News Center newsletter

The Allamakee Sno-Blazers snowmobile club hosted its first annual Radar Run snowmobile speed event Saturday, February 11 at Green Valley Getaway in Waukon. The club previously sponsored local snowmobile drag races for many years, and this inaugural replacement event featured a 450-foot track that the 120 combined spectators and competitors found to be fast and entertaining.  A listing of the fastest finishers in each of the event’s eight classes of competition appears below:

Vintage 340cc - Bob Timmerman
Vintage 440cc - Kevin Benjegerdes
Vintage 500cc - Bob Timmerman
Modern Stock 500cc - Clayton Welsh
Modern Stock 600cc - Andrew Eberling
Modern Stock 700cc - Andrew Eberling
Modern Stock 800cc - Jason Bellmeyer
1000cc/Modified - Bryce D.

January 27-28, four wrestlers from Iowa traveled to Louisville, KY in order to compete in a tournament sponsored by the North Central Association of Schools for the Blind (NCASB). Buoyed by a team effort that resulted in all four wrestlers earning medals in their respective weight classes, the Iowa Rams battled their way to a fifth-place team finish among the 11 teams competing at the event. The Iowa Rams were coached by 1974 Waukon High School graduate Jay Colsch with assistance from Charles Gillaspie and 2016 Waukon High School graduate Carter Fuhrman. Pictured in the center of the above photo are (left to right) Jay Colsch and Carter Fuhrman, and Fuhrman is also pictured below (far right) with the four members of the Iowa Rams squad during their competition in Kentucky. Currently, there are 13 schools in the NCASB Conference.

Virgil W. Hager, 90, of Fort Atkinson, WI passed away peacefully February 14, 2017. There will a celebration of life Saturday, March, 4 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the family’s home, W 2049 Hanson Rd, Helenville, WI 53137. Schmutzler-Vick Funeral Home of Watertown, WI is serving the family.

Virgil was blessed with one son and four daughters. He worked as a painter for many years along with many other things. Virgil had many hobbies from hunting, fishing, a love for woodworking, and a special passion for the collection of clocks and trains.

Survivors include his children: Patricia (Paul) Cheeseman, Dale (Sharon) Hager, Linda (Joel) Hill, Debbie (Ronald) Copeland and Cheryl (Paul) Rice; his step-children: Denise, Dennis and Diane; nine grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. Preceding him in death was the love of his life, Aileen; and his brothers, sisters and parents.
 

Ellen L. Thiele, 91, of Waukon died Friday, February 24, 2017 at Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah. Funeral services were held Tuesday, February 28 at First Presbyterian Church in Waukon with Pastor Grant VanderVelden officiating. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.

Ellen Lorine Thiele was born January 17, 1926 in Cresco, the daughter of Barton and Gertrude (Soum) Warner. She graduated from Cresco High School in 1943, and graduated from Grinnell College in Grinnell in 1947 with a major in music education. After college, Ellen moved to Waukon and taught music for one year.

September 3, 1948, she married Chester George Thiele at First Congregational Church in Cresco. She then worked as a Special Education aide at the Waukon elementary school.

Ramona Clinda Everman, 87, of Postville died Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at the Ossian Senior Hospice in Ossian. Funeral Services were held Tuesday, February 28 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Postville with Rev. Lynn Noel as the Officiant. Burial was at Postville Cemetery, Postville.

Ramona was born March 11, 1929 in the Postville Hospital, where she was also baptized by Rev. Finck and confirmed by Rev. Ludwig.    Ramona’s biological parents were Hall and Clinda (Gericke) Meyer. Ramona was brought into a loving home and was raised by Leo and Mabel (Meyer) Heins when her biological mother died after childbirth.

Ramona attended grade school and graduated from Postville High School. She was very active in vocal music and band, winning many honors at music contests. In her later years, she continued piano at Luther College and taught piano lessons for more than 40 years.

Donald D. Leppert, 90, of Lansing died Tuesday, February 21, 2017 at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Funeral services were held Monday, February 27 at United Methodist Church in Lansing with Pastor Kevin Smith officiating. Burial was at Mays Prairie Cemetery, rural Lansing.

Donald Dewey Leppert was born September 28, 1926 in Waukon, the son of Dewey and Florence (Bechtel) Leppert. He was baptized and confirmed at Lansing Ridge Presbyterian Church in Church. Don attended French Creek country school in rural Lansing and graduated from Lansing High School in 1945. He worked in North Dakota for a couple of years during the wheat and potato harvest before moving back to the Lansing area to farm with his father and brother, Kenneth.

Violet I. Stehr, 85, of Lansing passed away at Good Shepherd Hospice House of Manhattan, KS Friday, February 17, 2017. A memorial service was held Saturday, February 25 at St. Peter’s Christian Community Church in New Albin with Rev. William J. Reese officiating. A private graveside service was held in St. Peter’s Cemetery.

Violet Iva Zillig was born December 5, 1931 to Peter and Nellie Zillig. Violet was married to Kermit Paul Stehr October 28, 1956 at the Church of Christ in Viroqua, WI. The couple made their home in Lansing.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach-Allamakee County received a $2,000 Working Here Fund grant for a new 4-H food stand proposed for construction at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. The grant is provided through Farm Credit Services of America’s (FCSAmerica) Working Here Fund. The food stand will offer meal options for fair attendees and will give the 4-H youth an opportunity to communicate with the community and raise funds to support 4-H programs. Pictured above at the grant presentation are Allamakee 4-H County Council Co-President Erika Johnson, ISU Extension and Outreach Allamakee County Youth Coordinator Morgan Bjerke, Farm Credit Service Representative and Allamakee County native Janet Adam, and Allamakee 4-H County Council Co-President Miranda Reinhardt.

Christopher “Chris/Teddy” Larson, age 48, of Blue Mounds Township, WI died unexpectedly Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at UW Hospital in Madison, WI. Memorial service was held Saturday, February 18 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mount Horeb, WI with Pastor Jared Parmley officiating. Inurnment will be at Mount Horeb Union Cemetery at a later date.

Christopher was born April 2, 1968 at La Crosse, WI to LaVerne and Jean A. (Kahl) Larson. He was united in marriage to Kasha Lea Krueger February 20, 2009 in Las Vegas, NV. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Mount Horeb, WI.

Survivors include his wife, Kasha; their children, Jamiah “JJ” and Iyanna; his dad, LaVerne Larson of Tomahawk, WI; his mother- and father-in-law, Terri and Glenn Krueger of Waukon; his in-laws, Kari (Bill Stoffel) Krueger and family of Campbellsport, WI and Kris (Sarah) Krueger and family of Waukon; and other relatives and friends. His mother, Jean Ann Larson, preceded him in death.
 

Evelyn Folkers, age 105, died February 12, 2017 at Good Samaritan Society, Waukon. Funeral services will be held at a later date.

Evelyn was born September 27, 1911 at Dows, the daughter of Carl and Kristine Nielson Hanson. She married Clyde Pierce September 27, 1932, and he died in June of 1983. She then married John Folkers May 23, 1986, and he died October 2, 2014, also at the age of 105.

Evelyn worked as a bookkeeper for CA Morris Cadillac and Olds, later Tate Cadillac and Olds, in Waterloo for 21 years. She was a member of Trinity American Lutheran Church in Waterloo.