Obituaries

Kerry Lee "Red" Ellefson of Missouri, age 46, died Saturday, December 6, 2014. Cremation services were held in Missouri Wednesday, December 10.
Kerry Lee "Red" was born September 12, 1968 to Marilyn (Grant) Ellefson and Orlean Ellefson. Kerry was baptized and confirmed at Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church.
Kerry attended school in Waukon and Waterville and received his GED at Calmar. Kerry married Joann Conroy of Missouri. He was a drywall sander for several years.
Survivors include his mother, Marilyn Ellefson; two brothers, Brian and Curtis Ellefson; three sisters, Belinda, Karla Ellefson, Tori (Ellefson) O'Neill; brother-in-law Ryan O'Neill; two step-children, Sal Valdiviez and Teresa Conway; six nieces and nephews, Dawanda, Donald Ryder, Desireé Tollefson, Dallas Ellefson, Brooke, Kyah O'Neill.

Roger W. Martin, 91, of Waukon, died Saturday, December 20, 2014 at his home in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Saturday, December 27, at 11 a.m. at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon with burial in Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may call from 3-7 p.m. Friday at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon.

Gary C. Schellhammer, 58, of Waukon, died Sunday, December 21, 2014 at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse, WI. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, December 24, at 10 a.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church in Waukon, with Rev. Lynn G. Groe officiating. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may call from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon.

Donald J. Berg, 78, of Arkansas Pass, TX, formerly of Waukon, died surrounded by his family Monday, December 15, 2014 at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. Funeral services were held Monday, December 22 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. Jim Dubert and Deacon Mike Ward officiating. Burial with military graveside rites was at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.

Richard Theodore Jacobson, 84, of Cedar Rapids died Friday, December 12, 2014 at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids. Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, December 17 at Faith Lutheran Church, Marion. The family will greet friends from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, December 16 at the church. Inurnment will be at East Paint Creek Synod Lutheran Church Cemetery, Waterville at a later date. Arrangements are being handled by Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Marion.

Vera M. Burroughs, 88, of Waukon died Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services were held Monday, December 15 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, with Fr. Jim Dubert and Deacon Mike Ward officiating. Burial was at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.

Pamela J. Smidt, 61, of Platteville, WI died Sunday, November 16, 2014 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, WI. Funeral services were held Saturday, November 22 at the United Methodist Church in Platteville, WI, with Rev. Brenda Whitford officiating. A memorial/graveside service followed at Bethlehem Presbyterian Church and Cemetery.
Pam was born November 25, 1952 in Postville, the daughter of Leo and Jean (Shafer) Flage. She was united in marriage to Warner Smidt February 7, 1976 at the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church, rural Postville. She graduated from Postville High School and from Iowa State University with her bachelor's degree in child development. She was a teacher for the Head Start Program since 1975. She did take time off to raise her three daughters as well as doing some daycare.

Alton E. Herman, 84, of Waukon died Monday, December 8, 2014 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services were held Friday, December 12 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Waukon, with Rev. Lynn G. Groe officiating. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.

Bernice I. (May) Coorough, 94, of Janesville, WI, formerly of Prairie du Chien, WI, passed away Thursday, December 4, 2014 at her home in Janesville. WI. Visitation was held Tuesday, December 9 at Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home in Prairie du Chien, WI. Interment immediately followed the visitation at the Evergreen Cemetery in Prairie du Chien, WI.
Bernice, the daughter of John L. and Matilda (Torgerson) Dahly, was born May 17, 1920 in Center Township, Allamakee County. She graduated from Lansing High School in 1938. Bernice was united in marriage with Merlin May February 15, 1943 in Chicago, IL. Merlin preceded her in death May 4, 1969.
Bernice was then united in marriage with Raymond Coorough June 17, 1972 at St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Prairie du Chien, WI.  Ray preceded her in death January 15, 1993.

Dorothy Lorraine Swain, age 91, of Janesville, WI died December 2, 2014 at her home. A graveside service and burial will be at a later date at the East Paint Creek Lutheran Synod Church Cemetery in Waterville.
Dorothy was born May 9, 1923 at rural Waterville to Hjalmer H. and Ellinora (Bakkum) Swain. Dorothy graduated in 1941 from Waterville High School, attended Waukon Junior College and Minneapolis Business College. She was a resident of Minneapolis, MN, working as a legal secretary 20 of her 40 years at Peavey Company.