Obituaries

Funeral services for Fern Louise Hargens, 93, of Spencer, formerly of Greenville, were conducted Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, at First English Lutheran Church in Spencer. Rev. Paul Kaldahl officiated the service. Fern, the daughter of William and Martha (Van Geest) Gibson, was born Dec. 15, 1927, in Greenville. Her childhood years were spent in Greenville, where she received her education, graduating from Greenville Consolidated High School in 1946, the last class to graduate from the school...

Funeral services for Lela Campbell Warren, 84, of Spencer, will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, at Warner Chapel in Spencer John Roberts will officiate the service. Visitation will be conducted one hour prior to the service at Warner Funeral Home in Spencer. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer...

Graveside services for Doretta Magdalena Unrau, 99, will be conducted at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, at Prairie View Cemetery in Paullina. Rev. Paul Kaldahl will officiate the service. Doretta, the daughter of William and Dora Appeldorn Holck, was born April 1, 1921, in Pipestone, Minnesota. The family moved to Iowa in 1932. Doretta received her early education and graduated from Marcus High School in 1939...

Funeral services for Chris Nielsen, 75, of Spencer, will be conducted at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, at the Warner Chapel in Spencer. Rev. Casey vanderBent will officiate the service. Visitation will begin at 4 p.m. Tuesday with the family present from 4-6 p.m. at the Warner Funeral Home in Spencer. Masks are required along with social distancing. Burial will be at North Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Spencer...

Gregory John King, 49, succumbed to cancer on Jan. 6, 2021, at his home in West Liberty with his wife, Michelle, by his side. Greg was born on Dec. 12, 1971, in Iowa City. He was lovingly adopted as an infant by Jean and Larry King and grew up on a farm near Greenville. ...

Graveside services for Donetta Magdalena Unrau, 99, of Spencer, will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, at Prairie View Cemetery in Paullina. Rev. Paul Kaldahl will officiate the service. Doretta, the daughter of William and Dora Appeldorn Holck, was born April 1, 1921, in Pipestone, Minnesota. The family moved to Iowa in 1932. Doretta received her early education and graduated from Marcus High School in 1939...

Graveside services for Marilyn Rehnstrom, 88, of Spencer, will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, at Barnes Township Cemetery in Linn Grove. Rehnsrom passed away Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Marilyn was born in Des Moines to Lawrence (Larry) and Wilberta (Billie) Dannenberg and spent her younger years in Storm Lake. ...

Bruce Michael Moffitt, the son of Clarence and Gladys (Aylward) Moffitt, was born on July 28, 1956, in Estherville. Bruce died Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, at his home in Spencer at the age of 64. A come-and-go memorial visitation will be held from 1-5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, at Henry Olson Funeral Chapel with a brief memorial service at 3 p.m. Rev. Doug Burton is officiating...

Duane "Dewey" Mahrt, 95, of Sioux City, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, at a local hospital. Services will be held on Friday, Jan. 8, at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel with Rev. Gene Stockton officiating. Visitation with family present. Masks and social distancing will be required for the entire visit and service...

Family graveside services for Ronald Alan Christofferson, 79, of Largo, Florida, formerly of Spencer, will be conducted Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, at Fairview Cemetery in Langdon. Ronald died peacefully on Monday Dec. 28, 2020. He was born June 10, 1941, in Milford the son of Florence Virginia Andersen Christofferson and Bjerne C. Christofferson...

Funeral services for Bessie Brinkley, 92, of Windom, Minnesota, formerly of Spencer, will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, at the Warner Chapel in Spencer. Rev. Chris St. Clair will officiate the service. Visitation will be conducted one hour prior to the funeral service. Burial will be at North Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Spencer...

Funeral services for Karen Kay Arndt, 75, of Spencer, will be conducted at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Spencer. Rev. Tim Hogan will officiate the service. Visitation will be conducted one hour prior to the funeral service at the church...

Funeral services for Rev. Randy Fylie James will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, 2020, at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Estherville. Rev. Lori Westfall will officiate the service. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m., Thursday at Henry-Olson Funeral Chapel in Estherville. He will be laid to rest in St. Paul’s of South Walnut Cemetery in Graettinger. Military honors will be performed by Nelson-Christensen American Legion Post No. 162 Iowa Honor Guard in Graettinger, Iowa...

There will be a public visitation for Holly Anne Donaldson, 65, of Cherokee, from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2020, at the Warner Funeral Home in Spencer. Masks and social distancing is required during the visitation. Holly, the daughter of George and Lorraine (Welch) Donaldson, was born on Dec. ...

Due to COVID-19 a visitation for James "Jim" Conlon, 80, of Spencer, is being planned for May 14 with Military Honors on May 15 at Crown Hill Cemetery in Ruthven. He passed away Dec. 31, 2020, at the Ruthven Community Care Center in Ruthven. Jim, son of James and Leona (Walsh) Conlon was born on Aug. 21, 1940, in Emmetsburg...

William Lawrence Stoffer, 64, was born Sept. 8, 1956, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the son of William W. and Delores (Miller) Stoffer. He died unexpectedly on Friday, Dec. 25, 2020, at his home in Spencer and will be dearly missed. Bill received his early education at Central Dauphin High School and went on to attend Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for a degree in bakery management and operations. This is where he met the love of his life, Marie...

Private family graveside services for Marlys Elaine Meyer, 86, of Superior, Nebraska, formerly of Spencer, will be conducted at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. Rev. Paul Frederiksen will officiate the services. A public celebration of life service will be announced at a later date...

Funeral services for Sullivan “Sully” Tavin McGuire, 15, of Spencer will be conducted at 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020 at First English Lutheran Church of Spencer. Rev. Paul Kaldahl will officiate the services. Burial will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. at Riverview Cemetery in Algona...

Private family services for Bonnie Jean Sorensen-Kunath, 95, of Spencer will be conducted at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church of Spirit Lake. Rev. Tom Early will officiate the services. Visitation with the family will be from 2-4 p.m. Sunday at the Warner Funeral Home in Spencer. Masks and social distancing is required during the visitation...

Eugene Harry Johnson, the son of Ernest and Grayce (Pedersen) Johnson, was born Feb. 7, 1928, in Alta. Gene grew up on the farm and though he left the farm, the love of farming never left him. Gene graduated from Fairview Consolidated School in 1945 where he enjoyed playing basketball. ...

Funeral services for Miles Bruce Rohan, 72, of Everly, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021, at the Warner Chapel in Everly. Rev. Michael Hyde will officiate the service. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service at Warner Funeral Home in Everly. Interment will take place at Riverside Cemetery at 1:30 p.m...

A memorial service for Lowell Franklin Merrill, 85, of Hawarden, is being planned for a future date. He passed away Friday, Dec. 25, 2020, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Lowell, son of Edgar L. and Grace L. (Buchholz) Merrill, was born Jan. ...

Private family services for Loueen Sylvia Huberg, 83, of Royal, will be held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Royal. Rev. Mark Wilms will officiate the service. Interment will take place at Willow Creek Cemetery in Royal. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Loueen’s name...

Funeral services for Melvin “Mel” Arthur Allen Sr., 70, of Fairfield, will be conducted Wednesday, Dec. 30, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Fairfield. Visitation will take place Tuesday, Dec. 29, from 2-7 p.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church. A livestream of the funeral will be available on the St. Mary's Fairfield Facebook page (stmarychurchfairfield). Burial to follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Fairfield...

Jean Nieman, 93, of Webster City, formerly of Spencer, died Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, at Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City. Fada Jean Allen, daughter of Rufus and Naomi Smith Allen, was born Oct. 20, 1927, in Lawton, Oklahoma. She attended Thomas Country School and graduated from Oklahoma City Wheeler School. ...

Funeral services for Helen Porter, 90, of Spencer and Hartley, formerly of Marathon, will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, at the Warner Chapel in Spencer. Rev. Paul Frederiksen will officiate the service. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the services at the funeral home. The family requests that masks be worn and social distancing will be practiced at all times. Interment will take place at the Poland Township Cemetery in Marathon...

Funeral services for Carla Naeve, 82, of Le Mars, were conducted Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020, at United Methodist Church of Le Mars with interment at Storm Lake Municipal Cemetery in Storm Lake. Expressions of sympathy may be expressed to the family through rexwinkelfh.com. Naeve passed away on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, at Floyd Valley Hospital in Le Mars due to complications from COVID-19...

Services for Leora Joann Riedemann, 84, of Spencer, were conducted at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Primghar. Rev. Lee Laaveg officiated the service. Riedemann passed away Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020, at the Emmetsburg Care Center...

Eugene Harry Johnson, the son of Ernest and Grayce (Pedersen) Johnson, was born Feb. 7, 1928, in Alta. Gene grew up on the farm and though he left the farm, the love of farming never left him. Gene graduated from Fairview Consolidated School in 1945 where he enjoyed playing basketball. ...

Eugene George Thill, 86, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and formerly of Cherokee, Iowa, passed away Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, at John Knox Village, in Lee’s Summit. Private family services will take place at a later date, with burial at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Cherokee...

Janice Marie Striepe passed away at her beloved East Lake Okoboji cottage on Dec. 12, 2020. She was born on Jan. 1, 1947, in Benson, Minnesota, to her mother Audrey Almon Ruplinger and her father Robert Leon Ruplinger. Her mother and father preceded her in death as well as Jim Ruplinger, her brother...

Private family services for Richard Harlan Seeley, 67, of Spencer, will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, at Hope Reformed Church in Spencer. The Rev. Jay Van Gelder will officiate the service. The service will be livestreamed on the church’s website. The family requests that masks be worn and social distancing be practiced at all times. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer...

Shirley Jane (Christensen) Runnels was born Nov. 16, 1946, in Spencer to Milton and Marian (Nielsen) Christensen. She grew up on a farm near Royal. In 1964 she married Jules Purvis and to this union were born Kelly, Jamie and Aaron. In 1982 she married Richard “Dick” Runnels and made her home in Omaha, Nebraska...

Services for Frances Irene LeMaster, 100, of Spencer, will be conducted at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, at Warner Chapel in Spencer. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery. She passed away Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in Spencer...

Private family services for Mildred Martena Klett, 98, of Spencer, formerly of Everly, will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, at Warner Chapel in Spencer. The Rev. Perry DeGroot will officiate the service. The family requests that masks be worn and social distancing will be practiced at all times. The service will be livestreamed on the Warner Funeral Home Facebook page. There will be no public visitation. Burial will be at the First Reformed Church Cemetery in rural Everly...

Private graveside services for Grace Ellen Hastings, 84, of Spencer, will be conducted at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. There will be no public visitation. Public memorial services will be announced at a later date. Grace, the daughter of Floyd Everett and Alice Muriel (Pierce) Wilkie, was born Aug. ...

A private family service will be held. Lawrence Ray Coleman, second child of Frank D. and Maude E. (Smith) Coleman, was born Feb. 23, 1927, on a farm in Murdo, South Dakota. At the age of 2 the family moved to a farm southeast of Ruthven. He attended a one-room country school house north of the farm. ...

Geraldine “Geri” P. Bruning, 95, of Holstein, passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, at AbiliT Holstein Senior Living of Holstein. A private family graveside service will be held at the Holstein Cemetery of Holstein with the Rev. Bob Lewis officiating the service. ...

Graveside services for Allen Myron Swanson, 74, of Peterson, will be conducted at 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, at Willow Creek Cemetery in Royal. The Rev. Mark Wilms will officiate the service. Visitation without the family present will be from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at Warner Funeral Home in Spencer. The family will be receiving friends at Allen’s house at 1410 440th St. in Peterson beginning at 2 p.m...

Services for Richard Dean Pierson, 86, of Spencer, will be conducted at 1 p.m. Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, at Warner Chapel in Spencer. The Rev. Paul Frederiksen will officiate the service. Masks must be worn and social distancing will be practiced. Public gathering will begin at 10 a.m. Monday with the family present one hour prior to the service at Warner Funeral Home in Spencer. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer...

Private graveside services for Cleber Daniel Meyer, 91, of Superior, Nebraska, formerly of Spencer, will be conducted at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. A public celebration of life will be conducted at a later date. Military services will be conducted by the American Legion and the VFW in Spencer. The family requests masks be worn and social distancing practiced...

Graveside services for Jane Ardyce Larson, 86, of Spencer, will be conducted at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. The Rev. John Jensen will officiate the service. Jane, the daughter of Wayne and Irma (Waggoner) Pickering, was born Feb. 6, 1934, in Spencer. Her childhood years were spent in the Greenville area where she attended school and graduated from Greenville Rossie High School in 1951...

Donnabelle Mae Ekberg was born 2 miles east of Royal on the family farm on Oct. 20, 1925, to her parents Franz Adolph Walstrom and Lila Mae Franker. She passed away peacefully of the coronavirus and pneumonia on Dec. 6, 2020, at her daughter’s home in Dublin, Virginia...

George Dewaine Clayton, 50, of rural Holmen, Wisconsin, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, at Gundersen Medical Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He was born in Macomb, Illinois, on March 5, 1970, to Gene and Rita (Kassing) Clayton. Dewaine graduated from Western Illinois University with a degree in law enforcement administration. ...

Funeral services for Hilda Schomaker, 73, of Spencer, will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, at the First Baptist Church in Spencer. The Rev. Curtis Batschelet will officiate the service. Visitation will be held one hour to the prior to the service at the church. The family requests masks be worn and social distancing will be practiced at all times at the cemetery. Burial will be at North Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Spencer...

Dorothy S. (Brink) Zvercher, 78, of Bella Vista, Arkansas, formerly of Spencer (Sept. 10, 1942 to Dec 5, 2020) passed away in Springdale, Arkansas, at the "Circle of Life" Hospice Center. Funeral will be at the Oolman Funeral Home on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, at 11 a.m. in Orange City. A public wake will be conducted from 5-7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home...

No service will be held at this time due to COVID-19 for David Donald Marks, 81. David, the son of Donald and Burnetta (Huiras) Marks, was born Feb. 14, 1939, in Cobden, Minnesota. David grew up in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota with his siblings, Mavis, Marlene, Janice, Linda and Dean. David received his education in Sleepy Eye Catholic School...

Public graveside services for Elsie Mae Jones, 101, of Spencer, will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, at the Silver Lake Cemetery in rural Ayrshire. The Rev. Jeff Geiger will officiate the service. The family requests masks be worn and social distancing be practiced. There will be no public visitation...

Shirley M. Griggs, born Dec. 7, 1934, passed away Monday, Nov. 30, 2020. Internment will be at Wakefield Cemetary, Wakefield, Nebraska, on June 22, 2021. Memorials go to Western Homes Foundation of Cedar Falls. She was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Adelia Lehman, Wakefield, Nebraska and a sister, Mardelle Olson, Fountain Hills, Arizona...

Marjorie Wood Faulkner, daughter of Fred and Dorothy Wood, was born Dec. 30, 1937, in Mallard, and passed from this life Wednesday Nov. 25, 2020, in home hospice with family in Rogers, Minnesota, at 82 years of age. Marjorie grew up in northwest Iowa. She earned a master's degree in education from Drake in 1987. Schools she taught at include Hubbard, Urbandale and Osceola...