Stories from Wednesday, February 12, 2014

This past year was another challenging year financially for many people. Jobs were created, but the number of jobs needed to grow the economy significantly hasn't developed as much as some had hoped. Our economy has been on shaky ground for a lengthy period of time, and we have become a country politically divided on how to address our economic problems...

MAN WANTED IN WYOMING ARRESTED IN LAKE PARK The Lake Park Police Department was contacted Tuesday, Feb. 11 by the Laramie County, Wyoming Sheriff's Office about a subject that was suspected to be in the Lake Park area. Lake Park Police Chief Joe Hoover later located Keith William Weber, 50, at a residence in Lake Park. ...

Life is all about choices. Doctors, blue collar workers, fathers, mothers, daughters, sons and siblings -- they all make choices every second of every day, good and bad. Compass Pointe Behavioral Health Services has helped shape those decisions for residents of northwest Iowa...

Aug. 30, 1924 -- Feb. 2, 2014 A funeral service for Steven "Bud" Siebersma, 89, of Milford was held on Feb. 6, 2014 at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford. Burial was at Harrison Township Cemetery in May City. Steven (Bud) Siebersma, the son of Steve and Hattie (Stappert) Siebersma, was born on Aug. 30, 1924, on a farm near Orange City. He received his education in country schools near Sheldon...

Sept. 17, 1927 -- Feb. 5, 2014 Dr. Ralph E. Woodard, 86, of Arnolds Park, passed away Feb. 5 in Sioux Falls, S.D., at the Stanford Hospice Cottages. Born to Josephine and Ernest G. Woodard on Sept. 17, 1927. He attended school in Fort Dodge and graduated from Fort Dodge High School in 1945. He lettered in football, basketball and baseball and received a football scholarship to the University of Iowa...

Dec. 6, 1934 -- Feb. 2, 2014 Phyllis Miller, age 79, of Spirit Lake, passed away Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, at the Milford Nursing Center in Milford. She was born Dec. 6, 1934, in Emmetsburg, to Burrous and Esther (Rudnick) Miller. Phyllis graduated from Burt High School in 1953. She was united in marriage to Bernard Miller on June 6, 1954, in Burt, Iowa...

Nov. 22, 1918 -- Feb. 3, 2014 Marie Barrett, 95, of Spirit Lake, died Feb. 3, 2014. Services were held Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Spirit Lake United Methodist Church. Memorials can be made to the Spirit Lake United Methodist Church. Marie Frances Barrett was born Nov. 22, 1918, to W.F. (Bill) and Clara Pfeiffer Barrett. She was born in the family home in Spirit Lake, and lived there all her life...

Feb. 11, 1919 -- Feb. 3, 2014 Lola Belle Flint, the daughter of Leda (Lawson) and Lee Yager, was born Feb. 11, 1919, in Excelsior Township, rural Lake Park. She graduated from Excelsior High School in 1936.
On Sept. 22, 1940, Lola married Marion Albert Flint at her home in Excelsior Township. The couple lived on their family farm until 1980 when they moved to their lakeshore home in Lake Park after retirement...

Sept. 25, 1917 -- Feb. 3, 2014 Evelyn Doris (French) Weik was born Sept. 25, 1917, on a farm in Mountain Lake, Minn., the first child of Lula Mae (Tuttle) French and Ervin French. She and her family moved to Royal when she was five years old. The family soon re-located to Peterson, where Evelyn went to school and graduated in 1935. ...

I have been following the route to a new Spirit Lake City Hall with a wee bit of consternation. Several years ago, the need for more storage and room to grow were the prime movers. As time progressed, the inadequate water, sewer, electrical and heating came into play -- the safety of employees and the public from storms was a contributor...

Aug. 1, 1933 -- Feb. 5, 2014 A celebration of life service for Eileen Blunt was held Monday, Feb. 10, 2014, at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford. Interment was at Fairview Cemetery in Terril. Eileen Margene (Swartz) Blunt was born on a farm west of Terril on Aug. ...

Feb. 27, 1928 -- Jan. 21, 2014 A celebration of life service for Dale Blunt was held Monday, Feb. 10, 2014, at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford. Interment was at Fairview Cemetery in Terril. Dale Miner Blunt, the son of Olive (Miner) and Clyde Blunt, was born Feb. ...

Feb. 16, 1925 -- Jan. 21, 2014 Alta M. Ruby, age 88, of Sheldon, passed away Tuesday, Jan, 21, 2014, at the Sanford Medical Center in Sioux Falls, S.D. Her services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at the United Methodist Church in Sheldon with Rev. Kevin Gingerich officiating...