News Center newsletter

by Joe Moses

Iowa House of Representatives Democratic Leader Mark Smith, who is the District 71 Representative from Marshalltown, conducted a listening post event at Robey Memorial Library in Waukon Saturday, March 11. During the hour and a half meeting, Smith listened to and addressed various concerns from the public in attendance, a crowd numbering around 40 individuals.

Smith began the meeting by discussing the de-appropriation bill passed and signed early in this year's new legislative session that has cut $118 million from the State of Iowa's budget and has resulted in the closure of the Luster Heights facility in Allamakee County, in addition to resulting in cuts that will affect community colleges and public education, which Smith indicates will all have a detrimental effect on Allamakee County’s economy.

Waukon wrestling 182-pound senior Blain Swenson competed among the top senior wrestlers from northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota at the 16th annual Iowa-Minnesota All-Star Border Battle dual meet hosted by Crestwood High School in Cresco Friday, March 10. Pictured above, Swenson controls two-time Minnesota State Tournament placewinner Travis Capelle of Stewartville on the way to a 6-2 loss in their match late in the All-Star dual. The Minnesota squad won the event, 37-30, to even up the annual series sponsored by the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in Cresco at eight wins each.
 

Waukon High School and Luther College alumnus Greg Lonning was inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III Hall Fame Thursday, March 9 at the NWCA Hall of Fame Banquet held at the La Crosse Center Ballroom in La Crosse, WI. The banquet and induction ceremony were part of the NCAA Division III National Wrestling Championships also held at the La Crosse Center this past weekend, March 10-11.

A 1979 graduate and State Wrestling placewinner at Waukon High School and a 1984 graduate of Luther College, Lonning was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a wrestling coach. He also had the honor of sharing that induction ceremony honoring with one of his former wrestlers, three-time All-America honoree and 1996 NCAA Champion at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Jeff O’Gara, who is also currently an assistant wrestling coach at Luther College in Decorah.

The 2016-2017 Waukon wrestling season saw the Indian mat program take some small steps forward, but forward nonetheless. The wrestling Tribe posted a season record of 9-16, including a mark of 1-5 in Northeast Iowa Conference competition.

This season’s nine wins were an improvement over last season’s seven dual meet victories, and that single Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) victory, a mid-season triumph over Oelwein, was the mat Tribe’s first NEIC dual meet victory in six seasons. The Indians also won the team championship at the Riceville Tournament this season.

The winter of 2016-2017 saw the inauguration of a high school bowling season at Waukon High School, and even though, as one might expect, there were some growing pains with a brand new season for a program never before undertaken, that growth carried over from pains to the establishment of a program with a promising future.

“I told the kids at the beginning of the season that you only get one first season and we have to put a good foundation in place,” Waukon bowling coach Jerry Keenan said. “This season has been a great experience for the participants. It allowed for another opportunity for high school students to get involved in an extracurricular activity. The bowlers had an enjoyable experience and made a lot of new friends along the way. It will be a lifelong activity for some. Bowling was a great addition to the extra-curriculars at our school and I thank the administration, the school board, and Scott Oder at Odie’s Place for making this opportunity happen.”

The Waukon boys basketball team played its way to a 6-15 season record but shot its way to a new school record in the process. A new season-best mark of 170 three-point field goals far surpassed the previous record of 138 established by the 2000-2001 basketball Indians.

“As far as season highlights go, this was one of the best outside shooting teams that we have had in Waukon,” Waukon boys basketball coach Jed Hemann said. “Our shooting kept us close in a lot of games.”

That overall season mark included a record of 2-10 in Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) play, leaving the Indians in sixth place in the final seven-team NEIC standings. Those two wins in conference play came against Oelwein, the team that finished below the basketball Tribe in this year’s final standings.

Inge E. English, age 90, of Waukon died early Saturday morning, March 4, 2017 on the Sabbath at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. A memorial service will be held at a later date at Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Burial of ashes will take place next to her husband, the late Donald English, in Hope, NJ.

Inge English was born June 30, 1926 in Hamberg, Germany. During the second World War, things got really dangerous in Germany for everyone. Inge's father put his wife and Inge and her sister on a boat to the United States. It was the last boat to leave Germany with passengers on it.

Inge and her husband, Donald, were lifelong members of the Methodist Church in Hope, NJ. When the church burned to the ground, the couple financed the building of a new church.

Anne Link Larson, age 91, passed away March 7, 2017. A celebration of life is being planned for the end of April in Fairhope, AL.

Anne was born April 2, 1926. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a Masters Degree in Library Science. She worked as a librarian in a Cedar Rapids High School and loved to travel internationally.

She is preceded in death by her husband, E. Gordon Larson. She is survived by three children, Sue, Link and Erik Larson; three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
 

Margaret “Marge” Ann Ewing, 84, of Waukon died Friday, March 10, 2017 at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Memorial services will be held Wednesday, March 15 at 11 a.m. at Forest Mills United Methodist Church in rural Postville with Pastor Kim Gates officiating. Burial will be held at a later date in Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may call one hour before services Wednesday at the church. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.

Margaret "Marge" Ann Ewing was born January 16, 1933 in Frankville, the daughter of Hans and Ruth Ann (Meikle) Stegen. She was baptized and confirmed at Frankville Presbyterian Church and graduated from Postville High School in 1950. In her younger years she was always at the roller rink on the weekends and took part in roller skating competitions.

Erma D. Williams, 88, of Waukon died Thursday, March 9, 2017 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services were held Tuesday, March 14 at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon with Pastor Samantha Houser officiating. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.

Erma Delores Williams was born December 16, 1928 in Waukon, the daughter of Albert and Marie (Johnson) Moen. She was baptized and confirmed at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon, graduated from Waukon High School in 1946, and attended NICC in Calmar for computer classes. Erma was an usher for the Waukon Theater.

August 20, 1950, she married Lyle Alfred Williams in Waukon. Erma worked for Northwestern Bell as a telephone operator before working at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon as a switchboard operator and then as an office manager, retiring in 1992.