Obituaries

A graveside burial service will be held for Elinor Englehorn Meyer, who passed away September 3, 2023 in San Antonio, TX at the age of 95. The burial service will take place at Oak Hill Cemetery, located at 1843 Valley Street, Lansing, Saturday, July 20 at 11 a.m. A luncheon will follow the service at Lansing United Methodist Church, located at 490 Center Street, Lansing.
 

Don R. Sommermeyer, 75, of New Albin died Sunday, June 23, 2024, at Glen Oak Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Urbandale. Friends may greet the family Friday, June 28 from 4-7 p.m. at the New Albin Community Center in New Albin, with a Masonic service to follow at 7 p.m. and Mike Root officiating. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements.

Donald Robert Sommermeyer was born April 26, 1949, in La Crosse, WI, the son of Milton and Gertrude (Bechtel) Sommermeyer. Don was baptized and confirmed at St. Peters United Church of Christ in New Albin and graduated from Kee High School in Lansing in 1967 and also attended University of Wisconsin in La Crosse, WI.

August 17, 1974, he married Susan Grahlman at Grace United Methodist Church in New Albin. Don worked at Interstate Power Company in Lansing, and for the Local #139 out of Madison, WI, as a heavy equipment operator before retiring in 2010.

Chester Stanley Thune, 93, of Waukon died Saturday, June 22, 2024, at WinnMed in Decorah. Funeral services were held Saturday, June 29 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon with Pastor Bryan Robertson officiating. Burial with military honors was at Big Canoe Cemetery, rural Decorah. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled arrangements.

Chester Stanley Thune was born July 19, 1930, in Spring Grove, MN, the son of Alvin and Julia (Amundson) Thune. He was baptized and confirmed at Big Canoe Lutheran Church in rural Decorah. He attended country school in Highlandville and graduated from Decorah High School in 1948.

Chester enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1951, and proudly served aboard the USS Mindoro through 1954. October 1, 1952, he married Lorna Nelson at Big Canoe Lutheran Church. They shared 68 years together and were blessed with five daughters.

Betty A. Bell, 92, of Monona, formerly of Waukon, passed into the presence of her Lord and Savior Sunday, June 9, 2024, in her home at Garden View Place in Monona. Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 29 at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Waukon with Pastor Duane Smith officiating.

Burial will be held at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Battle Creek, MI, at a later date.

Friends may greet the family one hour before the services Saturday at the church. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements.

Betty Ann Greene Bell was born February 5, 1932, to Rufus Thomas and Mary Celia (Lewis) Greene in Elizabethton, TN. She graduated from Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC, in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree in education. She married the love of her life, Bobby Dan Bell, of Meridian, ID, Memorial Day, May 30, 1953.

Charles N. Langland, 70, of Decorah died Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at Accura Healthcare in Cresco. Graveside services will be held at Iowa River Cemetery in rural Dorchester Saturday, September 14 at 11:30 a.m. Martin-Grau Funeral Home is Waukon is handling arrangements.

Charlie (Chuck to his family) N. Langland was born in Spring Grove, MN October 28, 1953, the second son of Charles and A. Lois (Nesheim) Langland. He graduated from Waukon High School in 1971. In 1975, he enlisted in the Navy, serving as a gunner’s mate on the USS Dubuque amphibious transport dock home ported in San Diego, CA, and traveled to many countries in the Pacific.

After leaving the Navy, he moved to Decorah, where he lived the rest of his life. Charlie worked as an engineering technician in the Winneshiek County Surveyor’s office for many years before retiring in 2019.

Chester Schlake, 85, of Waukon died Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Memorial services will be held on Chester’s 86th birthday, Sunday, June 23, at 1 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon with Pastor Bryan Robertson officiating. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may greet the family starting at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the church fellowship hall. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.
 

Mary Kay Colsch, 73, of New Albin died Sunday, June 9, 2024, at Mayo Clinic Methodist Hospital in Rochester, MN. Funeral services were held Monday, June 17 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in New Albin with Fr. Joseph Sevcik officiating. Burial was at St. Joseph Cemetery, New Albin. Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home in Lansing handled arrangements.

Mary Kathleen Colsch was born in Waukon February 21, 1951, the daughter of Joseph and Kathleen (Mauss) Becker. She was baptized and confirmed at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing and graduated from St. George High School in 1969, later earning her associate degree in business from NICC. Throughout her life, Mary Kay worked as an executive administrator’s assistant to the CEO of Mayo Clinic in La Crosse, WI.

Darrell James Fahey, age 58, of Waukon passed away Sunday, June 9, 2024, surrounded by friends and family at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, WI. A burial of ashes will be held at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Waukon at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 22 with Fr. John Moser officiating.

Friends and family are asked to gather and share memories of Darrell at Green Valley Getaway in Waukon Saturday, June 22 from 3-7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to family at 803 2nd Avenue SW, Waukon, IA 52172.

Darrell was born November 1, 1965, in Waukon to Paul and Jean (Stahl) Fahey. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon.

Maress Jo “Jo” Lenz, 77, of Lansing passed away peacefully in her home Sunday, June 9, 2024. A celebration of life was held Saturday, June 15 at TJ Hunter’s Banquet Hall in Lansing.

Maress Jo “Jo” Lenz was born October 26, 1946 in Waterloo, the second daughter of Paul and Aletha (Kroeger) Moore. When Jo was young, her family moved from Evansdale to northeast Iowa to take up farming in Churchtown. On the farm Jo learned the value of hard work, a lesson she appreciated and carried with her throughout her entire life.

Jo attended Eastern Allamakee Community Schools, and graduated from Kee High School in 1964. While she was still in high school, Jo met the man who would become the love of her life, her bus driver, Roger Lenz. Jo and Roger were married May 26, 1964, and they just celebrated their 60th anniversary with a trip out west.

Dean Krambeer: husband, dad, bumpa, teacher, coach and friend. Dean died Wednesday morning, May 29, 2024 in his home at the age of 77. Dean’s celebration of life was held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Pine Island, MN Saturday, June 8.

Dean was born December 26, 1946 in Postville to Burnell and Carol (Gilson) Krambeer Reeder. Dean graduated from Waukon High School (1965) and Luther College, Decorah (1969). August 24, 1968 he married his high school sweetheart, Linda (Anderson) Krambeer. They were married at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon.