Obituaries

Mary Grace “Bette” Washington was born Sept. 14, 1916, to Edwarad Thomas Washington and Frances Lucille Barnett Washington in Ruthven (Highland Township). She was baptized on Oct. 8, 1916, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Ruthven. The schools she attended were: Palo alto county school of Ruthven, Clay County Sioux Township School, Lincoln School in Spencer, and Spencer High School. ...

Lillian Louise Jenkins, 97, of Spencer, passed away May 26, 2020, at Northshire Residence in Spencer. Services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 30, 2020, at Warner Chapel in Spencer. Rev. Brad Wallace will officiate the service. There will be no public visitation. Burial will be at North Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Spencer...

Jerry Dean Hillegas, 60, died unexpectedly at his home in Everly on May 19, 2020. He was born Jan. 12, 1960, in Spencer to Harlin and Karen (Jordan) Hillegas. Jerry was an Everly Cattlefeeder K-12, Class of 1978, active in band and choir. Jerry retired from the Navy with 20 years of enlisted service. Genealogy, Comic Books and Bingo were his passions...

Annette Fairchild, 91, of Spirit Lake, passed away on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, at her home in Spirit Lake. Memorial services will be held at a later date. Burial will be held on the Lakeview Gardens Cemetery on Spirit Lake. Annette was born in Albert City on Nov. ...

Dennis Bruce Oviatt, the son of Dwain and Phyllis (Fogarty) Oviatt, was born on Nov. 4, 1958, in the Spencer Municipal Hospital, Spencer. He was raised in Dickens and Spencer. He attended Spencer High School, where he graduated in the class of 1977. He attended the Culinary Institute at Des Moines Area Community College...

Graveside service for Keith Kail Walker was conducted Monday, May 18, 2020, at Garfield Cemetery in Webb. Rev. Curtis DeFord, of Grace Baptist Church in Emmetsburg, officiated. Inurnment was conducted at the cemetery. Keith, son of J. Harley and Alice (Woodford) Walker, was born March 27, 1926, on the family farm, near Webb. ...

Susan June Noel, the daughter of Harry Noel Jr. and Joan (Ressequie) Noel, was born on Dec. 3, 1944, in Spencer. Her childhood years were spent between Spencer and Scottsdale, Arizona. She was active in the Spencer drill team, barrel racing her horses Ribbons and Hank, hanging out at the Lake’s family cottage sunbathing, and enjoying time with friends...

Memorial sevices for Keith McCarl Mortenson, 82, of Dickens, will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the family farm, 335 280th Ave. in Dickens. Darcy Sonius will officiate the service. Keith, the son of Engold and Sigrid (Simonsen) Mortenson, was born on Feb. ...

A private family memorial service for Larry Kilts will be conducted before he is laid to rest at Superior Township Cemetery. Larry, the son of Otis and Opal (Grobe) Kilts, was born on March 7, 1941, in Spirit Lake. He passed away on Monday, May 11, 2020, in Spirit Lake at the age of 79...

Due to the regulations set by the Governor's Public Health Disaster Declaration, no public visitation or service will be held at this time. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Clare Ray Swanson, son of Ray E. Swanson and Helen Claire (Calhoun) Swanson, was born on April 1, 1943, in Estherville. ...

Patricia Murdock Rahn, 87, passed away peacefully at Glendale Gardens in Springfield, Missouri, on May 6, 2020. Patricia was born July 13, 1932, the daughter of Carl Rahn and Ruth Murdock Rahn in Ocheyedan. After spending her early childhood in Ocheyedan, the family moved to Hartley in 1943. ...

The family will not be having a public memorial for Michael Francis Hynes, 60, of Spencer, at this time. The private family service will be livestreamed on the Warner Funeral Home Facebook page at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 12, 2020. Rev. Tim Hogan will officiate the service...

The private family service for Maria “Lu” Luise Horning, 67, of Spencer, were livestreamed on the Warner Funeral Home Facebook page at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 11, 2020. Rev. Tim Hogan will officiate the service. Burial will be at North Lawn Memorial Park in Spencer...

Jaci J. Hermstad, 26, a true warrior and angel, passed away holding her loving parents’ hands on Friday, May 1, 2020, in their home in Spencer. Private family services took place Friday, May 8, 2020, with a celebration of life service to follow at a later date. Burial was in the Storm Lake Cemetery. In lieu of flowers and memorials, we ask that you wait until the celebration of life service. Thank you so much for understanding and honoring the families wishes at this time...

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, private family services for James “Jim” Lawrence Reis, 63, of Spencer, were conducted Thursday, May 7, 2020, at Warner Chapel in Spencer. Rev. Jeff Geiger officiated the service. The services were live-streamed on Warner Funeral Home Facebook page...

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, private family services for Daniel Jay Merten, 65, of Spencer, will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 9, 2020. Rev. Tim Hogan will officiate the service. The services will be livestreamed on Warner Funeral Home Facebook page...

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, private family services for Richard “Dick” Donald Hallett Sr., 95, of Spencer, will be conducted at Warner Chapel in Spencer. Rev. Tim Hogan will officiate the service. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer...

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, private services for Loretta Alice Sweet, 75, of Spencer, will be conducted at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, 2020, at Warner Funeral Home in Spencer. Rev. Tim Hogan will officiate the service...

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, private graveside services for Paul Harry Shearer, 90, of Spencer, will be conducted at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. A public memorial service will be conducted at a later date...

Robert “Bob” G. Rovang, 85, passed away peacefully on April 24, 2020, with family by his side. Robert was born Sept. 18, 1934, in rural Brandon to Theodore “Hardy” Rovang and Gladys (Rose) Rovang. He grew up in Brandon, graduating from Brandon High School in 1952. ...

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, memorial services for Jim Umscheid Sr., 88, of Greenville, will be conducted at a later date. Rev. Tonna Parsons will officiate the service. Burial will be at Liberty Cemetery in Greenville...

Linda S. Meyer, 79, of Racine, Wisconsin, formerly of Spencer, passed away Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, at Villa at Lincoln Park from the ravages of Alzheimer's disease. She was born Nov. 7, 1940, in Pocahontas, the daughter of the late Herbert and Thelma Hammer...

Worney John Johnson Jr., 89, of Ames, passed away on Tuesday April 28, 2020, at Israel House Hospice in Ames. John was born on April 13, 1931, in Marshall County, Iowa; he was the son of Worney and Mary (Hodson) Johnson Sr. He attended and graduated from Van Cleve High School and later earned degrees in agriculture education (B.S.) and rural sociology (M.S.) from Iowa State University. ...

LeRoy Louis Ball, 82, of Greeley, Colorado, passed away on March 16, 2020, at his home surrounded by loved ones. LeRoy was born to James and Marie (Beauvais) Ball on July 13, 1937, in Buena Vista County. The oldest of four boys raised on a farm in northwest Iowa. He attended school in Webb and graduated in 1956. He proudly served in the United States Army 1957-59. A portion of that time he was stationed in Vassincourt, France...

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the family will not be having a public memorial service for Thomas M. Willey, 86, of Spencer. Rev. Lee Laaveg will officiate the service. Burial will be at Waterman Cemetery in Sutherland...

Mary Margaret Warren, the daughter of Harry and Joyce (Fredenburg) Warren, was born on Oct. 26, 1939, at the Cherokee Hospital in Cherokee. She began and completed her education in the Royal Consolidated School district. After graduation she attended Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina for one year and then Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for one year. ...

A private family service was held for William "Bill" Bruce Fredin, 94, of Milford. Burial was at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Spirit Lake. He was born May 17, 1925, in Greenville to Swan and Dagmar (Chalstrom) Fredin. He was always known as Bill. He graduated from Greenville High School in 1943, B.A. ...

The life of Thomas Hughes Hart began in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 25, 1931, son of Clarence Hart and Arlene Hughes Hart. He joined two older sisters. The family moved to a farm south of Gillett Grove when Tom was a child. Tom attended Gillett Grove School through eighth grade. ...

Due to the regulations set by the governor's public health disaster declaration, no public visitation or service will be held at this time. A memorial Mass will be held on July 25, 2020. Stanley Russell Smith was born on Nov. 23, 1946, to Melvin and Almeda (Jones) Smith in Webb. ...

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the family of Gladys Rose Wilcox, 99, of Spencer, will not be having a public memorial at this time. A public memorial service will be conducted at a later date. Rev. John Syvertson will oversee the family service...

Due to the regulations set forth by the governor's public health disaster declaration, no public visitation or service will be held at this time for Margaret McCombs. A memorial service will be held at a later date. A private graveside service will be held at Valley View Cemetery in Graettinger...

Paul Frederick Lenz, son of Roland and Luella (Oberhelman) Lenz, died peacefully at home, surrounded by family on April 14, 2020, after a short battle with lung cancer. Paul was born in Fort Dodge on March 12, 1952. He grew up on a farm outside of LuVerne and graduated from LuVerne High School in 1970. ...

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the family of Duane Arnold Harmelink, 86, of Spencer, will have private family services. Rev. Steve Perry will officiate. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. Duane Arnold Harmelink, the son of Charlie and Gert (Van Iperen) Harmelink was born March 30, 1934, in Ashton. ...

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the family of Georgia Jensen, 85, of Spencer, will not be having a public memorial at this time. Rev. Lynn Dau will oversee the family service. There will be no public visitation. Burial will be at Pleasant View Cemetery in Hartley...

Due to the regulations set forth by the governor's public health disaster declaration, no public visitation or service will be held at this time. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Julia “Judy” Frances Crowley was born in Palo Alto Memorial Hospital at 10th and Grand in Emmetsburg on Jan. 27, 1940. Her parents, Joe and Della (Schwartz) Crowley, and her big sister, Maryanne (Charles) Slagle...

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the family of Lenore “Connie” Alger, 97, of Spencer, will not be having a public memorial at this time. A public memorial service will be conducted at a later date. There will be no public visitation. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer...

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, memorial services for Cleo LaVerne Johnson, 94, of Spencer, will be conducted at a later date. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. Cleo, the son of Earl and Elsie (Giberson) Johnson, was born in Feb. ...

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the family of Beverly Joan Johnson, 88, of Spencer, will not be having a public memorial at this time. There will be no public visitation. Burial will be at North Lawn Memorial Park in Spencer...

A family graveside service will take place for Cletes Clarence Meyer, 93, of Hartley, who died Sunday, April 5, 2020. Keeping with guidelines regarding COVID-19, a celebration of life service will be held at a later date. Cletes, son of Ernest and Elsie Meyer, was born Dec. ...

Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the family of Joan Cynthia Schmann, 80, of Spencer, will be conducting a public memorial at a later date. Rev. John Jensen will officiate the family service. There will be no public visitation. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer...

Joyce A. Olson, 75, of Blaine, passed away on April 1, 2020, unexpectedly following hospitalization with pneumonia and underlying complications of diabetes and liver issues. A celebration of life will be planned for sometime in the future when we are once again allowed to gather together...

Henry “Jack” Holzhauer, 88, died Thursday April 2, 2020, at Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake. Born on April 2, 1932 in Newark, New Jersey, he was the son of Henry John Holzhauer and Ethel Rae (Jarman) Holzhauer. He attended the University of Vermont and completed his Business degree at Rider University in Trenton, New Jersey...

A private family funeral service is planned for Esther Louise Baxter, 89, in accordance with state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 3, 2020, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Spencer. Rev. Tim Hogan will officiate the service...

David Alan Grice, 55, of Spring, Texas, passed away Friday, March 27, 2020, in Spring. David the son of William Grice, of Spirit Lake, and Carol (Leith) Lauritzen and husband Bill, of Spencer, was born Dec. 12, 1964, in Storm Lake. Dave graduated from Laurens Consolidated Schools in 1983. ...