OBITUARIES

Oct 22, 2024

Mary Kay Cochran, age 79 of Williamsburg, formerly of Marengo, died Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at the English Valley Care Center.

Memorial Services will be held at 6:00 P.M., Saturday, October 26, 2024, Kloster Funeral Home, Marengo, with Rev. Beth Harbaugh officiating. The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 P.M. on Saturday October 26, 2024,...

Oct 21, 2024

Verda Faye Ropp was born December 6, 1933, in Kalona, IA, the daughter of Lewis C. Ropp and Magdalena (Hershberger) Ropp. She married William Swartzendruber on August 18, 1959, at Sunnyside Church in Kalona. Verda Swartzendruber passed away Monday, October 21, 2024, at Pleasantview Home in Kalona at the age of 90.

Verda taught elementary school for four years, was an...

Oct 21, 2024

Raejeana Mae Jay, age 48, of Brooklyn, passed away suddenly at her home the morning of Monday, October 21, 2024. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, October 26, 2024, with Pastor Dorothy Banzhaf officiating, at 3780 165 th Street, Brooklyn, Iowa 52211. Memorials may be sent in care of Raejeana to her husband Keith at...

Oct 21, 2024

Mickie M. Perian , age 65, of Pacific Junction, Iowa, formerly of Cedar Rapids, passed away Monday, October 21, 2024 in Council Bluffs, following an extended illness. Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Monday, October 28, 2024, at Kloster Funeral Home, Marengo with Rev. Tim Miller officiating. Burial will be in Zion Cemetery, rural Ladora with military...

Oct 19, 2024

Thomas Neal “Tom” Roth, 73, of Mount Pleasant, died Saturday, October 19, 2024, at Parkview Home in Wayland, Iowa, of complications due to Parkinson’s. 

Thomas was born on January 31, 1951, in Washington, Iowa, to Neal and Martha (Wenger) Roth. He had two brothers Ron (Char) Roth of La Grange, Indiana, and Mark (Donna) Roth of Wayland, Iowa, and two sisters...

Oct 18, 2024

Janet Gesine (Schmidt) Jenson was born April 26, 1939, to Arthur H. and Norma (Walter) Schmidt at home in Hilton Township, Iowa. She baptized on May 18, 1939, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Conroy, Iowa. She attended Trinity Lutheran School and was confirmed at Trinity, April 19, 1953. Janet graduated from Hilton Consolidated School in Conroy on May 16th ,...

Oct 18, 2024

Peter Edward Brenneman was born on April 18, 1981 in Denver, Colorado, the beloved son of James and Dianne Brenneman and Rebecca Wyse. He graduated from West High School in Iowa City, Iowa and attended City College of San Francisco, California where he accrued credits toward the completion of a construction management degree. Peter had a passion for music, woodworking...

Oct 17, 2024

Cedar Rapids- Cody “Charly” Thomas was born February 22, 1994, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the child of Robert Thomas and Christina (LeHew) Thomas. Charly graduated from Williamsburg High School in 2012 and worked as a Client Relation Consultant at US Bank in Waterloo. Charly loved music, rocking out at concerts, traveling and spending time with family. Charly died Thursday, October...

Oct 17, 2024

Lieutenant Colonel Larry Walter Wandling, United States Air Force, Retired, died on October 17, 2024 in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Memorial services are pending. Larry will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery at a future date.

Larry is survived by his wife, Phyllis Davis and his daughters; Laurie (Bryan) Livengood of Lexington, KY; and Lisa (Joe) Cooling of Roswell,...

Oct 15, 2024

Williamsburg-Don A. Lortz, age 87, of Williamsburg, passed away on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at the Highland Ridge Care Center in Williamsburg.

Born on a snowy afternoon back in February 25, 1937, Don Lortz burst into the quiet Lortz family, shaking up and adding joy, but likely no peace, to the lives of his father, Ralph William, his mother, Pearl Dorothy...

Oct 14, 2024

MOUNT PLEASANT- Richard Roy Libby, 83, of Mount Pleasant, passed away unexpectedly on October 14, 2024, at home. He is now absent from the body and present with the Lord.

Born on September 25, 1941, in Bandon, Oregon, Roy was the son of Virgil Watson and Esther Joy Libby. He graduated from Pacific High School in 1960 and attended Multnomah School...

Oct 14, 2024

MOUNT PLEASANT- John L. Tasker, age 71, was blessed to meet the Lord on October 14, 2024, at Savannah Heights Care Center in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.

John was born in Anamosa, Iowa, on March 16, 1953. He was the third child born to Jack and Dorothy (Mott) Tasker. John was raised in Wyoming, Iowa. John served in the United States Navy...

Oct 14, 2024

Brooklyn- Dean E Gorsch was born October 29, 1958, in Sigourney, Iowa the son of Edward Louis and Marilyn Elaine (Wyant) Gorsch. He graduated from Deep River Millersburg High School in 1977. He worked at Amana Refrigeration for many years. Dean served on the Blairstown Fire Dept., and was an EMT on the Blairstown Ambulance. He enjoyed hunting, cooking and...

Oct 13, 2024

Conroy- Loras Robert Osweiler was born December 6, 1955, in Sigourney, Iowa the son of Robert W. and Marilyn Lou (Bickford) Osweiler. He graduated in 1974 from English Valley High School, in 1978 from Iowa State University with a degree in business and earned his MBA from the University of Montana in 1986. Loras served in the United States Air...

Oct 11, 2024

Rebecca “Becky” Ann Belcher, age 72, died Friday, October 11, 2024, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after a long courageous battle with Amyloidosis. 

Becky was born July 15, 1952, in Iowa City, Iowa, to Lewis and Joyce (Cox) Belcher. She graduated from Mid Prairie High School in Wellman, Iowa, in 1970, where she was active in band, choir,...

Oct 11, 2024

SIGOURNEY-Dickie Lee Hammes, age 71, of Sigourney, died Friday, October 11, 2024, at his home.

 Dickie was born September 12, 1953, in Sigourney, to Harold and Ardis (Yahnke) Hammes and graduated from Sigourney High School in 1971. He served in the Army National Guard 134th Medical Company for over 15 years before being deployed during Operation Desert Storm. On November 11,...

Oct 10, 2024

HARPER-Jeanette Marlene (Hammen) Besser, age 90, of Lone Tree, formerly of Harper, died Thursday, October 10, 2024, at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

 Jeanette was born August 28, 1934, in Harper, to Albert P. and Theresa C. (Weber) Hammen. On April 30, 1955, she married William V. Besser at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Harper. Jeanette was...

Oct 10, 2024

Irene McCulla, age 96 of Pella, formerly of Brooklyn, passed away Thursday, October 10, 2024, at Hearthstone, a Wesley Life Community for Healthy Living, in Pella.

A Memorial Service will be held at Grace United Methodist Church in Brooklyn, on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at 11:00 A.M. with Rev. Guylain Yumba and Rev. John Dodds officiating. The...

Oct 7, 2024

Williamsburg- Charles Anthony “Tony” Weldon was born June 24, 1964, in Iowa City, Iowa the son of James Lowell and Vivian Fern (Oris) Weldon. He graduated from Williamsburg High School and Kirkwood Community College with a welding certificate. He worked at Williamsburg Manufacturing for many years before most recently working at Kinze Manufacturing. On October 3, 1992, Tony was united...

Oct 7, 2024

Riverside-Nancy Winifred Graber Gingerich, 86, of Kalona, Iowa, passed away peacefully at home on October 7, 2024, following complications from cancer. Born March 8,1938 to Daniel and Mildred (Swartzendruber) Graber, Nancy was the first of four children. She attended rural school and graduated from Iowa Mennonite School in 1956. On July 30, 1957, she was united in marriage with Marlin...