News Center newsletter

The winter of 2016-2017 saw the inauguration of a high school bowling season at Waukon High School, and even though, as one might expect, there were some growing pains with a brand new season for a program never before undertaken, that growth carried over from pains to the establishment of a program with a promising future.

“I told the kids at the beginning of the season that you only get one first season and we have to put a good foundation in place,” Waukon bowling coach Jerry Keenan said. “This season has been a great experience for the participants. It allowed for another opportunity for high school students to get involved in an extracurricular activity. The bowlers had an enjoyable experience and made a lot of new friends along the way. It will be a lifelong activity for some. Bowling was a great addition to the extra-curriculars at our school and I thank the administration, the school board, and Scott Oder at Odie’s Place for making this opportunity happen.”

The Waukon boys basketball team played its way to a 6-15 season record but shot its way to a new school record in the process. A new season-best mark of 170 three-point field goals far surpassed the previous record of 138 established by the 2000-2001 basketball Indians.

“As far as season highlights go, this was one of the best outside shooting teams that we have had in Waukon,” Waukon boys basketball coach Jed Hemann said. “Our shooting kept us close in a lot of games.”

That overall season mark included a record of 2-10 in Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) play, leaving the Indians in sixth place in the final seven-team NEIC standings. Those two wins in conference play came against Oelwein, the team that finished below the basketball Tribe in this year’s final standings.

Inge E. English, age 90, of Waukon died early Saturday morning, March 4, 2017 on the Sabbath at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. A memorial service will be held at a later date at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Burial of ashes will take place next to her husband, the late Donald English, in Hope, NJ.

Inge English was born June 30, 1926 in Hamberg, Germany. During the second World War, things got really dangerous in Germany for everyone. Inge's father put his wife and Inge and her sister on a boat to the United States. It was the last boat to leave Germany with passengers on it.

Inge and her husband, Donald, were lifelong members of the Methodist Church in Hope, NJ. When the church burned to the ground, the couple financed the building of a new church.

Anne Link Larson, age 91, passed away March 7, 2017. A celebration of life is being planned for the end of April in Fairhope, AL.

Anne was born April 2, 1926. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a Masters Degree in Library Science. She worked as a librarian in a Cedar Rapids High School and loved to travel internationally.

She is preceded in death by her husband, E. Gordon Larson. She is survived by three children, Sue, Link and Erik Larson; three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
 

Margaret “Marge” Ann Ewing, 84, of Waukon died Friday, March 10, 2017 at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Memorial services will be held Wednesday, March 15 at 11 a.m. at Forest Mills United Methodist Church in rural Postville with Pastor Kim Gates officiating. Burial will be held at a later date in Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may call one hour before services Wednesday at the church. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.

Margaret "Marge" Ann Ewing was born January 16, 1933 in Frankville, the daughter of Hans and Ruth Ann (Meikle) Stegen. She was baptized and confirmed at Frankville Presbyterian Church and graduated from Postville High School in 1950. In her younger years she was always at the roller rink on the weekends and took part in roller skating competitions.

Erma D. Williams, 88, of Waukon died Thursday, March 9, 2017 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services were held Tuesday, March 14 at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon with Pastor Samantha Houser officiating. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.

Erma Delores Williams was born December 16, 1928 in Waukon, the daughter of Albert and Marie (Johnson) Moen. She was baptized and confirmed at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon, graduated from Waukon High School in 1946, and attended NICC in Calmar for computer classes. Erma was an usher for the Waukon Theater.

August 20, 1950, she married Lyle Alfred Williams in Waukon. Erma worked for Northwestern Bell as a telephone operator before working at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon as a switchboard operator and then as an office manager, retiring in 1992.

Here is the final daily RAGBRAI route for Saturday, July 29 from Waukon to Lansing. The entire route will be new RAGBRAI territory as it travels 44.8 miles with some nice climbs totaling 3,200 feet throughout Allamakee County. You will not think you are in Iowa as scenic landscape and winding scenic byways show off the splendor of the Driftless Area. RAGBRAIers will visit the town of Waterville for the very first time and then ride through the Yellow River State Forest. Riders will then pull into Harpers Ferry, another first time RAGBRAI community. Riders can dip their tires, if they wish, in the Mississippi River at one of Harpers Ferry’s many boat ramps. The last 13-mile leg of RAGBRAI XLV will travel north along the Great River Road as we travel to Lansing to end in the river town of Lansing. If you didn’t get enough fun on the bike, you can climb the ultra-steep Mt. Hosmer just blocks from downtown and the river.

Here is the complete RAGBRAI route for Friday, July 28 from Cresco to Waukon. The route travels 60.1 miles as we climb 2,483 feet. RAGBRAIers will visit Decorah during the 51st annual Nordic Fest, which celebrates their Norwegian heritage. RAGBRAI will then make a return visit to the town of Ossian before traveling to Castalia and Postville for the first time before making their way into Waukon. Friday is College Spirit Day where we encourage you to proud wear your school’s jersey or apparel. FRIDAY – JULY 28, 2017 Cresco to Decorah (Meeting) – 19.5 miles Decorah to Ossian – 14. 7 miles Ossian to Castalia – 5.1 miles Castalia to Postville – 6.1 miles Postville to Waukon – 14.7 miles Total Mileage: 60.1 miles Total Feet of Climb: 2,483

Click this link to download pdf of Friday’s Map: http://ragbrai.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2017DayMaps_Day6.pdf

Waukon wrestling 182-pound senior Blain Swenson will be among the top senior wrestlers from northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota who will face off in the 16th annual Iowa-Minnesota All-Star Border Battle dual meet at 7 p.m. this Friday, March 10 at Crestwood High School in Cresco. The event is sponsored by the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame housed in Cresco, and tickets for the event will be sold at the door at Crestwood High School. Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame President and event organizer Dennis Meirick noted wrestlers from Crestwood, Waukon, Decorah, Osage, South Winneshiek, MFL/MarMac, Postville, Sumner-Fredericksburg and North Fayette Valley have been invited to wrestle for the Iowa squad, which holds an 8-7 series advantage over the Minnesota squad.
 

The Northeast Iowa Rugby Club will be kicking off its fifth season as a club this spring. The club is comprised of members from around the tri-state area who range in age from 18 to 51 years old. The Club is always welcoming new members that may be interested in playing and/or as a social member. Right now the club has enough male members to field a male side (team), and women are also welcome to join. The goal of the club is to start a women’s side and an under 18 or high school side. The mission of the club is to grow the sport of rugby in the northeast Iowa area, while also contributing to the communities that its members reside through donations of time, labor and monetarily. The tentative spring schedule for the Northeast Iowa Rugby spring season includes the following: March 18 at Osage; March 25 at Clinton; April 8 vs. Bremer County (home games played in Decorah); May 6 at All Iowa Tournament in Iowa Falls; May 20 vs. River City (Mason City) in game held at West Union.