Obituaries

Jim Driscoll, 90, of Harpers Ferry died Saturday, May 4, 2024, at his home. Services are pending with Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home in Lansing.
 

Sharon K. Hageman, 82, of Waukon, formerly of Frankville, passed away surrounded by her family Thursday, May 2, 2024, at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Memorial services will be held Thursday, May 16 at 11 a.m. at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Decorah. Burial will be at Freeport Cemetery. Friends may greet the family from 9:30 a.m. until the time of services Thursday, May 16 at the church.

Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to WinnMed Hospice in Decorah or to Freeport Cemetery.

Sharon Kay Hageman was born November 24, 1941, in LeRoy, MN, the daughter of D. Clair and Viola Louise (Tieskotter) Palmer. Throughout her life, she lived in Ostrander, MN, and Freeport, Frankville, Decorah and Waukon. Sharon attended the one-room schoolhouse in Freeport before going to Decorah High School.

Ken L. West, 79, of Waukon passed away Friday, May 3, 2024, at his home in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Friday, May 10 at 11 a.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon with Pastor Bryan Robertson officiating. Friends may greet the family from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, May 9 at Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon. Burial with military honors will be at Oakwood Cemetery in Lewis Monday, May 13.

Kenneth Lee West was born January 31, 1945, in Oakland to Floyd and Ruth (Taylor) West. He graduated from Oakland High School and enlisted in the U.S. Army. After serving three years stateside and in Germany, he returned to Iowa.

Richard “Butch” Glen Gray, age 79, passed away Monday, April 8, 2024 at Kaiser Hospital in Vacaville, CA. He will be laid to rest at the Sacramento Valley Veterans Affairs Memorial Cemetery in Dixon, CA. There will be a Celebration of Life Friday, May 31 at 11 a.m. at Solano Valley Church, 1307 Oliver Road, Fairfield, CA.

Butch was keen on supporting a work in Rwanda helping children and families, so any donations in lieu of flowers will go to Parkway Community Church for their ongoing Rwanda project. Arrangements are entrusted to Bryan-Braker Funeral Home in Fairfield, CA. You may visit the tribute page at bryan-braker.com.

Lawrence Sylvester Lotza was born December 13, 1942, in Monona to Anna (Kottman) and Sylvester Lotza. Lawrence, 81 years old, passed away April 27, 2024, at Veterans Memorial Hospital, Waukon with his wife Jan by his side. He passed peacefully from a heart condition that he had been struggling with this past year.

Visitation will be Friday, May 10 from 4-7 p.m. at First Baptist Church, located at 614 Rossville Road, Waukon. Funeral service will be the next day, Saturday, May 11, at the same location at 11 a.m.

He attended Beulah Country School and graduated from Monona-Farmersburg High School in 1960. He farmed and married Janice Schlein August 26, 1962. To this union they have one daughter, Deborah (Deb Dennler), born June of 1963.

Thomas “Tom” Edward Burdick slipped away from the bounds of this earth Tuesday, March 26, 2024. He lived at Pattison Lake in Olympia, WA for over 32 years, where he also died peacefully after kidney failure and a short stint with cancer.

Arrangements have been made at Woodlawn Funeral Home in Lacey for his cremation. Tom’s generous decision to be an organ donor resulted in a successful cornea transplant that profoundly transformed a 73-year-old’s life through his gift of sight.

Tom was surrounded in love, peace and God’s grace by his daughter, Sarah (Burdick) Desir; his son, Matthew “Matt” Burdick; his younger sister, Jenny (Burdick) Holbert of Fredericksburg, VA; and his older sister and brother-in-law, Dianna (Burdick) and Greg Moore.

Francis L. Stortz, 92, of Waukon passed away Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at Northgate Care Center in Waukon with his family by his side. Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 11 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon. Visitation will begin at the Church at 9 a.m. and Fr. John Moser will be officiating the Mass. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery followed by lunch in the Church Hall.
 

William “Bill” G. Bresnahan, 95, of Waukon died Friday, April 26, 2024, at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Memorial services will be held Thursday, May 2 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, with Fr. John Moser officiating. Burial with military honors will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may greet the family from 9:30 a.m. until time of services at the church Thursday. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements.

William George Bresnahan was born February 22, 1929, in Waukon, the son of Andrew and Nellie (Donovan) Bresnahan. He graduated from St. Patrick Catholic School, and was a lifelong member of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon. Bill enjoyed bowling and worked at the local bowling alley when he was younger setting pins. He served in the United States Army from 1951-1952, during the Korean War, defusing landmines.

Kermit Dallas Klees succumbed to cancer Friday, April 26, 2024 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. There will be a celebration of his life at a later date.

Kermit was born June 3, 1949 to Paul and Coral (Moose) Klees in Waukon and grew up south of Rossville. He farmed with his father, graduated from Waukon High School in 1968 and enlisted in the National Guard 229th Engineers in 1970. When he was released in 1977 he had attained the rank of E5, and could crush rock with the best of them!

Kermit continued to farm at home, and support his mother and younger sisters after Paul died in1971.

In 1979, he married Ann Downey, and they started their own lives. Purchasing their own farm in 1985, Kermit and Ann began raising horses, then switched to a modest herd of jersey dairy cattle. When they retired from farming, due to Kermit’s stroke, they were milking 50 head.

John E. Theis, 95, of Macomb, IL passed away Tuesday, October 31, 2023, at the Lamoine Assisted Living in Macomb, IL. Graveside services will be held Saturday, May 4 at 11 a.m. at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Waukon with Fr. John Moser officiating. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.

John Everett Theis was born July 26, 1928, in Riceville to Harry and Hazel (Marr) Theis. He first married Myrtle Marie Ahlstrom July 30, 1948. She preceded him in death March 6, 1964. He later married Janice Forey June 30, 1973. She preceded him in death July 31, 2023.

John worked for Theis Mens Clothing Stores, which was owned by his father, Harry Theis. He was a Drug Representative for J.W. Edgerly and McPike Drugs. After his retirement from McPike Drug Company, he worked part time for Nelson’s Clothing Store in Macomb, IL.