Obituaries

June 25, 1925 – June 2, 2021 A funeral service for June Goldman, age 95, of Spirit Lake, will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, June 11 at the Spirit Lake United Methodist Church. Interment will be at Lakeview Gardens Cemetery in Spirit Lake. Visitation will be from 3-7 p.m. June 10 at the Turner-Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake...

Jan. 19, 1965 – June 1, 2021 Leslie Dean Wright, son of Melvin and Darlyne (Stanford) Wright was born on Jan. 19, 1965, in Estherville. He died on June 1, 2021, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the age of 56 years. A service for Les will be held later this summer...

Nov. 23, 1939 – May 21, 2021 Lois “Loiy” Faye Ihnen was born Nov. 23, 1939, in Sibley to Vernon and Erma Ihnen. She attended 12 years of school in Everly graduating in 1957. After earning her BA from Westmar College, she taught elementary school in Sioux Valley, Ocheyedan and Spirit Lake School districts, retiring in 1998 after teaching 38 years. She was a member of Hope Lutheran Church in Everly and taught Sunday School for 18 years. She became a member of First Lutheran in Milford in 1990...

Jan. 14, 1933 – May 25, 2021 Graveside services for Lowell Tifft, age 88, of Spirit Lake will be held on Saturday, June 5, 2021 in the Lakeview Gardens Cemetery in Okoboji. Lowell passed away May 25, 2021 at Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake...

Sept. 7, 1942 – June 3, 2021 A graveside service for Donna Sperry, age 78, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 3, 2021, at Silver Lake Cemetery in Lake Park under the direction of Farber & Otteman Funeral Home of Wall Lake. Donna Bell Sperry was born on Sept. 7, 1942, to parents Howard and Bertha (Rusch) Sperry in Lake Park. She and her brother Dennis were raised in both Lake Park and Hartley. Donna graduated from Lake Park High School in 1961...

Oct. 7, 1951 – Feb. 24, 2021 Visitation for Jane Tentiger Schmidt will be held on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Spirit Lake from 10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m. with the Mass beginning at noon, which will be held in her honor. Interment will be at St. Margaret Cemetery in Spirit Lake. ...

Oct. 7, 2015 – April 19, 2021 It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved Emersen. Emersen Omega Karl passed away at age 5, surrounded by his family, on April 19, 2021, after a 14-month battle with liver cancer. Emersen was born on Oct. 7, 2015, to parents Seth and Brittany Karl, in Bondurant...

May 26, 1954 - May 2, 2021 Douglas Gruhlke, age 66, of Arnolds Park, entered into eternal rest on Sunday, May 2, 2021, at the Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Mass of Christian Burial was held at on Friday, May 7 at Church of the Good Shepherd, Jackson, Minnesota, with Father Jonathan Fasnacht officiating. Burial took place at Good Shepherd Catholic Cemetery following the mass. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred...

Aug. 19, 1942 – May 18, 2021 Margo Louise Greiner, age 78, of Wahpeton, formerly of Lisbon, died Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Celebration of Life Services were Tuesday, May 25, 2021, at Lisbon United Methodist Church in Lisbon. Private family inurnment will be in Lisbon Cemetery. Brosh Chapel in Cedar Rapids is handling arrangements. ...

March 26, 1943 – May 18, 2021 Doris Elaine (McNerney) Battern died peacefully at home on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. She was 87 years old. Doris was born on March 26, 1934, in Clarinda. She moved with her family to Storm Lake, where she finished high school as her class valedictorian and where she met her husband of 67 years, Robert (Bob) Battern. They married on Feb. 8, 1953...

July 5, 1968 – May 10, 2021 A funeral service for Tom Wright, age 52, of Milford was held Friday, May 14, 2021, at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford. Interment was at the Okoboji Cemetery in Arnolds Park. Thomas Gary Wright, the son of Richard and Evelyn (Jones) Wright, was born July 5, 1968, in La Jolla, California. ...

Dec. 26, 1946 – May 9, 2021 A Celebration of Life Gathering was held for Thomas Lee Radcliffe, age 74, of Spirit Lake, on Thursday May 13, 2021, at the VFW Memorial Hall in Spirit Lake. Thomas Lee Radcliffe, the son of Benjamin and Dorothy (Edgar) Radcliffe, was born on Dec. 26, 1946, in Le Mars. Tom grew up in northwest Iowa and attended Spirit Lake High School. He earned his high school diploma in 1965. ...

Dec. 7, 1935 – May 4, 2021 Nelda Mae Broocks, age 85, of Spirit Lake passed away on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at Accura Healthcare of Spirit Lake. A memorial service was held May 8, 2021, at the Schuchert-Lentz Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Burial was in the Lakeview Cemetery in Spirit Lake. Arrangements were under the direction of the Schuchert-Lentz Funeral Home. Online condolences may be left at spiritlakefuneralhome.com...

Dec. 3, 1929 – May 3, 2021 Cecelia L. Taylor, age 91, of Sioux City passed away at home on Monday, May 3, 2021. A graveside service was held May 8, 2021, at St. Margaret Cemetery in Spirit Lake with Father Paul Kelly officiating. Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel assisted the family with arrangements...

June 7, 1952 – May 8, 2021 Many of us have been blessed by the care and love given by Mary Rodawig Dunleavy who passed away on May 8, 2021. Six months ago, Mary was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Mary was born in Sioux City on June 7, 1952, to Dr. Donald F. ...

May 19, 1950 - May 2, 2021 Dianne W. Cancian, age 70, died on May 2, 2021, in Virginia. Born Dianne Wunn, she grew up in Estherville. She graduated salutatorian from Estherville High School and earned an associate's degree from Iowa Lakes Community College. ...

Nov. 1, 1937 — May 4, 2021 A memorial service for Enie Booton of Arnolds Park was held Saturday, May 8, 2021, at Good News Community Church in Okoboji. Interment was at Lakeview Gardens Cemetery in Okoboji. There was a Celebration Gathering at Emerald Hills Golf Course in Arnolds Park following interment. Memorials given to the family will be donated to Enie's favorite charities...

Aug. 15, 1952 – April 30, 2021 Randy R. Fratzke, age 68, of Spirit Lake passed away on Friday, April 30, 2021, at the Good Samaritan Care Center in Windom, Minnesota. There will be a private family service held at the Schuchert-Lentz Funeral Home in Spirit Lake with Military Funeral Rites conducted by the American Legion Timpe Post #23 and the John W. ...

July 13, 1932 – April 22, 2021 A funeral service for Harlen Tesch, age 88, of Milford, was held Monday, April 26, 2021, at First Lutheran Church in West Okoboji. Interment was at Prairie View Cemetery in Paullina. Harlen Robert Benjamin Tesch was born July 13, 1932, in Germantown, Iowa, the son of Harry and Nora (Holtgrewe) Tesch. He was confirmed at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Paullina...

June 8, 1932 – April 19, 2021 A memorial service for Gay Dolores Mann, age 88, of Milford, was held Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at Turner Jenness Home in Milford. Memorial donations can be sent to: Cherish House c/o reclaim 13 P.O. Box 596 Downer's Grove, IL 60575...

July 18, 1940 – April 26, 2021 Roger Dale Achterhof, age 80, of Rochester, died peacefully at his home April 26, 2021, enveloped in the love of family and caregivers from Visiting Angels and Mayo Clinic Hospice.
Tipping the scales at 12.5 pounds, he was born at home, July 18, 1940, in Sioux Center to L.W. ...

May 15, 1953 – April 11, 2021 A funeral service for Valerie Koppert Welle, age 67, of Spirit Lake, was held Thursday, April 15, 2021, at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Valentine K. Waltz, AKA "Val" Koppert Welle, was born May 15, 1953, in Spirit Lake. She was the daughter of Phyllis Marie (Bruns) and Robert Edward Koppert. Val attended Milford High School and continued her education at NWI.
Val was united in marriage to Donald L. Welle from 1981-2005. ...

March 13, 1948 – April 3, 2021 Ray D. Rolston, age 73, passed away on Saturday, April 3, 2021, at his home in Spirit Lake. Celebration of Life Services will be from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 23 at the Hutt Bar & Grill in Arnold’s Park. A graveside service will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 24 at the Greenwood Cemetery in Matlock with the Rev. David Loveall officiating and a flag presentation by the McGlothern-Cowie Post of the American Legion of Sheldon...

July 7, 1947 – April 17, 2021 Jackie Carol (Boetel) Hein was born July 7, 1947, in Hartley to Aldolph and Imogene (Rost) Boetel. She died April 17, 2021, at the age of 73. She graduated from Hartley High School in 1965. On Aug. 28, 1966, she was united in marriage to Dennis D. Hein in Hartley. The couple made their home in Estherville where they raised two daughters, Christine C. Smith (Darrin) and Angela A. Noya (Keith)...

Oct. 12, 1946 – April 14, 2021 Burthel “Keith” Dannatt was born on Oct. 12, 1946, in Dickinson County to Burthel ‘Ernest’ Dannatt and Greta Knudtson Dannatt. He was proud to say he was born and raised in Milford. In 1967 he married Janice Feldhacker and two daughters were born to this union – neither was named Burthel. In 1984 he married Mary Haugse. Although they had no children, they welcomed seven grandchildren, who were the light of his life...

Aug. 21, 1947 – April 10, 2021 A funeral service for Terry Bockman of Milford was held Wednesday, April 14, 2021, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake. Interment was at Silver Lake Cemetery in Lake Park. Terry Lynn Bockman was born on Aug. 21, 1947, to Art and Shirley Bockman in Faith, South Dakota.
As a child, the family moved from Faith to a farm in Iowa. ...

May 5, 1938 – April 9, 2021 A visitation for Doug Ahrenstorff of Lake Park was held on Monday, April 12, 2021, at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Lake Park.  Douglas D. Ahrenstorff was born in Worthington, Minnesota, on May 5, 1938, to Sig and Lillian Atzen Ahrenstorff. ...