Top Stories

Karen Hanson, age 70, of Decorah died Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at the Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah following a long illness. Funeral services were held Monday, February 9 at the Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church, rural Decorah, with Rev. Douglas Mathison officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.

Eleanora W. Berns, 101, of Waukon died Saturday, February 7, 2009 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Thursday, February 12 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, with Fr. Joseph Schneider and Rev. Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg officiating. Burial will be held in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.

Friends may call from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, February 11 at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon, where there will be a 4 p.m. scripture service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Patrick Catholic School Endowment Fund.

Elmer Oliver Ellefson, age 81, of Harrison, AR died Thursday, February 5, 2009 at Hillcrest Home in Harrison, AR. Graveside services were held Tuesday, February 10 at Maplewood Cemetery in Harrison, AR, with Rev. Michael Ada officiating.

Elmer was born March 2, 1927 at Lansing, the son of Melvin and Selma (Tollefson) Ellefson. He enjoyed wood carving, Ham Radio, fishing and hunting, and was of the Lutheran faith.

Patricia Ann Juvik-Woods died January 31, 2009 at her home in Benicia, CA from complications of syringomyelia, a disorder of the spinal cord.

Patricia was born July 2, 1949, and grew up on her parents' dairy farm in northeast Iowa. She was a graduate of Waukon High School in Waukon and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College in Decorah in 1971 and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa in Iowa City in 1976.

Donald R. Kessel, 86, of La Crosse, WI died Monday, February 2 at the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI. Funeral services were held Thursday, February 5 at Bethany Evangelical Free Church, La Crosse, WI, with Pastor Corey Sateren officiating. Burial, with military honors, followed in Oak Grove Cemetery.

Donald was born in Waukon August 8, 1922 to Harry and Anna (Jensen) Kessel. He married Evelyn R. Traff April 3, 1946 in Waukon.

Ivanelle Louisa Maria Kuhse, 91, of Postville died Monday, February 2, 2009 at Palmer Lutheran Health Center, West Union, following a brief illness. Funeral Services were held Saturday, February 7 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Postville, with Rev. Steve Brackett officiating. Burial will follow in the Postville Cemetery, Postville.

Ivanelle was born May 31, 1917 in rural Luana to Fred and Amanda (Doerring) Becker. She was baptized by Rev. Westenberger July 1, 1917 and confirmed by Rev. Kumpf April 12, 1931. She attended Eno Country School through the eighth grade.

The percentage of people in Iowa receiving food assistance (formerly known as food stamps), has increased 90 percent since 2000 and unemployment in Iowa has increased 46 percent, according to the report Iowa Kids Count 2007: Trends in the Well-Being of Iowa Children. The report is produced and updated annually by the Child and Family Policy Center (CFPC).

The Big Pumpkin Contest, which had its area debut last fall at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon, has been scheduled for September 27 of this year. Entry deadline for those wishing to participate in the contest has been set for May 15.

The Allamakee Dollars for Scholars (ADFS) Board has completed legal requirements to establish an endowment as an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. The permanent endowment is separate from the ADFS annual scholarship fund and will be invested to provide support for scholarships which encourage local students to reach for and achieve their educational goals, and it will grow forever.

The 2009 Allamakee County Dairy Days Banquet will be held Saturday, March 28 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The meal will be served from 7-8:30 p.m., with the program starting at 8 p.m. The annual celebration recognizes the importance of the dairy industry in Allamakee County and the contributions dairy families make to this important industry.