Obituaries

LaVonne Winters Brandt, 84, of Frankville died Tuesday, March 12, 2019 at Aase Haugen Home Memory Care in Decorah. Funeral services were held Monday, March 18 at Frankville Presbyterian Church with Rev. Gary Catterson officiating. Burial was at Frankville Cemetery.

LaVonne Sophia Winters Brandt was born July 6, 1934 in Waukon, the daughter of Leonard and Minnie (Flage) Snitker. She attended Ludlow country schools and September 27, 1950 she married LeRoy Winters in Winneshiek County. To this union, five children were born: Gary, Cindy, Peggy, Bonnie and Deloris. In August of 1974, LeRoy passed away.

December 28, 1974, LaVonne married Wayne Brandt at Frankville Presbyterian Church and with this union, she gained three more daughters: Karen, Karlene and Konnie. Wayne was the love of her life and passed away in April of 2003.

Helen Inga (Lovstuen) Olson, age 90, of Decorah died suddenly Sunday, March 10, 2019 of kidney and heart failure at the Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah. Funeral services were held at Glenwood Lutheran Church, rural Decorah Monday, March 18 with Rev. Stacey Nalean-Carlson officiating. Interment was at Glenwood East Cemetery, Decorah.

Helen was born September 9, 1928 to Inga (Ehrie) and Helmer Lovstuen at their farm (established 1854) in Glenwood Township, Winneshiek County. She was baptized and confirmed at Glenwood Lutheran Church. Helen attended Glenwood #5 (Lee) country school and graduated from Decorah High School as valedictorian of the Class of 1947. She worked for Attorney Shea as a secretary until she married.

September 25, 1949, she married Vernon Thomas Lien Olson at Glenwood Lutheran Church with Rev. Norman Dversdahl officiating. They farmed with her parents and purchased the family farm in 1955 where they raised their seven children.

Gary L. Larson, 76, of Waterloo, died Saturday, March 16, 2019 at Rosewood Estate in Waterloo. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 21 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Waterloo with burial at 10 a.m. Friday, March 22 at Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Wexford.

Public visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, March 20 at Hagarty-Waychoff-Grarup Funeral Service on West Ridgeway Avenue in Waterloo, where there will be a 7 p.m. vigil. Visitation will continue for one hour before services at the church Thursday. Memorials may be directed to Cedar Valley Hospice or the church.

Gary was born July 8, 1942 in Waterloo, the son of Clarence George and Lorena Opal Petersen Larson. He married Alice Marie Mullarkey May 20, 1972 at Wexford. She died August 31, 2004. Gary served in the U.S. Army and was employed with John Deere for 38 years, retiring in 2000.

Theron Krambeer, 58, of New Albin died Friday, March 1, 2019 at his home in New Albin. Visitation will be held from 2-6 p.m. Saturday, March 23 at the New Albin Community Center, New Albin.

Theron was born February 25, 1961 to Merlin Gene and Margaret (O’Hanley) Krambeer in Winthrop, MA. He graduated from Kee High School in Lansing with the Class of 1978.

Theron was united in marriage with Karla Halverson, and they later divorced. Theron worked as a Mechanic and Machinist for Trane Co. and Sebring Enterprise. He loved working on cars, motorcycles and anything with a motor.

Roger Raymond Zezulka, age 78, of Lake Wales, FL went home to be with the Lord Wednesday, February 27, 2019 at his residence. A memorial service was held Saturday, March 9 at First Baptist Church, Lake Wales, FL with Dr. Scott Markley officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Baptist Church, Lake Wales.

Roger was born August 11, 1940 in Waukon to Raymond N. and Lorrayne (Wild) Zezulka. He has been a resident of the Lake Wales, FL area since 1977, coming from Iowa/Illinois. He lived in Haines City, FL for 19 years, moving to Lake Wales in 1996. Roger attended a one-room school house through eighth grade and at that point he went to “town” school. He later attended Ames University. He served in the U.S. Army in the late 1950s.

Troy Burke Daman, 41, of Ft. Madison died Sunday, March 10, 2019 at his home after suffering a heart attack. Memorial service was held Saturday, March 16 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Cedar Rapids with Rev. Christopher Podhajsky officiating. Inurnment was at Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Cedar Rapids.

Troy is survived by his children, Noah and Sophia, of Ft. Madison, who were the loves of his life; his mother and stepfather, Kathy (Burke) and Harlan Sharp of Cedar Rapids; his father and stepmother, Vic and Laura Daman of Marion; his brother, Todd (Jamie) Daman of Marion; his sisters, Emily Daman of Santa Monica, CA and Carolyn (Marc) Gladson of Marion; his nieces, Kaytlin, Madilyn and Raelyn; his nephew due in May; and many relatives and friends.

Troy was preceded in death by his brother, Timothy Daman; his maternal grandparents, Mike and Hazel Mae Burke; and his paternal grandparents, Leo and Ruth Daman and Allene Harmon.

Esther “Shirley” Forde, age 91, of Decorah died Saturday, March 2, 2019 at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. A Celebration of Life and Memory was held Wednesday, March 6 at Big Canoe Lutheran Church, Decorah with Rev. Kurt Bockoven officiating. Interment was in the Iowa River Cemetery.

Esther Shirley Forde was born July 12, 1927, the daughter of Theodore and Amanda (Sande) Berge near Springwater. She attended Pleasant #8 and Pleasant #1 country schools. After finishing school, Shirley helped her parents on the farm.

She married Omer Forde June 2, 1948 at the Big Canoe Lutheran Church. Together they farmed near Sattre from 1949 until 2005. Shirley was a lifelong member of Big Canoe Lutheran Church. She enjoyed gardening, canning fruits and vegetables, sewing, collecting cookbooks, raising her chickens and sheep, and most of all, just being on the farm.

Carol E. Miene, 81, of Waukon died Saturday, March 9, 2019 at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse, WI. Funeral services will be held Monday, March 18 at 11 a.m. at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon with Rev. Dick Eick officiating. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may call from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, March 17 at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon.

Carol Elaine Miene was born December 26, 1937 on her parents’ farm in Winneshiek County, rural Decorah, the daughter of Morris and Gladys (Thompson) Engen. She was baptized January 23, 1938 at Madison Lutheran Church in rural Ridgeway and confirmed October 19, 1952 at First Lutheran Church in Decorah. Carol graduated from Decorah High School in 1956.

Donna M. Gilbertson, 89, of Waukon died Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI. Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 16 at 11 a.m. at the Waukon Banquet Center with Rev. Ronald Pederson officiating. Burial will be at a later date at West Paint Creek Synod Cemetery, rural Waukon. Friends may call from 4-7 p.m. Friday, March 15 at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon. Memorials can be made to the West Paint Creek Synod Building & Cemetery Fund or to King of Grace Lutheran Church in Waukon.

Donna Mae Gilbertson was born August 5, 1929 in Waukon, the daughter of Lloyd and Mary (Maloney) Campbell. She was baptized at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon and in 1947 graduated from Waukon High School.

Robert O. Stock, 99, of Waukon died Thursday, March 7, 2019 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 16 at 11:30 a.m. at Bethlehem Presbyterian Church in rural Postville with Pastor Gary Catterson officiating and burial in the church cemetery. Friends may call from 10:30 a.m. until the time of services at the church Saturday. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Good Samaritan Center in Waukon or the Bethlehem Cemetery fund. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements.