Frieda Kaduce

January 9, 2008

Frieda Kaduce, 87, of Belmond, died on Tuesday, January 1, 2008, at the Story County Medical Center in Nevada.

Funeral services were held on Monday, January 7, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Belmond, with Carolyn Pflibsen, Associate in Ministry, officiating. Burial was in the Belmond Cemetery.

Frieda Steinwandt, a first-generation American, was born on January 16, 1920 in Eagle Grove, to German/Russian immigrants Chris and Dorthea (Dotz) Steinwandt. Frieda was married to Sidney Harris from January 30, 1944 until his death in 1982. She married Ted Kaduce in 1985, and he died in 1998.

She worked at the post office as a custodian for 13 years, and for five years she volunteered at the Loan Closet in Belmond. Frieda was a member of the Grandmothers Club, the V.F.W. Auxiliary, Trinity Lutheran Church and the Pearl Circle.

Family was most important to Frieda. She was a tactfully outspoken lady, always willing to help someone out. She was very friendly and made friends easily. Frieda was a determined individual and never complained. She had an excellent memory and a strong interest in genealogy.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands; a brother, Jake; and a sister, Rose.

Frieda is survived by her children, Jolene (Richard) Prelip of Salt Lake City, Dale (Kathi) Harris of Des Moines, Glenn (Marilyn) Harris of Nevada and Terry (Theresa) Harris of San Diego; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; brothers, Carl, John and Henry; and sisters, Olga and Marie.
©Belmond Independent 2008

Grace Dirksen

January 9, 2008

Grace A. Dirksen, 78, of Alexander, died on Friday, January 4, 2008, at the Mercy Medical Center in Mason City.

Funeral services were held on Monday, January 7, at the First Reformed Church in Meservey, with Rev. Rodney Meester and Rev. Philip Arnold officiating. Burial was in the Alexander Cemetery.

Grace Arlene, was born on August 17, 1929 in Meservey, the second daughter of George and Alice (Kuhlers) Dirks. She was baptized in and was a member of the Reformed Church. She graduated from the Meservey Schools in 1946. Then she was a secretary for Superintendent Lovell Diddy.

On May 26, 1951, she married Dick R. Dirksen at the parsonage in Meservey. Grace and Dick worked side by side on their farm outside of Alexander and raised four children. Her greatest joys involved cooking, baking, sewing and spending time with her family.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Grace is survived by her husband of Alexander; daughters, Marlys Pralle of Latimer and Mavis (Drew) Kragel of Blairsburg; sons, Bruce (Mellissa) Dirksen of Omaha and Brian Dirksen of Latimer; sister, Eiola Kramer of Iowa Falls; brothers, George (Ellen Kay) Dirks of Hampton and Don (Mae) Dirks of Garner; grandchildren, Courtney (Jake) Hansen, Travis Pralle, Whitney Pralle, Stacy (Abbey) Barrick, Jason (Kelly) Barrick, Ryan Barrick, Jozel (Dave) Thorpe, Jerrad Dirksen, Jordan Dirksen, Brett Dirksen and Katie Dirksen; and great-grandchildren, Madison, Andon and Jaelyn Barrick.
©Belmond Independent 2008

Carolyn Grummitt

January 9, 2008

Carolyn E. Grummitt, 83, of Belmond, died on Sunday, January 6, 2008, at the Belmond Medical Center, following a brief battle with cancer.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., on Thursday, January 10, at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Belmond, with Father Chris Podhajsky and Deacon Nick Schmit officiating. Burial will be in the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery at Boone. Visitation will be from 5-7:00 p.m., on Wednesday, at the Andrews Funeral Home in Belmond and will continue from 9-9:45 a.m., at the funeral home on Thursday. There will be a Rosary Service at the funeral home at 5:00 p.m., on Wednesday and a Prayer Service followed by a time of sharing at 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Carolyn Eleanor, the daughter of James and Josephine (Maeller) Moore, was born on March 30, 1924. She lived for a short time in Maynard before moving with her family to a farm near Oelwein. She was baptized on April 20, 1924 at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hazelton. She attended the Stanley area schools.

On December 1, 1945, Carolyn married Clarence E. Grummitt in Fayette County following his return from military service. They operated a dairy farm at Arlington for 23 years. In addition, Carolyn was a lifelong home maker, devoted wife, and nurturing mother. She and Clarence strived to instill the values of hard work, determination, perseverance, and a strong faith in their five children. They made sure that the kids attended catechism at Strawberry Point every week and would occasionally reward them with ice cream on the way home. The couple also enjoyed the many athletic and extracurricular activities of their children.

After 23 years on the dairy farm they moved to Oelwein. They earned their hotel-motel management certifications and moved to Clarion where they operated the Evans Kay Motel for eight years. Carolyn furthered her education by taking courses at Eagle Grove, attaining a license to sell insurance in Iowa. Following retirement they moved to Boone for seven years and then to Ogden for seven years until Clarence died in December 2000. She then moved to Belmond.

Carolyn will be remembered as a gentle yet strong lady who was very dedicated, determined and disciplined. She was a meticulous seamstress, making many clothes for her children and doing handicrafts such as quilting. She had wonderful gardens, enjoyed restoring furniture, watching RFD-TV, and enjoyed special times with family and friends. She had a lifelong love of music and made sure her daughters learned to play the piano. She and Clarence enjoyed old time music and in earlier years looked forward to dancing the polka. She enjoyed collecting dolls and evenings playing solitaire. Carolyn enjoyed a trip to Italy. She was always active in her church and was a member of St. Francis Xavier, the Catholic Daughters of America, and various quilting groups.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brother, Norbert; and sister, Eva Moore.

Carolyn is survived by her children, James (Mary) of Big Spring, Texas, Dennis (Brenda) of Clarion, Rita (Steve) Anderson of Clarion, Diane Sharry of Virginia Beach, Virginia and Mary (Dennis) Swenson of Poplar Bluff, Missouri; siblings, Marion Stieffather of Valders, Wisconsin, Burton Moore of Hazelton, Beatrice (Delbert) Phillips of Jesup and Joseph (Annette) Moore of Cedar Rapids; 13 grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren.
©Belmond Independent 2008

Marian Didio Ernst

January 15, 2008

Marian Didio Ernst, 89, of Belmond, died on Friday, January 11, 2008, at The Meadows in Clarion.

A Mass of Christian burial was held on Tuesday, January 15, at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Belmond, with Rev. Bernard Grady and Deacon Nick Schmit officiating. Burial was in the St Francis Cemetery.

Marian Loretta, the daughter of Joseph and Ruth Richardson Larson, was born on February 23, 1918 near Belmond. She graduated from the Belmond High School in 1936. Marian married Carlyle A. Didio on July 24, 1937.

They farmed and raised six children near Belmond. Then Marian returned to school and received her Bachelor's of Science in Education from Drake University. Carlyle passed away in 1979. Marian taught First grade in Belmond and Garner and retired in 1984.

In 1986 Marian married Frank Ernst of Palmer. They lived near Palmer until Frank's death in 1996. Marian returned to Belmond where she lived until recently moving to the Meadows Assisted Living.

Marian was a member of the St. Francis Xavier, where she was active in the Rosary Society, study clubs, and was a 60-year member of the Catholic Daughters of America. She enjoyed many world travels. Marian was an avid card player and occupied her time with cross-word puzzles and reading. She looked forward to the monthly birthday club gathering. Most important to Marian was her family, of whom she was so very proud.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands; son, Charles; brother, Lowell Larson; and a daughter-in-law, Kathy Didio.

Marian is survived by daughters, Sandra (Wayne) Stern of Rockford, Illinois, Mary Ruth Prewitt of San Diego, California and Geraldine (Louis) Daniels of Glendale, Arizona; sons, Dennis "Cuddy" (Kim) of Clear Lake and Daniel of Belmond; grandchildren, Mark (Kathleen) Stern, Michael Stern, John Stern, Jason (Karice) Stern, Kelsey Prewitt, Erin (Mike) Strong, Andrea Daniels, Natalyn Daniels, Diena (Daren) Mennenga, and Ryan Didio; eight great-grandchildren; sisters, Doris Shear of Kanawha, Clarice Yarger of San Diego and JoAnn (Kerny) Betten of New Hampton; and brother, James Larson of Kanawha.
©Belmond Independent 2008

Doris Mewes

January 15, 2008

Doris A. Mewes, 83, of Kanawha, died on Saturday, January 12, 2008, at the Belmond Medical Center.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday morning, January 16, at the St. Olaf Lutheran Church. Burial was in the Amsterdam Township Cemetery in Kanawha.

Doris Arlene, the daughter of William and Jennie Albers Reuben, was born on March 28, 1924 in Kanawha. She graduated from the Kanawha High School in 1941. She married Bill Mewes and they lived near Kanawha. Doris was a member at St. Olaf Lutheran.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and husband.

Doris is survived by son, Gary (Robin) of South Dakota; granddaughter, Shawna (Justin) Pralle of Belmond; grandson, Jim (Jennifer) of Clarion; four great-grandchildren; sister, Della Toftey of Kanawha; and nephew, Rod (Susan) Toftey of Kanawha.
©Belmond Independent 2008

William and Patricia Cunningham

January 15, 2008

A Memorial Mass for William "Bill" Cunningham and Patricia "Pat" Cunningham was held on Monday, January 7, 2008, at the St. Pius X Catholic Church in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Private inurnment took place in the Mt. Calvary Cemetery columbarium.

Mr. Cunningham, 85, died on Tuesday, January 1, at the Sky Lakes Medical Center in Klamath Falls. He was born on June 10, 1922 in Brainerd, Minnesota to Ray and Effie (Thompson) Cunningham.

Mrs. Cunningham, 83, died on Friday, January 4, at the home of her daughter and son-in-law in Klamath Falls. She was born on January 31, 1924 in Belmond to William A. and Viva (O'Rourke) Parker.

Bill and Pat grew up in Belmond and were married on July 11, 1945 in Escondido, California. They moved from Belmond to Klamath Falls in 1947 where he was a longtime automobile salesman, retiring in 1989.

William was a member of the St. Pius X Catholic Church and served on the parish council. He was also a member of the Klamath Falls BPOE No. 1247 and the Boy Scouts of America. He served with the United States Marine Corps from 1941 until 1947 during World War II. He enjoyed golfing, woodworking and making children's toys. Music was a big part of his life. He played the bass horn and the bass fiddle with the Baldy Evans Band and the Blue Notes. He also taught music at the Sacred Heart Academy.

Patricia was a member of the St. Pius X Catholic Church and the St. Pius X Altar Society. She enjoyed bowling and belonged to the Thursday Misses at Lucky Lanes. She enjoyed playing cards, duplicate bridge, and bingo and was a fan of the Denver Broncos football team.

William and Patricia were preceded in death by their parents; and their son, Thomas.

They are survived by daughter, Cathy (George) Hoppe of Klamath Falls; son, Mike Cunningham and his fiancée, Kristi Sutphin of Roseburg, Oregon; grandchildren, Lana (Tom) Loney, Chris (Kristina) Howard, Tom (Stacy) Howard, Greg (Carlie) Cunningham, Kirk Cunningham and his fiancée, Erin Wanderscheid, Craig (Tammi) Hoppe, all of Klamath Falls and Beth (Don) Walker of Hendersonville, Tennessee; eight great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; Pat's brother, William (June) Parker of Colorado Springs; and Pat's sister, Marlys Moore of Denver.
©Belmond Independent 2008

Alma Pals

January 22, 2008

Alma J. Pals, 84, of Alexander, died on Sunday, January 13, 2008, at the Rockwell Community Nursing Home.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, January 16, at the Alexander United Methodist Church, with Pastor Kalen Fristad officiating. Burial was in the Alexander Cemetery.

Alma was born on May 8, 1923 in Alexander, the daughter of Louis and Dora (Larsen) Bell. She graduated from the Alexander High School and married Willie Pals on November 30, 1942 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Alma was a member of the Alexander United Methodist Church, the Kitchen Klatter Band, the Alexander Cemetery Society and the United Methodist Women. She loved to read, embroider, travel and camp. Alma was a Hawkeye fan, but one of her biggest joys in life was making chocolate chip cookies for her grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brother, Eldon Bell; sister, Erma Neal; and great-grandchildren, Andrew, Elizabeth and Annah Pals.

Alma is survived by her son, Don (Nina) Pals of Mason City; daughter, Judy (Gene) Pastour of Johnston; grandsons, Troy (Nichi) Pals of Alexander, Tony (Tami) Pals of Mason City and Shane (Kara) Pastour of Ankeny; granddaughter, Angela Pastour of West Des Moines; great-grandchildren, Tyler, Cassidy, Tory, Cole and Mason Pals; and sisters, Inez Ginapp of Belmond, Dorothy Poland of Rockwell and LaVonne Card of Alexander.
©Belmond Independent 2008

Gene Thayer

January 29, 2008

"Harley" Gene Thayer, 53, of Clarion, died on Tuesday, January 15, 2008, at the Wright Medical Center, Clarion.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, January 19, at the First Lutheran Church in Clarion. Burial was in the Belmond Cemetery.

Gene Ray was born on July 10, 1954 in Belmond, the son of Harley and Elnora McMannus Thayer. He graduated from the Belmond High School in 1972. He married Leslie Thompson on June 2, 1979 in Belmond. He worked at EDS in Clarion the past 23 years.

He is survived by his wife; children, Dustin, Kyle and Brady; brother, Larry (Karen) Thayer of Belmond; and sister, Mary Ellen (Lester) Lilly.
©Belmond Independent 2008

Opal Obrecht

January 29, 2008

Opal Mae "Sis" Obrecht, died on Tuesday, January 22, 2008, at the Kavanaugh Hospice House in Des Moines, at the age of 81. She was a former resident of Thornton, wintered in Alamo, Texas and had been living in Bondurant since November.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, January 26, at the Richland Lutheran Church in Thornton, with burial in the Pleasant View Cemetery, Thornton.

Opal was the fifth of eleven children born to Chris and Pearl Nielsen. She was born on February 25, 1926 and graduated from the Thornton Schools in 1942. She was baptized and confirmed at the St. Paul's American Lutheran Church. In 1943 she married Thayne Obrecht.

Opal and Thayne operated a successful Holstein dairy farm and enjoyed showing their cattle. She enjoyed attending the sporting events of her children and grandchildren. Opal also loved to attend draft horse shows and she worked for Mid-Iowa Auction. She was an avid cook and baker and was famous for her sticky cinnamon rolls. Her home was always open to all who wanted to stay. While wintering in Texas she loved singing, dancing, going to garage sales, playing cards and shuffleboard, and she organized jam sessions.

Opal was active in the Richland Lutheran ladies aid, Sunday School, and Bible School, the Iowa Holstein Association, Garden Cub, Franklin County Democratic Party, North Iowa Twins Club, Wigwam Campers, was a 4-H Leader and volunteered at Opportunity Village in Clear Lake.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Gene, Ivan, Dale and Donald; and husband, Thayne in 1993.

Opal is survived by children, Audrene Hansen of Des Moines, Maureen (Jerry) Modderman of Altoona, Jacqualine (Gary) Dirks of Onalaska, Wisconsin, Martha Statlander of Thornton, Mary (Paul) Schlichting of Thornton, Colleen Obrecht of Des Moines and Jeffrey (Becky) Obrecht of Bondurant; 18 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; sisters, Ruby Easley of Mason City, Mavis (Rod) Jensen of Cedar Falls, Joy Bulow of St. Ansgar and Marlene Sheriff of Rockwell; brothers, Franklin (Anne) of Thornton and Leo (Betty) of Sedgewickville, Missouri; sister-in-laws, Betty Nielsen of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Lorraine Webber of St. Joseph, Michigan and Vivian (Joe) Hanawalt of Meservey; and brother-in-law, Roger Obrecht of Mason City.
©Belmond Independent 2008

John Arends

February 6, 2008

John C. Arends, 60, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, died on Saturday, January 26, 2008, surrounded by family and friends.

Funeral services were held on Friday, February 1, at the Woodmen Valley Chapel in Colorado Springs.

John was born on April 20, 1947 in Clarion, the son of Henry and Marian Arends. He grew up on the Big Valley farm near Belmond and graduated from the Belmond High School in 1965. He served in the U.S. Army from 1966-1968 and was stationed in Germany and Ft. Riley, Kansas. He married Judy Schrader on March 20, 1971 and graduated from Mankato State in 1972.

John started a career at Sears selling sewing machines, shoes and vacuum cleaners, where he earned accolades as a top salesman. He started selling real estate in 1973, and it became his passion for the next 35 years. Determination, wit, positive thinking, problem solving and an incredible financial mind earned him great success and allowed him to help many people realize their dream of homeownership.

John was a loving and caring husband, father, father-in-law and grandfather. He was always there for his three girls and his three granddaughters for support, love and guidance. He was a mentor, an advisor, a sounding board, and biggest fan to everyone in his family. John's gift for story telling, his zest for life, his spontaneous nature, wit, charm, sense of humor and generosity will be treasured.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and daughter, Gretchen.

Survivors include his wife of 37 years; daughters, Heather (Mike) Kunce and Tiffany Arends; granddaughters, Vanessa Arends, Sierra Bouknight and Haley Kunce; sisters, Lynne (Lee) Aldrich, Gloria (Bob) Zangel and Alison (Sherman) McNeal; and brother, Dale (Trese) Arends.
©Belmond Independent 2008

Burneil Jones

February 6, 2008

Burneil "Punk" Jones, 77, of Rowan, died on Wednesday, January 30, 2008, at the Belmond Medical Center.

Funeral services were held at the United Church of Rowan, with burial in the Graceland Cemetery, near Rowan.

Burneil, the son of Earl and Cecil Clare (Brannan) Jones, was born on June 11, 1930, on the family farm north of Dows. He graduated from the Rowan High School in 1948. On October 8, 1950 Burneil married Darline Osborn. They farmed near Rowan, Coulter and Dows. They moved into Rowan in 1982 but continued to farm until 1994.

Burneil was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers; a sister; and son, Burneil Jr.

He is survived by his wife; son, Gene (Karyl) of Huxley; daughter, Susan (Doug) Anderson of Long Grove; and four grandchildren.
©Belmond Independent 2008