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Archives: Obituaries

  • Joan Matt Oelke ‘49


    Joan Adel Oelke age 96 of New Hampton died Thursday, February 13, 2025 at MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center. Joan was born Aug. 7,1928 to Will and Emilie (Mueller) Matt on the home farm in National, Farmersburg Township in Clayton County, Iowa. She was the youngest of four sisters. Joan was baptized at home by…

  • Erma Baumgartner Clausing ’49


    Joan Adel Oelke age 96 of New Hampton died Thursday, February 13, 2025 at MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center. Joan was born Aug. 7,1928 to Will and Emilie (Mueller) Matt on the home farm in National, Farmersburg Township in Clayton County, Iowa. She was the youngest of four sisters. Joan was baptized at home by…

  • Gordon Kopitzke ‘54


    Gordon H. Kopitzke, age 92 of the Town of Grant, Shawano County passed away at the same home he was born in on Sunday morning February 9, 2025.  Gordon was born on August 1, 1932 as the son of the late Leonard and Minnie (Pockat) Kopitzke. He graduated from Marion High School in 1950 and earned…

  • Verdell Hubbell Kelly ‘52


    Verdell M. Kelly, 92, of Dows, with loved ones by her side, went home to be with her Savior, Jesus Christ, and reunited with her love, Dennis, on Monday, February 3, 2025. There will be no funeral service, as this was her desire. Woodley Funeral Home and Crematory of Iowa Falls is caring for Verdell…

  • Rev. Donald Schmidt ‘49


    Rev. Donald Armin Schmidt was an ELCA Lutheran pastor. He peacefully passed away at age 97 in his home, surrounded by his family, on January 23, 2025. Don was born in Ixonia, Wisconsin on May 29, 1927 to Bernard & Anna Wilhemina [née Frederick] Schmidt.  He married Donna Jeanne Brallier on June 1, 1951 and…

  • Rev. Alton Schwandt ‘50


    Alton Schwandt October 30, 1927 – January 17, 2025 Alton William Schwandt was born on October 30, 1927 on a dairy farm near Ripon, Wisconsin. He was the son of William and Dora Ruth Schwandt. He graduated from Ripon High School and attended Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. He graduated with a BA in music…

  • Elaine Reinking Ehlers ‘52


    Elaine May Ehlers April 12, 1931 – January 16, 2025 Elaine May Ehlers was born April 12, 1931, in Kingsley, Iowa. She was the daughter of Emil J. Reinking and Elsie (Puttmann) Reinking. She attended Salem Lutheran Church in Correctionville, Iowa, where she was baptized on May 24, 1931, and confirmed April 14, 1946. She attended rural…

  • Eleanor Jungck Flathman ‘52


    Eleanor Anne Jungck Hansen Flathman, aged 95, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 12, 2025, at her home in Pine City, Minnesota. She was born July 8th, 1929, to Virla (Bare) and Louis C. Jungck in rural Rushville, Nebraska, where she spent her childhood on the family farm. She attended Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.…

  • Gerald Menning ‘51


    Gerald J. Menning, 96, of Waterloo, and formerly of Waverly, Iowa, passed away on Friday, November 29, 2024, at his daughter’s home in Kaufman, Texas. Gerald was born on May 28, 1928, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Alfred Carl and Della Agnes Geer. He was baptized in June 1928 in Milwaukee and confirmed in…

  • Dr. Duane Koenig ‘53


    Dr. Duane G Koenig, 90 years of age, of Plymouth, passed away Monday, November 4, 2024. He was born on November 5, 1933, in Beatrice to Albert and Elsa (Pfingsten) Koenig. Duane attended Hoag country school through the 8th grade, then transferred to Beatrice, graduating in 1951. He was confirmed in faith at St John’s…

  • Rev. Arnold Wuertz ‘44


    Rev. Arnold A. Wuertz, age 102, of Overland Park, Kansas passed away on Thursday, October 17, 2024. Arnold grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota with parents Adolph and Laura (Ziemer) Wuertz. He was the second of their two children and was preceded in death by his parents and brother Edgar, who died at…

  • Rosella Dirksen Beninga ‘48


    Rosella (Rosie) M. Beninga, 97, of Grundy Center, Iowa, passed away August 27, 2024, at Arlington Place in Grundy Center.  Rosie was born on September 19, 1926, in Bancroft, South Dakota, the daughter of Harm and Catherine (Peterson) Dirksen. She graduated from Bancroft High School in 1944.  After graduating from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa,…