Obituaries

Virginia L. Thomson, 86, of Waukon died Saturday, August 29, 2015 at Good Samaritan Society in Waukon. Memorial services will be held Saturday, November 14 at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Waukon, with Pastor Grant VanderVelden officiating. Private family burial has already been held at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.
Martin Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements for the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to P.E.O. women’s scholarship funds via P.E.O. Chapter EK c/o Caroll Schreiber, Treasurer, 1942 French Creek Road, Lansing, IA 52151.

Jerome “Jerry” E. Welsh, 74, of Lansing passed away peacefully with his wife and loved ones by his side Tuesday, November 3, 2015 at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Memorial services were held Saturday, November 7 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing, with Fr. John Moser and Rev. Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg officiating. Burial with military honors was at St. Mary's Lycurgus Cemetery, rural Waukon. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon assisted the family with arrangements.
Jerome "Jerry" Edward  Welsh was born October 13, 1941 in La Crosse, WI, the son of Patrick and Mary (Zoll) Welsh. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Mary's Lycurgus Catholic Church in rural Waukon. Jerry attended a one room school house in the French Creek area and graduated from St. Patrick Catholic High School in Waukon in 1959. He served in the United States Army from 1964 to 1966.

Verna Cagley, 85, of Cedar Falls died Sunday, October 25, 2015 at Cedar Falls Health Care Center. A private family service will be held at a later date.
Verna Mae Cagley was born May 10, 1930 to James and Esther (Buehler) Volker in Waterloo. She worked as a bartender in numerous bars throughout Evansdale, and owned Tollgate Bar in Dunkerton. Verna was known for her potato salad. She enjoyed knitting, gardening, dancing, fishing and wintering in Arizona. Verna especially enjoyed feeding and watching hummingbirds in the summertime. She loved spending time with her family and friends.

Donald Kouba, 77, passed away October 23, 2015 at the Ed and Joan Hemphill Hospice Unit at St Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids. Services were held Tuesday, October 27 at Lovely Lane United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids, with burial in the Czech National Cemetery, Cedar Rapids.
Donald was born October 1, 1938 in Cedar Rapids to Edward Joseph and Adeline Marie (Rericha) Kouba. Don graduated from McKinley High School and Coe College. He worked for Rockwell Collins and retired from the University of Iowa.
He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Sharon, of Hiawatha, and a very special four-legged friend, Molly. He is also survived by Sharon’s family, Delores (Joe) Kroack and their son, James, James and Beverly Walsh, Cheryl (Jerry) Bollman, Kim (Phyllis) Walsh, Mary Lou Walsh, and many great-, great-, great-nieces and nephews.

Audrey Jean (Johnson) Reeder, 77 years old, died in her home in Acampo, CA October 16, 2015. Memorial services were held Saturday, October 24 at Galt Bible Church in Galt, CA, with burial in Cherokee Memorial Cemetery in Lodi, CA.
Audrey was born January 9, 1938 to Norma Paulina (Halvorson) Johnson and Earl E. Johnson of Waterville. She retired from Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento, CA in 2010 after having worked there for over 20 years. She loved her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and her family. She enjoyed quilting, sewing, dancing, singing, shopping, decorating, going to church, and entertaining in her home for the holidays.
With her diagnosis of terminal brain cancer, her family rallied around her to give her the best love and care possible. She fought valiantly; always holding on to the faith that God could heal her if that was His will, but He instead called her to her eternal home.

Marie Lucille Thies, 98, of West Union, formerly of Clermont, died October 22, 2015 at the Good Samaritan Society in West Union. Memorial Services were held Saturday, October 31 at the West Clermont Lutheran Church, Clermont, with Pastor Ginny Olson as the Officiant. There was a private family inurnment.
Marie was born June 9, 1917 to George and Ruth (Carney) Seitz in McGregor. She was raised in Allamakee County. Marie graduated from Waukon High School with a degree in Normal Training.

Edward Theodore Williams III, M.D., known to friends as Bill, age 72, died at his home October 24, 2015. A private memorial service will be held.
Born April 19, 1943 in Ann Arbor, MI to Dr. Edward Theodore and Ruth Marion Thompson Williams, he was raised in LaGrange, TX. Bill attended M.I.T. before transferring to the University of Texas. He earned his doctorate of medicine at the University of Texas Medical School in Galveston, TX. He completed his residency at the University of Michigan Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI, where he became Chief Resident, and went on to serve in the U.S. Navy as a pediatrician at the Pensacola Naval Air Station Hospital.

Marceline Schmitz, age 84, of LaPorte City, formerly of Gilbertville, died Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at Unity Point Heath/Allen Memorial Hospital of Waterloo. Services were held at Gilbertville Immaculate Conception Church Monday, November 2, with burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Gilbertville.
Marceline Schmitz was born May 22, 1931 to Orville and Christina (Knipp) Kettman in Waterloo. She grew up in Gilbertville and attended Gilbertville Schools.
Marceline married Eugene Schmitz October 11, 1950 at Immaculate Conception Church in Gilbertville. She was a homemaker and bookkeeper for her husband’s business, Gene Schmitz Masonry. Marceline was a very talented seamstress, and made many items for her family, including Baptismal and First Communion gowns for her grandchildren.

Sharon Newman, 67, of Stewartville, MN, formerly of Decorah, died Friday, October 16, 2015 from cancer at the Stewartville Care Center, where she had been a resident since August of this year. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 7 at  Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church, Waukon, with Rev. Kenneth Kimball officiating.
A time of visitation will take place one hour prior to the service at the church Saturday morning. A luncheon in the church fellowship hall will follow. A private family committal service will take place at Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Cemetery.

Margaret Anne Wagner, 89, of Caledonia, MN died Friday, October 23, 2015 at Caledonia Care and Rehab, Caledonia, MN. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, October 30 at St. Mary Catholic Church, Caledonia, MN. Father Matt Fasnacht will officiate and burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Caledonia, MN.
Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, October 29 at St. Mary's Holy Family Hall, where a rosary will be said at 7 p.m. Visitation will also be one hour prior to the service at the church Friday.
Margaret was born March 11, 1926 in Waukon to Albert "Bert" and Rose (Curtin) Marsden. Margaret graduated from Waukon High School in 1945. She was a teacher in a rural Union Prairie Township school. Later, she went to cosmetology school and worked as a beautician in Waukon.