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The Waukon girls golf team continues its recent trend of regrowing the program, as a squad that yielded just one golfer two seasons ago grew to four last spring, and now this season has doubled to eight young ladies reporting for early-season preparation. This season’s roster of eight golfers includes the return of all four of last season’s players that also includes the one golfer who made up the entire team during the 2022 season, with none of this season’s players yet a senior.

“Doubling the team size from last year was a nice surprise,” Waukon girls golf coach Kathy McMillan shared. “Half the team returns as letterwinners that have playing experience. I will have six varsity players and there will be allowance for scoring, as a team score is made up of four out of six scores.”

The Waukon boys golf team will bring back half a dozen players with varsity letterwinning experience from a squad that turned in a winning record of 6-4 in dual meet competition last season. Those six varsity veterans include representation from each eligible grade level, including a trio of seniors, one junior and a pair of sophomores.

“I am looking for consistency in their scores this year,” Waukon boys golf coach Tharin Benson said of his returning varsity leaders. “I am looking for leadership at practice, and a willingness to dedicate time to short-game fundamentals. Also, course management decisions should be improved.”

The 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship Tournament is down to its final four teams, and half of them seem to have come as a surprise to this year’s entries in The Standard’s Bracket Challenge contest. None of this year’s entries has all four of those remaining teams listed among its winners at this point in the tournament, and just one entry has three of those four teams selected while 40 entries have two of the final four teams.

Dennis (Denny) James Curtin died March 8, 2024. Denny’s celebration of life will be held at Curtin’s Arena, located at 1747 O’Neill Ridge Road, northwest of Waukon, Saturday, April 6, from 2-6 p.m.

There will be a brief prayer service at 2 p.m. Friends and family are invited to join in honoring and celebrating his life as he lived it, with food, music, and drinks.
 

Marilyn A. Bulman, 90, of Waukon died Sunday, March 31, 2024, at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 13 at 11 a.m. at Zion United Church of Christ (UCC) in Waukon with Pastor Bryan Robertson officiating. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may greet the family from 9:30 a.m. until the time of services Saturday at the church.

Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Zion UCC or Veterans Memorial Hospital, both in Waukon.

Marilyn Adele Bulman was born June 9, 1933, at her grandparents’ home in Rossville, the daughter of Lawrence and Kathryn (Wiedenmann) Ricker. She was baptized and confirmed at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon, where she remained a lifelong member. In 1951, Marilyn graduated from Waukon High School and went to work at the Allamakee County Treasurer’s office.

Sandra Jean (Ellefson) McCoy passed away peacefully at home, following an illness, Friday, March 29, surrounded by her family. Arrangements are pending. A full obituary will be available in next week’s edition of The Standard.

Marcella A. Hansmeier, 89, of Waukon died Sunday, March 31, 2024, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Thursday, April 4 at 2 p.m. at Martin - Grau Funeral Home in Waukon with Pastor Cathy Jurgens officiating. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.

Friends may greet the family from 1 p.m. until the time of services Thursday at the funeral home.

Marcella Adel Hansmeier was born May 8, 1934, in Waukon, the daughter of Fredrick and Geneva (Cahoon) Schlitter. She attended the Jefferson Township “Maple Dale” rural school and graduated from Waukon High School in 1951.

August 18, 1951, she married Gordon “Gordie” Hansmeier at Zion United Church of Christ. Marcella and Gordie farmed east of Waukon, where she raised her three sons and helped with some of the farming chores. After her sons were grown, she worked as a waitress at The Landmark Supper Club in rural Waukon.

Joanne Groth, 89, passed away peacefully Monday, March 25, 2024 at Woodlands Creek Senior Living Center in Clive. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, April 11 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Postville with Rev. Lynn Noel as the officiant. Inurnment will follow at St. John Lutheran Church Cemetery in Luana.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, April 12 at St. Stephens Lutheran Church in Urbandale. Leonard-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Monona is assisting the family with services.

Joanne June Grotegut was born June 27, 1934 in Ludlow Township, in rural Waukon. Upon graduating from Waukon High School in 1952, Joanne moved to Cedar Rapids and worked as a secretary at Collins Radio. She returned to Ludlow and married Carlton Martins August 16, 1953. They made their home on Carlton’s family farm until his death in November 1965, at which time she and their four children moved to Postville.

by Kelli Boylen

Luster Heights, located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River south of Harpers Ferry, was a minimum security prison camp from 1962 until the Iowa Department of Corrections closed the facility in 2017. Soon, this land will have a new life as the McGregor District Headquarters of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) McGregor District office was located against the base of the bluff between McGregor and Marquette from the 1980s until 2015. The building was vacated due to mold issues resulting from water damage and frequent damage to vehicles from tumbling rocks falling off the bluff. The USFWS staff has been housed in a leased building north of Prairie du Chien, WI since and has been searching for a permanent location.

Mallory Mohn, daughter of Clint and Noelle Mohn of Lansing, was crowned the 2024 Allamakee County Dairy Princess at the annual Allamakee County Dairy Banquet held Saturday, March 23 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. Additional photos of award winners and other recognition from the 2024 Allamakee County Dairy Banquet will appear in a future edition of The Standard. Photo by Paula Enyart.