Obituaries

Duane Roland Franks, 79, of Waukon died Friday, November 8, 2024, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI. Funeral services will be held Thursday, November 14 at 11 a.m. at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon with Pastor Cathy Jurgens officiating. Burial will be at Taylorsville Cemetery in Arlington.

Friends may greet the family from 10 a.m. until time of services at the church Thursday. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements.

Dale M. Byrnes, 75, of Waukon passed away Saturday, November 9, 2024, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon surrounded by his family. Memorial services will be held Friday, November 15 at 12 p.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr.  Joseph Sevcik officiating. Burial with military honors will be at St. Mary’s Hanover Cemetery, rural Waukon.

Friends may greet the family from 4-7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 14 at Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon, where there will be a 3:30 p.m. scripture service. The service will also be live streamed on the church’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stpatswaukon/.

Shirley E. Weymiller, 96, of New Albin died Wednesday, November 6, 2024, surrounded by her loving family at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, November 13 at 11 a.m. at the New Albin Community Center with Pastor James “Buck” Buckhahn officiating. Burial will be at New Albin City Cemetery.

Friends may greet the family from 3-7 p.m. Tuesday, November 12 at the Community Center. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.

Shirley Elane Weymiller was born August 26, 1928, in New Albin, the daughter of Earl H. and Alice (Child) Reiser. She was baptized and confirmed at Grace United Methodist Church in New Albin, where she was a lifelong member, and attended New Albin schools. August 8, 1947, Shirley married Robert “Bob” J. Weymiller, Jr. at her parents’ home. They farmed on Bob’s home farm with Shirley milking cows and raising kids.

Gary Lee Hesse, 75, died Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at his home in Cedar Falls after a brief illness. Funeral services were held Friday, November 8 at St. John Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls. Interment with military honors was at Fairview Cemetery in Cedar Falls. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to St. John Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls, Northeast Iowa Food Bank, or a charity of choice.

Gary was born November 30, 1948, in Decorah to Roger and LaVonne (Geving) Hesse. He attended a one-room country school through eighth grade and graduated in 1967 from Waukon High School. He married Mary Ann Schanz, the love of his life, May 10, 1968, and they were blessed with 56 years of togetherness and three wonderful children.

Dennis D. Kruse, 63, of Lansing, formerly of Cedar Falls, died Monday, November 4, 2024, at his home in rural Lansing. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements.

Dennis Dean Kruse was born September 3, 1961, in Waterloo, the son of Dean and Mildred (Voss) Kruse. He was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls and graduated from Cedar Falls High School in 1979. September 15, 1979, he married Mary Livingston at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls.

Dennis worked at Land of Lakes in Hudson, he did construction work in the Cedar Falls area, and was a CNC operator for Bertch Cabinet in Waterloo. Dennis, Mary and their son Marshall moved to the Lansing area in 2006.

Navy veteran Carolyn Thomas Kiesau, who passed away May 21, 2023, was laid to rest with military honors in Arlington National Cemetery Wednesday, October 2, 2024 with Navy Chaplain Brent Wagner officiating. In attendance were her husband, retired Master Chief Petty Officer Curtis Kiesau; their daughter, Patricia Wise, and her husband, Kirk; along with their grandchildren, Donovan, Sophia and Celia.
 

John “Jack” Weber, 82, of Lansing passed away peacefully at home with family Monday, August 26, 2024. A funeral service will be held Saturday, November 16 at 11 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Church in Lansing. A celebration of life will be held at the Kerndt Brothers Savings Bank Community Center in Lansing from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. that day.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, please consider donating to St. Croix Hospice - http://stcroixhospice.com/.

Jean Ann Hurm, 77, of Avon Lake, OH, but born in Lansing, passed away unexpectedly October 26, 2024, due to a sudden cardiac arrest. Memorial services will be held Monday, November 11 at 11 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing with Fr. Joseph Sevcik officiating. Burial will be at Gethsemane Catholic Cemetery, Lansing. Friends may greet the family from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, November 10 at the church.

Born April 19, 1947, Jean Ann was a dedicated surgical nurse who later transitioned into medical research, playing a vital role in the approval of life-saving medical devices by the FDA. Her contributions have positively impacted countless lives, and she took great pride in her work.

Jean Ann was known for her independence, strong will, and spirited personality - qualities that endeared her to many. Cherished friends will fondly remember her as a wild card with a knack for being a delightful “pain in the ass.”

Eileen F. Smith, a resident of Lansing for more than 20 years, passed away August 19, 2024, with her husband Scott Smith by her side, at the age of 75. Visitation will be held Friday, November 8 from 4-7 p.m. with testimonials and a prayer service at 6 p.m. at Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home in Lansing.

A funeral mass will be held Saturday, November 9 at 11 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing followed by a luncheon in the church basement. All are welcome. A burial will be held at Massachusetts National Cemetery in the spring of 2025. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that one-time donations be made to St. Jude Hospital (www.stjude.org/donate) in Eileen Smith’s memory.

Jill Marie (Egan) Birkenholtz, 47, of Carlisle passed away peacefully at her home Wednesday, September 25, 2024. Funeral Mass was held Friday, October 4 at Saint Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Carlisle, followed by interment at Hartford Cemetery, Hartford. At Jill’s request, memorials are being directed towards her children’s college savings accounts.

Jill was born in Waukon July 14, 1977 to her loving parents, Gary and Cindy Egan. Jill spent her entire childhood in Waukon, graduating from Waukon High School in 1995. Her fondest memories growing up included tagging along with her siblings to mom and dad’s softball games, spending time at the farm with her cousins (which often involved playing ball with those cousins) and playing cards with family. Jill played softball and basketball through high school, and her teammates and coaches have been lifelong friends.