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Geraldine H. Connor, age 92, of Waukon passed away October 24, 2018. Funeral Mass will take place Wednesday, October 31 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, with visitation held for one hour prior to the Funeral Mass, from 10-11 a.m., at St. Patrick Church. Burial will be at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Waukon. The family requests that memorials be made to St. Patrick School in Waukon.

Geraldine was born July 5, 1926 in Dubuque to Francis and Helen Kimmich Kurt. She was baptized in Dubuque. Up until the age of five she lived in her grandparents’ home. Geraldine always remembered that time with her Grandma Kimmich very fondly. In 1933 her family moved to Waukon, where she attended school until her graduation in 1944 at St. Patrick’s School. During her teen years and up to her marriage, Geraldine worked at Hale’s Drugstore. She met her future husband there.

The Waukon football team will begin defense of its first-ever football State Championship this Friday, October 26 by opening the Class 2A State Play-Offs with a home game against Union of La Porte City in a game beginning at 7 p.m. The Knights hold a 6-3 record and come out of a three-way tie in Class 2A District 7 after having their own undefeated district season denied by a 26-16 loss to West Marshall this past Friday. The Knights, West Marshall and Benton each ended up with a single district loss, with Benton having defeated West Marshall and Union having defeated Benton earlier in the season. That first-round match-up is part of Class 2A’s Bracket C in this season’s new initial four-bracket play-off system in each class.

The Waukon girls cross country team has earned a return trip to the Iowa High School State Cross Country Meet to be run at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course located about seven miles north of Fort Dodge this Saturday, October 27. The State Meet consists of four classes of competition, beginning at 11 a.m. with the Class 4A girls race and proceeding with the Class 4A boys at 11:30 and about every half hour after that with respective girls and boys races for each class. The Waukon girls are scheduled to compete at 1 p.m. and will be looking to improve on their ninth-place team finish from last season’s Class 2A State Meet. The Indians return five of their seven competitors from last season’s State Meet team. They will be occupying Box 17 on the 22-box starting grid. The team and individual awards ceremony for Class 2A is slated to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m.

The Kee girls cross country team has earned a return trip to the Iowa High School State Cross Country Meet to be run at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course located about seven miles north of Fort Dodge this Saturday, October 27. The State Meet consists of four classes of competition, beginning at 11 a.m. with the Class 4A girls race and proceeding with the Class 4A boys at 11:30 and about every half hour after that with respective girls and boys races for each class. The Kee girls are scheduled to compete at 2 p.m. in their Class 1A race and will be looking to further advance on their third-place finish earned at last fall’s State Meet. The Hawks return four of their five scored runners from last season’s trophy-winning performance. They will start in Box 16 of the 22-box starting grid. Team and individual awards for Class 1A are slated to begin at approximately 3 p.m.

Reservations are being taken now for the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s 27th  Annual Christmas Fantasy held Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, November 9, 10, 11 and 12, at the Allamakee Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The theme will be “Never Stop Believing.”

Reservations are now being taken for the popular Saturday and Monday Noon luncheons and the Saturday evening Wine, Cheese and Dessert Event. The luncheons are sponsored by the Allamakee County Cattlemen’s Association, and will be held Saturday, November 10, at Noon, and again Monday, November 12 at Noon. A full meal will be served plus entertainment will be provided at both events. All guests will have ample time to view all of the displays. Reservations can be made by calling 563-568-6262.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Radiology Department at Veterans Memorial Hospital holds extended hours into the evening to allow for more mammogram appointments to be scheduled after work, making the option of mammography more accessible.

Mammography (an x-ray picture of the breast) is the single most effective method to detect breast changes that may be cancer, long before physical symptoms can be seen or felt. Early detection, followed by up-to-date treatment, provides women with better chances for long-term freedom from the disease. But mammography screening must be done routinely.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care continues to offer flu shots every Wednesday afternoon during their regular immunization clinics. The next flu shot clinics will be held Wednesday, October 24 from 1-4 p.m. and then again Wednesday, October 31 from 1-4 p.m. and each Wednesday afternoon thereafter. The Community and Home Care Immunization Clinic is located on the upper level of Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon.

Immunization clinics are held from 1-6 p.m. the first and third Wednesdays of the month, and from 1-4 p.m. all other Wednesdays. Flu vaccine, pneumonia vaccine and a combination of flu and pneumonia vaccine will all be available. Tetanus shots are always offered as well.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Lillian Christianson by Jim and Ele Klenske, Jane Dietrich, Bob and Linda Thompson, Sigurd and Barb Ness, Marcella Selberg, Carol Moe, Mae Jean Bakke, Marlys Leiran, Ernie and Donnalee Osland, and the Allamakee County Food Shelf.

Memorials were also received in memory of Tony Schulte by Tom and Joan Fritz, in memory of Leonard Heiderscheit by Dr. Bill and Libby Withers, and in memory of Lucille Halverson by Patsy Kerndt, Richard and Annabelle Marti and the family of Lucille Halverson. In addition, the Foundation also received a donation from Marlene “Mickey” Cook.

Memorials and donations are appreciated by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation. The Foundation is a 501C3 organization. All donations to the Foundation are tax deductible. Memorials and donations can be sent to 40 First Street SE, Waukon, IA  52172.
 

The LifeServe Blood Center will not be holding a blood drive in Waukon in November. The next Waukon blood drive will be held Monday, December 10 from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

The LifeServe Blood Center seeks donors to ensure a safe and plentiful blood supply in Iowa. Because there is no substitute for human blood, the need for donors is continuous. How much does blood donation help? The LifeServe Blood Center provided the following statistics:

· Cancer: up to eight platelet units per week.
· Burn Victims:  Up to 20 plasma units.
· Automobile Accidents:  Up to 50 red blood cell units.
· Premature Infants:  Up to five units.
· Heart Surgery: Up to six red blood cell units plus six platelet units
· Organ Transplants: Up to 25 plasma units plus 30 platelet units plus 40 red blood cell units.

An open house birthday celebration in honor of Rita Severson’s 90th birthday is scheduled for Saturday, November 3 from 1-4 p.m. at the Farmers and Merchants Savings Bank basement meeting room located at 201 West Main in Waukon.

Everyone is invited to attend. No gifts are requested.