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Worshipers at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing Sunday, April 24 were filled with laughter and joy as they celebrated the resurrection of Christ with their 16th annual Holy Hilarity Sunday. The children and youth of the congregation dramatically reenacted the Easter story, complete with angels dancing in giant wings. Pictured above are those angels (left to right): Izzy Hammell, Zoey Timmerman and Ashlyn Henkes. The celebratory banners hanging above were made by Kathy Hay and Paula Rathbun. Submitted photo.
 

The annual Spring Migration Day Hike to celebrate the migrating birds returning to the Upper Mississippi Flyway region will begin at 7 a.m. Saturday, May 7 at the trailhead for Sugar Creek Bluff Natural Area just off North Buck Creek Road in Ferryville, WI. The earlier starting time this year should enable the group to hear and spot more of the migrating warblers.

This is a relatively gradual hike of 1.5 miles round-trip. The halfway point provides an overlook of the Mississippi River. Expert birders will guide hikers in spotting the returning birds.  Ferryville Tourism Council is hosting this hike, with Mississippi Valley Conservancy presenting this event as part of its Linked to the Land series.

The Waukon girls golf program had a busy end to this past week, with back-to-back days of competition making up the Indian schedule for the week. This season’s lone team member, freshman Alyssa Connelly, first played host to both Charles City and a South Winneshiek team the program tried to host several weeks earlier in a Friday, April 29 home double-dual before competing in an 18-hole tournament at Oneota Golf and Country Club in Decorah Saturday, April 30.

The Indian girls golf program was next scheduled to host New Hampton Monday, May 2, but had that meet canceled so New Hampton could make up a previously postponed double-dual. Waukon will then host the Northeast Iowa Conference Tournament Monday, May 9 before preparing for its Friday, May 13 Class 2A Sectional Tournament.

Having had its own Indian Relays canceled by weather last Thursday, April 21, the Waukon boys track team made a quick schedule change to join their female counterparts in hosting a co-ed Indian Relays Tuesday, April 26. That schedule adjustment ended up being the only competition for this past week for the Indians, but they certainly made the most of that opportunity by winning the team title by more than 100 points.

The Waukon boys are next slated to compete at the New Hampton Invitational Monday, May 2 before taking part in the Northeast Iowa Conference Meet at Waverly-Shell Rock Thursday, May 5. They will then prepare for their Class 2A State Qualifying Meet scheduled for Thursday, May 12 at Osage.

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For a second consecutive week, the Kee girls track and field team was able to get its full schedule of outdoor competition completed, traveling to the homes of a couple fellow Upper Iowa Conference squads and finishing toward the middle of the pack at each invitational. The Lady Hawks placed fourth at the Clayton Ridge Invitational Tuesday, April 26 before finishing eighth at the MFL/MarMac Invitational Thursday, April 28 without the services of senior Haley Meyer, who was scheduled to compete among the state of Iowa elite in the 400 meter dash the next day, Friday, April 29, at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, and finished 13th among the state’s best 400 meter runners from all school sizes.

The Kee girls were next slated to compete in the Edgewood-Colesburg Invitational Monday, May 2 and then the Upper Iowa Conference Meet at Postville Thursday, May 5. They will then prepare for their Class 1A State Qualifying Meet scheduled for Thursday, May 12 at Edgewood-Colesburg.

The Waukon girls track team was able to get its full slate of competition in this past week, although the second of those meets didn’t actually involve a full slate due to wet conditions causing the field events to not take place at the Thursday, April 28 MFL/MarMac Invitational. Regardless, the Lady Indians still won that MFL/MarMac meet after finishing fourth at their own Indian Relays two nights earlier, Tuesday, April 26, with the Indians not having two point-scoring sophomores in the competition mix this week due to injury.

The Waukon girls were next slated to compete in the Edgewood-Colesburg Invitational Monday, May 2 before taking part in the Northeast Iowa Conference Meet at Waverly-Shell Rock Thursday, May 5. The track Tribe will then prepare for its Class 2A State Qualifying Meet scheduled for Thursday, May 12 at Osage.

James Forrest Barthell Sr. was born May 2, 1935 to Billie Long (Mann) and Charles Grant Barthell, Sr. in Fort Worth, TX. He passed away Sunday, April 17, 2022 in Duncan, OK at the age of 86.

As an appropriate caution, Jim has requested that there be no Witness to The Resurrection service or other memorial gathering of friends and family in his honor. He has asked for prayers for Sally and the family.

Memorial gifts may be made to the First Presbyterian Church in Duncan, OK or to BOYS TOWN, by mail at P.O. Box 8000, Boys Town, NE 68010 or online at www.boystown.org/gift.

Jim grew up in southern California and in rural northeast Iowa, where he attended a one-room, all-grades country school. He finished his public education years graduating from Burbank High School in southern California in 1953.

James F. Rossi, age 95, of Lansing passed away November 28, 2021. There will be a memorial for Jim at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing May 14 at 10:30 a.m. A light lunch will follow. Please come and share your memories of Jim. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church or the local Veteran Legion in Jim’s honor.

He is survived by his son, Anthony (Julie) Rossi of Lannon, WI; his daughter, Michele (Rossi) Juul of Two Rivers, WI; his grandchildren, Ryan, Michael, Gia, Guy and Nathan; and six great-grandchildren.

Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Delores (Lind) Rossi; and three children, Dennis, Denise and Deanna.

Jim was active in his church. Before COVID-19 hit, he would usher every week at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing. You could also find Jim sitting in his garage making birdhouses.

Meryle S. Honn, 89, of Waukon died Friday, April 29, 2022 at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, WI. Funeral services were held Tuesday, May 3 at Salem United Church of Christ in rural Waukon with Pastor Sue Klimstra officiating. Burial with military honors was in the church cemetery.

Meryle Swenson Honn was born December 30, 1932 in rural Allamakee County near Forest Mills, the son of Roy Louis and Pearl Ann (Swenson) Honn. He attended rural country schools in Allamakee County and graduated from Waukon High School in 1952. Meryle served in the United States Air Force from 1952 until 1956 during the Korean War, where he did bomb demolition; after the war, he was involved in testing of atomic bombs.

by Caty Bruening, MT, Laboratory Supervisor

In most people’s opinion, having blood drawn is not the highlight of a doctor’s appointment, emergency room (ER) visit, or hospitalization; yet, lab results from these blood samples play a considerable role in the diagnosis and care plan of a patient’s health. It is said that 70% of a patient’s medical record is composed of lab results.

The laboratory technicians at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon consider themselves fortunate to collect blood, so that they can have that connection with patients that larger hospital laboratorians don’t experience. The lab staff at VMH ensure each blood draw is performed with care, comfort and quality in mind. However, the blood draw is only a small part in the series of the care given by a lab tech.