Obituaries

Arnold 'Shorty' Luitjens (03/11/10)
Arnold "Shorty" Luitjens, 89, of Ashton, Iowa, died Friday, March 5, 2010, at the Country View Manor in Sibley. Funeral services were Tuesday, March 9, at the First Presbyterian Church in Ashton, with Reverend Dale Lint officiating. Burial followed in the Gilman Township Cemetery of Ashton...

Marvin Shatto (03/09/10)
Marvin Shatto, 60, of Marshalltown, died Thursday, March 4, 2010, at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minn., after a 17-year battle with MS. His death came peacefully at 9:56 p.m. with his loving family at his side. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 10, at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 3001 S. Sixth St. in Marshalltown, with Pastor Mike Herschberger officiating...

Virginia Traughber (03/06/10)
Funeral services for Mrs. Virginia Traughber, 88, of Spencer, will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 6, at Warner Chapel in Spencer. Rev. Paul Kaldahl will officiate the service. Visitation will begin at 5 p.m. Friday, with the family present from 6-7 p.m. at the Warner Funeral Home in Spencer...

Robert W. Wakefield (03/05/10)
Funeral services for Mr. Robert W. Wakefield, 89, of Spencer, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 5, at Warner Chapel in Spencer. Rev. Dale Hodges will officiate the service. Visitation will begin at noon Thursday at the Warner Funeral Home in Spencer with the family present from 6-8 p.m. Masonic services will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Warner Funeral Home. A military flag presentation will take place following the services Friday at Warner Funeral Home...

James Christensen (03/05/10)
Funeral services for Mr. James Christensen, 95, of Royal, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 6, at Warner Chapel in Spencer. Rev. Deb Mechler will officiate the service. Interment will take place in Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. Mr. Christensen passed away Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010, at Ruthven Care Center in Ruthven...

Cheryl Buren (03/04/10)
Funeral services for Ms. Cheryl Buren, 57, of Royal, were held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 3, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Royal. Rev. Dr. Jo Frahm Watkins officiated the service. Visitation was on Tuesday at 2 p.m. with the family present from 5-7 p.m. at the Warner Funeral Home in Spencer...

Joey Elbert (02/27/10)
Services for Joey Elbert, 49, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, 201, at Spirit Lake High School's gymnasium. Rev. John Messer will officiate the service. Refreshments will be served after the service. Joey passed away Feb. 22, 2010, in Tijuana, Mexico after battling cancer for 11 months...

Jacob "Jake" Ralph (02/27/10)
Funeral services for Mr. Jacob "Jake" Ralph, 28 of Milford, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at Grace United Methodist Church in Spencer. Rev. Chuck Kellogg will officiate the service. Interment will take place in Riverside Cemetery in Spencer...

Linda J. Wejcman (02/27/10)
Services were held for Linda J. Wejcman, 70 of Minneapolis, Minn., Friday, Feb. 26, 2010, at Thomson-Dougherty Mansion in Minneapolis. Private interment followed. Wejcman passed away from acute leukemia. Linda J. Wejcman, a former state of Minnesota legislator, represented South Minneapolis 10 years (1991-2001). ...

Thelma Weiland Wiese (02/26/10)
Services for Mrs. Thelma Wiese, 81 of Golden, Colo., formerly of Spencer and Hartley, will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at Warner Chapel in Spencer. Visitation will take place from 4-9 p.m. Friday with the family present from 5-7 p.m. at the Warner Funeral Home in Spencer...

Howard 'Burrel' Matthews (02/25/10)
Funeral services for Howard "Burrel" Matthews, 97 of Webb, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at United Methodist Church in Webb. Rev. Julie McCullough will officiate the service. Interment will take place in Garfield Cemetery in Webb. Mr. Matthews passed away Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010, at Spencer Hospital...

Ione Mathison (02/19/10)
Funeral services for Ione Mathison, 88, of Spencer, will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19, at First Christian Church in Spencer. Rev. Dan Mayes will officiate the service. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday at the church. A lunch and fellowship will follow the visitation at the church...

Clarence Birchard (02/18/10)
Funeral services for Mr. Clarence Birchard, 88 of Everly, were held Thursday, Feb 18, at Hope Reformed Church in Spencer. Rev. Russell Muilenburg officiated the service. Interment took place in North Lawn Memorial Park in Spencer. Mr. Birchard passed away Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010, at Spencer Hospital...

Opal DuBois (02/16/10)
Funeral services for Opal DuBois, 90, of Spencer, were held at 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 15, at Hope Reformed Church in Spencer. Revs. Russell Muilenburg and Dale Hodges officiated the service. Mrs. DuBois passed away Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010, at Spencer Hospital...