, to parents Mark and Mona Boyd. Josh was raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and his family moved to Spencer in 2001. Josh graduated from Spencer High School with the class of 2003...

Marilyn (Krage) Higgins was born Jan. 23, 1935, to Roy and Helen (Betz) Krage of Sioux City. Marilyn adored and cherished her seven brothers and sisters, Ron, Sam, Helen Ann, Blanche, Barb, Colonel and Mary Alice. Marilyn’s greatest accomplishment comes in the form of the seven children she and Bob raised together: Roy, Mike, John, Teresa, Robert, Lisa and Mary...

Richard “Rick” Lowry, 62, of Spirit Lake, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after a short battle with esophageal cancer. A memorial service for Rick will be held at 10:30 a.m. at The Barn in Spirit Lake on Saturday, Oct. ...

Mary Carlson, 79, of Fort Dodge, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Funeral services will be held on Saturday Oct. 10, at 1 p.m. at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Moorland with Monsignor Kevin McCoy officiating the Mass of Christian burial. Burial will be in Our Lady of Good Counsel Cemetery, Moorland. Visitation will be on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church in Moorland. Masks are encouraged along with social distancing...

Bruce Gilbert Benna, 69, died Sept. 1, 2020, at his home in Jefferson. Bruce attended school in Webb, graduating from Spencer High School. He served his country as a United States Marine in Vietnam. He was the recipient of a Purple Heart. After his honorable discharge he attended Des Moines Area Community College for drafting. For most of his life, Bruce lived in Iowa, except for a few years in California. After returning to Iowa, he had his own construction-management business...

Services for Holli Ann (Ewoldt) Safley, 68, of Peterson, who passed away on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will be at 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 2, at InnSpiration Winery in rural Linn Grove with the Rev. Grant Mangold officiating...

Graveside services for Evelyn May Sweet, 74, will be conducted at 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. The Rev. Paul Fredericksen wll conduct the service. Inurnment will occur at Riverside Cemetery. Evelyn, the daughter of Joe and Minnie (Luzy) Sweet, was born May 14, 1946, in Spencer. She received her education in Spencer, graduating from Spencer High School. Evelyn continued her education at Larson Beauty School in Spencer...

Shirley Anne Kunkel Elser passed at Community Memorial Health Center on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, at the age of 85. Shirley was born Aug. 5, 1935, the daughter of Martin and Loretta (Konz) Klein in Alton. Shirley attended schools in Granville and Remsen, graduating from St. Mary’s Catholic High School in 1953. The Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Hartley on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, 10:30 a.m. with burial at Pleasant View Cemetery...

Dorothy Janice Kassel, 89, of Emmetsburg, passed away Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, at the Palo Alto County Hospital in Emmetsburg. Funeral services will be held Saturday, Sept. 26, at 10 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Emmetsburg. Her family will greet friends on Saturday morning from 9-10 a.m. at the church. Burial will be at Silver Lake Cemetery in Ayrshire...

Janet MacLean Schilling, formerly of Spencer and Royal, passed away peacefully on Sept. 14, 2020, shortly before her 91st birthday. Janet was born on Sept. 19, 1929, in Youngstown, Ohio, and died at home in Clovis, California. She attended Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, where she met her husband, the Rev. Russell Schilling. They married in 1951...

Private family services for Rita Kae Kladstrup, 78, of Spencer, will be conducted at a later date. Burial will be at Lakeview Cemetery in Spirit Lake. Rita, the daughter of Fred and Mabel (Tuttle) Emerson was born on Jan. 15, 1942, in Spirit Lake. Her childhood years were spent in the Spirit Lake area, where she attended school...

Marjorie Ann Dudley Cuddy, daughter of Christopher and Virginia Dudley of Ruthven passed away on Sept. 9, 2020, at the age of 71.
Marge grew up on a farm near Terril with her brother, Norm, where she was also an all-state basketball player and graduated from Terril High School in 1967. ...

Private family graveside services will be held at the Wakefield Cemetery, Wakefield, Nebraska, for Barbara J. (Morey) Hypse, 89, of Wayne, Nebraska, formerly of Spencer. No visitation will be held. She passed away Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, at the Providence Medical Center in Wayne...

Services for Elaine Ruth (Zinn) Buenger, 94, of Spencer, formerly of Aurelia, will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Alta. The Rev. Zachery Viggers will officiate. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, rural Aurelia, following the service...

Graveside services for Dr. Sherry Folsom-Meek, 76, of Mankato, Minnesota, formerly of Spencer, will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. Rev. Casey vander Bent will officiate the service. Sherry died peacefully in her sleep on the morning of Aug. 29, 2020, following a courageous battle with kidney disease. She was a resident of Mankato Hillcrest Rehabilitation Center, where she was happy for the great care given her by caring staff...

Phyllis Joan Parr, 91, passed away in Spencer on Aug. 31, 2020, as a resident of St. Luke Lutheran Home. Phyllis was born Aug. 8, 1929, in Wagner, South Dakota, and grew up in the town of Sioux Rapids. Phyllis was a high school baton twirler in marching band and worked selling popcorn in the Town’s Movie Theater. ...

On Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, James “Jim” D. Zinn passed away after fighting cancer for a year and a half. He was 73 years old. Jim was born on Aug. 9, 1947, in Spencer to Margaret (Gould) and Lester Zinn. He grew up on a farm, going to country school. He graduated from Spencer High School in 1965 where he was active in the Riverton Rowdies 4-H club, played baseball and ran track. ...

Memorial services for Margo S. Wood will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, at the Warner Chapel in Spencer. The Rev. Beth Preston will officiate the service. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. Margo died peacefully on April 18, 2020, in her home in Saint George, Utah, following a 19-month struggle with cancer...

Funeral services for Clarence “Bud” Taylor, 96, of Spencer, will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, at the Warner Chapel in Spencer. The Rev. John Syvertson will officiate the service. Visitation will be conducted one hour prior to the services at the funeral home. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. The family requests those attending the visitation and services wear a mask covering...

Pamela Sue Johnson, 76, of Littleton, Colorado, and formerly of Janesville, Iowa, passed away on Aug. 26, 2020, at the Morningstar Assisted Living of Littleton. Public visitation will be held on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, from 1-2 p.m. followed by funeral services at 2 p.m. ...

Funeral services for David Klaas Oltman, 70, of Spencer, will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, at Hope Reformed Church in Spencer. The Rev. Russell Muilenburg will officiate the service. Visitation with the family will be conducted from 5-7 p.m. at Hope Reformed Church services at the church...

Funeral services for Eileen Alma Lanning, 95, of Spencer, will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at the Warner Chapel in Spencer. The Rev. Paul Frederiksen will officiate the service. Visitation will be conducted one hour prior to the services at the Warner Funeral Home in Spencer. Burial will be conducted at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. The family requests that everyone in attendance wear a mask...

Private funeral services for Norman Goodwin Halverson, 93, of Spencer, will be conducted at 10:00 A.M., Saturday, August 29, at the Warner Chapel in Spencer and will be livestreamed on the Warner Funeral Home Facebook page. The Rev. John Syvertson will officiate the service. Visitation will be open after 5 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Lone Tree Cemetery in Sioux Rapids. Military services will be conducted by American Legion Graeber-Rowe Post 394 of Sioux Rapids...

JoAnn Emma Gunnarson, 87, of Marathon, died Aug. 23, 2020, at her home in Marathon. Family memorial services will take place at a later date. Burial will be in the Poland Township Cemetery in Marathon. JoAnn, the daughter of Harold and Goldie (Sonksen) Christiansen, was born Oct. 20, 1932, in Danbury. Growing up, JoAnn attended grade school and high school. She graduated from Garfield High School in 1951...