Elnora D. Juhl, 1923-2009

December 9, 2009

Elnora D. Juhl, 86, of Garner, died on Tuesday, December 1, 2009, at the Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in Mason City.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., on Monday, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner, with Rev. Dale Glawatz officiating. Burial was in the Concord Township Cemetery. The Cataldo Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Elnora Doris Juhl, the daughter of Samuel and Minnie (Jass) Wrede, was born on May 8, 1923, on the family farm north of Garner. She was baptized and confirmed at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner. Elnora attended the rural schools of Concord Township and graduated from the Garner High School in 1940. She enjoyed playing sports, especially, softball where she played on a local women's team as pitcher. After graduation, she worked at the Garner Leader as a linotype operator and printer for seven years. On February 17, 1951, she was married to Harold Juhl at the St. Paul Lutheran Church. They lived in the home she was born in north of Garner where they farmed together until retiring in 1986.

Elnora enjoyed woodworking and making things, riding her snowmobile and spending time with friends and family. She also enjoyed bowling and participated in many local and state bowling tournaments.

Elnora was a member of the St. Paul Lutheran Church, LWML, sang in the choir and belonged to the church quilting group. She also was a member of the North Garner Community Club, Hancock County Chorus and Garner Saddle Club, serving as an officer and a Saddle Club Queen.

She is survived by her sister, Edna Boehnke of Edina, Minnesota; foster brother, George Wrede of Chesapeake, Virginia; sisters-in-law, Anna Mae Beers of Ventura, California, Fern (Hubert) Branstad of St. James, Minnesota and Lorraine (Robert) Quayle of Forest City; many nieces and nephews that were very special to her; grandnieces and nephews; great-grandnieces and nephews; and many dear friends.

Elnora was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Harold on October 10, 2003; brothers-in-law, George Boehnke, Warren Beers, Lawrence Juhl and Ralph Juhl; and sisters-in-law, Ruby Juhl Jante and Emma Juhl.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2009

Christopher Ward, 1951-2009

December 9, 2009

Christopher "Chris" A. Ward, 58, of Ventura, Iowa, died on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, at the Muse-Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit.

A memorial service was held on Saturday, December 5, at the St. Johns Lutheran Church, rural Garner. The Rev. Carl Hedberg officiated. Inurnment was in the St. John's Lutheran Cemetery. Military honors were conducted by the Clear Lake V.F.W. The Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, was in charge of the arrangements. You can honor Chris's memory by making a memorial to the Christopher Ward Memorial Fund to benefit St. Johns Lutheran Church and/or establish a scholarship fund.

Chris was born on July 31, 1951 in Mason City, the son of Harvey "Pat" Joseph and Charity Marie (Farthing) Ward. He graduated from the Rockwell-Swaledale High School in 1970. During high school he worked for the Bonner Trucking Company. In 1970, following high school he entered the U.S. Marine Corp during the Vietnam War. Following the service he moved to Swaledale and started working at Clear Lake Aluminum, where he met his future wife. Chris married Barb Brager on September 15, 1973 at St. John's Lutheran Church, rural Garner. He drove a semi for Wayne Feeds, Clear Lake Bakery, Wilson Dedicated Transportation and Wood Harbor.

Chris was active in the Ventura Community Action Club and Ventura Fire Department. He worked as a part time school bus driver for the Ventura Schools. He was a member of the St. Johns Lutheran Church.

Chris is survived by his wife, Barb Ward of Ventura; his mother, Charity Ward of Rockwell; two children, Tiffani (Brad) Primrose of Clear Lake and Dustin Ward of Ventura; five grandchildren, Jordan Nelson, Kasey and Andy Primrose, Nick Sibert and Faith Primrose; four brothers, Dennis (Nancy) Ward of Rockwell, Richard (Bernadette) Ward of Apex, North Carolina, the Rev. Lester (Lora) Ward of Chicago, Illinois and Tim (Shirley) Ward of Plymouth, Minnesota; two sisters, Nancy Thompson of Rockwell and Opal (Don) Brass of Rockwell; father and mother-in-law, Marvin and Adelaide Brager of Ventura; and two brothers-in-law, Mike (Sue) of Clear Lake and Randy (Janet) Brager; sister-in-law, Cheryl (Jim) Nesbit of Clear Lake; and several nieces and nephews.

Chris was preceded in death by his father, Pat Ward; brother, David Ward; and brother-in-law, Steve Thompson.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2009

Duane Prohaska, 1932-2009

December 16, 2009

Duane Mark Prohaska, age 77, of Ogallala, Nebraska, passed away on Monday, December 7, 2009, at the Indian Hills Manor Nursing Home in Ogallala.

A Rosary was recited on Monday, December 14, at 10:00 a.m., at the St. Luke's Catholic Church, followed by a Memorial Mass with Father Bryan Ernest as Celebrant. Committal services were held with military honors, in the Ft. McPherson National Cemetery south of Maxwell. The Gubser Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Duane was born on January 31, 1932 in Britt, Iowa, the son of Lloyd Prohaska and Albina (Rayhons) Prohaska of Duncan, Iowa. Duane graduated from the Garner High School in Iowa and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1951. He served in the Korean Conflict and upon his return he fanned in the Garner area. In 1954, Duane married Rosemarie Hosting of Calmar, Iowa. Duane moved to Nebraska in 1964 where he managed grain elevators and co-ops. He also managed a Western Auto and Singer sewing machine stores. Duane later worked for the Bureau of Reclamation in McCook, Nebraska, until his retirement.

Duane had been a member of the St. Patrick's Catholic Church in McCook and was a longtime member of the Knights of Columbus. Several years ago Duane moved to Ogallala to be closer to family.

Duane loved the outdoors. Among his favorite hobbies were gardening, fishing and camping. He also was an avid enthusiast of woodworking. He spent a lot of time with his beagle, Buddy, whom he considered a loyal companion. On Saturdays in the fall, Duane enjoyed watching Nebraska Cornhusker Football and one of his favorite pastimes years ago was watching his four sons play football for the McCook Bison of the McCook High School.

Survivors include Rosemarie Prohaska, mother of their daughter and four sons of Fremont, Nebraska; daughter, Debbie Prohaska of Colorado Springs, Colorado; sons, Tom and wife, Jill Prohaska of Dallas, Texas, Ron Prohaska of Ogallala, Keith and wife, Melissa "Sis" Prohaska of Columbus, Nebraska and Richard and wife, Erica Prohaska of Colorado Springs, Colorado; five grandsons and two granddaughters; one great-granddaughter and one great-grandson; sisters, Mary Lou Tusha of Garner, Bonnie Bacon of Ventura and Carolyn Buseman of Des Moines,; and a brother, Verne Prohaska of Garner.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2009

Peter C. Daniels, 1915-2009

December 16, 2009

BELMOND-Peter Charles Daniels passed away on Monday, December 7, 2009, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, at the Andrews-Tenold Funeral Home, Belmond, with Pastor Steve Cox of the Regular Baptist Church in Clear Lake officiating. Burial, with full military honors, was in the Belmond Cemetery. Those wishing to express sympathy through a memorial in Pete's name, may consider the Muse Norris Hospice or their choice.

Peter Charles Daniels, was born on December 30, 1915 at Palsville, Iowa, to Ben and Martha Daniels of Belmond. Peter grew up and attended school at Belmond. He then joined the Civil Conservation Corp for a short time. Peter married his high school sweetheart, Esther H. Mosiman on September 15, 1938, the daughter of Simon and Cathryn Patterson Mosiman at Webster City. They both worked for Guy and Hazel Lynch for two years. He then worked for the Thompson Seed Company for several years, until he went to work on the Alaskan Alcan Highway. When he returned, he was drafted into the Navy during World War II, where he spent two years in the Aleutian Islands. He received an honorable discharge from the Navy in 1945.

After returning from service, he completed his first house that he sold to Donald Porter. He then built the first ranch house in Belmond and sold it to Dr. Pitcher. He then farmed for seven years in Minnesota and Iowa. Through all of his moves, he always came back to Belmond. He went back into construction and built another house and sold it to Senator Hugh Clark. He built numerous homes in Belmond and the surrounding areas, plus eight nursing homes before retiring.

He retired to an acreage near Garner. While there he had a huge garden and attended and sold his vegetables at the Farmers Market. He could grow the biggest and best vegetables and he kept his customers coming back to him all the time. He also grew a pumpkin patch that he tended to every day so the bugs couldn't eat the seed before the pumpkins could grow. He would sell his pumpkins from the acreage where he lived. Peter was also an avid fisherman. He loved to fish and knew all the fishing holes near and far, but never divulged them. His answer was always the Iowa River.

Peter was a member of the Calvary Baptist Church in Belmond, for over 50 years  and over 20 years at the Clear Lake Regular Baptist Church.

Peter loved his family, was a good provider and his kids' needs always came first. Three boys were born to this union, Dwight P. (Rita), Charles (Jerene) and Timothy (Dixie); seven grandchildren, Steven (Susan) Daniels, Rochelle (Jon Kirtland), Dana (Joel Campbell), Becky (John Delvaux), Jodi (Clinton Fleming), Peter B. Daniels and Kandyce Daniels. He had eight great-grandchildren, Andy, Tyler and Ben Kirtland and Aaron and Emily Grace Campbell, Elizabeth and Tommy Delvaux and Eliana Fleming.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Ben and Martha; his brother, Bernard; and his sister, Jeanette.

Left to mourn, are his wife of 73 years, Esther H. Daniels; his three sons and their wives, Dwight and Rita, Charles and Jerene and Timothy and Dixie Daniels; grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and a sister, Else Meyer.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2009

Bill G. Wilson, 1921-2009

December 23, 2009

Bill Gordon Wilson, 88, of Ventura, Iowa, died on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, at the Mercy Medical Center of North Iowa, Mason City.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, December 19, at the Ventura United Methodist Church, Ventura. The Rev. Rhoda Preston officiated. Interment was in the Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City, with military honors provided by the Clear Lake V.F.W. The Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, was in charge of the arrangements.

Bill was born on February 13, 1921 north of Clear Lake, rural Cerro Gordo County. He was the son of Fred Earl and Virgie Isabelle (Potter) Wilson. While going to school he always helped his father with the family farm. He was in the U.S. Army, enlisting in 1942, during WW II. During his enlistment he married Elsie Christians on July 17, 1943, at the Evangelical Reformed Church, Klemme. After an honorable discharge in November 1945, he returned home to farming. They moved in to Ventura in 1980.

Bill enjoyed going to the elevator and drinking coffee with the guys. He loved playing cards and being with and watching his wife and sisters-in-law "the Harem" playing pinochle. He also enjoyed gardening and lawn work. Bill was a member of the Ventura United Methodist Church and the Clear Lake V.F.W.

Bill is survived by his wife, Elsie Wilson of Ventura; son, Gordon Wilson and his wife, Linda of Ventura; daughters, Loretta "Lori" Kishline of Clear Lake and Jo Ann Oulman and her husband, Michael of Garner; grandchildren, Bryan (Ashley) Wilson, John Kishline, Rebecca (Brad) Duckert, Bill (Belinda) Oulman and Angela (Phil) Parcher; great-grandchildren, Hannah Wilson, Samantha, Gavin, Tucker and Piper Duckert, Holden and Sadie Oulman, Luke, Carrigan and Wyatt Parcher; and several nieces and nephews.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, Margaret (Margie) Walker, Mary Byerly and Marie Hamann; five brothers, Harold, Nile, Henry, George and Jim Wilson; and son-in-law, Burl "Bud" Kishline.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2009

LuVerne L. Heginger, 1935-2009

December 23, 2009

LuVerne L. Heginger, age 74, of Belmond, formerly of Klemme, Lakota and Callendar, Iowa, died on Wednesday, December 16, 2009, at the Hancock County Memorial Hospital in Britt.

Funeral services were held on Monday, December 21, 2009, at the Klemme United Methodist Church, Klemme. The Rev. Paddy Druhl officiated. Burial, with full military honors provided by the Klemme Military Unit, was in the Ell Township Cemetery, Klemme. The Andrews Funeral Home of Klemme was in charge of the arrangements.

Lu Verne LeRoy Heginger, the son of Carl John Heginger, Sr. and Edna (Harms) Heginger, was born on January 13, 1935 at Klemme, Iowa. He attended the Klemme Schools. LuVerne served in the United States Army from September 1, 1954 through August 20, 1957. He was honorably discharged as an SP3 (T). Following his return from the service, LuVerne was united in marriage to Shirley Ann Green, on a farm near Otho, Iowa on August 31, 1957. The couple's union was blessed with 7 children, Ronald, Joanne, Roger, Gordon, Marilynn, David and Gary.

Throughout his career, LuVerne worked in the manufacturing industries, including more than 26 years at Winnebago Industries. He was employed with the New Idea Corporation in Fort Dodge for 13 and 1/2 years. He retired from Winnebago in 1997. LuVerne had also assisted with various demolitions of farm buildings over the years. He had been a gravedigger and assistant caretaker of the city cemetery in Callendar. He also did some farm work for area farmers where he lived. LuVerne was a jack of all trades. He raised beautiful and plentiful gardens, loved to plant flowers and enjoyed barbeques and fishing. He cherished times spent with his children and grandchildren. LuVerne and Shirley had also enjoyed doing some traveling over the years. He was a long time member of the Klemme United Methodist Church.

LuVerne is survived by his wife of nearly 53 years, Shirley Heginger of Belmond; sons, Ronald Heginger of Kanawha, Roger Heginger of Belmond, Gordon (Sara) Heginger of Kanawha, David (Tammy) Heginger of Klemme and Gary Heginger and fiancée, Jennifer Collier of Council Bluffs; daughters, Joanne (Larry) Eckhoff of Belmond and Marilyn Heginger of Corwith; 15 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; his siblings, Carl (Darlene) Heginger of Klemme, Lyle (Sue) Heginger of Belmond, Anthony (Liz) Heginger of Klemme, Rick Heginger of Klemme, Edna (John) VanGerpen of Marion, Zelda (Jerry) Scott of Clear Lake and Sharon Reysack of Garner; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Lois Ward; brothers, William and Duane Heginger; and a granddaughter, Rhonda Heginger.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2009

Harriet L. Bridgeford, 1918-2009

January 6, 2010

Harriet L. Bridgeford, 90, of Garner, formerly Mason City, died on Thursday, December 17, 2009, at the Concord Care Center in Garner, She had been a resident there since July 2008.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, December 19, at the First United Methodist Church Wayside Chapel, with the Rev. Jim Stiles officiating. Interment was in the Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery. The Major Erickson Funeral Home of Mason City, was in charge of the arrangements.

Harriet L. Gibbs, was born on January 29, 1918, the daughter of Harry and Esther (Lenz) Gibbs on their family farm southeast of Klemme. She attended and graduated from the Klemme Schools and later received advanced clerical instruction and graduated from the Hamilton Business College. Harriet began her working years at Locke Photo in Mason City. She was later employed at Stoyles Printing as an office manager and bookkeeper. She enjoyed the many people she worked with and met over the years in downtown Mason City.

She married Virgil Bridgeford on June 2, 1945 and they made their home in Mason City. Virgil passed away on November 16, 1998.

As a youth Harriet received a very crippling injury that left her with pain and a partial disability throughout her life. She never mentioned it or thought of herself as being set back by it in any way. Harriet was a very friendly, caring and industrious person. She enjoyed baking cookies for nieces, nephews and friends, gardening,, fishing and traveling. She and Virgil enjoyed vacationing around the country and Canada, and fishing on Clear Lake. Harriet was a long-time member of the First United Methodist Church and women's clubs.

She is survived by her sister, Isabelle Gibbs of Mason City; sister-in-law, Hazel "Toots" Ellingson and her husband, Merle of Clear Lake; brother-in-law, Richard Bridgeford of Mason City; nieces and nephews, Ronna (Jerry) Meyers of Garner and Lora (Lester) Ward of Lansing, Illinois, Joe (Kathy) Gibbs of Garner, Debbie (Bob) Riecherts of Minneapolis; David (Cheryl) Ellingson of Indianola, Mark (Lori) Ellingson of Mason City, Julie (Neal) Pals of Clear Lake; and several great-nieces and nephews.

he was preceded in death by her husband, Virgil; her parents; two brothers, Asa and Ronald; and sisters-in-law, Jane Bridgeford, Lois Gibbs, Fay Gibbs and Dewie Gibbs.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2010

Reverdy Lou Mace, 1935-2009

December 23, 2009

Reverdy Lou Mace, age 74, passed away on Friday, December 18, 2009, at the Fountain West Health Care Center.

Lou donated his body to the Des Moines University so that future health care practitioners may be trained in the structure and function of the human body. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.  In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Bethany Christian Services, Des Moines, Iowa.

Formerly of Klemme, Iowa, Lou graduated from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa and taught English at the Woodward High School. Lou later moved to Des Moines where he married and raised his family. Lou was an avid photographer and University of Iowa Hawkeye sports fan.

Lou is survived by his wife, Lucy Mace of Des Moines; his daughters, Jacqueline Mace of New York and Bonnie Mace of Chicago; his son, Ronald Mace of Des Moines; and his sister, Jo Ann Cleven of Omaha, Nebraska.

Lou was preceded in death by his parents, Max and Vivian Mace.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2009

Louise Jermeland, 1920-2009

December 30, 2009

FOREST CITY-Louise Jermeland, 89, of Forest City, died on Saturday, December 19, 2009, at the I.O.O.F. Home in Mason City.

Funeral service were held on Tuesday, December 22, at the First Baptist Church in Forest City, with Pastor Merrill Olson officiating. Burial was in the Ellington Cemetery, rural Forest City. The Petersen Lund Funeral Home of Forest City was in charge of the arrangements.

Louise Jermeland, was born on August 18, 1920 in Hardy, Iowa, the daughter of Osmund and Bessie (Olson) Torkelson. She moved with her family to Thompson where she began her education. After the family moved to Forest City she completed her schooling at the Ellington School. She was united in marriage to Walter Jermeland on February 28, 1941. The couple farmed near Pilot Knob before moving to Buffalo Center and later to Hayfield in 1957, before settling on the family farm near Pilot Knob in 1980. Louise took an active role in the farming operation, choring livestock and providing meals for hired help. She treasured working with her friends at the Chuck Wagon Cafe in Forest City from 1972-1988.

In 1992, a year after Walter's death, she moved to Forest City. In October 2006, she moved to the I.O.O.F. Home in Mason City where she discovered a new family of friends.

Louise was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church. Her faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ along with family and friends carried her through the hard times in her life. She loved music and believed life's problems could be sung away with a familiar hymn. She passed her love of music on to her family. She truly had the gift of hospitality, preparing meals for others was a delight. Her children remember her delicious sugar cookies, pies and brownies. She was an avid reader, enjoyed history and loved birds ~ especially cardinals! She also loved needlework and quilting.

Louise is survived by her children and their spouses, Bud (Naomi) Jermeland of Forest City and Bonnie (Paul) Handsaker of Radcliffe, Iowa; eight grandchildren, Danielle Handsaker, David Handsaker, Jon (Bethany) Handsaker and Alex, Andrew, Grace, Chris and Michelle Jermeland; a brother, Orrin (Marian) Torkelson of Forest City; and sisters, Thelma Sunde and Julaine Albertson, both of Forest City.

Louise was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Walter; two sons and three daughters who died in infancy; five brothers; and four sisters.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2009

Scott Pollock, 1942-2009

January 6, 2010

TAMPA, FLORIDA-Scott Pollock, 67, of Tampa, Florida, formerly of Garner, died on Monday, December 28, 2009, in Tampa.

Funeral services will be held at 3:30 p.m., on Saturday, January 2, at the Temple Terrace Presbyterian Church in Tampa. Graveside services were held on Tuesday, January 5, in the Concord Township Cemetery in Garner. The Cataldo Funeral Home in Garner was in chare of the local arrangements.

Scott Pollock, the son of Clarke and Edith (Quackenbush) Pollock, was born on March 8, 1942. He graduated from the Garner High School and the University of Dubuque. Upon completing four years of active duty in the USAF, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, to work at the Beach Aircraft Corporation. There he met and married his wife, Carol, who were to celebrate their 38th anniversary on December 29. They moved to Tampa in 1970, where he worked with Birdsong Beechcraft for three years and then was the corporate pilot for the Reeves Southeastern Corporation for 25 years. In 1998, he went to work for and became the general manager of the Tampa Flying Service located at the Peter O. Knight Airport, until his retirement in 2004.

Survivors include his loving wife, Carol; daughter, Susan of Ashburn, Virginia; son, Michael and wife, Keri and their daughter, Addison of Clemmons, North Carolina; sister, Carolyn Weinheimer of Hollister, California; and cousin, Nancy Reasland and husband, Ray of Solon, Iowa.

Scott was preceded in death by his parents, Clarke and Edith Pollock.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2010

William R. Schneider, 1935-2009

February 3, 2010

William R. Schneider, MSgt AF (Retired), went to be with the Lord on Monday, December 28, 2009, at the age of 74, after his courageous crusade with cancer.

A memorial to celebrate his life was held on Wednesday, January 6, 2010, in Tucson, Arizona.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Lydia of Clear Lake; his first wife, Connie (Schoonover)(Wilson); and brothers, Fred (Marie) and Tom (Linda).

He is survived by his wife, Edie; two children, William T. and Becky (Jim) McEIfresh; sisters, Ardella (John) Hanson and Ardeen (Gilbert) Luker; brothers, Larry (Geri), Roger (Mary) and Bernie (Laura); four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Bill spent much of his retirement focusing on his family, new-found hobbies and team leading for the retired non-denominational volunteer building group SOWERs – Servants On Wheels Ever Ready. Until recently, Bill was responsible for construction, improvement and construction management of many churches and orphanages across the United States.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2010

Charles T. McLaughlin, 1918-2009

January 6, 2010

BRITT-Charles T. "Chuck" McLaughlin, died on Tuesday, December 29, 2009, at home.

There will be no memorial service. Memorial contributions may be made to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Des Moines, Iowa.

He was born to C. T. and Dorothy McLaughlin, on a farm near Salem, Illinois in 1918. Chuck was a progressive farmer and an ardent conservationist. After he earned a B.S. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois and pursued graduate studies at Iowa State, Chuck and Helen began their own farming operation in 1945. He became involved with soil conservation in 1946 as one of the original members of the local soil conservation district. He was elected as a Soil Commissioner in 1972 and was the first farmer to serve as President of the Iowa Soil District Commissioners (1978-1980). He spoke extensively on soil conservation throughout the United States and he served on the board of the National Soil Conservation Districts. He was well known nationally for his lifelong commitment to soil and water conservation.

Chuck provided 30 years of volunteer leadership to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, starting in 1980 as an ex-officio board member when they were newly formed. He served on their board of directors from 1982 until his death (age 64 to 91) and as Chair 1990 -1992. Chuck helped develop their Resourceful Farming Program. While he helped protect and restore many wild places in Iowa, he took special joy in restorations close to home such as Meredith Marsh, Crystal Lake Marsh, Thorpe Park wildlife complex, Maynard Reece Marsh, Union Slough additions and the Clear Lake watershed. He was noted for imparting a few sentences of wisdom or perspective into board discussion just when needed. In many ways, he was the spirit and conscience of the organization. He believed it was crucial for private citizens to build awareness of our dependence upon natural resources and to protect unique natural areas of the state for future public enjoyment. He led by example. The depth of his commitment was an inspiration to many others.

Chuck also served his community and state by being on the Hancock County Zoning Board, the Board of Governors for Living History Farms, the Land Use Commission, the Iowa Conservation Education Council and the Speakers' Bureau of the Iowa Humanities Board. He delivered “Chief Seattle's speech” on environmental responsibility on many memorable occasions. He was president for several years of the North Iowa Choral Society and sang often at Choral Society and Hancock Little Theater presentations, including “The Messiah” and at weddings, funerals and in his church choir. Chuck was a Past Master of Masons and a 32nd Degree Mason.

He was preceded in death by his parents; 2 brothers; 3 sisters; and his wife, Helen.

He is survived by his son, Sydney; 4 nephews and their families; and many dear friends.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2010

Linda L. Lagasse, 1943-2009

January 6, 2010

Linda L. Lagasse, 66, of Garner, passed away on Thursday, December 31, 2009, at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, after a brief but courageous fight with leukemia.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Tuesday, January 5, 2010, at the St. Boniface Catholic Church in Garner, with Fr. Brian Dellaert officiating. Burial was in the Madison Township Cemetery in Forest City. The Cataldo Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.

Linda L. Lagasse, the daughter of Peter and Eunice (Wilson) Etzen, was born on September 21, 1943 in Forest City. She graduated from the Forest City High School in 1961. On April 11, 1964, she was united in marriage to Joe Lagasse in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They lived in several states before making their home in Garner in 1976. Linda was employed as a secretary, waitressed and managed food establishments throughout the years in the area. She retired in 2006 from Perkins Restaurant in Mason City.

Linda was a devoted wife, loving mother and grandmother. She enjoyed spending her time reading, doing crossword puzzles, baking, spending time with her family, friends and foremost being with her grandchildren. She was a member of the St. Boniface Catholic Church, Red Hat Society and the Blind Association in Mason City.

Linda is survived by her loving husband, Joe of Garner; son, Robin Lagasse of Minneapolis, Minnesota and his daughter, Summer; daughter, Wendy (Paul) Juntunen of Rolla, North Dakota and their three children, Jadyn, Haley and Kylie; daughter, Dawn (Brian) Henley of Marshalltown and their two sons, Creighton and Matt; and two nephews, Brad and Bryan Saathoff.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Sandra Saathoff; and brother, Scott Etzen.
©The Garner Leader & Signal 2010