Obituaries

Kathryn “Kathy” M. Conway, 75, of Lansing lost her battle with cancer Monday, February 27, 2023 at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. In her final days she was surrounded by her loving husband and beloved children.

Funeral services were held Saturday, March 4 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing with Fr. Joseph Sevcik officiating. Burial was at Gethsemane Cemetery in Lansing. Memorials can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a charity she supported for over 18 years.

Mary A. Ward, 83, of Waukon died Saturday, February 25, 2023 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, March 1 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. John Moser officiating. Burial will be at St. Mary’s Hanover Cemetery in rural Waukon.

Friends may greet the family from 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, February 28 at Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon, where there will be a 3:30 p.m. scripture service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the American Lung Association (https://www.lung.org/get-involved/ways-to-give).

Mary Ann Ward was born July 4, 1939 at home in Dorchester, one of 12 children to Emmett and Lillian (Doubek) Schwartzhoff. In 1957, she graduated from high school in Spring Grove, MN and then moved to Rochester, MN with her sister-in-law, Shirley Schwartzhoff, to work as a nursing assistant at the hospital.

Rev. Sue Moline Larson died February 23, 2023 at University Hospital, Madison, WI. Her funeral service will be at Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 Hwy. M, Middleton, WI Saturday, March 4 at 1 p.m. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to the time of service. Interment will be Monday, March 6 at 1 p.m. at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. In lieu of flowers, memorials will be directed to a scholarship fund to support students studying environmental justice and advocacy.

Sue was born February 20, 1947 in Waukon in the beautiful rolling hills of northeast Iowa near the Mississippi River Valley. She was baptized June 9, 1947 at Grace Evangelical United Brethren Church in Lansing. She attended the Ferring country school through fifth grade and then went to school in Waukon when her family moved due to father’s ill health.

Susan Stanton O’Connor, 83, of Bellevue, WA passed away peacefully in her sleep February 8, 2023 after battling lymphoma and dementia. A small private service will be held for the family. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Old Friends Club (welcome@oldfriendsclub.org), a dementia support group.

Susan was born June 14, 1939 in Chicago, IL to Erma Beryl Jones and James J. Stanton. The family moved to Waukon, where Susan attended school through grade 11. She moved to California and graduated from Tustin High School in 1957. Susan went on to graduate from Bellevue College as a Registered Nurse. She also spent over 20 years working for Sno-Isle Libraries as a library assistant at Mukilteo, WA.

Jim O’Neill, 73, of Waukon passed away Thursday, February 16, 2023 at his home in Waukon. Funeral services were held Tuesday, February 21 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. John Moser officiating. Burial will be held at a later date in Wexford Cemetery in rural Lansing.

James Francis “Jim” O’Neill was born August 21, 1949 in Decorah, the son of Steve and Eleanor (Mullarkey) O’Neill. He was baptized and confirmed at Wexford Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in rural Lansing and graduated from St. George Catholic School in Lansing in 1967.

December 5, 1970, he married Susan Marti at Wexford Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Wexford. Jim retired from his lifelong career at J.F. Brennan Company in 2011. Retirement years led to development of Wexford Valley Campground.

James N. Gruber Sr., 101, of Lansing died Saturday, February 11, 2023 at Good Samaritan Society in Waukon. Memorial services will be held Thursday, March 2 at 11 a.m. at United Methodist Church in Lansing with Pastor James “Buck” Buckhahn officiating. Burial will be held at a later date in Oak Hill Cemetery, Lansing. Friends may greet the family from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, March 1 at Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon.

James Norbert Gruber Sr. was born April 16, 1921 in Lafayette Township, rural Lansing, the son of Leslie and Salome (Hacklander) Gruber. He attended Prairie Lafayette School in rural Lansing. September 28, 1952, he married Catherine Hancock at Waterville Lutheran Church in Waterville.

Natasha Lynn Walleser, age 27, of Lansing passed away Sunday, February 12, 2023 surrounded by family at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI. She was the beautiful daughter of Fred and the late Dora Walleser. She was the loving older sister of Ethan, Michael and Michelle.

There will be a service in her honor at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing at 1 p.m. Friday, February 17, followed by a visitation and celebration of life at TJ Hunters Banquet Hall starting at 3 p.m. All who knew and loved her are welcome to attend.

Mark N. Benda, 43, of Waukon died suddenly Thursday, February 9, 2023 at his home. Memorial services will be held Friday, February 17 at 11 a.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Waukon with Pastor Kim Gates officiating. Friends may greet the family from 4-8 p.m. Thursday, February 16 at Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon. In lieu of flowers and gifts, memorials are preferred for his daughter, Nalia.

Mark Neal Benda was born February 9, 1980 in Waukon, the son of Paul and Kathy (Palmer) Benda. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Waukon, where he remained a lifelong member. Mark attended Waukon schools and graduated in the class of 1998.

He worked in concrete construction for Rusty Berger and for his brother, Matt. For the past five years, Mark worked for the City of Waukon as an operator at the sewer plant. Mark loved working on the family farm as a kid and continued to help his neighbors and friends with their farm work.

Clair Wagner, 86, of Lansing died peacefully in his home surrounded by family February 11, 2023. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Friday, February 17 and from 9:45-11:45 a.m. Saturday, February 18. Scripture service will take place at 4 p.m. Friday and Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, all taking place at Immaculate Conception Church in Lansing.

In lieu of flowers, donations/memorials may be made to Holy Family of the Bluffs Faith Formation, Gethsemane Cemetery Restoration, or Crossing Rivers Hospice of Prairie du Chien, WI.

Clair Francis Wagner was the fourth son and eighth child in the Frank and Monica (Hogan) Wagner family.  He was born in Waukon April 1, 1936. Clair graduated from Immaculate Conception (IC) High School in Lansing in 1954. At IC, Clair was a catcher on the baseball team and a key member of their 1954 Archdiocesan Championship basketball squad.

John “Jack” Levi Hagensick, age 89, of Waukon passed away at home after a short battle with cancer Wednesday, February 8, 2023. Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, February 17 at the Zion Lutheran Church, 117 West Greene Street in Castalia. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service Friday at the church.

Jack was the only child born to Joseph and Lois (Bacon) Hagensick in Waukon June 2, 1933. Jack went to school in Waterville through the eighth grade. They then moved to Castalia where Jack started farming with his dad. This is where he met the love of his life, Sally Schultz, who lived just a mile down the road.

Jack married Sally December 27, 1953. They farmed in Castalia until 1965 when they purchased their own farm in Glenwood Township. There they raised their five children.