News Center newsletter

Mary Ellen McMillan, 91, of Waukon died Friday, September 21, 2018 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Monday, October 1 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. Mark Osterhaus and Rev. Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg officiating. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.

Friends may call from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, September 30 at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon, where there will be a 1:45 p.m. scripture service.

Mary Ellen McMillan was born June 15, 1927 in Waukon, the daughter of Frank and Cora (Donavan) Gavin. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Patrick Catholic Church and attended St. Patrick Catholic School, both in Waukon. November 22, 1947, she married Roger McMillan at St. Patrick Catholic Church. Mary Ellen was very particular and had a routine on how she did the housekeeping and other day-to-day chores.

Bruce K. Strong, 62, passed away August 21, 2018 in Duluth, MN. Bruce was born November 5, 1955 in Waukon, the son of Norbert and Loretta (Stahl) Strong of Lansing. He was a military veteran, serving in both Navy-Krypto Intelligence and Army Reserves.

Bruce was the owner and operator of Strong’s American Karate from 1998 to 2014, teaching classes throughout the tri-state area in Lansing, Waukon and Decorah in Iowa, Caledonia, Spring Grove, Rushford and La Crescent in Minnesota,  as well as De Soto and Prairie du Chien in Wisconsin.

Bruce is survived by his son, Josh (Alicia) Strong, and his granddaughter, Ariana Strong, all of Rice Lake, WI; his sister, Debbie (Neal) Steiber of Lansing; his brother, Richard (Bonnie) Strong of Blue Grass; and his sister, Laurie (Dan) Gavin of Royce City, TX.
 

Wednesday, September 19, the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an individual attempting to solicit nude photographs of young females in the area through the social media app “Snapchat”. The suspect reportedly initiates contact through the messaging feature on the “Snapchat” app and gives a false name that the potential victim may know through social media, such as Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat, and requests the potential victim to send nude photographs of themselves through the “Snapchat” app. This suspect has attempted contact with numerous potential victims in the area. The “Snapchat” account being used is dylan3404dj and the suspect is using the names Chris or Dylan. This activity is being directed toward high school-aged persons. This incident is under investigation by the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office and Waukon Police Department.

Courtney Anne Kane, 27, of Brighton, CO passed away very unexpectedly September 2, 2018. Courtney was born with a congenital heart defect. Her untimely death is believed to be a catastrophic cardiac event due to complications of her condition.

A viewing was held Monday, September 10 at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Northglenn, CO with services immediately following.  A celebration of her life followed.

Courtney is survived by her parents, Michael and Anastasia-Ann (Hancock); her sister, Ashleigh (Bryan) Parry; her brother, Brayden Kane; her fiancé, Marvin Miller III; two very special nieces, Ellaine and Lillian Parry, whom Courtney loved dearly; her grandparents, Lucy Kane and William and Carol Hancock; along with numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Courtney was preceded in death by her grandfather, Ronald Robert Kane.

Patricia Anna Gage, 83, of Lansing passed peacefully at Thornton Manor in Lansing September 9, 2018. A celebration of life will be held September 29 from 1-5 p.m. at Milty’s in Lansing.

Patricia was born December 11, 1934 in Winona, MN to Lambert and Margaret (Johnson) Dzwonkowski.

She is survived by her children: Tom (Sue), Roxanne Smerud, John, Edward, Timothy and Greg Gage; her siblings: Shirley Ciseweski of Minnesota City, MN, Judith Frisch of Altura, MN, Janine (Jim) Stiles of Winona, MN and Richard (Kathy) Bell of Homer, MN; her grandchildren: Nicole, Mitchell, April, Leisha Jo, Gerad, Justin, Logan, Nick, Cody, Brenden, Brooke, Ellicha and Riley; and an ever-growing number of great- and great-great-grandchildren.

By Jill Fleming, MS, RD/LD, Dietitian, Veterans Memorial Hospital

Most people know that an apple is a better choice than a donut for good health.  And everyone knows that taking a walk is a healthier choice than sitting on the couch watching television.  So why do so many people struggle to break free from these bad habits? It is simply a matter of repetition. Your body craves what you give it, whether it is your choice of foods or your daily activities.

Getting healthy and losing excess body fat does not require you to go on a restrictive diet and start running marathons. It just requires you to choose a few new habits in the areas of nutrition, movement, stress reduction and sleep. Each new choice should be approached as a permanent addition to your life, not a short-term fix for quick results.

Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon will sponsor a Babysitting Seminar Saturday, October 13 from 8:30 a.m. - Noon.  The class will be held in the Large Conference Room located on the lower level of Veterans Memorial Hospital.  

Veterans Memorial Hospital will begin the next Prepared Childbirth Education classes (formerly called Lamaze) Monday, October 8, and classes will continue for two more consecutive Mondays, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Large Conference Room.

The Prepared Childbirth Education classes at Veterans Memorial Hospital are offered in three sessions that allow the expectant parents to choose which topics they wish to learn more on. They may choose to attend one, two or all three sessions. Session 1 covers labor, delivery and the postpartum period following delivery; Session 2 includes relaxation, breathing and pain management; and Session 3 covers infant care. Tours of the OB Department are available with each session as well.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, September 20 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room on the lower level of the hospital. This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call  Angie Mettille, RN, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, September 20.  Men and women are welcome to attend, even if not an Auxiliary member. The Euchre marathons are held the third Thursday of each month at the Senior Citizens Room at the Waukon Wellness Center.

The Auxiliary’s Euchre Marathons begin at 11:30 a.m. with dinner, if chosen.  Call Northland Agency on Aging at 877-838-8077 if choosing to eat dinner. Card playing will follow at 12:30 p.m. until approximately 2:30 p.m. Anyone wishing to stay and play cards following the Senior Citizens meal is more than welcome to do so. All proceeds will go toward the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Prizes will be awarded.

Anyone interested in attending, but preferring to play Bridge is also welcome to join in. It is asked that they come with their own table of four players, however.