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The Waukon girls basketball team will enter the 2021-2022 season fresh off the heels of one of its best seasons in five-player program history following a 19-5 season record that ended up with a second Class 3A State Tournament qualification in the past three years. That season result marks the second time in the past 10 seasons the Lady Indians have reached that 19-win mark and the season grand finale that is every team’s ultimate destination.

The Waukon boys and girls bowling teams each return enough bowlers with varsity letterwinning experience to form a strong nucleus for their respective 2021-2022 campaigns, but each also graduated a strong core of four bowlers who rolled leadership roles on last year’s squads that will need to be filled this winter.

Another leadership role even higher up on the Tribe’s bowling totem pole is also in need of replacement this season, as inaugural head bowling coach Jerry Keenan has stepped down from that role after the first five seasons of the program, although he is still assisting the program with its transition to its new head coach, Kim Shelton, who brings a multi-generational experience level around the bowling lanes with her to the program.

“I’ve been bowling since I was 20 years old,” the new Indian head coach shared. “Both my parents bowled, as well as my grandparents. My husband, son and daughter also bowl.”

The 2021-2022 Kee girls basketball season will be focusing on quality more so than quantity this winter, as head coach Ben Wagner has had just nine players in the freshman through senior ranks report for early-season practice. Of those nine players taking to the court this season, six of them return with letterwinning experience from a squad that played to an even 11-11 overall record last winter.

Among those veteran returnees is the senior pair of Haley Meyer and Reagan Mudderman, along with the junior trio of Alaina Bakewell, Alison Wagner and Jaylyn Walleser and lone sophomore Mal Mohn. The experience of those six returnees will be helped along by a trio of incoming freshmen who include Haley Gonzalez, Zoey Timmerman and Summer Walleser.

“We’ll benefit from leadership by my seniors,” Coach Wagner said of the pinnacle of his returning experience.

Margaret Kathleen Thorsten-Luth-Ferring, 93, of Lansing died peacefully in her sleep after spending her final days surrounded by her beloved daughters Monday, November 22, 2021 at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Mass of Christian Burial was held Saturday, November 27 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Lansing with Father Sean Smith as the Concelebrant. Burial followed at Gethsemane Cemetery, Lansing.

Margaret entered the world June 17, 1928 in Lansing, born to James and Helena (Weber) Thorsten. She was the middle child of five children that included older siblings John Thorsten and Mary Thorsten-Levendoski, and younger siblings James Thorsten and Elizabeth Thorsten-Hawes. Margaret graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in 1946.

Joseph “Joe” L. Cunningham, 75, of Waukon passed away Saturday, November 20, 2021 at Good Samaritan Society in Waukon after suffering a stroke while camping in Michigan. Funeral services will be held Friday, December 10 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. John Moser officiating. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.

Friends may greet the family from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, December 9 at Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon, where there will be a 3:30 p.m. scripture service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to St. Patrick Church, St. Patrick School, or to the Waukon City Park for landscaping the pergola and stream that Joe helped build and for benches along the five bridges trail. Checks can be made out to Waukon City Parks and mailed to the Waukon Wellness Center at 1220 3rd Ave. NW #101, Waukon, IA 52172.

Marilyn A. Stock, age 89, of Arden Hills, MN died November 12, 2021. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, December 11 at New Life Presbyterian Church, located at 965 Larpenteur Avenue, St. Paul, MN. Visitation will be held from 1-2 p.m., followed by the memorial service from 2-3 p.m. The service will also be live streamed at New Life Presbyterian Church’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband, William; her son, Donald; and her parents, Jessie and Edwin Johnson. She is survived by her sons, Dan (Kim) and Jim (Julie); her grandchildren, Jordan, Brad and Sara; her great-grandson, Julian; her sister, Carol Johnson; her brother, Earle Johnson; along with nieces, nephews, cousins and countless friends.

Kolby R. Martin, age 31, of Waukon died Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Visitation will be held Monday, November 29 from 4-8 p.m. with a prayer service at 5 p.m. at Freedom Bank in Waukon.

Kolby was born August 15, 1990, the son of Brian and Teresa (Pratt) Martin. He was baptized and confirmed at Zion United Church of Christ and graduated from Waukon High School in 2008. You could always hear Kolby coming down the street in his truck! He loved kids and they would flock over to his house just to hang out with him after school and eat freeze pops. He enjoyed spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, riding his dirt bike, snowmobiling and cutting wood for his friends at the campground.

Elizabeth E. Hart, 88, of Waukon died Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Saturday, November 27 at 10 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, with Fr. John Moser officiating. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.

Friends may call from 4-7 p.m. Friday, November 26 at Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon, where there will be a scripture service held at 6:30 p.m. Memorials may be made in Elizabeth’s name to St. Patrick Catholic School in Waukon.

Elizabeth Ellen Ryan was born December 13, 1932 in Waukon, the daughter of John and Mary (O’Brien) Ryan. She was baptized and confirmed at St Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, where she remained a lifelong member. Elizabeth graduated from St. Patrick Catholic High School and went on to earn her nursing degree from St. Francis Nursing School in La Crosse, WI.

Philip H. Dehli, 84, of rural Harpers Ferry died Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at his home. Funeral services were held Tuesday, November 23 at East Paint Creek Lutheran Synod Church in rural Waterville with Pastor Ken Kimball officiating and burial with military honors in the church cemetery. The service was also live streamed on Martin-Grau Funeral Home’s Facebook page.

Philip Herman Dehli was born March 24, 1937 in Sioux Falls, SD, the son of Palmer and Palma (Unseth) Dehli. He was baptized and confirmed at the East Paint Creek Lutheran Synod Church in rural Waterville where he was a lifelong member; Phil attended country school and graduated from Waterville in 1956. Phil served in the U.S. Army, stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO and Ft. Collins, CO; he was granted an early discharge as his father had health problems and needed help running the farm.

We just don’t know!

“When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep, then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out” (Ecclesiastes 8:16-17).

King Solomon was the wisest man on the earth (I Kings 10:23). Solomon’s wisdom was known throughout the world and all kinds of people would come from far and near just to learn and see his wisdom. In the verses above, Solomon, the wisest man on the earth, teaches us a very important truth - we cannot be certain of God’s purpose behind each event.