Verlyn D. Keeling

August 20, 2009

Verlyn D. Keeling, age 62, of Rowan, died unexpectedly on Sunday, August 2, 2009, at the Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, August 5, at the United Church of Rowan, with Pastor Nancy Hofmeister officiating. Burial, with full military honors, was in the Allison Municipal Cemetery in Allison.

Verlyn, the son of Orie and Alice (Dresher) Keeling, was born on May 19, 1947 at Clarion. He was raised in Clarion where he attended and graduated from the Clarion Schools in the class of 1965. Following his schooling, he served in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict. He was honorably discharged after two years of service as a Sergeant. Verlyn was united in marriage to Joyce Van Raden, on October 5, 1969, at the Presbyterian Church, Clarion. The couple's union was blessed with two sons, Chadly and Robby.

Verlyn was an auto mechanic spending two years operating a mechanic's shop in Eldon, Missouri, following their marriage before commencing his career as owner of Keeling's Auto Repair in Belmond which he operated for 36 years serving Belmond and the surrounding communities. He was willing to drop what he was doing to help others in their time of need, including spending many years with the Belmond-Klemme Community Schools mentoring students in the job shadow program, teaching them the skills and knowledge of the auto repair business.

First and foremost in Verlyn's life were times spent with his wife and two sons and their families. He cherished each and every opportunity to spend time with his grandchildren. He loved to watch his son, Robby, race in SnoCross races and enjoyed time spent following both sons' activities. He also enjoyed hunting, golfing and especially fishing.

Verlyn was always a people person and loved to host gatherings of friends and family. Many friends would stop by his repair shop for some of his famous grilling of pizza, pies, biscuits, and other cuisine. He also loved to host super bowl, car racing, and other parties at his home in Rowan. Verlyn was a life time member of the Belmond VFW Post #4244 and the North Iowa River Riders' Snowmobile Club.

His life and memory will live on in the lives of his wife and life partner of nearly 40 years, Joyce Keeling of Rowan; sons, Chadly (Jan) Keeling of Des Moines and Robby (Carisa) Keeling of Ames; 5 grandchildren; his mother-in-law, Hinderene Van Raden of Waverly; sisters, Shirley (Gerald) Curran of Kansas City, Missouri, Beverly (Robert) Delger of Clarion, Judy (Roger) Weimann of Belmond and Lois (Raynard) Southard of Clarion; and many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews and countless friends.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Carroll Edward Hilpipre

August 13, 2009

Carroll Edward Hilpipre, 80, passed away on Monday, August 3, 2009, in a Porterville, California hospital after a long illness.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, August 16, at 2:00 p.m., at the Central Presbyterian Church in Merced, California.

Carroll was born on January 24, 1928 in Clarion. After graduating from the Clarion High School he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in the Korean War. After leaving the military he lived in the Bay area and later in San Jose, California for several years. Carroll and his wife, Naomi have been best friends for 59 years. They were married in September, 1976 and moved to Atwater, California, after retiring in 1994. He had been a resident of Merced County, California, for the last 15 years.

He was a member of the Central Presbyterian Church in Merced and the local chapter of the American Legion.

Carroll was a kind and loving person to all and will be missed by family and friends.

He is survived by his wife, Naomi; three children: Michael Hilpipre of San Jose, Debbie Cooper of Gilroy, California and Linda Okamoto of Mountain View, California.; two step-children, Stephen and Karen Snell; five grandchildren; one brother, Merv Hilpipre; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and three brothers.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Genevieve M. Mosher

September 17, 2009

Genevieve M. Mosher, passed away on Monday, August 3, 2009, in Katy, Texas.

She had lived in Clarion at the Meadows, from the fall of 2000 until early 2005.

Gen is survived by her children, Steve (Donna) Mosher of Omaha, Nebraska, Beth Greene of Katy, Texas, Margaret (Dan) Cramer of Clarion, Janet (Jim) Burns of Coquitlam, B.C., Canada and Carol (Tim) Sherbeck of Katy, Texas; 12 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; one sister, Gerry (Chuck) Bjarnason of Chicago; one brother, Dick (Lorraine) Holmes of Minneapolis; two sister-in-laws, Lucille Mosher of Edina and Virginia Homan of LaMoure, North Dakota.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Don "Moe" Mosher

August 13, 2009

Don "Moe" Mosher, 84, of Eagle Grove, died on Wednesday, August 5, 2009, at the Careage of Clarion.

Funeral services were held on Friday, August 7, at the United Church of Christ in Eagle Grove. Burial was in the Rose Hill Cemetery, Eagle Grove.

Moe was born on May 8, 1925 in Clarion, to Robert and Mary (Maier) Mosher. He graduated from the Clarion High School and entered the Navy in 1942. He was first stationed in Adak, Alaska then in Okinawa, Japan, with the 66th Battalion. He was discharged in May of 1946. On June 27, 1950 he married Zarilla "Zee" Lemon. Moe was employed by M & M Livestock for 41 years.

He was a member of the United Church of Christ, Lions, and the American Legion. He was the Secretary of the Wright County District Jr. Fair Board. He was a fan of ISU sports and the Cubs. The Eagle Grove Eagles have lost a great fan with Moe's passing.

Survivors include his wife of 59 years; daughter, Renee (Mike) Schuck of of Eagle Grove; two grandchildren; brother, Robert Jr. of Clarion; sister-in-law, Irene of Clarion; and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death were three sisters, Mildred, Velma and Myrl; and four brothers, Gary, Eldon, Kenneth and Melvin.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Mary Ruth Stutters Smith Farmer

August 20, 2009

Mary Ruth Stutters Smith Farmer, 78, formerly of Clarion, passed away on Friday, August 7, 2009, at the Plaza del Rio Care Center in Peoria, Arizona.

Memorial services will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2009, at 2:00 p.m., at the First Congregational Church in Clarion. Inurnment will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion.

Mary was born on March 6, 1931 in Rochester, Minnesota, to Elliott and Ruth Stutters. She grew up in Clarion, graduating in 1949 from the Clarion High School. She attended nursing school at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, graduating in 1950. She was a Licensed Practical Nurse at the Clarion Hospital and for the Heritage Home (now the Careage of Clarion) for several years. She left Clarion in 1980 and moved to Albert Lea, Minnesota, where she was a nurse at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home. In 1987, she and her husband moved to Sun City, Arizona. While in Arizona, she worked with Paul Papoff, M.D. in his private practice and she also worked as a receptionist at the Baptist Village Care Center.

In 1950, Mary was united in marriage to Warren Smith of Eagle Grove. They had three sons, James Warren, Thomas Elliott and Steven Michael. In 1980, she married Eugene Farmer of Albert Lea, Minnesota.

Mary was a former member of the Congregational Church in Clarion and an active member of the St. Christopher Episcopal Church in Sun City. She was also a 50 year plus member of the Order of the Eastern Star.

Those left to celebrate her life are her sons, Thomas Smith and Cindy of Snohomish, Washington and Steven Smith and Anthony Haney of Los Angeles, California; daughter, Mary Patricia Newman and Bert of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; her sister-in-law, Rusty Stutters of Clarion; her brother-in-law, Richard Slaikeu of Eagle Grove; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands, Warren Smith and Eugene Farmer; her son, James Warren; and her brothers, James (in infancy) and Bud Stutters of Clarion.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Virgil McCormick

September 3, 2009

Word has been received of the death of Virgil McCormick, of San Clemente, California, formerly of Clarion.

Virgil passed away of cancer, on Monday, August 10, 2009, with a private burial at Truman, Minnesota on Saturday, August 15. A memorial service took place at the family church in San Clemente on August 29.

Virgil grew up on a farm SE of Clarion where Tim and Joellen Woodin currently reside. He graduated from the Clarion High School in 1957 and from Iowa State University in 1961, with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. During college he had an internship with Green Giant which resulted in meeting his future wife, Patricia from Truman, Minnesota. He worked for Honeywell throughout his career in both Minnesota and California.

Survivors include his wife, Pat; their two children, Thomas and Kristen; and four grandchildren.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Ellen Marie Mullenax

August 20, 2009

Ellen Marie Mullenax, age 63, passed away on Tuesday, August 11, 2009, at the Wright Medical Center in Clarion, after a long illness.

A memorial will be held on Thursday, August 20, at the enclosed shelter house at Lake Cornelia, from 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Ellie was born on October 30, 1945, in Washington D.C. Ellie resided on the east coast where she started a family with her husband, Fred Mullenax. Together they had four kids. In 1982, Ellie and Fred decided to move to Iowa. Ellie worked as a CNA and a CMA for many years of her life. She loved taking care of people like the elderly and the disabled. Ellie worked at Krysilis in Clarion for ten years.

Ellie enjoyed spending lots of time with her family. She was a huge star trek fan. She loved to go to garage sales every Saturday morning. She loved playing video games with her grandkids and her favorite game was Zelda. Ellie also loved doing cross word puzzles, she liked to read.

Ellie is survived by her husband of 44 years, Fred Mullenax of Clarion; three kids, David (Patty) Repass of Duncombe, Yvonne Cope (Robert Sanchez) of Clarion and Edward (Cheryl) Mullenax of Eagle Grove; eight grandkids; two sisters, Cindy Jordon of Ohio and Bonnie Farley of Maryland; and two brothers, George and John Handy of Maryland.

Ellie was proceeded in death by her parents, George and Evelyn Handy; sister, Ruth Handy; and son, George Mullenax.

She will be deeply missed by everyone that knew her.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Glennys Fleming Johnson

August 20, 2009

Glennys Fleming Johnson, 86, of Clarion, passed away on Friday, August 14, 2009, at the Careage of Clarion.

Funeral services were held on Monday, August 17, at 10:30 a.m., at the Holmes Lutheran Church in Holmes, with Pastor Stan Peterson officiating. Burial was in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Eagle Grove.

Glennys was born in Clarion on May 10, 1923, to James and Bess (Mariner) Fleming. She graduated from the Clarion High School and worked for a time at the Clarion Monitor. The rest of her life was devoted to being a wife, mother, friend and volunteer.

Glennys treasured her family. She was very involved in her church and in 4-H. Glennys was a member of the Holmes Lutheran Church, a 4-H Leader and was on the Wright County 4-H County Committee.

Survivors include three daughters, Jerilyn (Ken) Kay of Atlantic, Barbara (Bruce) Palmer of Atlanta, Georgia and Jamie Hughet of Nevada; one son, David (DeAnn) Johnson of Clarion; 14 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, other family members, close neighbors and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Lawrence; her parents; sisters, Nedra Fleming in infancy and Dorothy Collins; and brother, James Fleming.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Anton "Tony" Andersen

August 20, 2009

Anton "Tony" Andersen, 74, of Kanawha, passed away on Sunday, August 16, 2009, at the Mercy Medical Center in Mason City.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, August 19, at the Kanawha Lutheran Church, with Pastor Lee Nelson officiating. Burial was in the Holmes Lutheran Cemetery near Holmes. The family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Kanawha Lutheran Church.

Tony Andersen, was born at the family farm in rural Clarion to Anton and Margaret (Murray) Andersen on August 25, 1934. He was the youngest of six children and as a young boy helped with the family farm. Tony enjoyed farming so much that his first job was as a farmer from 1954-1963. On September 12, 1953, Tony married his high school sweetheart, Doris Jean Sebert. Together they farmed a small-acre farm outside of Clarion. After moving to Kanawha, Tony and Doris owned and managed a clothing store there from 1963-1965. He then took a job at Hagie Manufacturing, where he retired due to health reasons in 1996 after working there for 30 years.

Tony is survived by his wife, Doris; four children, Pamela Young of Garner, Debra Miller of Algona, Linda (Bob) Wiggins of Urbandale and Murray (Julie) Andersen of Alton; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; brothers and sisters, Alvin (Maurine) Andersen of Hampton, Orville (Janice) Andersen of Franklin, North Carolina, Marjorie Harrigan of Kanawha and Elaine Hawley of Laurens; along with numerous nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Anton and Margaret; sister, Norma Blilie; and son-in-law, Dennis Miller.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Sandra Bell Sandmaier

September 3, 2009

Sandra Bell Sandmaier, 77, passed away on Thursday, August 20, 2009, at the Treasure Coast Hospice in Stuart, Florida. There will be no service.

Sandra was born on May 30, 1932 in Clarion, to Sam and Connie (Bent) Bell. Sandra was raised in Clarion and moved to South Florida in 1963. She worked as a bookkeeper, primarily in the restaurant industry. She was an avid sailor, owned a few sailboats throughout her life and served as first mate on a sailboat from Ft. Lauderdale to New York. She enjoyed traveling with her family, snow skiing, snorkeling and sight-seeing. Destinations ranged throughout the United States, Europe and Canada.

Survivors include her sons, Michael and wife, Michelle of Port St. Lucie, Florida, William and wife, Laurie of Victoria, British Columbia and Frank and wife, Cindy of Miami, Florida; brother, Denny and wife, Jan of Hampton; six grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Lois Marie Wilson Strohman

September 3, 2009

Lois Marie Strohman, died on Thursday, August 20, 2009, at her home in Algona. Burial was held in Algona.

Lois was the daughter of former Wright County Sheriff, Roy Edward Lewis Wilson and Bertha Marie Martin Wilson. Lois graduated from the Clarion High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in Commerce Degree from the University of Iowa. She met her husband, Leroy I. Strohmand of Waterloo while attending university. They were married on June 9, 1957 in Clarion. Their marriage was blessed with three sons.

She taught business education for three years at the West Branch High School and ten years at Bishop Garrigan High School in Algona. She was very active in numerous civic and Christian organizations. Lois was the owner and breeder of champion West Highland terriers.

Left to cherish Lois' memory is her husband of 52 years; three sons, William (Dara) of Algona, John (Sarah) of Pierre, South Dakota and David (Anleah) of Mesa, Arizona; six grandchildren; and a half sister, Phyllis Wilson Jacobson of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Lois was preceded in death by her parents; and a half brother, Wendel Wilson who died during WW II in the Navy at Pensacola, Florida.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Lila Christine Brady

September 3, 2009

Lila Christine Brady, 95, of Clarion, passed away on Friday, August 21, 2009, at the Careage of Clarion.

Memorial services were held on Friday, August 28, at the St. John's Catholic Church in Clarion, with Father Nils Hernandez officiating. Inurnment was in the St. John's Cemetery in Clarion.

Lila Christine Forrett, the daughter of Bernard "Ben" and Lydia (Grothaus) Forrett, was born on April 8, 1914 in Dougherty, Iowa. Lila graduated from the St. Patrick's High School on June 1, 1930. After graduation, she moved to Mason City where she worked at the Green Mill Cafe. On January 6, 1934, Lila was united in marriage to James Virgil "Virg" Brady at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Mason City. Lila and Virg lived in Dougherty until the spring of 1947, when they moved to Clarion. Together they operated the Dew Drop Inn, The Cigar Store and then the Clarmond Country Club. In 1961, Lila went to work at the New Home Cafe. She then left for a short period of time while she and Virg owned and operated the Cornerstone. Then Lila returned to work at the New Home Cafe, where she worked until her retirement in the fall of 1981.

Lila is survived by her five children, Joann Voss and husband, Leonard of Eagle Grove, Dan Brady and wife, Glenda of Ankeny, Dick Brady of Clarion, Linda Brewster and husband, Bill of Oak Hill, Virginia and Laurie Harrison and husband, Dan of Clarion; 14 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, Virg Brady; her parents; a brother, Loras Forrett; and a sister, Lorraine Cannella.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Barbara E. (Ahlistrom) Watne

September 3, 2009

Barbara E. (Ahlstrom) Watne, age 62, of Belmond, died on Saturday, August 22, 2009, at the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond, surrounded by the love and prayers of her family following a courageous battle with cancer.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday, August 25, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Belmond.

Barbara Ellen Ahlstrom, was born on July 13, 1947 in Belmond, to Stanley and Beulah (Trott) Ahlstrom. She was baptized in Hyattsville, Maryland, in December of 1947. After graduating from the Belmond High School in 1965 and Hamilton Business College of Mason City in 1966, she worked for Leland Jenison-Consulting Engineer of Belmond for two years. In the earlier years of her life, Barb was an active member of the E.U.B. (today's Goodell United Methodist Church) as a Sunday School and Bible School teacher. On September 22, 1968, she married Ted Watne at the Goodell United Methodist Church.

Barb was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Belmond and had been involved with the WELCA there, the Belmond VFW Auxiliary, the Goodell American Legion Auxiliary and the Belmond Community Service Women. She held the treasurer position in many of these organizations as her bookkeeping skills were impeccable.

She is survived by her husband, Ted; sons, Troy (Heidi) and Lance (Melysa); five grandchildren; sister, Sonja (Brett) Lobdell, all of Belmond; numerous nieces and nephews; her sisters-in-law, Marcia (Earl) Kolbeck of Ashton, Iowa, Susan (Leland) Halfpop of Goodell, Phoebe (Charles) Soma of Belmond and Norma (Jerry) McNertney of Nevada; her brothers-in-law, Jon Watne of Clarion and Craig (Connie) Watne of Belmond; and countless friends.

Those who preceded her in death were her parents, Stanley and Beulah (Trott) Ahlstrom; and her mother-in-law and father-in-law, John and Evelyn (Case) Watne.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

James A. Fink

September 3, 2009

James Alvern Fink, passed away on Saturday morning, August 22, 2009.

Funeral services were held on Friday, August 28, at the Clarion Church of Christ. Pastor Warren Curry officiated at the service.

James was born on October 12, 1938 in Wakefield, Nebraska, to Bill and Inez Fink. Jim served in the armed forces, specifically the Navy. He worked many different places in his life including farming and truck driving.

Jim and his wife, Evelyn enjoyed traveling together to see the sights and meeting new people in their travels. They shared a cat named Maggie, that Jim enjoyed very much. Jim attended the Clarion Church of Christ and especially enjoyed the Lakeside services held out by Lake Cornelia in the summer.

He is survived by his wife, Evelyn of Clarion; three daughters, Penny of Minnesota, Candy (Loren) of Sioux City and Debby of Sergeant Bluffs, Iowa; two sons, Tracey (Shellie) of Des Moines and James Jr. of Clarion; one step-son, Fred Meeder of Des Moines; two sisters, Janet of Harlan and Judy (Gary) of Lennox, South Dakota; one brother, Wayne of Harlan; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, William and Inez Fink; and his previous wife, Linda.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Roger L. Miller

September 3, 2009

Roger L. Miller, 68, of Clarion, died on Tuesday, August 25, 2009, at his home in Clarion, after a 5 1/2 year battle with lung cancer.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, August 29, at the Grace Evangelical Free Church in Eagle Grove.  Burial was in the Evergreen Cemetery, Clarion.

Roger was born on November 20, 1940 in Marshalltown, Iowa. He was a 1958 graduate of the North High School and a Marine Veteran. Roger was a truck driver for Kile Transfer and Crouse Cartage. He was a member of Grace Church while he lived in Des Moines. After moving to Clarion in 2003, he was employed part-time at the Clarion-Goldfield Schools as a bus driver and a part-time grain hauler for the North Central Co-op in Clarion.

He and Marla joined the Grace Evangelical Free Church in Eagle Grove shortly after moving to Clarion. Roger loved camping, fishing, landscaping and spending time with his family, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Most and foremost he loved his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Survivors include his wife of 22 years, Marla; his children, Terri Lee (Chuck) Harding of Tucson, Arizona, John R. (Leanne) Miller of Knoxville, Lisa (Clark) Johnson of Des Moines, Samantha (Lyle) Schultz of Melcher, Linda (Ray) Torre and Roy Graves of Des Moines; fourteen grandchildren; and fourteen great-grandchildren.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Helga Marie Knight

September 3, 2009

Helga Marie Knight, 97, of Eagle Grove, passed away on Tuesday, August 25, 2009, at the Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, in Mason City.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, August 29, at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Eagle Grove, with Pastor Chris Lang officiating. Burial was in the Glenwood Cemetery in Goldfield.

Marie, the daughter of Lars and Agnes (Anderson) Anderson, was born on November 14, 1911 in Earlville, Illinois. She was baptized at the Freedom Lutheran Church in Earlville. Marie attended schools in Holmes and Clarion, graduating from the Clarion High School. On February 18, 1933, Marie was united in marriage with Orlin E. Knight, at the Evangelical Lutheran Parsonage by Pastor Severtson. To this union was born one daughter, Mary Ann Knight. The couple made their home and farmed in the Clarion-Goldfield areas, living on the same farm for 37 years and then moved to Goldfield in 1979. Orlin preceded her in death on May 27, 1982.

Marie was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Eagle Grove. She moved to the Rotary Ann Retirement Home in February 2007 and to the nursing home in July of 2009.

Survivors include her sisters, Lila Roseland of Eagle Grove and Lillian Stevenson of Clarion; sister-in-law, Virginia Anderson of Eagle Grove; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; daughter, Mary Ann Knight in November of 2000; brothers, Arthur, Albert and Alfred Anderson; and sisters, Esther Roseland and Margaret Trotter.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Betty Court Johnson

September 17, 2009

Betty Court Johnson, 84, of Port Charlotte, Florida, passed away on Thursday, August 27, 2009.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday, September 1, at the First Presbyterian Church of Port Charlotte.

Betty was born on May 24, 1925 in Clarion. She attended Drake University, American Institution of Business, before accepting a position with the IRS, in Des Moines. With the marriage of her high school sweetheart, Hal Johnson in 1946, came one of the most prestigious jobs in life, a military wife and mother. She was active in military base service and assisted with activities. Betty and Hal retired to Pt. Charlotte.

She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Pt. Charlotte, where she served as an usher. Betty was also a charter member of the Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club, serving on several committees of the club.

She is survived by her beloved husband, Col. Hal Johnson; children, Jim (Marilyn) Johnson of Portland, Oregon and Susan (John) Turner of Charlotte, North Carolina; 4 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; sister, Ruth Ryan of Cedar Falls; and step-sister, Sandra (Jim) Larick of Clarion.
© Wright County Monitor 2009

Gary Lee Bridger

September 10, 2009

Gary Lee Bridger, age 65, of Clarion, passed away on Monday, August 31, 2009, in Clarion.

Memorial services were held on Friday, September 4, at 11:00 a.m., at the United Presbyterian Church in Church in Clarion. Pastor Bill Kem officiated.

Gary Lee Bridger, son of Raymond and Onetah (Schrader) Bridger, was born on November 11, 1943 in Griswold, Iowa. He was raised in Griswold, attending school and graduating from the Griswold High School in 1962. On October 26, 1963, Gary was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Marilyn Davis in Papillon, Nebraska. The couple lived in Griswold, Harlan and numerous other towns: Ida Grove operating a flower and gift shop; Forest City operating a greenhouse and flower shop; Webster City operating a gift and flower shop; and finally returning to operate Theo's Gift Shop in Atlantic. After Marilyn passed away on March 29, 1998, Gary started a few more gift shops. The last one was in Clarion with his daughter, Angie.

Gary was baptized and confirmed at the St. John Evangelical Reformed Church in Lyman, Iowa. He was a member of the Iowa Society of Florists. Gary loved spending time with his family and friends, especially his grandson, Kyle. He enjoyed watching sports and was a huge Atlanta Braves fan.

Gary is survived by his mother, Onetah Bridger of Griswold; daughter, Angie Frink and Mike Marshall of Clarion; one grandson; one sister, Gloria Younkin and her husband, Bill of Torrance, California; brothers-in-law; sister-in-law; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, other family members and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Marilyn; father, Raymond; sister, Jadene Rudig; two infant brothers; and his grandparents.
© Wright County Monitor 2009