Obituaries

Rose Ann (Roxanne) Williams died August 28, 2025 at the age of 89. A Memorial Service will be held at 12 p.m. Thursday, September 18 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home in Rochester, MN. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. The burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery in Rochester, MN.

A life well-lived, Roxanne was born in 1936 on a farm in southeast Iowa to Henry and Gertrude Larson. One of 14 children, she grew up surrounded by the energy and closeness of a large family, with six sisters and seven brothers.

At age 18, Roxanne moved to Rochester, MN, with her sister, Alice, to begin a new chapter. She soon found work at Macy’s department store, where her eye for fashion and business led her to become a clothing buyer. Her work brought her to New York City annually, selecting items for the store and even modeling for Macy’s herself - a role she filled with elegance and grace.

DiAnna Jean (Duvel) Higgins passed away May 3, 2025 at Monterey Community Hospital in Monterey, CA from complications following open heart surgery. There will be a graveside service Saturday, September 13 at 11 a.m. at Salem United Church of Chris (UCC) Cemetery in rural Waukon with a lunch and Celebration of Life following at the church.

DiAnna was born March 15, 1939 to Clarence and Caroline (Miller) Duvel. She attended the country schools in Ludlow Township and graduated from Waukon High School. After graduation, she worked in the office at the high school for a short period of time.

She married John Gray of Waukon. They moved to Chicago, IL where DiAnna worked as an executive secretary for the Masonite Corporation. She and John later divorced. At that time, DiAnna moved to California, where she was executive secretary for the vice-president of Continental Airlines.

Ernest “Ernie” William Lubahn, 95, of Waukon passed away peacefully Monday, September 1, 2025, at his home, surrounded by his loving family.

Visitation will be held at Zion United Church of Christ, 113 1st Street NE, Waukon, Thursday, September 11, from 4:30-7 p.m. and Friday, September 12, from 10-10:50 a.m. The funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. Friday, September 12, with a meal to be served after.

Born December 27, 1929, in Oronoco, MN, to William and Clara (Koenig) Lubahn, Ernie was one of nine children. He grew up on the family farm, where he developed a lifelong love for the outdoors. He was baptized and confirmed at Grace Lutheran Church in Oronoco and attended grade school there before graduating from John Marshall High School in Rochester, MN.

Virginia Caroline Murphy of Gays Mills, WI passed away August 31, 2025, at Soldiers Grove Health Services at the age of 92. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, September 13 at 11 a.m. at St. Phillip Catholic Church, Rolling Ground, WI, with a visitation beginning at 9 a.m.

Burial will be in the church cemetery with lunch following in the church basement. Online condolences may be expressed at www.vossfh.com.

Virginia was born at home in Sauk County, WI, the third oldest of 13 children born to John and Clara Schmid. She attended grade school in a one-room school at Loreto, WI and high school in Spring Green, WI. After high school, she stayed at home to be her father’s secretary for his construction business and help her mother with housework.

Father Bernard Charles Grady of Marshalltown, a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, died August 29, 2025 at Allen Memorial Hospital in Waterloo. He was 82.

A Funeral Mass was celebrated Monday, September 8 at St. Henry Church, Marshalltown. The services were recorded and are available for viewing at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home website, www.mitchellfh.com.

Father Bernie’s ashes were placed in a wooden urn he built which will be buried Sunday, September 21 in the St. Pius V, Cherry Mound Cemetery in rural Harpers Ferry after the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass. Those attending the burial will also be able to attend the St. Pius Fall Festival that same day.

The family asks that memorials be made in the name of Cherry Mound Cemetery Fund for future care of the cemetery and the souls of the faithful departed buried there.

Nancy M. Richardson, 73, of Harpers Ferry departed our earthly realm in the early morning Thursday, August 28, 2025, at Thornton Manor in Lansing after a short battle with the final stages of liver disease. A celebration of life was held Saturday, September 6 at the Harpers Ferry Community Center. Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home in Lansing handled the arrangements.

Nancy Marie Richardson was born in Waukon May 27, 1952, to Paula Valley (nee Houlihan) and Cletus Valley. She was their fifth child after brothers Roger, Ronny and Ricky, and sister Vicki Ann, followed by their sixth and last child, Shirley. She graduated from St. George High School in Lansing in 1970, followed by Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids in 1976.

Paul (Manny or PJ) Campbell, 86, of Camdenton, MO passed away peacefully Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at his home with family by his side. Memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 13 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 109 2nd Street SW, Waukon, IA. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.

Paul was born November 13, 1938, in Waukon, the son of Leonard Joseph and Hazel Elizabeth (Riley) Campbell. He attended St. Patrick’s High School and public schools in Waukon. Paul served in the Army from 1958 to 1961.

Paul was district manager for LM Barry Company and, later, owner of Sports Room Bar and Grill, then worked in property management. He loved to watch and talk sports. He never met a stranger and always told of good memories of his family.

William John Larkin, age 73, of Jacksonville, FL, died peacefully Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at University of Florida Health, surrounded by family. William had quietly battled liver cancer over the past year.

A Celebration of Life will take place September 28 at 1 p.m. at Last Call Neighborhood Tavern in Jacksonville, FL. A service and burial will be held at Saint Mary’s Hanover Catholic Church in rural Waukon at a later date. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Cedar Bay Funeral Home in Jacksonville, FL, www.cedarbayfuneralhome.com.

William (Bill) John Larkin was born September 26, 1951, in Dubuque, the eldest of nine children of John B. and Rose (Gullo) Larkin. He was baptized at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Dubuque and confirmed at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church in Waukon. Bill attended country school in Allamakee County and graduated from Saint Patrick’s Catholic High School in Waukon in 1969.

Michael “Swede” D. Johnson, 69, of Waukon entered his eternal rest May 25, 2025, at his home surrounded by family after a three-plus year battle with cancer. Funeral services were held Saturday, May 31 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Father Paulraj Sellam officiating. Burial was in St. Mary’s Cemetery at Hanover. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled arrangements.

Michael Dee Johnson was born January 2, 1956, the son of Leonard and Paulyne Johnson, in Waterloo. Michael and his family made their home on a farm near Shell Rock for five years. The family later moved to Lehigh, where Michael completed his high school education.

He then began a career with Granger Motors near Des Moines, where he built custom vans and worked alongside his brother, Mitch. Michael then worked at Osmundson Manufacturing for 26-plus years; from a coworker, “Michael was a jack of all trades. Anything you asked him to do, he would do it.

Robert “Bob” John Lier, 85, passed away Friday, August 15, 2025, at his home in Shelbyville, KY surrounded by the unconditional love of his beloved wife of 60 years, Jacquie Lier, and only child, Christy Lier. A “Celebration of Life” service and reception will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, September 6 at First Christian Church (1000 Eminence Pike, Shelbyville, KY).

Casual attire is welcome. Bob was a huge fan of #3 Dale Earnhardt Sr., John Force Racing, University of Iowa Hawkeyes, Green Bay Packers, Boston Celtics, and the Chicago Cubs. If you own any of this fan gear, or attire in the colors of his favorite teams, we’d love for you to wear it and help us honor Bob’s sporting spirit.

The family will be presiding over the Celebration Service and will open the microphone to invite guests to share stories/memories/thoughts about Bob with us! He had a big personality, a great sense of humor, and was a gifted storyteller!