News Center newsletter

Rose Marie Winters, 87, of Waukon died Tuesday, August 4, 2020 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Due to restrictions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, private family services will be held at Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waukon with Pastor Ken Kimball officiating and burial will be in the church cemetery. Please join the live stream of the service Saturday, August 8 at 11 a.m. on the Martin-Grau Funeral Home Facebook page. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.

A full obituary will appear in the August 12 edition of The Standard. You can subscribe to The Standard's print edition or e-edition by clicking here.

Shirley Schneeberger of Waukon will be celebrating her 85th birthday August 11. Her family is hosting a card shower in lieu of a celebration due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In honor of the occasion, cards and well wishes may be sent to 24 East Main Street, Waukon, IA 52172.

Ron Brandt of Waukon will be celebrating his 90th birthday August 7.

In honor of the occasion, cards and well wishes may be sent to 703 Fifth Street NW, Waukon, IA 52172.

LeAnn Espe, originally of Waukon, will be celebrating her 80th birthday. Friends and family are invited to celebrate the occasion Sunday, August 16 from 1-4 p.m. at the Ackley Country Club, 902 Eighth Avenue in Ackley.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care has availabilities for immunizations which are now held on an appointment-only basis.  The walk-in immunization clinics remain on hold during COVID-19, but for those who want to call ahead and make an appointment, they can do so by calling 563-568-5660. When the appointment is made, instructions are given for the private location the immunizations will be administered.

With school right around the corner, the Community and Home Care public health office advises families to make their appointments now to be sure all needed immunizations are received before school begins. Immunizations are extremely important. They have eradicated Small Pox, eliminated polio from the Americas, and they have almost eliminated Tetanus, Diphtheria and Rubella.  Immunizations have also greatly reduced the occurrence of Measles, Pertussis and Meningitis.  Millions of deaths and other tragedies have also been prevented by vaccines.

by Jill Fleming, MS, RD/LD

Many people are experiencing more worry and stress in their lives as they look for ways to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and the “new normal”. Unfortunately, a lot of those people may be turning to eating to fill the time and escape from the anxiety. Healthy eating and exercise plans have been replaced by comfort-foods and being more sedentary, as we absorb the daily news feed updates. It’s hard to cope with social-distancing from our loved ones, plus being bored and not wanting to reach for a favorite snack or two each day. While an occasional treat is usually not a problem, regular consumption can quickly add extra weight, as these processed foods are loaded with calories. Processed foods and baked goods increase stomach fat, because they create a yo-yo effect on a person’s blood sugar and insulin levels.

Veterans Memorial Hospital still encourages the continued use of face masks in the community, but urges all to wear them appropriately. Masks are extremely effective against the COVID-19 virus, but must be worn correctly to ward off the virus.

The following instructions from Johns Hopkins Medical Center give simple, effective rules for mask use.  First, hands must be cleaned just prior to putting on the mask, making sure to touch only the sides or bands of the mask with the hands - the front of a mask should never be touched. Hands should always be cleaned again after removing a mask. Masks must always cover both the mouth and the nose and fit under the chin.  Reusable masks must be laundered after each use in hot water and dried in a hot dryer.  Disposable masks should be thrown when they are visibly dirty or damaged.  Masks should also never be shared with another person.  Masks should be worn whenever around others in public places away from home.

The local Grief Support Group will again begin holding its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital Tuesday, August 11, at 5 p.m. in the Meditation Room, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital.

This informal meeting is open to anyone suffering from any type of loss whether it be death, divorce, illness or some other grief.

Feel free to attend and bring a friend, and be sure to wear a mask. All attendees will be able to physically distance during the meeting.  This grief support group meets the second Tuesday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Margaret Blake by  Don and DiAnne Haler, Patsy Kerndt and Carl and Betty Christianson.

Memorials were also received in memory of both David Thorstenson and Wayne Thorstenson by Virgil and Debbie Thorstenson, Roger and Gloria Thorstenson, Sandra and Dennis Deal, Jan and Greg Gordon and Dawn and Todd Muhlbauer.

In addition, memorials were received in memory of Randy Huffey by family and friends of Randy Huffey, in memory of William “Bill” Evans by Delora and Monte Dundee, in memory of Eileen Osland Doubin by Ernie and Donnalee Osland, and in memory of Richard Clauson by Jean Huffey.

Memorials and donations are greatly appreciated by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation.  The Foundation is a 501C3 organization. All donations to the Foundation are tax deductible. Memorials and donations can be sent to 40 First Street SE, Waukon, IA  52172.

To the Editor:

I am sure that many people had read the Letter to the Editor in the recent issue of The Standard. I did too, and I thought it may be worthwhile to let everyone know the perspective of someone who is living in this lockdown state and how it really is affecting an actual resident of an assisted living facility. Likewise, the same as a nursing home, hospital, etc.

What do the Board of Public Health, CDC and state leaders think they are accomplishing by having facilities like these on lockdown? I have been a tenant at Southcrest Assisted Living in Waukon since mid-February. When I moved in, we as residents were playing cards, Bingo, listening to local bands, singing, laughing and having fun. Unfortunately, not anymore!