Obituaries

Alfred J. Smerud, 93, of Onalaska, WI, formerly of New Albin, died Saturday, January 28, 2023 at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI. Memorial services will be held Friday, February 10 at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in New Albin with Fr. Joseph Sevcik officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Friends may greet the family from 9:30 a.m. until the time of services Friday at the church. Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home in Lansing is handling arrangements.

Alfred Joseph Smerud was born March 6, 1929, one of 11 children, to Oscar and Clara (Wild) Smerud in Houston County, MN. He was educated in a one-room rural school and graduated from the New Albin high school, where he played baseball and basketball. It was there that he met Lorna Darling; they married shortly after graduation. They were lovingly together for 76 years and had four children: Trudy, Susan, Sam and Jane.

Sherry (Marti) Prichard, age 69, of Lansing passed away Saturday, January 28, 2023 at Mayo Health System in La Crosse, WI after a hard-fought battle with cancer. A celebration of life for Sherry is planned for April 22, 2023 at the New Albin Town House in New Albin from 1-4 p.m.

Sherry was born to Marvin and Edith (Phipps) Marti April 21,1953. She attended Kee High School in Lansing. She married Jerry McCabe in July 1971. They later divorced. June 18, 1993 she married David (Fred) Prichard.

Sherry worked at Northern Engraving in Lansing for 20-plus years. She then worked at KolGol in Waukon for about 20 years. Sherry was an excellent cook. Her favorite pasttime was her crocheting. She shared all her beautiful projects with her family and friends. Her dogs were always her babies.

Rosemary Kriener, age 89, of Fort Atkinson died Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at her home in Fort Atkinson. Mass of Christian Burial was held Saturday, February 4 at the St. Luke’s Catholic Church in St. Lucas with Rev. Nick Radloff presiding. Burial was in the St. Luke’s Cemetery.

Rosemary Theresa (Herold) Kriener was born September 12, 1933 on the family farm outside of Fort Atkinson. She tagged along earlier than most to the one-room schoolhouse just across the road, sitting on catalogs to get a better vantage point of all the learning that was happening around her. Her early schooling took place in Fort Atkinson and she graduated from high school in Waucoma, as it was more convenient to ride with big sister Valeria to her teaching assignment.

Matt Brandt, 61, died Wednesday, February 1, 2023 in his home in Cedar Rapids, after a 13 month battle with glioblastoma. Funeral Mass was held Saturday, February 4 at St. Pius X Catholic Church, Cedar Rapids. Matt was buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.

Matt is survived by his wife of 36 years, Mary Kay, of Cedar Rapids; his sons, Peter of Houston, TX, Stephen and his wife, Alise, and their daughter, Banks, of Williamsburg, and Joseph and his wife, Amberly, and their daughter, Villanelle, of Louisville, KY; his daughter, Rachel, of New York, NY; his siblings, Julie of Cary, NC, Tom (Linda) of St. Paul, MN, Paul (Karen) of Kalona and Mark (Jennie) of Minneapolis, MN; and many loving extended family.

Nancy “Nan” C. Grangaard, 79, of Waukon died Sunday, January 29, 2023 at her home in Waukon. Memorial services will be held Friday, February 3 at 11 a.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 from 9:30 a.m. until time of services Friday at the church.

Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Waukon EMS Association and Waterville Community Center.

Nancy “Nan” Carolyn Gronna was born April 16, 1943 in Waukon, the daughter of Dorothy “Dot” and Robert “Bob” Gronna. Nan grew up on the Gronna farm, a pioneer homestead in rural Waterville. She enjoyed telling her grandchildren and great-grandchildren stories of the place she called home. Nan was very close to her sister, Patricia “Pat,” and her brother, Tom.

Betty V. Opfer, 89, of Waukon died Thursday, January 26, 2023 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Memorial services were held Tuesday, January 31 at Salem United Church of Christ in rural Waukon with Pastor Sue Klimstra officiating. Burial will be held at a later date in the church cemetery. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled arrangements.

Betty Vergene Opfer was born April 14, 1933 in Postville, the youngest of eight children to Theodore and Emma (Grotegut) Henning. She was baptized and confirmed at Salem United Church of Christ (UCC) in rural Waukon where she remained a lifelong, active member. Betty grew up in the rural Postville and Frankville areas and graduated from Postville High School.

John T. Conway, 73, of DeForest, WI lost his battle with cancer January 19, 2023 and passed peacefully in his home surrounded by family. A visitation will be held for John from 5-8 p.m. Friday, January 27 at Ryan Funeral Home, 6924 Lake Road in DeForest, WI. Another visitation will be held from 9-11:30 a.m. Saturday, January 28 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 648 Main Street in Lansing.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the church at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, January 28. Burial, with military honors, will follow the service at Gethsemane Cemetery in Lansing. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in John’s name to the DeForest American Legion Post 348.

John was born September 29, 1949 to Peter and Veronica (Ferring) Conway in Waukon. John graduated in 1967 from St. George High School in Lansing. He began his working career at age 14 and became an (Iowa State awarded) Grit Sunday Newspaper salesman.

Lynn Ordell Bjerke, 68, of West Union, formerly of Waukon, died January 19, 2023 at Gundersen Palmer Hospital surrounded by his family, after suffering a stroke. The family has decided to not hold a funeral service. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

Lynn was born April 9, 1954 to Ordell and Virginia (Grotegut) Bjerke. He was baptized and confirmed at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon and graduated from Waukon High School in 1972. After attending Calmar Community College and earning a certificate in masonry construction, he transitioned to farming.

Linda J. Handke, 64, of La Crosse, WI, formerly of Waukon, died Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at her sister’s home in La Crosse. Funeral services were Tuesday, January 24 at Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon with Pastor Duane Smith officiating. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.

Linda Jo Handke was born April 15, 1958 in Waukon, the daughter of Harry and Deve (Fish) Ford. She was baptized and confirmed at First Presbyterian Church in Waukon and graduated from Waukon High School in 1976. In 1983, Linda received her LPN license from NIACC and worked at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, and then for six years at the nursing home in Harmony, MN.

From 1982 until 2002, Linda was married to Kevin McCormick. She then married Mike Handke in 2004 before divorcing in 2014.

Arlene G. Jacobson, 92, of Lansing, formerly of New Albin, died Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Graveside services were held Tuesday, January 24 at St. Peter’s Cemetery in New Albin with Pastor Dick Wohlgemuth officiating. Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home in Lansing handled the arrangements.

Arlene Grace Jacobson was born June 8, 1930 in Wisconsin to Franz and Alida (Johnson) Seidel. October 30, 1951, she married Victor Jacobson and they raised four children together.

She is survived by her three daughters: Nancy (Bob) Featherston of Prairie du Chien, WI and their children: Kenny, Jim, Amanda and Amy and their families; Vicki (Jim) Baures of Lansing and their children: Angel and Jim and their families; and Patty Miller of Caledonia, MN and her children: Terry, Duane, Heidi and Patrick and their families; along with one brother, Franklin Seidel; a daughter-in-law, Joan Betthauser, and her son Brandon; and numerous great-grandchildren.