Obituaries

Richard L. “Dick” Lonning, 94, of Mason City passed away January 30, 2025, at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center, Mason City. He will be laid to rest beside his beloved wife, Roxann, at Elmwood St. Joseph Cemetery, Mason City.

Richard was born April 3, 1930, in Thor to Lennie and Leone (Hansen) Lonning. He graduated from Waukon High School in 1948 and later worked as a bus driver for Jefferson Lines. October 6, 1965, he married Roxann Styve in Decorah and they shared many wonderful years together until her passing in 1996.

Dick was a devoted family man who enjoyed spending time with loved ones. He found joy in listening to KCMR, sitting outside on nice days, and watching basketball and football games. He also had a love for polka music and a cold Busch Light.

Suzanne Catherine Flatten, 78, of La Crescent, MN passed away January 24, 2025. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, February 8 at the Church of the Crucifixion in La Crescent, MN with a family eulogy to be read beginning at 10:45 a.m. Rev. John L. Evans II will officiate.

Burial will follow in the Pine Creek Catholic Cemetery, rural La Crescent, MN. Visitation for Suzanne will be held at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the Mass Saturday.

She was the first born of Ralph and Stella (Collins) Hammel January 6, 1947. She grew up on a large family farm outside of Dorchester, helping with her younger siblings and attending a rural one-room schoolhouse until her high school years.

Mary Ann Etteldorf, 69, of Waukon passed away Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Funeral services were held Saturday, February 1 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. Paulraj Sellam officiating. Burial was at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled arrangements.

Mary Ann Etteldorf was born October 17, 1955, in Ossian to Peter and Helen (McDonald) Etteldorf. Mary Ann had difficulty with school and spent many years living at home. She gained independence through living in group homes and finding employment in sheltered workshops in Cresco and Waukon. Mary Ann had been a resident of Northgate Care Center in Waukon since 2020.

Richard W. Troendle, 70, of Churchtown died Monday, January 27, 2025, at MercyOne Medical Center in Waterloo. Private graveside services will be held at St. Mary’s Lycurgus Cemetery in rural Waukon with Fr. Joseph Sevcik officiating. His family will host a summer BBQ get-together in his memory at a later date. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.

Richard William Troendle was born July 9, 1954, in Waukon, the son of Raymond F. and Marjorie Catherine (Robert) Troendle. He was baptized at St. Mary’s Lycurgus Catholic Church in rural Waukon and attended Kee High School in Lansing.

April 3, 1976, Richard married the girl next door, Debra Kay Russell, in Homer, MN. They continued living in Churchtown and Richard worked as a security guard for many places including the Genoa, WI, power plant. He later was a delivery driver for Wheeler’s Autobody in Waterloo before retiring in 2016.

Janet M. Seibert, 67, of Harpers Ferry died Saturday, January 25, 2025, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI. Funeral services were held Wednesday, January 29 at Center Baptist Church, Lansing with Pastor Matthew Majewski officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled arrangements.

Janet Marie Seibert was born November 30, 1957, in La Mesa, CA, the daughter of Dexter and Barbie (Graham) Tuttle. She was baptized and confirmed in California. Janet graduated from Monte Vista High School in Whittier, CA, in 1975, and attended Cyprus College in Cyprus, CA. Janet met the love of her life, Kenny Seibert, and the two were married at Wayfarers Chapel in Palos Verdes, CA April 9, 1994. It was a beautiful ceremony overlooking the ocean.

Linda M. Monson, 62, of Waukon died unexpectedly at her home. She has been cremated and there will be a celebration of life this spring. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.

Linda Marie Monson was born July 13, 1962, in Waukon, the daughter of Paul and Edith (Cornwell) Ferring. She graduated from Kee High School in 1980. December 3, 1983, she married Brent Monson at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. Brent and Linda lived in Rice Lake, WI, until moving to Waukon in 2000, where she worked for Blumenthal Lansing Company in Lansing and Mosaic in Waukon.

Survivors include her siblings: Donny (Margie) Ferring and Marian (Dennis) Gavin, both of Caledonia, MN, Roseann (Ken) Mark of Waukon, and Mike (Vickie) Ferring of Lansing; one sister-in-law, Mary Ferring of Van Meter; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Brent, in 2022; her parents; her grandparents; and a brother, Pat Ferring.

Gary Gilbertson, age 75, of Waukon, formerly of Waterville, died peacefully at his home surrounded by his family January 26, 2025, after a long battle with COPD. Funeral services will be held Monday, February 3 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Father Joseph Sevcik officiating.

Friends may greet the family from 9 a.m. until the time of services Monday at the church. Burial with military honors will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.

For those wishing to share memories and condolences, please visit iowacremation.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Waterville Community Center.

Gary Gordon Gilbertson was born March 22, 1949, in Waukon, the son of Gordon and Donna (Campbell) Gilbertson. Gary graduated from Allamakee Community High School in 1967. Following high school, he served for four years in the U.S. Navy as a helicopter mechanic and crewman on the USS Iwo Jima.

Ruby F. Rathbun, 91, of Waukon died Saturday, January 25, 2025, at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 1 at 11 a.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lansing with Pastor Laura Gentry officiating. Inurnment will be held at a later date at Old East Paint Creek Cemetery in rural Waterville.

Friends may greet the family from 10 a.m. until time of services Saturday at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Waterville Ambulance or LIFT Food Pantry in Lansing. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements.

Vernon Le Roy Ronnfeldt, Jr. passed away January 19, 2025 at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT. He will be laid to rest in the Utah Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bluffdale, UT Friday, February 7. A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, February 8 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Starks Funeral Parlor in Salt Lake City, UT.

Vernon was born June 14, 1957 to June (Alexander) and Vernon Ronnfeldt, Sr. He entered the U.S. Air Force in June 1975, right after high school graduation. Vernon was able to travel many places in the Air Force, including Iceland, Italy, England, Germany, and many other states. He also served in Desert Storm.

Vernon moved to Utah to be closer to his daughter. This is also where he met the love of his life, Alene.

James “Jim” E. Christianson, 84, of Waterville died Friday, January 24, 2025, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements.

James “Jim” Edwin Christianson was born September 6, 1940 in Waterville, the son of Edwin and Loretta (Weipert) Zweibohmer Christianson. He was baptized and confirmed at Waterville Lutheran Church and graduated from Waterville High School in 1958. Jim served in the U.S. Navy from 1966-1968 as a Seabee.

June 22, 1968, he married Wanda Jean Fritz in the First Presbyterian Church chapel in Waukon. Jim started his career logging the bluffs of northeast Iowa. He then went to work at Capco and decided to carry his passion for logging to Effigy Mounds, where he worked as a groundskeeper. He ended his working career with Ashbacher Building Supplies.