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Recent Obituaries

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  • Hillary Gerber ‘92

    Hillary M. Gerber, 54, a lifelong rural Stewartville, MN farmer died unexpectedly of a cardiac arrest on Monday (January 8, 2024) at the family farm. Hillary Marshall Gerber was born on September 17, 1969, in Rochester, MN to Paul and  Ruth (Kaldenberg) Gerber. He grew up on the Gerber Family farm in Pleasant Grove Twp., attended and graduated from Stewartville HS in 1988. He attended Wartburg College in Waverly, IA for 2 years and then the U of Minnesota -Waseca for 1 year. Hill was married on March 15, 1997, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Goodhue to Debra J.…


  • Marianna Dirks Wolters ‘61

    Marianna (Dirks) Wolters December 29, 1940 — January 5, 2024 Beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, Marianna Wolters, of Rantoul passed away peacefully in her loving home on Friday, January 5th. Marianna recently celebrated her 83rd birthday, and was blessed to live a life of faith, service, and love. She was born December 29th, 1940, in Smith Center, Kansas, to Frieda deJung Dirks and Rev. Henry J. Dirks. As the daughter of a Lutheran Pastor, as she grew, so did her passion for living a life of sharing her Love of Christ, the joy of music, and the gift of lifelong…


  • Oswald Goettler ‘53

    Obituary of Oswald William Goettler, as written by Ozzie. Oswald William Goettler (Ozzie) was born November 29, 1927 at Andrew, Iowa to Henry and Magdalena Goettler, very poor, but very religious parents, for this he was thankful for.  He became a Christian at a very young age and being poor, it taught him to get along with only the things he needed. Ozzie, age 96, passed away on January 3, 2024 at the Veterans Memorial Hospital, Waukon, Iowa after a brief stay. He attended Andrew High School for 12 years.  He walked two miles to and from school each day,…


  • Wayne Imm ‘51

    Wayne L. Imm, 94, of Toluca, passed away Tuesday, December 26, 2023, 5:10 am at his home in Toluca. Wayne was born February 20, 1929, in Streator, IL to Lester and Ella (Nenne) Imm. He married Dolores Ponsetto on November 28, 1953.  Wayne attended Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. In 1951 he went into the Army and served in Tokyo, Japan  during the Korean War. He came home and went into business with his father at Imm & Son, in Toluca, selling Chevrolet and Oldsmobile vehicles for 54 years. In addition, he owned & operated Toluca Bottling Works.  He served…


  • Brent Harstad ‘66

    Brent Harstad November 5, 1943 ~ December 25, 2023 Brent Gordon Harstad left a footprint on our community. He was a father and a husband, a judge and a businessman, and most of all, a good friend. He always gave of himself and worked to make the world a better place. He would meet you with a big smile and a hearty hello, often with jokes or witty quips. He wanted to lift people up and laugh with them, so we ask this of you as you read this, reach out and lift someone up, and share your wonderful smile…


  • Clarence Coleman ’66

    Clarence Edward Coleman February 16, 1940 – December 5, 2023 Clarence Edward Coleman was born in Mankato, Minnesota on February 16,1940 and raised in Fort Dodge, Iowa; the only child of Eleanor (Egli) and Walter De Nio. Clarence went by many names mostly because he never liked his first name. His nicknames were given to him at a young age such as Snorky and Cork, which he was called by his family his whole life. In his early career at Family Service League in Waterloo, IA, he was known simply as “Coleman.” Later in life, he decided to use his middle name,…


  • Sandra Oltrogge Wiegert ‘67

    Sandra K. Wiegert, 78, resident of Loveland, ColoradoSandra (nee Oltrogge) Wiegert died suddenly Monday, November 27, 2023. Sandy was born at her family’s home near rural Sumner, Iowa. Sandy grew up in Waterloo Iowa, graduated from East High School and Wartburg College, Waverly. She taught at Pierce Elementary School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In Cedar Rapids, she met and later married Eldon Wiegert in 1968. They welcomed a daughter, Amy a few years later. The family re-located to Loveland in 1984.She was a much-appreciated resident of Loveland. She was an active volunteer for many years at area schools, non- profit organizations, and…


  • Rev. Delbert Sailer ’66

    Delbert “Dell” Sailer, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, passed away on November 12, 2023. Born into a large and loving family as one of twelve children to George and Martha Sailer, Dell grew up on a farm in Hazen, North Dakota. Preceded in death by six brothers; Walter, Lawrence, Gerhardt, Arnold, Martin, and Gerald, sister Leila (Simpson) and two infant sisters. He is survived by sisters Velma (Wylie), Veona (Jorgensen), and brothers Vernon and Roland. Dell’s journey led him from the fields of North Dakota to the halls of higher education, where his passion for theology, philosophy and…


  • Anne Leo Ellis ‘52

    ELLIS–Anne Leo. (May 9, 1931 – October 30, 2023) was born in Osnabruck, Germany. She came to the U.S. at age eight, after her rescue from Nazi Germany through the Kindertransport program. She went to high school in Fredericksburg, TX, where her father was a pastor for a German-speaking Lutheran community. Anne earned degrees from Wartburg College and the University of Arizona (M.A.), after which she moved to New York to pursue a career in publishing. In 1957, she married William Ellis, with whom she had a loving marriage until his passing in 2015. She was a published children’s writer,…


  • Helen Hiittenmeyer Meade ‘50

    Helen Marie Meade, 92, of Jefferson City, passed away Saturday, October 28, 2023, at Jefferson City Manor. She was born Tuesday, March 17, 1931, in Russellville, Missouri, a daughter of the late Otto and Minnie (Rosbach) Hiittenmeyer. She was united in marriage to Thomas Parker Meade, who preceded her in death. Helen worked as secretary in pathology for over 45 years with Charles E. Still and Capital Region Medical Center. She is survived by one son: Craig Alan Meade of Jefferson City. Helen was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and one daughter: Lesley Meade in 2019. All obituary…


  • Wenhsiu “Yeehan” Wu ‘03

    Wenhsiu “Yeehan” Wu, of Carlisle, accomplished pianist and piano instructor, passed away at her residence on October 21, 2023 following a five-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 45. Yeehan was born in Taiwan on October 25, 1977. She began to learn the piano at the age of 4, and passed certificate level 10 at the age of 9. She was the prizewinner of the Kaohsiung City Youth Piano Competition. She continued her passion for piano and singing through high school and continued her music studies in Iowa, before going on to receive a Master’s degree with honors from the…


  • Marcella Petersen Erickson ‘54

    In Loving Memory of Marcella I. Erickson December 21, 1931- September 25, 2023 It is with heavy hearts and profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Marcella Erickson. She was 91 years old. Marcella, better known as ‘Marcie’, ‘Momsy’, ‘Grandma Marcie’, or ‘Aunt Marce’, by those who loved her, was born and raised in Rockwell, IA, the fifth of six children. Although, if you said she was from Rockwell, she would respond with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, and say she actually was from Cartersville. Marcie was well known for her athletic ability, her musical…


  • Arthur Frick

    Arthur C. Frick II, 101, of Waverly died on March 10, 2025, at the Waverly Health Center in Waverly. Arthur Charles Frick was born on October 15,1923, the son of Arthur Clement and Nola Ann (Mangum) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was baptized in 1923 and confirmed in 1935, both at the 1st Methodist Episcopal Church in Milwaukee. Arthur graduated from. He served with the US Army Air Corps in the Pacific theater from October 22,1942 until his discharge in January 27,1946. He furthered his studies at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee until 1948 , University of Wisconsin, Madison in…


  • Lynn Olson

    Lynn Jay Olson was born on July 15, 1946 and smiles and kindness were added to the equation. Smiles started at an early age as he grew up with his parents, Leslie and Shirley, sister, Marcia, and cousin, Ellerd. One story passed down from his mother Shirley has Lynn, at age 6, dangling from his pant leg from the rafters in the barn. We can imagine him beaming with energy, much like his grandson Roy. At age 18, Lynn graduated from high school and left Hoffman, MN, saying goodbye to his home on the farm, and greeting the world with…


  • James Waterbury

    James Bentley Waterbury died March 2, 2026, at Western Home Communities in Cedar Falls, after a short battle with metastatic melanoma. He was 78. Jim was born August 2, 1947, the third of four children born to Charles Arthur and Mary Elizabeth Stoddard Waterbury. His mother once told him he was her favorite because her labor with him was so short. However, he may have made that up. We all make up the stories we need. Jim graduated from Waterloo West High in 1965, and Princeton University in 1969. How he made it through is a testament to his professors’…


  • Charles Birnstiel

    Esteemed Professor, bridge engineer, and author Dr. Charles Birnstiel passed away on March 11th at the age of 94. Charles was born on December 6, 1929, in Manhattan, NY, to German immigrants Karl and Margarete Birnstiel. After attending public grade schools in East Harlem, Charles studied at Brooklyn Technical High School, and then at New York University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, A Master of Science in Civil Engineering, and a Doctorate Degree in Structural Engineering. Following his graduation, Charles devoted himself to teaching and structural mechanics research as a professor at both New York University…