Obituaries

Gerald Eugene Finkral, 88, of Lansing died Friday, November 13, 2015 at his home in Lansing. Mass of Christian Burial was held Wednesday, November 18 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Lansing, with Rev. John Moser as the Celebrant. Burial followed at Gethsemane Cemetery, Lansing.
Gerald was born August 16, 1927 to Archie and Alice (Hodges) Finkral in Madison County, NE. He attended Madison County Nebraska Country School.
Gerald was united in marriage with Wilhelmine “Willi” Rose Walleser December 4, 1989 in Elk Point, SD. They met at a polka dance. He was a lifelong farmer. Gerald was also a pilot and loved to fly. He enjoyed dances, camping and fishing in South Dakota. They relished their trips together to Alaska, Branson, California, Canada, Memphis and Nashville.

Ruth A. Rask, 90, of Waukon died Friday, November 20, 2015 at Wellington Place in Decorah. Funeral services were held Monday, November 23 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Waukon, with Pastor Kim Gates officiating. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.
Ruth Ann Rask was born July 24, 1925 in the French Creek area of rural Lansing. Her parents were Theodore and Mathilda (Hausman) Welper. Ruth was baptized and confirmed at the French Creek Methodist Church. She attended French Creek #1 rural school and graduated from Waukon High School in 1943.
March 25, 1950, she married Samuel Rask at the Methodist Parsonage in New Albin. They farmed together for many years in the French Creek area. Ruth loved working on the farm, especially taking care of the cows.

Mary F. Cota, 89, of Evansdale died Friday, November 20, 2015 at home. Services were held Tuesday, November 24 at St. Ann-St. Joseph Catholic Church with burial in St. Joseph Paint Rock Cemetery, both in Harpers Ferry.
Mary was born September 25, 1926 in Monona, the daughter of John and Susan O’Hara Grady. She married John Kaeser March 1, 1944, and they later divorced. She married Donald Cota June 26, 1967 in Decorah, and he died in 1976.
Mary lived in the Harpers Ferry and Waukon area until 1988, moving to Evansdale. She was employed with Northern Engraving in Waukon for 15 years.
Survivors include a son, John (Diana) Kaeser of Cedar Rapids; a daughter, Barbara Points of Naples, FL; four grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; and several nieces and nephews. Mary was preceded in death by five brothers, Cyril, Sylvester, Leo, Daniel and Jim Grady; and a sister, Marguerite.

Ronald Gene “Gramps” Feuerhelm, age 88, of Hager City, WI went to be with his Heavenly Father Friday, November 20, 2015. Funeral service was held Monday, November 23 at Cornerstone Community Church in Red Wing, MN with Reverend Mark Kalb officiating. Burial followed at St. Paul’s UCC Cemetery in Ellsworth, WI.
Ron was born June 11, 1927 in Mays Prairie to Benjamin and Amanda (Rieser) Feuerhelm and lived on his parents’ farm. Ron enlisted in the Army September 6, 1945 and was discharged in February 1948. He married his bride of 67 years, Bernadine Clancy, September 24, 1948. They bought their 80-acre farm in Hager City, WI in 1951 and farmed there until 1965. He also worked as a Culligan delivery man in Red Wing, MN, at P.V. Flour Mill in Hastings, WI and was a salesman for Moorman’s Feed Company until retiring in 1986.

Joseph Frederick Scovel, 86, of Lansing died Monday, November 16, 2015 at Thornton Manor, Lansing. Funeral Services were held Monday, November 23 at Thornton Manor in Lansing, with Rev. Kevin Smith officiating. Burial followed at Mays Prairie Cemetery in rural Lansing.
Joseph was born September 24, 1929 to Herbert and Janette (Hook) Scovel in Dubuque. He attended country school through the eighth grade and was a hired hand for Sweeney’s. Joseph was a resident at Thornton Manor since 2003.
Joseph is survived by his sister, Lillian Allison of Boone. He was preceded in death by his parents and his maternal and paternal grandparents.
Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Lansing assisted the family with arrangements.

Eowyn Anna (Honeywell) Dyson passed away suddenly in her sleep at her home in Blaine, MN the morning of November 14, 2015. She was anticipating the birth of her second child, a boy, Everett John, at the time of her death.
Memorial services were held Saturday, November 21 at Holcomb-Henry-Boom-Purcell Funeral Home in Mounds View, MN. Memorials are preferred to the family.

Dorothy Van Brocklin, 91, of New Albin passed away Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Funeral Services were held Tuesday, November 17 at the New Albin Community Center in New Albin, with Pastor Paul Burgess as the Officiant. Interment will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, November 18 at Rose Hill Cemetery, Greene.
Dorothy, the daughter of Henry and Ruth (Tindel) Stube, was born January 2, 1924 in Greene. She graduated from Waukon High School. Dorothy was united in marriage with Dwight Joseph Van Brocklin in 1956. To this union, two sons were born. Dwight preceded her in death November 17, 1969.

Raymond Alfred Hoffmann, age 84, passed away at Northgate Care Center in Waukon Saturday, November 7, 2015. Interment will be in Oakland Cemetery in Waukon.
Raymond, the son of John and Anna (Weimerskirch) Hoffmann, was born at home on the Jackson County farm of his parents June 6, 1931 in LaMotte. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Theresa Catholic Church in LaMotte and attended Centerville Elementary School in rural LaMotte.
Ray began his adult life working at a packing plant in Savannah, IL. He worked there for 10 weeks and came home to work on the farm with his parents, where they raised pigs and sheep. In 1957, Ray went to work at Dubuque Pack until his retirement November 1, 1981.

Harvey Laverne Olsen, 72, of Lansing died Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Living Center East Nursing Home in Cedar Rapids. Memorial Services were held Monday, November 16 at the Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Lansing. Burial followed in Oak Hill Cemetery, Lansing.
Harvey was born January 25, 1943 to Berger and Jeannette (Johnson) Olsen in Lansing. He graduated in 1962 from Eastern Allamakee High School. He was united in marriage with Shirley Burns in 1964, and three children were born to this union. Harvey worked as a custodian for the Lansing Schools for over 30 years.

Carolyn M. Welsh, 74, of Waukon died Saturday, November 14, 2015 at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse, WI surrounded by her family. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, November 18 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, with Rev. Msgr. Cletus Hawes, Fr. Donald Hawes, Rev. Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg and Deacon Mike Ward officiating. Burial will be at St. Mary's Lycurgus Cemetery, rural Waukon. Friends may call from 3-7 p.m. Tuesday, November 17 at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon, where there will be a 2:45 p.m. scripture service.
Carolyn Marie Welsh was born March 25, 1941 in La Crosse, WI, the daughter of Walter E. and Emily M. (Kehr) Beck. She was baptized at St. Francis Hospital in La Crosse, WI and later in life was confirmed at St. Mary’s Lycurgus Catholic Church in rural Waukon.