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The third grade class of Mrs. Martha Byrnes at St. Patrick School in Waukon is enjoying reading and riding on their new classroom stationary bikes. The bikes were purchased with grant money from the Arlin Falck Foundation. Pictured above is Mrs. Byrnes’ third grade class and pictured at right are third grade students (left to right) Molly Kurth and Savannah Burns demonstrating how they read and ride on the new bikes. Submitted photos.
 

Old West Paint Creek Church in rural Waukon will host speakers Jason and Shannon Kerr this Sunday, February 10 at 2 p.m. The community is welcome to attend and hear their inspiring miracle story of survival and recovery following a horrific traffic accident near their Lakeville, MN home.
This family’s story involves angels, prophetic dreams and visions, and words from God Himself. It inspires faith and hope in God’s unfailing love, care and answers to prayer.

Shannon Kerr will also have her book, “Against All Odds,” (pictured above) available at the presentation, inspired by her recovery experience. For further information about the Kerr family (pictured below), their story and the book, visit www.againstalloddsbook.com.
 

The Allamakee Community School District hosted the annual Career Workshop Friday, February 1 at Waukon High School. The Career Workshop is the brainstorm of Waukon High School Guidance Counselor Amy Wasson, Northeast Iowa Community College-Waukon Center Director Erica Nosbisch and Allamakee County Economic Development & Tourism Director Val Reinke. Invitations are extended to junior and senior students at Waukon, Kee, Postville and MFL/MarMac High Schools. The goal of this event is to introduce high school juniors and seniors to area businesses, career opportunities and the stories of local people. Approximately 150 students participated, choosing two tracks to attend based on career interests (some of those students and speakers are pictured in surrounding photos). This year’s event included the following tracks and guest speakers:

After a week without school and nearly a week without basketball competition, the Waukon girls basketball team completed a busy final weekend of the regular season, playing a pair of Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) contests and adding them both to the win column. The Indians first handled a winless Charles City team with relative ease, 66-27, at home Friday, February 1 before doing likewise at Oelwein Saturday, February 2, 52-22, in a game rescheduled from January 18.

The Kee boys basketball team had a busy scheduled start to this past week, instead, turn out to be a busy end to it, as two games early in the week had to be postponed due to winter weather. The Hawks finally opened the week’s competition with a 64-52 home loss to MFL/MarMac Friday, February 1 before also falling in a Saturday, February 2 road date at Turkey Valley, 61-43, in a game rescheduled from both January 22 and then Monday, January 28. Kee’s Tuesday, January 29 home game with North Fayette Valley was postponed to this Thursday, February 7.

After sitting idle for two consecutive weeks, the Waukon boys and girls bowling teams finally resumed action Friday, February 1 with their Parents Night home match against Denver. Both the girls and boys squads made the most of that display in front of their parents, sweeping the visiting Cyclones by a 1968-1776 count for the girls and a 2555-2260 result for the boys.

The 2018-2019 wrestling season came to a close for all but this season’s lone senior as the Waukon wrestling team competed at the Class 2A Sectional Tournament hosted by Decorah High School Saturday, February 2. Senior Miles Hansmeier wrestled to a runner-up finish at 145 pounds to continue his season and career with advancement to this Saturday’s Class 2A District Tournament at Independence, beginning at 12 noon. Further details of Hansmeier’s next round of competition appear elsewhere on these same Sports pages in the February 6 print and e-edition of the The Standard.

Wanda Mae (James) Roesler, age 89, passed away peacefully February 3, 2019. A Celebration of Life is scheduled to be held at 11 a.m., with visitation one hour prior, Saturday, February 9 at Mt. Bethel Church, 3239 70th Street East in Inver Grove Heights, MN. Private interment will take place in Waseca, MN.
Wanda was born June 24, 1929 in Owatonna, MN to George I. and Lillian Z. (Gumbusky) James. Shortly after, they moved to Waseca, MN where she grew up, graduated from Waseca High School and worked for EF Johnson Co. for five years. She married her high school sweetheart, Marvin H. Roesler, October 1, 1950.
Marv and Wanda lived in Waseca, Hastings and Laverne in Minnesota, in Paulina and Waukon in Iowa, and in Jackson, MN and Le Center, MN, where Marv worked for Natural Gas and Wanda worked as a bookkeeper. Following retirement, she moved to Eagan, MN.

Nathan “Nate” David Snitker, 84, of Viola, IL died peacefully at his home Tuesday, January 29, 2019. Funeral services were held at Dennison Funeral Home in Viola, IL Monday, February 4 with burial in Viola Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left for Alzheimer’s Association or American Diabetes Association.

Nate was born August 11, 1934 in Postville to Daniel and Elsie Flage Snitker. In 1954 he married Joann Andregg, a marriage to which four sons were born. They divorced in 1968. He married Elizabeth “Betty” Ricketts in 1982. They were married until her death July 13, 2013.

Rita Kern, age 83, of Decorah died Friday, January 25, 2019 at her home in Decorah. A Celebration of Life and Memory was held Saturday, February 2 at Decorah Lutheran Church, Decorah with Rev. Allen Vik officiating. Interment was in Decorah Lutheran Cemetery, Decorah.

Rita Ramona Kern was born May 16, 1935, the daughter of Louis E. and Sylbert C. (Smith) Christofferson, in rural Allamakee County, near Luana. She was baptized by Rev. Van Neys in Waukon and was confirmed at the Frankville Presbyterian Church by Rev. William Niles. In 1958, she joined the Decorah Lutheran Church.

Rita attended the Birdsell Country School (Frankville #4) and graduated from Decorah High School in 1954.  Rita helped on the family farm near Frankville until moving to Decorah in 1956.  She had worked for K & S Super Value, Grahams Store and for 35-1/2 years at the Decorah Creamery and then Foremost Farms. She retired in 2001.