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Patrick Loras Byrnes, 88, of Rochester, MN, formerly of Waterloo, passed away May 2, 2026, in Rochester. He was born August 16, 1937, in Waukon, the son of Garland and Mary (Reddy) Byrnes.

Mass of Christian Burial was held Tuesday, May 12 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Waterloo, under the auspices of Queen of Peace Catholic Church. Burial took place in Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery, Waterloo.

Patrick grew up on a farm near Dorchester and graduated from St. Patrick’s High School in Waukon with the Class of 1955. He then served his country in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958 and was stationed in Fort Lewis, WA. Upon his honorable discharge from service, Patrick continued his education as a diesel mechanic.

Patrick was united in marriage to Barbara Jean Hundey. She preceded him in death November 23, 1998. October 20, 2001, he was united in marriage to Carol Wanderscheid Ehler.

Linda Ann Hamadani, age 75, of Waukee, passed away peacefully April 21, 2026. She was born December 2, 1950, to Arden and Gladys (Ludeking) Iverson and raised in Waukon. Online condolences may be left at https://www.reifffamilycenter.com/ under the Obituaries section.

Friday, May 1, 2026, after suffering a sudden stroke, Catherine Josephine Weighner of Grand Rapids, MI entered into eternal life. She was surrounded by her husband Phil and their children and died in the peace of Christ’s promises.

A Mass of Christian Burial took place Friday, May 8 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Grand Rapids, MI. Memorial contributions may be made either to HELP Pregnancy Aid or to Assure Women’s Center of Cedar Springs, MI.

Cathy was the fifth of ten children and grew up in San Gabriel, CA. The lively sense of humor, readiness to serve, and creative imagination for which she was well-known blossomed from childhood. Being raised in an intergenerational household, Cathy learned early on how to care for and befriend people at all stages of their life.

Jean Huffey, 94, of Waterville passed away peacefully May 4, 2026. Jean moved to Wellington Place in Decorah in 2022 and Creamery Creek in Viroqua, WI in October 2025.
Memorial services were held Friday, May 8 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Waukon with Pastor Kim Gates and Pastor Laura Gentry officiating. Burial will take place at a later date. Memorials can be directed to Agrace Hospice or Veterans Memorial Hospital, Waukon.

Jean was born in rural Hawkeye January 5, 1932, to George and Delia Boess. She attended Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls (1949-1950). After graduating, Jean taught at Waterville Elementary School. She married George Huffey April 10, 1953 and they were married for 63 years.

Kathryn “Kate” A. Urell, 82, of Waukon died Monday, May 4, 2026, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services were held Friday, May 8 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. Joseph Sevcik officiating.

Burial was at St. John The Baptist - West Ridge Cemetery, in rural Waukon. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled the arrangements.

Kathryn Ann Urell was born August 14, 1943, in Waukon, the daughter of Floyd and Florence (Wild) Waters. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Joseph Catholic Church in New Albin and attended Clear Creek School in Union City Township until 8th grade. Kate graduated from Waukon High School in 1961.

John Virgil Prohaski, 88, of Mason City passed away May 3, 2026. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 11 at Epiphany Parish - St. Joseph Catholic Church, 302 5th Street SE in Mason City with Rev. Ben Valentine as celebrant. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the services at the church.

John was born June 14, 1937, in Mason City, the son of Charlie and Jenny (Olson) Prohaski. He graduated from Mason City High School in May of 1955. He attended Mason City Junior College (now NIACC), graduating in 1957. He received his Bachelors Degree from Iowa State Teacher’s College in 1961 and later his Master’s Degree of Psychology from Winona State University.

After teaching in Missouri Valley and in Marble Rock, his family settled in  Waukon for the remainder of their teaching careers.   John also worked as a volunteer EMT for the Veterans Memorial Hospital for many years.

Merrill R. Jacobs, 88, of Waukon died Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, May 6 at 11 a.m. at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon, with Rev. Cathy Jurgens officiating. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery in Waukon.

Friends may greet the family from 9 a.m. until time of services Wednesday at the church. The services will be livestreamed on the Martin-Grau Facebook page. Memorials can be made to Veterans Memorial Hospital or Oakland Cemetery for perpetual care, both in Waukon. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements.

To the Editor:

I would like to make two comments regarding Mr. Lowell Engle’s letter to the editor (April 8, 2026).

First, Mr. Engle appears to believe that all “illegal” behaviors are the same and should be treated the same. However, our legal system makes a distinction between “civil” and “criminal” actions, and they carry different penalties.

Most Americans do not think living in the U.S. without documentation or overstaying permission to be in the U.S. are the same as committing a violent act. For the last 30 years administrations of both parties before Trump’s have held that immigrants who have lived in this country for years could be subjected to detention and deportation only if they were deemed, after a judicial hearing, to be a danger to society or a flight risk.

To the Editor:

The Saturday, April 11 Waukon High School play “Launch Day” was out of this world! This story was set in the year 2108 on a planet colonized by young people looking to start their lives and loves. Do they take the shuttle back to earth or do they stick it out and find someone to share their experience?

Nine connections of boy and girl showed us that maybe the “meet cute” will not be so different in the  future. The pairings of actors was fun to watch as they navigated sharing “too much info” or not enough.

Love and ambition, friendship, first dates, chance meetings, passion and rejection, unrequited love all got treatment in a most human way despite living in an AI environment.

To the Editor:

I can finally feel the impact of Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill that his party’s senators and representatives so proudly passed last year. I got a $1000 tax refund. However, it wasn’t the many thousands that Trump and his party promised.

In fact, my household seems to be losing money. Even on Medicare our health insurance climbed by $1400. Our car and home insurance increased $700. Gas prices are up, food prices have skyrocketed, and inflation is up. I’m further in the hole than I was a year ago. The USA is further in the hole thanks to Trump and his party’s Big Beautiful Bill adding $4 trillion to the national debt.