Obituaries

Anna Mary (Sunstrom) Gearhart, 89, of Waukon passed away into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior Sunday, December 11, 2022 at the Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Memorial services will be held Monday, December 19 at 11 a.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon with Pastor Bryan Robertson officiating. Burial will be at Linwood Cemetery in Boone.

Friends may greet the family from 9:30 a.m. until the time of services Monday at the church. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements. With heartfelt love and appreciation for all the compassion, care and spiritual guidance for Anna, memorials may be designated to Good Samaritan Society, Veterans Memorial Hospital or St. John’s Lutheran Church, all in Waukon.

Roger W. Pladsen, 84, of Waterville died Saturday, December 3, 2022 at his home. Funeral services will be held Friday, December 9 at 11 a.m. at Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church in Waterville with Pastor Ken Kimball officiating. Burial will be at the church cemetery. Friends may greet the family from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, December 8 at Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon.

Roger Wallace Pladsen was born May 31, 1938 in Waterville, the son of Wallace and Ruby (Moen) Pladsen. He attended country school through eighth grade and then graduated from Waukon High School in 1956. For one-and-a-half years, Roger attended barber college in Cedar Rapids before returning to Waukon to purchase Arden Iverson’s barbershop.

In July of 1960, he enlisted in the National Guard. Also in 1960, Roger married Sandra Gray; together, they had four sons.

Janet N. Bechtel, 80, of Waukon died Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN. Memorial services were held Sunday, December 4 at Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon with Pastor Duane Smith officiating.

Janet Neva Bechtel was born June 19, 1942 in Waukon, the daughter of Lloyd Benjamin and Neva Grace (Deal) Bechtel. She was baptized and confirmed at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon. Janet attended country school in rural Rossville and graduated from Waukon High School in 1960.

November 9, 1961, she married Kenneth Asleson in Michigan. They settled in Cedar Rapids and had two daughters, Donna and Jean. A few years later they moved back to rural Rossville and became farming partners with Janet’s parents. In 1970, they purchased a farm in rural Elon, and farmed there together until 1985 when they divorced.

Marie K. Loomis, age 89, of Lansing died at home November 22, 2022. Burial will be at Oak Hill Cemetery, Lansing.

Marie was born in Lansing November 16, 1933. She married Edward L. Loomis August 12, 1950 and he preceded her in death October 26, 2000. Prior to her retirement, she had worked for school districts in Indiana and California before moving back to Illinois to operate the family’s small harbor.

She is survived by two sons, Edward, Jr. “Lee” and Thomas (Sandy); one daughter, J’Neane (Kevin); 13 grandchildren and five great-granchildren. She also had four brothers, Larry (Joan) Sheriff, Greg Whalen, Ken Rafael and David Sheriff.

She is preceded in death by two sons, Dennis and George; her parents, George L. Whalen and Josephine T. (Damon) Whalen; her father, Forrest O. Sheriff; and a brother, Larry Sheriff.
 

Phyllis (Murphy) Grams, age 78, passed away November 26, 2022 in Janesville, WI. Private services were held Sunday, December 4 in Janesville, WI. She was the daughter of Roy and Alice (Gramlich) Murphy.

Karen A. (Schultz) Leppert, 84, of Lansing joined her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at Northgate Care Center in Waukon, following a long and courageous battle with cancer. Funeral services were held Saturday, December 3 at United Methodist Church in Lansing with Pastor James Buckhahn officiating. Burial was at Oak Hill Cemetery in Lansing. Memorials may be directed to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.

Karen Alyce (Schultz) Leppert was born March 17, 1938 in Waukon to Enid Evelyn (Peters) and Alvin H. Schultz. She graduated from Lansing Public High School in 1956.

September 10, 1957, she was united in marriage to Kenneth J. Leppert at the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Lansing. They lived in Ames while Ken attended Iowa State University and Karen worked at the Iowa State Highway Commission. They returned to Lansing in 1958, when Ken joined his father and brother in the operation of the family farm.

Arden C. Dickson, 75, of Postville died Sunday, November 27, 2022 at his home in rural Postville. Funeral services will be held Thursday, December 1 at 11 a.m. at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church in Postville with Fr. Martin Coolidge officiating. Inurnment will be held at Oakland Cemetery in Waukon at a later date. Friends may greet the family from 9 a.m. until time of services Thursday at the church. Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements.

Arden Carl Dickson was born March 27, 1947 in Waukon, the son of Howard Carl and Melva Elaine (Henderson) Dickson. He was baptized and confirmed at First Presbyterian Church in Waukon. Arden graduated from Waukon High School in 1965, and he served in the United States Navy from 1966-1970 as a medic doing rescue missions during the Vietnam War.

James Zeimet of Hastings, MN died November 24, 2022. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, December 1 at Starkson Family Life Celebration Chapel in Hastings, MN. Funeral Service will be at 11:30 a.m. Friday, December 2 at St. Philip’s Lutheran Church in Hastings, MN with visitation one hour prior at the church. Interment will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, December 3 at the Evergreen Cemetery in Caledonia, MN.

James was born August 24, 1929 to John and Leonette (Althoff) Zeimet in Waukon. He was raised in the Lansing and New Albin areas. His mother passed away in 1934 at the age of 36.

Shortly after her death, December 7, 1938, he made his home with foster parents Edward and Josephine Kenny of New Albin. He attended elementary school at the Jefferson Co. District No. 95. After finishing school, he farmed in what was known as the Winnebago Valley for many years.

Eda S. Halverson, 85, of Waukon died Monday, November 21, 2022 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Graveside services were held Monday, November 28 at Glenwood East Cemetery in rural Decorah with Pastor Adam Starrett officiating. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled arrangements.

Eda Skaidrite Halverson was born in Latvia January 21, 1937, the daughter of Janis and Alvina (Brutaus) Biaksenieks. She and her family came to the United States in 1950, when they were sponsored by Glenwood Lutheran Church. Eda attended country school near Glenwood, Postville Elementary School, Postville High School, Dubuque High School, and graduated high school in Elizabeth, IL in 1957.

October 25, 1957, she married Philip Sandbeck in Starbuck, MN; he died in 1971. April 15, 1972, she married Willard Carlton Halverson at the Justice of Peace in Caledonia, MN. Eda farmed with Willard in the Glenwood area, where they raised dairy cows, pigs and chickens, and grew grain.

Bruce E. Jones, 54, of Waukon died Saturday, November 19, 2022 at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Memorial services will be held Wednesday, November 30 at 11 a.m. at Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waterville with Pastor Ken Kimball officiating. Burial will be at the church cemetery. Friends may greet the family from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, November 29 at Martin-Grau Funeral Home, Waukon.

Fifty-four years ago, August 1, 1968, when Bruce was born, a Down’s Syndrome child was considered a family tragedy - that a child should remain a child for life. To his siblings, he was just another brother.

Bruce had a strong faith and was baptized and confirmed at the Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waterville. He attended Abner Hendericks School in Decorah as a child and graduated from high school in 1988.