News Center newsletter

Elizabeth M. Huffman, 82, of Lansing died Monday, November 1, 2021 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. A visitation was held Saturday, November 6 at Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon.

Elizabeth Mae Huffman was born May 2, 1939 in Elgin, IL, the daughter of Fred and Ruby Ellen (Cook) Gritmacker. June 28, 1958, she married Dennis Huffman in Maquoketa.

After they were married, they lived in Palatine, IL for a short time before moving to Lake Zurich, IL, where she ran a successful house cleaning business until she retired in 2002. After retiring, she and Dennis moved to Lansing.

Elizabeth enjoyed spending time in the outdoors, hiking and wandering in the woods. She also enjoyed wood working, oil painting, and taking care of her family, her chickens and her granddog, Bella.

Margaret FitzGerald, 92, of Lansing passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, Sunday, November 7, 2021. Memorial services will be held in Illinois.

Margaret was born October 22, 1929 in Chicago, IL to parents William and Bernice Daly. She grew up in that city and attended Chicago’s Mundelein College, where she met and married her husband, Christopher FitzGerald III, in 1950. The couple was blessed with nine children and lived in Evanston, IL and Cincinnati, OH before settling down in Oak Park, IL, where they lived until Margaret and Chris retired to Lansing in 1986. There they enjoyed river life, made many good friends and traveled extensively. Chris passed away in 1998, and after several years Margaret decided to move back to Oak Park, IL to be near family.

Loren R. Paus, 71, of Dorchester died Monday, November 8, 2021 at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Graveside services will be held Saturday, November 13 at 11 a.m. at St. Luke’s Cemetery in Eitzen, MN, with Pastor Michael McCann officiating. Friends may greet the family from 10 a.m. until the time of the graveside service Saturday at St. Luke’s Church in Eitzen, MN.

Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the services. Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
 

Katherine Ann “Kathy” Nesheim, 70, of Waukon passed away Friday, October 29, 2021 at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Private graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, November 13 at St. Peter’s Memorial Cemetery, New Albin. Rev. William Reese will officiate.

Kathy was born June 9, 1951 in La Crosse, WI to Walter and Esther (Meyer) Neumann. September 12, 1985, Kathy married Dennis Nesheim.

Survivors include her son, Walter “Walley” (Chris) Nesheim; her dogs, Sophie, Peanut, Bo-Bo and Sadie Mae; her uncle, Harold (Eunice) Meyer; and nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Kathy was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Dennis.

Jandt-Fredrickson Funeral Homes and Crematory, Caledonia, MN is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be offered at www.jandtfredrickson.com.
 

Steve and Donna Stortz of Waukon and Deborah and Charles Hammel of Dorchester announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of their children, Shaylie Stortz of Waukon and Kenneth Hammel of Dorchester. The couple plans to exchange vows Saturday, November 6 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon.

A dance will be open to  the public from 7:30 p.m. to midnight at the Waukon Banquet Center. The bride-to-be is a 2014 graduate of Waukon High School and a 2018 graduate of Iowa State University with a Bachelors Degree in History and Political Science. She is employed as a Social Studies teacher at North Fayette Valley High School in West Union.

The groom-to-be is a 2013 graduate of Waukon High School and a 2015 graduate of Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) in Calmar with an Associates Degree in Agricultural Business. He is employed by Valley Ag in New Albin.
 

Mark and Barbara (Ferring) Howe of Waukon will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. The couple exchanged vows November 7, 1981 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon.

Their children include Justin (Ami) Howe of Oxford, Matt Howe of New Albin and Emily (Jesse) Spors of Marion. They have 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

In honor of the occasion, cards and well wishes may be sent to 388 Red Bud Drive, Waukon, IA 52172. No gifts are requested.

Terry Kolsrud and Shawna Peterson, both of Waukon, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding to take place Saturday, November 6, 2021. A private ceremony with family is planned with a dance open to the public to follow from 6-10 p.m. at The Barn in Prairie du Chien, WI.

The bride-elect is the daughter of Al Peterson and Sara Ghan, both of Lansing. The groom-elect is the son of Bernard and the late Lorna Kolsrud of Waukon.
 

Reservations are being taken now for the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s  Christmas Fantasy to be held Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, November 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon.

This year the theme for Christmas Fantasy will be “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” which is fitting for an outdoor Fantasy. A drive-through of lighted displays will be out in front of the Fairgrounds Pavilion for anyone wanting to drive through or walk through evenings during the event. The grounds will be open from 5-9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday nights and from 4-7 p.m. Monday night. The format of the event was changed again this year to keep the event COVID-safe.

Reservations are now being taken for drive-through meals which will be offered Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. All meals must be reserved with a reservation five days prior to the event. Reservations can be made by calling 563-568-6262.

A third booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccination is now available for all those who meet the following criteria:

• 65 years and older
• Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings
• Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
• Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings
• It must also be at least six months from your last dose of the COVID vaccine.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee County  Public Health will be offering two walk-in clinics on campus in the near future. The first walk-in clinic will be Friday, November 5 from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Those needing the Pfizer booster dose will go to the main entrance of the hospital and those needing the Moderna vaccination will go to the ICN entrance on the southeast side of the hospital.

by Angie Mettille, RN, BSN, CDCES

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people in the United States. It is a result of insulin resistance and/or deficiency, causing blood sugars to be too high. You likely know someone that has diabetes, or maybe have been diagnosed with diabetes yourself. Even if you have never been told that you have diabetes, it is important to be aware of symptoms of elevated blood sugars, also called hyperglycemia.

There are also millions of people in the United States that have diabetes but have not been diagnosed. How do you know that you may have high blood sugars? Whether you have been diagnosed with diabetes or not, it is important to listen to your body and be proactive if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms. These symptoms could be related to dangerously high blood sugars: