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VFW Auxiliary Gustave F. Kerndt #5981 has announced the kick-off of the VFW Auxiliary’s annual Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest. Local students in grades 9-12 have the opportunity to compete for $33,000 in national scholarships.

Students must submit an original two- or three-dimensional piece of artwork.  Digital art, photography and jewelry are not accepted.  The entry must have been completed during the current 2021-2022 school year and the application must include a teacher or supervising adult’s signature.

Students begin by competing at the local VFW Auxiliary level. The first-place winner from each Auxiliary will advance to District competition with District winners advancing to the State competition.  State first-place winners compete for their share of $33,000 in national awards, and the national first-place winner is awarded a $15,000 scholarship.

Indians will play 10-1 Southeast Valley in State Semifinals this Saturday at the UNI-Dome

by Perry Hesse

Death, taxes, and the Waukon football team advancing to the semifinals. One could say these are the certainties in life as the Indians posted a 28-14 Class 2A State Play-Off Quarterfinals victory over North Fayette Valley (NFV) Friday, November 5 to advance to the semifinal round. The win marks the fifth straight year Waukon will play in the Class 2A State Semifinals at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls as the Indians look to repeat as Class 2A State Champions, with their next game being this Saturday, November 13 against 10-1 Southeast Valley.

by Perry Hesse

One of the best seasons in the history of the Kee football program came to an end Thursday night, November 4 at the home of the undefeated and top-five rated Easton Valley (EV) River Hawks with a 67-22 loss in the quarterfinal round of the Eight-Player State Play-Offs. The Hawks finish their season with an overall record of 9-2 with both losses coming against that same Easton Valley team, the other defeat at the hands of the River Hawks coming just three weeks earlier by only a 51-46 result in a game that determined the Eight-Player District 5 champion.

A full season review will appear in a future edition of The Standard.

For more complete coverage, pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition by clicking here.

Waukon High School junior Katarina Kovarik helped the Decorah High School girls swimming team qualify two of the team’s 10 events that earned berths for this year’s State Swimming and Diving Meet. The Lady Vikings competed in their Regional Swimming and Diving Meet in Dubuque Saturday, November 6, placing third as a team, with 10 different events achieving State Meet qualification.

Kovarik is part of two Decorah relays that earned a trip to the season grand finale, and she also competed in a pair of individual events at the regional event. Kovarik swam the second leg of the Vikings’ fourth-place 200 Yard Freestyle Relay that timed in at 1:43.20 to earn qualification in that event, and she also anchored Decorah’s 400 Yard Freestyle Relay that placed sixth in a State Qualifying clocking of 3:46.49.

Sharon A. Halverson, 79, of Elkader passed away Friday, October 29, 2021 at Garden View Place in Monona. Funeral Services were held Saturday, November 6 at Peace United Church of Christ with Rev. Jon Haack officiating. Interment was at East Side Cemetery, Elkader.

Sharon Ann was born May 23, 1942 in Rossville, at the family farm, to Lowell and Violet (Henderson) Walters. She graduated from Waukon High School in 1960.

Sharon was united in marriage to Robert Halverson June 24, 1961 at the Presbyterian Church in Rossville. The couple was blessed with four wonderful children.

In her early years, she worked on the family farm and worked at the Soda Grill in Waukon waiting tables. The couple moved to Cedar Rapids where Sharon worked at Rockwell-Collins for a short time. In 1963, the couple moved to Elkader where they made their family home.

Joanne R. Flage, 90, of Minneapolis, MN passed away peacefully October 31, 2021 at Mount Olivet Careview Home in Minneapolis, MN. Memorial services will be Monday, November 29 at 2 p.m. in the Lund Chapel, Mount Olivet Careview Home, 5517 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN. Visitation will be at 1:30 p.m. Inurnment will be at a later date at Oakland Cemetery in Waukon.

Joanne was born September 19, 1931 in Waukon and was the daughter of Arthur E. and Edna M. (Grotegut) Flage. She graduated from Waukon High School in 1949. She then moved to Minneapolis, MN to pursue her passion for music. Joanne received her music training in piano and organ at the McPhail Center for Music.

Jeanette A. McCormick, 84, of Waukon passed away peacefully Thursday, November 4, 2021 at her country home. Funeral services were held Tuesday, November 9 at St. Mary’s Hanover Catholic Church in rural Waukon with Fr. John Moser officiating and burial in the church cemetery. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled arrangements.

Jeanette A. McCormick was born December 11, 1936 to John C. and Ella (Connor) Schulte of Dorchester. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Dorchester and attended country school in the Dorchester area. Jeanette was united in marriage to John Joe McCormick September 19, 1957 at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Dorchester.

They farmed in the Hanover/Dorchester area all their married life. She had a strong faith in the Lord, and she was a member of St. Mary’s Hanover Catholic Church.

Elizabeth M. Huffman, 82, of Lansing died Monday, November 1, 2021 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. A visitation was held Saturday, November 6 at Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon.

Elizabeth Mae Huffman was born May 2, 1939 in Elgin, IL, the daughter of Fred and Ruby Ellen (Cook) Gritmacker. June 28, 1958, she married Dennis Huffman in Maquoketa.

After they were married, they lived in Palatine, IL for a short time before moving to Lake Zurich, IL, where she ran a successful house cleaning business until she retired in 2002. After retiring, she and Dennis moved to Lansing.

Elizabeth enjoyed spending time in the outdoors, hiking and wandering in the woods. She also enjoyed wood working, oil painting, and taking care of her family, her chickens and her granddog, Bella.

Margaret FitzGerald, 92, of Lansing passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, Sunday, November 7, 2021. Memorial services will be held in Illinois.

Margaret was born October 22, 1929 in Chicago, IL to parents William and Bernice Daly. She grew up in that city and attended Chicago’s Mundelein College, where she met and married her husband, Christopher FitzGerald III, in 1950. The couple was blessed with nine children and lived in Evanston, IL and Cincinnati, OH before settling down in Oak Park, IL, where they lived until Margaret and Chris retired to Lansing in 1986. There they enjoyed river life, made many good friends and traveled extensively. Chris passed away in 1998, and after several years Margaret decided to move back to Oak Park, IL to be near family.

Loren R. Paus, 71, of Dorchester died Monday, November 8, 2021 at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Graveside services will be held Saturday, November 13 at 11 a.m. at St. Luke’s Cemetery in Eitzen, MN, with Pastor Michael McCann officiating. Friends may greet the family from 10 a.m. until the time of the graveside service Saturday at St. Luke’s Church in Eitzen, MN.

Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the services. Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.