Merle Anderson

Merle Anderson, 88, of Clermont died Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016, at Palmer Lutheran Health Center, West Union.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 26, at First Baptist Church, Elgin.

Burial will follow at Elgin Cemetery, Elgin.

Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at Leonard-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Elgin, and also for one hour before services at the church on Friday.

Schutte-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Clermont is helping the family with arrangements.

Robert Russell

Robert Russell, 70, passed away February 19, 2016 at his home in Ames.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Friday, February 26 at Adams Funeral Home in Ames.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, February 27 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ames.

Burial will be at the Walnut Grove Cemetery in rural Ames.

Robert Benjamen Russell was born May 23, 1945 to Charles F. and Edna J. (Million) Russell in Des Moines, Iowa.

He graduated from Des Moines Technical High School in 1963 and served his mission in California from 1966 to 1968.

Robert majored in art while a student at BYU from 1968 to 1972, and as an artist enjoyed working with metals, paints, and sketching with various mediums.

Robert and Carolyn Crandall were married February 14, 1996 at The Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Glenview, Ill.

Harriet Moss

Harriet Moss, 82, of West Union, died Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 26, at Fayette Community Church in Fayette.

Burial will follow in West Union Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at Burnham-Wood & S.K. Rogers Funeral Home in West Union.

Burnham-Wood & S.K. Rogers Home of West Union is in charge of the arrangements. 

Frances Weber

Funeral services for Frances M. Weber, 97, of Sumner will be held at 2 p.m. today (Wednesday) at St. John Lutheran Church in Sumner.

Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

Visitation was set for 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, at Becker-Milnes Funeral Home in Sumner and will continue for one hour preceding services at the church today.

Local survivors include son Jim (Carolyn) Weber of West Union.

Bradley Brockman

Bradley Brockman, 86, of Ossian, Iowa passed away Friday, February 19, 2016 at the Ossian Senior Hospice in Ossian, Iowa. 

Bradley Joseph, the son of William and Ruth (Schwinefus) Brockman, was born January 31, 1930 and was raised in Ossian, Iowa. 

He was baptized and confirmed at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Ossian. 

He attended de Sales Elementary and High School, graduating in 1947. 

After school, Brad worked for John Deere in Dubuque, Iowa for six months before returning to Ossian to work with his father in Brockman’s Grocery Store.  After his father’s death, Brad purchased the grocery store in 1960 and operated it for over 30 years.  Using a family recipe, the grocery store was well known for “Brockman’s Rope Sausage”.  In 1992, Brad sold the business to his sons, Barry and Byron.

Wilbur Nading

On Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2016 Wilbur Eugene Nading returned to his heavenly home to be reunited with his Lord and his wife, Doris.  He died suddenly, in his apartment at Stoney Brook Village in West Union.

Wilbur was born November 6, 1925 to Rupert and Lytle (Steefer) Nading in Littleport, Iowa. 

Wilbur’s father died in a farming accident when he was five and his mother remarried Ernie Brockmeyer.

Wilbur was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1945 and served with the 17^th infantry.  He trained at Fort Snelling and served proudly as a Military Policeman for 18 months in Seoul, South Korea.

On November 16, 1947, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa, Wilbur was united in marriage with Doris Schmidtke of Oelwein, Iowa.  God blessed this union with three children.

Chester Arthur Bates Jr.

Chester Arthur "Junior" Bates, Jr., 67, of Blackwell, Oklahoma, passed away Saturday evening, January 23, 2016 at the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas.

Born October 9, 1948 in Denver, Colorado, he was the son of Chester Arthur Bates, Sr., and Hallie Marie (Frye) Bates.  He was raised and received his education in Arkansas City and graduated from high school.  He then attended Cowley County Community College for two years.  Junior joined the United States Army in August 1967.  He served during Vietnam and was stationed at Ft. Carson, Colorado.  He received his honorable discharge in 1973. 

Brady Kuennen

Brady Kuennen, age 36, of Waucoma, IA, died near Rockland, Michigan, from injuries he received in a snowmobile accident, on February 10, 2016.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated by the Rev. Nick March at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 15, at St. Luke Catholic Church in St. Lucas.

Interment was in the church cemetery.

Casket bearers were Eric Kuehner, Craig Kuehner, Bruce Van Sickle, Matt Steffens, Lee Einck, Travis Gebel, Mike Carolan, Andy Van Sickle and Eric Stevens.

Honorary casket bearers were Brady’s cousins and uncles; his “camping family,” his bowling league, and neighbors.

Arrangements were handled by Schluter-Balik Funeral Home in Decorah. Brady Allan Kuennen was born on January 5, 1980, the son of Ron and Susan (Schmitt) Kuennen in Decorah, IA. 

Brady graduated from Turkey Valley High School in 1998.

While in high school he worked for Schmitt Fertilizer. 

Aleta Reeder

Aleta Leonore Reeder was born January 26, 1924 on the family farm in Clayton County near Luana, Iowa to Edward and Clara Leonore (Kuthe) Heins. She passed away Thursday morning February 11, 2016 at her daughter home in West Union, Iowa at the age of 92.

A private family burial will be held at a later date.

A public visitation was held Monday, February 15, 2016 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Burnham-Wood & S.K. Rogers Funeral Home in West Union, IA.

Aleta was a homemaker and helped on the farm doing farm chores as needed. She had a large garden and canned vegetables and fruits for her family.

She enjoyed dancing, rodeos and listening to polka music.

Aleta received her education in the rural schools of Clayton County and was a member of United Methodist Church in West Union.

Harvey Hillesland

Harvey Hillesland, age 84, of Decorah, IA, formerly of Calmar, IA, died on Tuesday, February 2, 2016, at the Ossian Senior Hospice in Ossian, IA.