News Center newsletter

Rev. Herbert L. Tegeler, 94, of Cascade passed away Thursday, March 19, 2020 after a lengthy illness at the Shady Rest Care Center. Due to the current coronavirus concerns, a private Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Earlville with burial at St. Patrick Cemetery in Winthrop. A public Memorial Mass will be held at a later date.

Fr. Tegeler was born September 22, 1925 at Dyersville, the son of Leo and Veronica (White) Tegeler of Dyersville. He attended Lamont High School. He graduated from Loras College and took his Theological training at St. Meinrad Seminary in St.  Meinrad, IN. Fr. Tegeler was ordained May 16, 1953 at Christ the King Chapel, Loras College by Rev. Archbishop Leo Binz.

Kay Lan Woodmansee, 78, of Lehigh Acres, FL passed away Thursday, February 6, 2020 after a brief illness at Gulf Coast Medical Center, Fort Myers, FL. Burial of her ashes will be held at a later date at Woodlawn Cemetery in Oelwein in the Bradley family plot, with her mother, brother and grandparents, and at I.O.O.F. Cemetery, Rossville with her father and other family members.

Kay was born September 29, 1941 in (Alexandria, VA) Washington, DC, the daughter of Alta Bradley and Dale Woodmansee. She spent many summers with her grandparents and cousins in Oelwein. After graduation from high school she attended the University of Maryland where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1963. Kay taught Math, as well as many other subjects, in Denver, CO, Maryland and Florida. She retired from teaching in 1998 from Immokalee Middle School in Immokalee, FL.

Colorectal cancer can be easily detected, yet it remains the third-leading cause of cancer in the United States.  According to the American Cancer Society, one in 24 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime. Unfortunately, only about one in three persons in the U.S. gets the recommended screening.
If found early, treatment for colorectal cancer is possible. Because of effective screening efforts, there are now more than one million survivors of colorectal cancer in the U.S.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care and the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) remind residents that the three primary ways to prevent illness and its spread, including the virus that causes COVID-19, are simple and easy:

· Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow/upper arm.
· Clean hands frequently with soap and water; if soap and water is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
· Contain the spread of germs by staying home when ill.

Some residents have noted availability of alcohol-based hand sanitizers is limited in some places. “This should not be a reason for undue concern,” said Lisa Moose, Allamakee County Public Health Director. “Hand sanitizers are convenient and effective, but we want everyone to remember that good ol’ soap and water is still the best way to prevent illness.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following steps for effective hand-washing:

Due to increasing influenza and flu-like symptoms in the region, Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon has implemented visitation restrictions. The following restrictions are in place until further notice:

- Visitors are now limited to immediate family members only.
- Visitors must be older than 18 years of age.
- People experiencing influenza-like symptoms or colds should not visit any patients.

Veterans Memorial Hospital administration says these restrictions are being put in place due to influenza, and not due to the coronavirus causing COVID-19. For additional information, call Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon at 563-568-3411.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, March 19. Men and women are welcome to attend, even if they are not an Auxiliary member. The Euchre marathons are held the third Thursday of each month at the Senior Citizens Room at the Waukon Wellness Center.

The Auxiliary’s Euchre Marathons begin at 11:30 a.m. with dinner, if chosen. Call Northland Agency on Aging at 877-838-8077 if choosing to eat dinner.  Card playing will follow at 12:30 p.m. until approximately 2:30 p.m. Anyone wishing to stay and play cards following the Senior Citizens meal is welcome to do so. All proceeds go towards the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Prizes will be awarded.

Anyone interested in attending but preferring to play Bridge is also welcome to join in. It is asked that they come with their own table of four players, however.

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation recently received numerous donations for breast cancer awareness and detection from the Ness Pumping Service fundraiser last October.  Donations were received by the following for that cause:  Sigurd and Barb Ness, Dan and Lori Treangen, Ron and Kim Winters, Mike and Teresa Myers, Dave and Brenda Dougherty, Waukon Feed Ranch, Ness Ridge Nursery, Arlyn and Julie Snitker, Keith and Amy McCormick, Waukon State Bank, Jim and Linda Ryan, Classic Designs-Julie Snitker, LaVonne Hesse, Joyce Kuhse,  Andrew Schlitter and Maureen Fahey, Steve Sweeney, Deb Johnson,  Leo and JoAnn Folsom, Tammy Knudtson, Jim and Mary Winters, Dennis and Nancy Turner, Jerry and Maryann Baker, Marv and Marge Strike, Mary Fink, Bob and Karen Fossum, Janet Kruger, Brad and Erin Berns and family and friends of Ness Pumping Service.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, March 19 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of the hospital. 

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or who has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call  Angie Mettille, RN at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon will begin its next series of Prepared Childbirth Education classes (formerly called Lamaze) Monday, April 13, and the classes will continue for two more consecutive Monday evenings, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Large Conference Room.

The Prepared Childbirth Education classes at Veterans Memorial Hospital are offered in three sessions that allow the expectant parents to choose which topics they wish to learn more on. They may choose to attend one, two or all three sessions. Session 1 covers labor, delivery and the postpartum period following delivery; Session 2 includes relaxation, breathing and pain management; and Session 3 covers infant care. Tours of the OB Department at Veterans Memorial Hospital are available with each session as well.

Josh and Whitney Anderson announce the birth of their twin sons, Ridge and Rhett Anderson, born February 19, 2020 at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, WI. They each weighed 3 lbs.  5 ozs. at the time of their birth. They join siblings Jaxon, Braxton, Tila and Emery.

Grandparents are Tom and Shawny Jones, Joel Anderson and Dawn Teslow. Great-grandparents are Sherri Lewey, Dayton and Kate Jones, Elaine Anderson and Darlene Hartkemeyer. Betty Schwamman of Waukon is a great-great-grandmother.