James "Willie" Williams

August 17, 2006

James "Willie" Williams, 58, of Clarion, passed away on Wednesday, August 2, 2006, at the Mercy Medical Center, Mason City.

Funeral services were held on Monday, August 7, at the United Methodist Church, Clarion. Pastor Curt Miner officiated at the 1:30 p.m. service. Interment was in the Evergreen Cemetery, Clarion. Military Rites were provided by the Clarion VFW and American Legion.

James "Willie" Williams, was born on July 23, 1948 in Fort Dodge, the son of Eugene and Margaret (Mulhern) Williams. He lived in Clarion until he was 10 years old when the family moved to Kanawha.

Willie graduated from the Kanawha High School in 1966. After graduation he entered the U.S. Navy and served on the aircraft carrier USS Ranger. He served from January 1967 until October 1970. After he was discharged he moved back to the area and worked at Winnebago Industries, where he first met Toni.

On July 9, 1971, Willie and Toni were united in marriage at the Pilot Knob State Park in Forest City. The couple moved to Wesley in 1975. They raised their family there until moving to Clarion in 1982.

In 1982, they bought the Knotty Pine, owning and operating it for 16 years. He also did carpentry and construction work until his passing.

Willie enjoyed riding his Harley and spending time with his children, grandchildren and friends.

Willie is survived by his wife, Toni of Clarion; a son, Jonathon Williams and wife, Laura of Clarion; three grandchildren; two sisters, Jean Lindstrom and husband, Larry of Clarion and Jo Poulson and husband, Dennis of Dale City, Virginia; a brother, John Williams and wife, Faye of Newark, California; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and one son, Jeremy.
© Wright County Monitor 2006

Helen Marie Rasmussen

August 24, 2006

Helen M. Rasmussen, 87, of Clarion, passed away on Wednesday, August 2, 2006, at the Wright Medical Center, Clarion.

Funeral services were held on Friday, August 11, at the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Eagle Grove. Pastor Paul Stone officiated at the 10:30 a.m. service. Burial was in the Glenwood Cemetery, Goldfield.

Helen Marie Schultz, was born on December 14, 1918, on a farm in Rutland Township, Humboldt County, the daughter of Neils and Ida (Tonderum) Schultz. She graduated from the Humboldt High School in 1936 and attended Iowa State Teachers College at Cedar Falls. She taught country school in Humboldt County before her marriage to Marshall Rasmussen on May 24, 1941 at the St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Bode. The couple made their home at rural Goldfield where they were engaged in farming.

Helen was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Eagle Grove where she was active in ELCAW and the Ruth Circle. She enjoyed sewing, quilting, reading, cooking, doing crossword puzzles, and spending time with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Eldon and Oscar; one sister, Agnes; and sister-in-law, Helen Schultz.

Survivors include her husband, Marshall Rasmussen of Clarion; six children, Marvin Rasmussen of Goldfield, Margaret Dill and husband, Duane of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Larry E. Rasmussen and wife, Jina of Goldfield, Lowell Rasmussen of Goldfield, Dennis R. Rasmussen of Goldfield and Brian Rasmussen and wife, Angela of Savage, Minnesota; 11 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; one brother, Donald Schultz and wife, Fern of Clarion; and one sister-in-law, Shirley Schultz of Franklin, Virginia.
© Wright County Monitor 2006

Jamie J. Mathiason

August 10, 2006

Jamie J. Mathiason died on Friday, August 4, 2006, at the Belmond Health Care Center.

Funeral services for Jamie J. Mathiason, 91, of Belmond, formerly of Rowan, were held on Monday, August 7, 2006, at the United Church of Rowan. Burial was in the Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband; her son, Richard Lyons on October 27, 1974; one sister, Gladys Cleveland; and two brothers, Ogden Johnson and Herbert Johnson.
© Wright County Monitor 2006

Donavon "Don" Ray Darland

August 10, 2006

Donavon "Don" Darland, died on Sunday, August 6, 2006, of injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

Funeral services for Don Darland were held on Thursday, August 10, at 10:30 a.m., at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Eagle Grove, with Rev. Chris Podhajsky officiating at the Mass of Christian Burial. Burial was in the Glenwood Cemetery, Goldfield.

Donavon Ray Darland, was born on April 15, 1970 in Clarion. He attended school in Goldfield and graduated from the Clarion-Goldfield High School in 1988. He attended Grandview College in Des Moines on a golf scholarship.

On November 14, 1998, he was united in marriage to Kelly Farrell in Webster City. Kelly, her son, Reese and Don established their home in Clarion.

Over the next few years, the couple had two sons. They continued to live in Clarion. Don was employed as a machinist at Sauer-Danfoss, Inc. in Ames. His family was the most important thing in his life. He loved coaching and teaching his boys, playing various sports, including baseball, golf and co-ed softball. Don was an avid sports fan and coached and refereed many sporting events.

Surviving are his wife, Kelly of Clarion; sons, Reese Morris, Ryan Darland and Rhett Darland, all at home; parents, Doug and Linda (Peterson) Darland of Clarion; brother, Doug and his wife, Desiree of Randall; grandmothers, Verla Darland of Goldfield and Mary Peterson of Eagle Grove; many aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews.

He was proceeded in death by his grandfathers, Virgil Darland and Charles Peterson.
© Wright County Monitor 2006

Roger Anderson

August 17, 2006

Roger Anderson, 71, of Independence, died on Monday, August 7, 2006, at his home.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Mildred Smith and Julia Swenson; and three brothers, George, Chuck and Alvin Anderson.
© Wright County Monitor 2006

Lorene Harlow

August 17, 2006

Lorene Harlow, 102, of Wabasha, Minnesota, died on Wednesday, August 9, 2006, at the St. Elizabeth Health Care Center in Wabasha, Minnesota.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, August 12, at the Peace United Methodist Church, Plainview/Elgin, Minnesota. Rev. Lyle Krumrie officiated at the 11:00 a.m. service. Burial was held on Sunday, August 13, at 1:00 p.m., in the Evergreen Cemetery, Clarion.

Lorene DeLano, was born on April 1, 1904 in Dows, the daughter of Milton and Alice (Bowe) DeLano. She attended elementary school in rural Clarion and graduated in 1922 from the Clarion High School. She attended Normal School in Clarion and taught in the rural school that she had attended as a student.

On June 2, 1924, she married Olin J. Harlow in Iowa. They lived in Iowa until 1942, when they moved to Minnesota and lived in various areas of Minnesota until 1965 and then moved back to Iowa. She returned to Minnesota in 2001 and lived in Wabasha the past five years. She was a former member of the United Methodist Churches in Clarion, Iowa, Plainview and Wadena, Minnesota.

Lorena was an avid Twins fan, very active in Royal Neighbors and VFW Auxiliary, a member of the Sunshine Club in Plainview, Minnesota, was a 4-H Leader at Wadena, Minnesota, and the Church Ladies Circle in Clarion. She loved gardening, baking, cooking, reading, sewing and crocheting. She crocheted doll clothes for TLC, a charitable organization for children located in St. Paul, Minnesota.

She is survived by three daughters, Mary Lou Schouweiler and husband, John of Kellogg, Minnesota, Naomi Black and husband, Wyman of Rochester, Minnesota and Marian Jagodzinski of Excelsior, Minnesota; three sons, Donald Harlow and wife, Sandy of Kellogg, Minnesota, Clayton Harlow of Park Rapids, Minnesota and Milton Harlow and wife, Alicia of DeRidder, Louisiana; a daughter-in-law, Virginia Harlow of Stillwater, Minnesota; 40 grandchildren; 99 great-grandchildren; and 23 great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband on January 2, 1982; one son; four brothers; two sisters; three grandsons; one granddaughter; three great-grandsons; and one great-great granddaughter.
© Wright County Monitor 2006

Leslie Eugene Thomas

August 17, 2006

Leslie Eugene Thomas, 61, of Clarion, passed away on Thursday, August 10, 2006, at the V. A. Medical Center in Des Moines, with his family by his side. Memorial services will be held at a later date.

Leslie Eugene Thomas, was born on February 20, 1945 in Hampton, the son of Merrill and Bernice Hasbrouck Thomas.

Les attended the Clarion High School and graduated in 1963. He attended Eagle Grove Junior College and the University of Iowa. He was drafted in the Army in 1966 and served as a medic assistant in Viet Nam. He received an Honorable Discharge in 1968.

Les married Diane White of Clarion in 1967. To this union a daughter, Tiffany Ann and a son, Jeffrey Scott were born. Les and Diane later divorced.

Les worked for the Farr Company in Torrance, California and later transferred to Jonesboro, Arkansas. He remarried and later divorced.

Health problems brought Les back to Clarion where he lived with his brother, Gary until recently purchasing a home across the street. It was very important to Les to live near his family. Les loved to fish and went on several short trips with family and friends.

Les is survived by one daughter, Tiffany and one son, Jeff, all of Clovis, California; two grandchildren; one brother, Gary Thomas of Clarion; one sister, Linda Lyons and husband, Larry of Clarion; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents.
© Wright County Monitor 2006

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Hospice, Storm Lake, or to Trinity Lutheran Church, Alta.
© Wright County Monitor 2006

Leona Evelyn Cook

August 24, 2006

Leona Evelyn Cook, 92, of Clarion, formerly of Dows, passed away on Wednesday, August 16, 2006, at the Wright Medical Center, Clarion.

Funeral services were held on Friday, August 18, at the First Lutheran Church, Dows. Burial was in the Fairview Cemetery, Dows.

Leona Evelyn Schroeder, was born on October 30, 1913 in rural Wright County, the daughter of August and Anna (Bruehan) Schroeder. She was raised between Neenah, Wisconsin and Dows, Iowa.

She met her husband-to-be at the Sandwich Shop in Dows on June 27, 1953 and they were married in Dows. During their years together, she did bookwork for her husband's plumbing business.

Leona entered the USA Health Care Center in Dows after Dallas passed away in 1995. When the Care Center in Dows closed, she moved to the USA Health Care Center in Clarion.

Leona was very active in her church and the Ladies Aid. She enjoyed having coffee with her friends, cooking, baking, gardening and reading.

Leona is survived by one son, Leonard Cook of Council Bluffs and one daughter, Carol Block of Denison; two grandchildren; and many devoted nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and her husband.
© Wright County Monitor 2006

Rodney E. Assink

August 24, 2006

Rodney E. Assink, 57, of Delhi, Iowa, died on Friday, August 18, 2006, at the Regional Medical Center, Manchester, Iowa, after a long illness.

A memorial service was held on Monday, August 21, at 2:00 p.m., at the Christian Reformed Church, Kanawha.

Rodney was born on May 10, 1949 in Mason City, the son of George and Vivian (Oxley) Assink. He was raised in Kanawha and graduated from the Kanawha High School in the class of 1967.

He enlisted in the Army on October 31, 1969 and was deployed as a communications specialist in the Vietnam War. He was honorably discharged on December 15, 1972. He settled back in the Kanawha area in 1978, where he farmed with his dad and began his career with the Broshar John Deere Implement Company.

On June 21, 2002, he married Jayne Richardson in Webster City and moved to Lake Delhi in 2004. Together they opened the Blue Wing Teal Framing Gallery in Dyersville. He enjoyed car shows, boating, flying, golfing and playing with his grandchildren.

Rodney is survived by his wife, Jayne Richardson-Assink of Lake Delhi; two daughters, Aimee Assink and Nicole Tausz and husband, Jerrad, both of Kansas City, Kansas; five grandchildren; three step-daughters; step-mother, Rosemary Assink of Corwith; three brothers, Ronald Assink and wife, Mina of Modesto, California, David Assink of Burnsville, Minnesota and Gary Assink and wife, Teri of Madison, Wisconsin; and Aimee and Nicole's mother, Patricia Kirstein of Clarion.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and one brother, Duane.
© Wright County Monitor 2006

Josephine L. Smith

August 31, 2006

Josephine L. Smith, 87, of Waterloo, formerly of Brownsville, Texas, peacefully passed away of a cerebral hemorrhage on Saturday evening, August 26, 2006, at the Covenant Hospital in Waterloo with her family by her side.

A Memorial service will be held at the St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Waterloo on Saturday, September 9, at 2:00 p.m., following a private family interment. Memorials may be sent to the St. Paul's United Methodist Church or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in honor of their granddaughter, Shelly.

Josephine L. Hoyt, was born on September 30, 1918 in Clarion, the daughter of Raymond and Fern Hoyt. She graduated from the Clarion High School in 1937.

She was united in marriage to Robert L. Smith, her high school sweetheart, in Clarion on November 11, 1939. They were married 66 years. They were together for a total of 70 years.

Robert and Josephine moved to Waterloo in November 1942, and permanently resided there until 1983. They wintered in Brownsville, Texas, from 1981 to 1991, at which time they established Brownsville, Texas, as their permanent home. They moved back to Waterloo in May 2006.

Josephine is survived by her husband, Robert of Waterloo; two daughters, Karen Hibben Levi and husband, Alan of Waterloo and Janice Elefsrud Heng and husband, Robert of Lincoln, Nebraska; 13 grandchildren; and 30 great-grandchildren.

Josephine was preceded in death by her parents; and three brothers, Kenneth Hoyt, James Hoyt and Arnold (Bud) Hoyt.
© Wright County Monitor 2006