Obituaries

Gary L. Wohlers, 78, was born November 26, 1943 in Caledonia, MN and passed away Friday, August 19, 2022 at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. A memorial service will be held September 30 in New Albin. Family and friends will be notified of the details, which are still to be determined.

Gary grew up in New Albin, the son of Earl and Bertha Wohlers. He had two brothers, Bob and Randy, and three sisters, Annette, Jan and Diane. Gary excelled at sports and in choir.  A handsome and outgoing young man… so full of life.

After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the Navy. He sang in the Navy Choir and sang on an official Navy album. He was trained as a signalman on a ship. He served in Vietnam. Sadly, the war took a toll on him.

Edward J. O’Neill, 78, of Shellsburg passed away Tuesday, August 16, 2022. Graveside services will be held Friday, August 26 at 2:30 p.m. at St. John the Baptist West Ridge Catholic Church Cemetery, rural Waukon. He was born October 16, 1943 to Harold and Alice (Ryan) O’Neill.

Helen E. Christianson, 80, of Waukon died Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at Patty Elwood Center in Cresco. Funeral services were held Saturday, August 20 at Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waterville with Pastor Ken Kimball officiating and with burial in the church cemetery. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled arrangements.

Helen Evelyn Christianson was born February 13, 1942 in the Village Creek area of Lansing, the daughter of Arthur and Ardis (Wilder) Cole. She attended Village Creek country school before graduating from Lansing High School.

Conrad “Connie” A. Barr, 78, of Waukon died Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at his home in rural in Waukon. A prayer service was held Friday, August 19 at Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon with Pastor Kim Gates officiating. Burial was at Smithfield Cemetery, rural Monona. Memorials may be sent to Warren Barr at 849 Forest Mills Road, Waukon, IA, 52172.

Conrad “Connie” Allen Barr was born March 18, 1944 in rural Waukon, the son of Harry and Grace (McShane) Barr. He attended the Jefferson #8 school through the eighth grade. January 13, 1973, he married Cynthia Joyce Reed at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Viroqua, WI. Connie was self-employed as a mechanic and owned and operated Barr’s Repair located in Jefferson Township, rural Waukon, repairing cars, trucks and tractors.

Betty Lou Thompson, 91, of Clarion, passed away Sunday, August 14, 2022 from a blocked small intestine caused by scar tissue from past diverticulitis surgeries. Funeral services followed by a luncheon for Betty Lou Thompson will be held Saturday, August 20 at 11 a.m. at Holmes Lutheran Church, 2139 Hancock Avenue, rural Clarion, with Pastor George Lautner officiating. Visitation will be held prior to the funeral service at the church, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Betty Lou, the daughter of Lewis and Anna Larson and deaf Anna Steffenson, was born in Minneapolis, MN June 17, 1931. She was raised on a farm south of Holmes, attended the rural school and graduated from Clarion High School in 1949. Betty Lou was united in marriage to Richard Thompson in 1953. They were married over 60 years.

Betty L. Fox, 79, of New Albin died Saturday, August 13, 2022 at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, WI. Funeral services were held Friday, August 19 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in New Albin with Fr. Joseph Sevcik officiating. Burial was at Victory Cemetery in Victory, WI. Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home in Lansing handled arrangements.

Betty Lorraine Fox was born June 24, 1943 in Viroqua, WI, the daughter of Louie and Belva Best. She attended school in Victory, WI and later received her GED. May 25, 1968, she married Verdell Milton Fox in Victory, WI. They lived in Gays Mills, WI until they moved to New Albin in 2005. Betty worked at Northern Engraving in Lansing for 25 years before she went to work at Walmart in Prairie du Chien, WI, where she worked until she retired in 2013.

Betty loved spending time with her family and going camping. Her calmer side enjoyed watching western movies and reading, while her spunky side enjoyed beating her grandkids at cards.

Lil’ Dale Sweet, 77, of Luana died Friday, August 12, 2022 at Crossing Rivers Health in Prairie du Chien, WI. Lil’ Dale’s celebration of life jammin’ send-off will be held from 1-6 p.m. Sunday, August 21 at the Waukon Banquet Center. Private funeral services will be held at Bethlehem Presbyterian Church in rural Postville with Karla Johnson officiating. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.

Keith “Lil’ Dale” Sweet was born May 27, 1945 in Waukon, the son of Elmer and Lois (Love) Sweet. He was baptized and confirmed at Forest Mills United Methodist Church in rural Postville and graduated from Lansing High School.

LaVonne M. Schulte, 78, of Waukon died Tuesday, August 9, 2022 at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Memorial services will be held Saturday, August 27 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. John Moser officiating. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.

Friends may greet the family from 9 a.m. until the time of services Saturday at the church. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.

LaVonne Mary Schulte was born June 12, 1944 in Spring Grove, MN, the daughter of Vincent and Rose Katherine (Hancock) Schulte. After graduating from Waukon High School, LaVonne moved to Cedar Rapids to work for Rockwell Collins. She eventually moved back to Allamakee County, where she worked for several years in food service, including as a cook at Northgate Care Center in Waukon, and also worked for Mosaic. As a great cook, LaVonne enjoyed making treats to give out, too.

Jean Ann Fahey Schulte, 88, of Cedar Rapids died Thursday, August 11, 2022 at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids following a long illness. Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 17 at St. Jude Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids by the Rev. Nick March. Burial will be at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 17 at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Dorchester.

A Vigil Service will be held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, August 16 at Teahen Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids. Those not attending the Vigil Service may visit with the family Tuesday from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at the funeral home and again Wednesday after 12:30 p.m. at the church, prior to services.

Mary Albert McGowan, 91, of Prairie Village, KS passed away peacefully the morning of July 26, 2022. Catholic Mass was held Friday, August 5 in the Chapel at St. Ann Catholic Church, Prairie Village, KS.

Mary grew up in Lansing, where she graduated from Immaculate Conception High School. She attended the College of St. Teresa in Winona, MN and upon graduating in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science, embarked on what would become a career dedicated to the service of others.

She is survived by her three children: son William (Joby) of Prairie Village, KS, and daughters Amy of Kansas City, MO and Catherine (Ray) of Nashville, TN; her grandsons, Andrew (Wei Yan) of Lafayette, CA and Thomas (Caylin) of Roeland Park, KS; and her brother, John Albert (Veronica) of Ridgeley, WV.

Mary is preceded in death by her husband, Robert “Bob” McGowan; her parents, William and Anita Albert; and her brothers, William and Thomas Albert.