Cathy C. Nannenga, 1956-2008

May 7, 2008

Cathy C. Nannenga, 52, of Garner, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Thursday, May 1, 2008, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., on Monday, at the Evangelical Free Church in Garner, with Pastor Barry Whitlow officiating. Burial was in the Memorial Park Cemetery in Mason City. The Cataldo Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Catherine Christine Nannenga, the daughter of Raymond and Anna (Sauer) Houdek, was born on February 5, 1956 at Britt. She graduated from the Clear Lake High School in 1974.

On May 17, 1980, she was united in marriage to Dennis Nannenga at the Evangelical Free Church in Clear Lake. They made their home in Garner where they raised their two children, Henry and Lenita. Cathy worked at Opportunity Village in Clear Lake for 25 years and for the Garner Work Force Center the last seven years. She enjoyed her children, friends, reading and traveling.

Cathy was an active member of the Evangelical Free Church in Garner, where she enjoyed participating in Bible studies. She loved the Lord and she loved her family.

Cathy is survived by the loves of her life husband, Dennis of Garner; children, Henry and Lenita of Garner; mother, Lenita Houdek of Clear Lake; sisters, Pat (Emil) Bratten of Lake Mills, Mary (Paul) Jacobson of Thompson, Deb (Randy) Tritch of Des Moines, Deanna (Jim) Pandolfi of Illinois, JoAnn (Spiro) Comis of North Carolina and Barbara (John) Stewart of Canada; her brother, Allan Berding of Washington; and many nieces and nephews.

Cathy was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Anna Houdek.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2008

Logan R. Bruns, 1988-2008

May 7, 2008

Logan R. Bruns, 19, of Wesley, formerly of Garner, died on Thursday, May 1, 2008, as a result of injuries received in a car accident west of Garner.

Memorial services were held on Saturday, May 3, at the St. Boniface Catholic Church in Garner, with Fr. Henry Huber officiating. The Cataldo Funeral Home in Garner was in charge of the arrangements.

Logan Robert Bruns, the son of Robert Henry and Julie Ann (Heimer) Bruns, was born on May 2, 1988 at Forest City. He received his education in the Garner-Hayfield Community Schools. After high school he remained in Garner where he worked as a welder at Stellar Industries. He later was employed at Winnebago Industries in Forest City.

In January of 2008 he moved to Wesley. He was looking forward to traveling to Texas in two weeks to help on the Wheat Harvest Run.

He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. He also enjoyed snowmobiling and being outdoors. Logan will always be remembered for his energetic personality. He was a member of St. Boniface Catholic Church in Garner.

Logan is survived by his father, Bob Bruns of Garner; his mother, Julie Bruns of Minneapolis, Minnesota; sister, Lindsay Jo Bruns of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; his girlfriend, Emili of Wesley; paternal grandmother, Shirley Bruns of Crystal Lake; maternal grandparents, Jerome and Joan Heimer of Garner; and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

He was preceded in death by his infant twins, Kaiden James and Haiden Nicole Bruns on September 17, 2007; his paternal grandfather, Dwight Bruns; and an uncle, Dale Heimer.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2008

Roy E. Arnold, 1917-2008

May 14, 2008

Roy E. Arnold, 90, of Klemme, died on Monday, May 5, 2008, at the Concord Care Center, Garner.

Services were held on Saturday, May 10, at the Klemme United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Paddy Druhl officiating. Interment with full military honors, provided by the Klemme Veteran's Organization, was in the Ell Township Cemetery. Those wishing to express their sympathies through a memorial in Roy's name may wish to consider the Klemme United Methodist Church, Klemme Library, or the Klemme Homestead Museum.

Roy Elmer Arnold, the third son of Elmer John and Nellie Lydia (Lau) Arnold, was born in the big farmhouse on the Arnold Home Farm near Klemme, on December 16, 1917. At age 4, unlike most kids, Roy ran away to go to school. He attended Avery No. 3/Riverside School for eight grades and graduated from the Klemme High School in 1934, at age 16. He attended Iowa State College and graduated in the upper 2 percent of his class in 1940 with a B.S. in Animal Husbandry. He returned to the farm after graduation.

In early 1942, he entered the Army and was posted to the 807th Aviation Engineers in the Aleutian Islands of Umnak and Adak off Alaska. In 1944, he returned to the States briefly for training before shipping out to Hawaii and finally Okinawa, where his unit helped build the Kadena Airfield. When the war ended, he was honorably discharged and once again returned to the farm, where he remained until his retirement.

Roy married Thelma Maxine Chambers on June 18, 1946. During their many years together, they farmed, traveled often with their four children and were active in many social and civic organizations. Roy had joined the Klemme United Methodist Church at age 13, and for many years, he served as a Sunday School Teacher there. He also served as a School Board member for the Klemme Community Schools, a 4-H Leader, and a Cubmaster for the Klemme Cub Scouts. He was a member of the American Legion, the Farm Bureau, and the Hancock County Historical Society.

When his farm workload allowed, he was planning or making trips. Some memorable family trips were to the State Fair, Wisconsin Dells, Yellowstone National Park, California and Missouri to visit Thelma's family, Expo '67, Expo '69, and Mexico, but his favorite location was always Alaska. In 1981, 1987, 1990 and 1992, he and Thelma traveled together through the western U.S. and Canada to Alaska in their infamous 1970 VW van, whose repeated breakdowns caused them to make acquaintances with every VW mechanic in the states and provinces they passed through. Yet, they never seemed to lose their enthusiasm for the trip and gained new friends along the way. In later years, Roy and Thelma visited Hawaii and wintered in Texas. Roy enjoyed reading and was seldom seen without a book (or 10) by his side.

After Roy's retirement from the farm, he and Thelma moved into the house in Klemme that had been owned by her parents, John and Lois (Tabb) Chambers. At the time of Thelma's death in June 2005, they had been married for almost 59 years. In December 2007, Roy was hospitalized with complications due to congestive heart failure and later went to Concord Care Center.

Roy will be greatly missed by his four children, William (Lanette) of Klemme, Arlys (Carol Lilygren) of Falcon Heights, Minnesota, Don (Gail Spensely) of Arroyo Seco, New Mexico and Lance (Tish) of Klemme; three siblings, Wilbur, Evelyn and Bruce Arnold, all of Klemme; seven grandchildren, Monica (Jason) Trca-Charlie, Michelle Trca, Tami Trca, Travis (Trisha) Trca, Bradi Arnold, Kelly Arnold and Robert Arnold; eight great-grandchildren, Genero, Preston, Cameron, Ethan, and Caprice Charlie; Cali and Anthony Capaldo; and Kennedy Trca; and several cousins.

Roy was preceded in death by his parents; wife; brother, Curtis; brother-in-law, Wayne Chambers; and sisters-in-law, Joyce Arnold and Nancy Chambers; and many cousins.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2008

Edna S. Engebretson, 1918-2008

May 14, 2008

Edna Sopia (Thompson) Engebretson, 89, of Clear Lake, died on Wednesday, May 7, 2008, at the Oakwood Care Center, Clear Lake.

A funeral service was held on Monday, May 12, at 1:30 p.m., at the Zion Lutheran Church, Clear Lake, with the Rev. Dean Hess officiating. This was a Celebration of her Life, as it would have been her 90th birthday. Interment was in the Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City. Visitation was held on Sunday, from 2-4:00 p.m., at the Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel.

Edna was born on May 12, 1918 at Ridgeway, Iowa, the daughter of Sander and Ellen Matilda (Guttormson) Thompson. She graduated from the Cresco high School in 1936.

She worked for a grocery store in Ridgeway where she met Clifford Engebretson. They married on February 21, 1950 in Decorah. They moved to Clear Lake, where she worked for Ted’s Super Value, Jensen’s Grocery Store and other grocery stores in the area. Edna worked for the Clear Lake Bank and Trust as a bookkeeper for 15 years. Following her retirement, she then worked part time at the Clear Lake Variety Store on Main St.

Edna enjoyed doing crafts and sewing. She was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church, where she taught Sunday School and was a member of ladies circle. She was also a member of the Rebeka Lodge 105.

Edna is survived by her four children, Gary Engebretson and his wife, Lára of Shepherds Town, Virginia, Tom Tuttle and his wife, Mary of Alameda, California, Robert Engebretson and his wife, Sarah of Clear Lake and Dennis Engebretson of Garner; 15 grandchildren, Allen (Lon) Engebretson, Janet (Bruce) Law, David Engebretson, Margie (Steve) Sabine, Denise (Kevin) O’Donnel, Bobbie Jo Engebretson, Michael (Sheri) Voortmann, James (Tammie) Voortmann, Robert (Sarah) Engebretson Jr., Ryan Engebretson, Dennis Engebretson Jr., Michael (Tina) Engebretson, Shanda Malek, Derrick (Katie) Halvorsen and Trisha Engebretson; twenty-two great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Katie Thompson of Ridgeway; and an aunt, Ruth Vlekeberg of Decorah.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Clifford on November 16, 1988; one brother, Marvin Thompson; and sister, Junice Cassom.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2008

Ruth C. Greimann, 1917-2008

May 14, 2008

Ruth C. Greimann, 90, of Garner, died on Thursday, May 8, 2008, at the Concord Care Center in Garner.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., on Monday, May 12, at the Peace Reformed Church, south of Garner, with Rev. Harvey Opp officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. The Cataldo Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Ruth Caroline Hall, the oldest daughter of Ben and Carrie (Andersen) Hall, was born on November 8, 1917, on a farm northeast of Garner. She was baptized and confirmed at the Ellington Prairie Lutheran Church, north of Garner. She attended elementary school at the Ellington Township Country School and high school at Ventura and Garner.

On February 10, 1938, she was married to Curtis Greimann at her parent’s home near Miller. They made their home on a farm southeast of Garner where Ruth farmed alongside of Curtis for 48 years. In October of 1995, they moved from the farm into Garner and in October of 2004 to Cardinal Grove Assisted Living.

After Curtis passed away in March of 2005, Ruth continued to be a servant for the Lord, always there for her family and many friends. In December of 2005, she entered the Concord Care Center due to failing health. Ruth had many hobbies. She kept very busy with her scrapbooks and photo albums that she and Curtis enjoyed looking at and sharing with others during their retirement years. Ruth was always doing something for someone, always ready to entertain and get people together. She shared the love of the Lord with Curtis during their 67 years of marriage.

She was an active member of the Peace Reformed Church and a faithful partner in the Women’s Missionary Society. Ruth was a charter member of the ODO Club, donated many hours to the Hancock County Historical Society and was very active in the Ventura School, following her five children through to graduation.

Ruth is survived by her five children, Delores Mosher of Clear Lake, Vernon (Shirley) Greimann of Eldora, Calvin (Nadia) Greimann of Lititz, Pennsylvania, Phyllis (Bill) Byrd of Newcastle, Washington and Barbara (Wayne) Hassebrock of Kamrar; seven grandchildren, Rochelle (Jeff) Kracht, Monte Mosher, Dean Mosher, Mark (Lana) Greimann, Kristi (Ben) Exline, Michael (Maureen) Greimann and Brandon (Noreen) Greimann; twelve great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; five step-grandchildren; nine step-great-grandchildren; a brother, Orville “Bud” Hall of Garner; brothers-in-law, Clarence Schroeder of Garner, Dick Halloway of Long Beach, California and Eugene (Doris) Greimann of Garner; a sister-in-law, Dorothy Anderson of Garner; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and a host of friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Curtis on March 26, 2005; parents; son-in-law, Dennis Mosher; sisters, Olive Halloway, Alice Schroeder and Anna Mae Upmeyer; sisters-in-law, Josephine Hall, Adeline Carothers and Charlotte Swanson; and brothers-in-law, Curtis Upmeyer, Charles Carothers, Norman Anderson and Leonard Swanson.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2008

Ruth Haberkamp, 1903-2008

May 21, 1008

Ruth Haberkamp, 104, of Garner, died on Tuesday, May 13, 2008, at the Hancock County Memorial Hospital in Britt.

Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m., on Saturday, at the Peace Reformed Church south of Garner, with the Rev. Harvey Opp officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. The Cataldo Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Ruth Esther Haberkamp, the daughter of Wesley and Mathilda (Greiman) Lenz, was born on August 24, 1903, on a farm southwest of Garner. She was baptized and confirmed at the Peace Reformed Church. Ruth attended the Liberty No. 5 rural school, Garner High School and then received her Normal Training to be a teacher at Iowa State Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls. She taught in the rural schools of Hancock County for five years.

On February 20, 1929, she was married to Harold Haberkamp at the Peace Reformed Parsonage. They farmed together southwest of Garner until 1970 when they retired and moved into Garner. At the time of Harold’s death in 1991, they had been married for 61 years. In 1991, Ruth moved to the Prairie View Apartments. Ruth loved her many flowers and taking care of her huge gardens. She enjoyed quilting and doing handwork.

She was a lifetime member of the Peace Reformed Church, where she was active in the Women’s Missionary Society and taught Sunday School. Ruth was a member of the ODO Club, Sunshine Club and was a 4-H Leader for many years in Liberty Township.

Ruth is survived by her two daughters, Beverly Helgren of Thompson and Bethel (Ferd) Lemke of Meservey; five grandchildren, Shirley (Curtis) Anderson, Palmer Helgren, Harlan (Deb) Helgren, Beth (Scott) Newhard and Kay (Brian) Hrubes; ten great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; a sister, Lois Huenemann of Garner; sisters-in-law, Ruby Lenz of Garner and Naomi Haberkamp of California; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold on January 9, 1991; her parents; son-in-law, Ernest Helgren; grandson, Edward Helgren; sisters, Evelyn Anderson and Norma Stromer; a brother, Clarence Lenz; and a brother in infancy.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2008

Mary Ann Stupka, 1926-2008

May 21, 1008

Mary Ann Stupka, 82, of Garner, died on Saturday, May 17, 2008, at Mercy Hospice in Johnston.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., on Wednesday, at the St. Boniface Catholic Church in Garner, with Rev. Henry Huber officiating. Burial will be in the St. Boniface Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 6-8:00 p.m., on Tuesday, at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel in Garner, with a VFW Auxiliary service at 6:00 p.m. and a Parish Society Rosary at 7:30 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the services at the church. Memorials may be directed to the St. Boniface Catholic Church or to Mercy Hospice in Johnston.

Mary Ann Stupka, the daughter of Rudy and Mary (Simper) Young, was born on April 26, 1926, on the home farm west of Garner. She lived within 3 miles of the home farm for most of her life. Even though her mother died when she was 14, Mary Ann was able to graduate from the Garner High School while helping her dad raise her seven brothers. After high school, she worked in Mason City for a few years.

On February 3, 1948, she was married to Raymond Joseph Stupka at the St. Boniface Catholic Church in Garner. They purchased a farm north of Garner and made it their home raising their two children, Warren and Nancy. In 1972, Mary Ann lost her husband to cancer but remained on the farm with her son, Warren. In 2002, Warren passed away from cancer. Mary Ann continued to live on the farm for three more years before moving to the Prairie View Apartments in Garner.

In August of 2007, Alzheimer’s disease forced her to move to the Westview Care Center in Britt. The disease may have taken her memory and finally her life but it can never take away our memories of her.

She was a member of the St. Boniface Catholic Church, Parish Society and the Garner VFW Auxiliary.

Mary Ann is survived by her daughter, Nancy (Dean) Upton of Des Moines; four granddaughters, Jessica, Brianna, Kathrine and Corrin; brothers, Tony (Mary) Young of Garner, Bob (Millie) Young of Garner, Francis “Blick” Young of Garner, Elmer Young of Garner, Carl (Dianne) Young of Garner and Richard (Sandy) Young of Garner; a sister-in-law, LoEtta Young of Garner; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond in August of 1972; son, Warren on July 12, 2002; parents; a brother, Raymond Young; and sisters-in-law, Shirlene and Bonnie Young.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2008

Jerry J. Jilek, 1942-2008

August 20, 2008

Jerry Joseph Jilek, died on Monday, May 19, 2008, at the Renown Regional Medical Center, Reno, Nevada, of cardiac arrest.

Jerry was born on January 12, 1942, at home in Hayfield, Iowa. He was raised in Santa Barbara, California and Garner. He graduated from the Garner-Hayfield High School In 1959 and after four years in the U.S. Navy, Jerry continued his education, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Education from Boise State University, Boise, Idaho.

Jerry's working career was as diverse as his travels. He was a plumber in Alaska, a forensic debate teacher in Boise, Idaho and owned a bakery in Reno, Nevada.

All through his life, he was a voracious reader, often reading a book a day. He was the most gregarious of personality and was never a stranger. His love of humanity made him a wonderful conversationalist and friend.

Jerry is survived by his mother, Joyce and stepfather, G.E. Kearns of Eugene, Oregon; three brothers, Craig Geyer of Santa Barbara, California, Dana Geyer of Fort Collins, Colorado and Randy Gast of Eugene Oregon.

He was preceded in death by his father, Joe.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2008

Ecko Reystack Jr., 1939-2008

June 4, 2008

Ecko Reysack, Jr., 68, of Klemme, died on Wednesday, May 21, 2008, at the Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, Mason City.

Funeral services were held at 2:30 p.m., on Saturday, May 24, at the Immanuel Reformed United Church of Christ, Klemme. The Rev. Donna Buckman officiated. Burial was in the Ell Township Cemetery, Klemme. Visitation was from 5-8:00 p.m., on Friday, at the Andrews Funeral Home, Klemme and continued one hour prior to the services at the funeral home on Saturday.

Ecko Reysack, Jr., the son of Ecko and Grace (Menmam) Reysack, Sr., was born on November 26, 1939 at Packard, Iowa. He attended Aredale Schools in Aredale, Iowa. Ecko owned and operated his own tiling business in earlier years in the Dumont area. He later was employed with Winnebago Industries for 13 years from 1978-1991.

Ecko was united in marriage to his first wife, Janice Haskins for a number of years. He later married Sharon Heginger on July 28, 1978 in Minnehaha, South Dakota.

Ecko was a very avid outdoorsman who relished each and every opportunity he had to spend time pursuing his favorite pastimes of hunting and fishing. He loved to hunt a wide variety of game and fish for all types of fish. He took great pleasure in teaching his kids and grandkids to fish and hunt in an effort to share his love and his passion for the outdoors.

He looked forward to family get togethers around the campfire and camping excursions. He enjoyed car racing and especially looked forward to figure eight races and derby car events. Ecko could often be seen touring around the Klemme area in his blue pickup and enjoyed his seat in the cab of his truck as he supervised the family in planting the garden or with other tasks.

His family will miss Ecko pulling up in the drive or alley and tapping on his pickup horn to let them know he was outside waiting to visit or the news of the day. Ecko enjoyed following the many activities of his children and grandchildren and looked forward to times spent with his siblings.

Those left to cherish the memory of his life included his wife, Sharon Reysack of Klemme; his children, Virginia (Sam) Spears of Lone Tree, Rhonda (Jeff) Smith, of Klemme, Donnie Reysack of Washington, Tracie (Doug) Panhoff of Klemme, Jennifer (Eldon) Hauptmann of Garner and Melissa Shaw of Garner; step-children, Sherry (Robert) Nickson of Mason City, Jerry (Roberta) Weide of Alden and Shelly (Matthew) McCauley of Houston, Missouri; grandchildren, Nick, Amber, and Brent Smith, Marcus and Tiffany Reysack, Telsie and Brittney Panhoff, Bradley, Cole, Brooke, Corey Hauptmann, Jordan, Noah, and Faith Shaw; step-grandchildren, Bobbie and George Nickson, Ryan, Michael, Ashley, and Tyler Weide, Samantha and Casey Smith, Ashley Jessica, and Matthew McCauley, Ashley, Michael, Jeremy and Nathan Panhoff, Kevin, Jeff, and Jill Spears; step-great-grandchildren, Hayden Meadows, Bailey Smith, Amy Swyter, Catlynn Sexton, Ladianon, Makenzie, Treviania, and Damarion Panhoff; seven sisters, Ella Greco of Oelwein, Dorothy Leake of Hemet, California, Lenora Otl of Readlyn, Mary Ellen Baehmke of Waterloo, Grace Bandy of Waterloo, Marlene Harkin of Fairbanks and Barb Harms of Hampton; three brothers, Harry Reysack and Bill Reysack, both of Dumont and Hampton.

Ecko was preceded in death by his parents; step-daughter, Laura Weide; and first wife, Janice.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2008

Maynard A. Schoneman, 1917-2008

May 28, 2008

Maynard A. Schoneman, 90, of Garner, died on Thursday, May 22, 2008, at the Hancock County Memorial Hospital in Britt.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, May 31, at the United Methodist Church in Garner, with the Rev. David Wagner officiating. Inurnment will be in the Concord Township Cemetery in Garner, with military rites by the Garner Veterans Ceremonial Unit. The Cataldo Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements. Memorials may be directed to the Garner UMC, Garner Ambulance or Hospice of North Iowa.

Maynard Arnold Schoneman, the son of Bert and Hannah (Heimendinger) Schoneman, was born on June 25, 1917 at Britt. He attended country school in the Orthel Twp. No. 8 west of Britt. In February of 1932, he moved with his family to Garner where he graduated from high school in 1935. Maynard continued his education at AIB in Des Moines, graduating in 1937 with a degree in accounting. He returned to Garner where he owned and operated the Garner Café.

He served his country in the U.S. Army during WW II from May 7, 1941 to August 31, 1945 in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater, receiving the Bronze Star, 3 Bronze Battle Stars, 7 Overseas Service Bars and a Service Stripe.

In April of 1946, Maynard and his brothers, Marvin and Bill, began operating the Grill Café in Garner. On June 14, 1947, he married Lora Mae Lehmann at the United Methodist Church in Sibley. They lived in Garner all of their married life. Maynard served as Hancock County Auditor from 1946 to 1954 before working for the USPS as a rural mail carrier. From 1955 to 1975 he owned and operated the Standard Station with his brother, Bill. He also operated the Garner Liquor Store from 1976 until his retirement in 1985.

Maynard’s interests included reading, golfing and going for coffee. He was a member of the United Methodist Church in Garner where he served as an usher and was on various church boards. He also was a member of the Garner VFW and American Legion, Garner Veterans Ceremonial Unit, Garner Lions Club, was a charter member of the Garner Rotary Club and Garner Jaycee’s, and served on the board of Prairie View Apartments.

Maynard is survived by his wife, Lora Mae of Garner; twin brother, Marvin Schoneman of Garner; brother, Marion (Polly) Schoneman of Thornton; sister, Betty Brugman of Pipestone, Minnesota; and many nieces, nephews, other family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Bill (Irene) Schoneman and Mickey (June) Schoneman; a brother-in-law, Larry Brugman; and a sister-in-law, Kaye Schoneman.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2008

Hallie Greimann Stromer, 1909-2008

June 4, 2008

Hallie Greimann Stromer, 99, of Rapid City, South Dakota, died on Friday, May 23, 2008, at the Golden Livingcenter Meadowbrook.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday, May 27, at the First Presbyterian Church, with Pastor Jan Christensen officiating. Interment was in the Mt. View Cemetery. The Behrens-Wilson Funeral Home of Rapids City was in charge of the arrangements.

Hallie was born on March 23, 1909, to William and Bettie (Schuldt) Greimann in Hancock County, Iowa. She was baptized, confirmed and married at the Peace Reformed Church of El Township, south of Garner.

Her marriage to Paul Stromer was on March 21, 1931 and they farmed near Klemme until 1947, when the moved to Rapid City and the New Underwood areas. She has been a member of the First Presbyterian Church since 1947. She was a charter member of the Black Hills Workshop Training Center and girls’ supervisor for 14 years.

She enjoyed her travels to Mexico, Hawaii and Jerusalem. Hallie was a very active member of the Minneluzahan Center. She will be remembered by family for her beautiful handmade quilts and always having a full cookie jar.

She is survived by her sons, Merlin and wife, Gloria Stromer, Milt and wife, Judy Stromer, her daughter, Bernita Stromer-White and special friend, Richard, all of Rapid City; 10 grandchildren, Loy Allen and Bob, Bill Allen and Cheryl, Kathy Vereschagin and Greg, Cecilia White, Les White and Teresa, Jennifer Galley and Jon, Mark Stromer and Jaslene, Brook Stromer and Allison, Jeff Tange and Melinda and Christie Stromer; 9 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren; 2 sisters, Esther and Gladys; and 1 brother, Earl.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Stromer; grandson, Dr. Rodman Allen; brothers, Maurice, Hilary, Laurence and Victor.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2008

Dorothy M. Sill, 1916-2008

June 11, 2008

Hancock County native, Dorothy May (Kenyon) Sill, 92, of Kennesaw, Georgia, died on Wednesday, May 28, 2008, at the Metropolitan Hospice in Marietta, Georgia following a stroke.

A graveside service will be held later this summer at Eagle Grove. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your local hospice or the American Diabetes Association. The Cremation Society of the SOUTH is in charge of the arrangements.

Dorothy May Kenyon, was born on April 11, 1916, the third of 5 children, 4 girls and one boy. Raised on a farm in Iowa, she graduated from the Garner High School in 1933. She graduated from the AIB School of Business in Des Moines, and met her future husband, Donald Sill of Eagle Grove, Iowa, while she was there.

They were married on July 20, 1940, at Dorothy's mother's home in Garner. They lived in Kankakee, Illinois for a time, and then moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where two daughters were born, Donna Kay in 1942 and Janet Roberta in 1944. After WW II they returned to Des Moines, where a son, Robert Kenyon, was born in 1950. After a few years on a farm near St. Charles, the family returned to West Des Moines where all three children graduated from high school, and went on to college.

Dorothy was primarily a wife and mother, but following their retirement in 1970, she became an accomplished artist. She and Don moved west to San Diego where she studied drawing and painting, and began to indulge in a lifelong pursuit of health and fitness. She began jogging in her sixties, followed by years of swimming a mile a day, in addition to as much golf as time allowed. During this time she and Don began traveling and visited many countries on several continents.

Dorothy always loved dancing, and she and Don spent many happy years square dancing and round dancing. The round dancing took them to Mesa, Arizona, where she then took up tennis and they played daily in round robin matches. She became an excellent bowler, scoring games of 200 in her eighties! She continued with her art, winning several awards. They moved to Marietta, Georgia, in 2001 to be closer to family, where Don died in early 2004.

She leaves two daughters, Donna Wilson (Mike) of Des Moines and Janet Pilling (Alan) of Kennesaw, Georgia; one son, Robert Sill (Gloria) of Lilburn, Georgia; eight grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2008

A. Colleen Abele, 1929-2008

June 4, 2008

A. Colleen Abele, 78, of rural Klemme, died on Saturday, May 31, 2008, at the Kanawha Community Home.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m., on Tuesday, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mason City, with Bishop Ronald Billings officiating. Burial will be in the Concord Township Cemetery in Garner. Visitation will be held from 6-8:00 p.m., on Monday, at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel in Garner and will continue one hour prior to the services on Tuesday. Memorials may be directed to the Kanawha Community Home, which provided such loving and outstanding care.

Anita Colleen Abele, the daughter of Loyal Child and Gladys Victoria (Stone) Stokes, was born on August 8, 1929 at Ogden, Utah. Her father was a boilermaker for the Union Pacific Railroad and her mother worked as a homemaker. Colleen attended classes at the Weber State College and served a mission for her church in Texas and Louisiana. She worked as a short hand stenographer for the 2nd Street Army Depot. Due to her exceptional skills, she was often the recorder for high-ranking officers.

While working her civilian job on the base, she met her future husband, Harry Abele, a young sergeant in the Army just back from Korea. They met in June of 1953 and were married on October 3, 1953 in Ogden, Utah. Harry brought his bride back to Iowa to live on the family farm southeast of Britt. They raised five children and she remained on the farm until her move to the Kanawha Community Home in January of 2007.

Colleen was very creative and enjoyed gardening, flower arranging and making bread. She also enjoyed sharing these with friends and neighbors and often had entries in local competitions. She loved to fish, entertain and spend time with her children and grandchildren. She wrote several songs, poems and children’s stories. She leaves behind a legacy of love and caring for family, friends and strangers.

She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mason City.

Colleen is survived by her husband, Harry R. Abele; five children, Collette Brunscheen of Waukee, Joanne (Robert) Wright of Lakeville, Minnesota, Cindy O’Hara of Norwalk, David (Karen) Abele of Sterling, Illinois and Jeanette (Richard) Volz of Eden Prairie, Minnesota; 14 grandchildren; a great-granddaughter; a brother, John Stokes of Los Alamos, New Mexico; and two sisters, Carol (Larry) Taylor of Ogden, Utah and Elaine Neal of Ogden, Utah.

She was preceded in death by an infant son; her parents; a son-in-law, John O’Hara; and a sister, LaWana Stokes.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2008