Obituaries

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.

Darlene M. Schultz, 83, of Waukon died Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services were held Monday, March 11 at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon with Pastor Kim Gates officiating. Burial was at Frankville Cemetery, Frankville.

Darlene Mae Schultz was born September 2, 1935 in Postville, the daughter of Otto Elmer and Elsie (Linderbaum) Hughes. She was baptized at Frankville Community Presbyterian Church, attended rural Frankville elementary school and graduated from Postville High School in 1954. June 27, 1954 she married Byron LeRoy Schultz at the Frankville Community Presbyterian Church where they reaffirmed their vows on their 50th anniversary.

Gilbert L. Kurth, 92, of Waukon died Tuesday, March 5, 2019 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services were held Saturday, March 9 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. Mark Osterhaus officiating. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.

Gilbert Lyle Kurth was born September 2, 1926 near Bridgeport, WI, the son of Walter and Florence A. (Schiff) Kurth. His family soon moved to Iowa, where he attended Allamakee County rural schools. May 4, 1949 he married Delores Irene Holly at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Monona. Delores died in 2006. September 8, 2007 Gilbert married Jean Ann (O’Malley) Gander at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon.

Marcella A. Selberg, 93, of Waukon died Tuesday, March 5, 2019 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services were held Saturday, March 9 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon with Pastor Wayne Ellingson and Pastor Keith Selberg officiating. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.

Marcella Adeline (Kolsrud) Selberg was born March 20, 1925 in Waterville, the daughter of Sidney and Martha (Gulrud) Kolsrud. She was baptized April 13, 1925 and confirmed July 3, 1938 at Waterville Lutheran Church. Marcella attended Waterville Elementary School and graduated from Waterville High School in 1942, where she was active in band, chorus, drama and athletics.

December 28, 1952, she married Paul Selberg at Waterville Lutheran Church. They were blessed with three children, Kevin, Kyle and Nyla. They farmed together on the Selberg family farm for 57 years, where they raised dairy cows, beef cattle and hogs.

Steven Richard Wild, 34, of rural Lansing passed away peacefully surrounded by his family Tuesday, March 5, 2019 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN. Funeral services were held Tuesday, March 12 at St. Mary’s Lycurgus Catholic Church in rural Waukon with Rev. Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg officiating.

Burial was at Mt. Hope Cemetery, rural New Albin.

Steven Richard Wild was born August 19, 1984 in Waukon, the son of Richard and Diane (Goedken) Wild. He was baptized at St. Mary’s Lycurgus Catholic Church and confirmed at St. Patrick Catholic Church, both in Waukon.

Jerry Norman Monroe, 70, of Castalia died Thursday, February 28, 2019 at his home following a courageous battle with cancer. Celebration of Life was held Monday, March 4 at Ossian Lutheran Church, Ossian with Rev. David Lenth as the officiant. Inurnment will be held at a later date at Greenwood Cemetery in Ossian.

Jerry was born March 24, 1948 to Rueben and June (Allen) Monroe in Decorah. He graduated from South Winneshiek High School. Jerry was united in marriage with Patricia Reckward October 8, 1966 at The Little Brown Church in Nashua. He worked as a mechanic at Decorah Implement for many years and then started farming in 1977 full time.

Thomas Hitchins, 86, of New Albin died Thursday evening, February 28, 2019 at Hillview Health Center in La Crosse, WI after battling cancer for three years. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 9 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, New Albin with a visitation two hours before Mass from 9-11 a.m. at the church Saturday. Rev. John Moser will be the Celebrant. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, New Albin.

Thomas was born November 4, 1932 in New Albin to James L. and Margaret (Reburn) Hitchins. Thomas joined the United States Army in April of 1954. After basic training at Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX he completed Medical Corps Training for Quarters Masters at Fort Sam Houstin in San Antonio, TX. Tom was then assigned to Letterman Hospital in San Francisco, CA, where he worked in the Medical Supply Unit of the Hospital. In April of 1956, Tom was honorably discharged from the Army as Private 1st Class.