Obituaries

Duane H. Meyer, 81, of Castalia died Friday, June 26, 2015 at Gundersen Lutheran Health Systems, La Crosse, WI. Funeral Services are scheduled to be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 3 at Zion Lutheran Church, Castalia. Burial will follow at Postville Cemetery, Postville with Military Rites.
Visitation will take place Thursday, July 2 from 4-7 p.m. at Schutte-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Postville and one hour before services at the church Friday. Schutte-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Postville is assisting the family with arrangements.
 

Iris Ida (Middendorf) Sires of New Albin passed away June 21, 2015. A memorial service will be held Saturday, August 1 at the New Albin Community Center, beginning at 11 a.m.
Iris was born March 5, 1928 to Walter and Ida Middendorf in the Winnebago Valley in Minnesota. She married Cleon Dale Sires April 13, 1946 in Cedar Rapids. They had two sons.
Iris was the secretary for the New Albin School for many years. She loved woodworking, sewing and cooking big meals for her family and friends. She was a member of the VFW of New Albin.
Iris is survived by her sons, Douglas Sires of Apache Junction, AZ and Lance (Fran) Sires of Marseilles, IL; her grandchildren, Andrew (Jessieca) Sires and Sarah (Donald) Oakland of Waukon, Chad Sires of Denver, CO, Samantha (Brian) Loomis of Ottawa, IL and Jason (Laura Belle) Sires of Castle Rock, CO; and her great-grandchildren, Paul, Hannah, Abby, Emma, Wade, Cole, Camden, Anna Belle, Addy, Ainsleigh and Aniston.

Evelyn “Brownie” M. Bublitz, 84, of Waukon died Saturday, June 27, 2015 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services were held Wednesday, July 1 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Waukon. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, Good Samaritan Center in Waukon, or the Humane Society of Northeast Iowa in Decorah.
Evelyn “Brownie” Mae Bublitz was born July 15, 1930 in the Lansing area, the daughter of Daniel and Ada (Bolsinger) Spores. She attended Lansing schools, and August 23, 1947 she married Merlin Bublitz at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Waukon. Brownie worked for a while as a nurse’s aide in area nursing homes and then for over 25 years she worked at Northern Engraving as an inspector.

Virginia (Jeannie) O’Malley, 84, of Webster City died Wednesday, June 24, 2015 at her home surrounded by her family. Mass of Christian Burial was held Monday, June 29 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Webster City with Rev. Stephen Meyer officiating.  Burial was in Calvary Cemetery in Webster City.
Virginia Mae Walsh, daughter of Joseph and Matilda Waldron Walsh, was born June 13, 1931 at Waukon. She attended French Creek Country School and graduated from Waukon Public High School.
August 22, 1950 she married Leo Thomas O’Malley at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Waukon.  The couple had resided at McGregor, Waterloo and Dubuque. They moved to Webster City in 1956.
Jeannie worked for 28 years for the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School lunch program. She spent many winters with her daughter and family in Arizona. Leo preceded her in death February 26, 2011.

Barbara M. Burbank, 90, of Indianapolis, IN died June 11, 2015 at her home. Services were held Friday, June 19 at Fairview Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, IN, with Rev. John Koppitch officiating. Burial was in Washington Park Cemetery North in Indianapolis, IN.
Barbara Mary Martin was Born in Waukon November 26, 1924. She was the third child of Juan Willard and Clara Martha Martin. She was named after her two grandmothers, Barbara Martin and Mary Opfer. Barbara grew up in a loving family, active in the church and choir. Her brother, Roger, teased her a lot, but they shared a special bond and many fond memories of playing in the yard with the neighborhood children.
Barbara loved to ice skate (speed skate) and grew up sewing and cooking. She played tenor saxophone in high school and in the university dance band and marching band. She graduated from the University of Iowa in Iowa City with a nursing degree in 1947 and served as a cadet nurse during WWII.

Dale Lee Herrmann, 65, of Onalaska, WI, formerly of Waukon, passed away peacefully Friday, June 19, 2015 at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse, WI. A funeral service was  held Tuesday, June 23 at Coulee Region Cremation Group and Funeral Home in Onalaska, WI, with Pastor Ted Dewald officiating.
Dale was born September 13, 1949 to Arthur and Vila Herrmann. He married Debra Teff November 25, 1972 at St Mary's Catholic Church in Dorchester.
Dale served his country in the U.S. Army from 1969 until 1971 and was a Vietnam veteran. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and other medals of honor. We think of Dale as a quiet hero.
He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and going to auctions. He loved his pug, Rose. Most of all, Dale loved spending time with his family, especially his grandsons, Daylan and Hudson.

Michael Cyril Mooney, 55, of New Albin passed away Thursday, June 18, 2015 at Rochester Methodist Hospital, Rochester, MN. Mass of Christian Burial was held Tuesday, June 23 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, New Albin, with Rev. John Moser as the Celebrant. Burial followed at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, New Albin.
Mike was born November 3, 1959 to Cyril and Leona (O’Neill) Mooney in Waukon. Michael was joined in marriage with his loving wife, Sheila Quandahl, May 7, 1988 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon. Mike loved his job at Dairyland Power, working his way up to supervisor over the last 28 rewarding years.

Norman Leiran, 94, of Waterville died Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services were held Monday, June 22 at East Paint Creek Synod Lutheran Church in rural Waterville, with Rev. Ronald Pederson officiating. Burial with military graveside rites was in the church cemetery.
Harry Norman Leiran was born March 19, 1921 in rural Waterville, the son of Harry Emmert and Nora Clarinda (Busness) Leiran. He was baptized and confirmed at East Paint Creek Synod Lutheran Church in rural Waterville and graduated from Waterville High School in 1939. Norman served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II from 1943 until 1946, with duty in the European, African and Middle Eastern Theaters.

Rodney Hagensick, age 55, of Decorah died Sunday, June 7, 2015 at his home in Decorah. Memorial Services were held at Walden Pond, Castalia Monday, June 15, with Rev. David Lenth of Ossian Lutheran Church officiating. Interment was at Walden Pond Cemetery, Castalia.
Rodney Lowell Hagensick was born December 21, 1959, the son of Jack and Sally (Schultz) Hagensick in Decorah. Rodney was baptized April 24, 1960 at the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Castalia and confirmed April 27, 1975 at the Glenwood Lutheran Church, rural Decorah. Rodney attended Waukon Community Schools and helped on the family farm. He worked at Deco Products in Decorah and then also farmed with his dad.
Together, he and Paula Hitchcock had two sons, Shane and Troy. Rodney then was united in marriage to Sharla Fogt and had Elijah “E.J.” and Ethan. They later divorced.

Merlin Lee Boese, 73, of Waukon, formerly of Postville, died Wednesday, June 3, 2015 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral Services were held Saturday, June 6 at Schutte-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Postville. Burial followed in the Postville Cemetery, Postville.
Merlin was born November 4, 1941 in Iowa City to William and Mary (Freeman) Boese. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Postville and attended Postville Schools. Merlin worked at Beucher Lanes and Iowa Turkey Products.
Merlin had been a resident of Makee Manor, north of Waukon, for many years, where he enjoyed many activities offered there. He was recently a resident at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Merlin enjoyed viewing and sharing his collection of movies, especially old westerns. He liked sitting outside and visiting with his friends at the care centers.