Obituaries

Timothy L. Brownmiller, 64, of Le Mars, died Sunday, June 16, 2019, at his home surrounded by his family following a courageous battle with cancer. Tim was born on June 2, 1955, in Le Mars, to Cyril and Audrey (Leesley) Brownmiller. He was raised in Marcus, where he graduated from high school in 1974...

Donald A. Palmer, 83, of Le Mars, died Saturday, June 15, 2019, at Good Samaritan Society-Le Mars. Donald Albert Palmer was born on Aug. 30, 1935, to Albert and Velma (Pierce) Palmer in Guthrie County, Iowa. Don was united in marriage to Janice Rose Hill on Oct. 13, 1956, and together they had seven children...

Donald A. Palmer, 83, of Le Mars, died Saturday, June 15, 2019, at Good Samaritan Society-Le Mars. Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m., Friday at Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars. Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery in Struble. Visitation with the family present will be from 4-7 p.m., Thursday, at the funeral home...

Leona May (Rohlfs) Herzberg, 95, of Le Mars, died Wednesday, June 12, 2019, at Accura Healthcare of Le Mars. Leona May Rohlfs was born May 15, 1924, at home in Craig, the fifth child of 10 children to Fred and Lizzie (Popken) Rohlfs. Leona was baptized on June 15, 1924, and confirmed on April 10, 1938, at St. ...

Marie Ellen Klein, 84, of Alton, died Thursday, June 13, 2019, at Good Samaritan Society-Le Mars. Marie was born to Clemens Henry and Edna Valeria (Healy) Freking on Feb. 4, 1935, at home on a farm southeast of Hospers. She grew up on the farm and graduated as salutatorian from St Mary’s Academy, Alton. She attended Briar Cliff College...

The Rev. Richard Sebastian Ries, 82, of Sibley, died Thursday, June 13, 2019, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, at Resurrection of Our Lord Catholic Church in Pocahontas. Bishop R. Walker Nickless will celebrate Mass with other priests from the Sioux City Catholic Diocese concelebrating. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery in Pocahontas...

Joseph Luverne Nelson, 63, of Marcus, died Wednesday, June 12, 2019, at home surrounded by his family after a brief, but courageous battle with cancer. There will be a graveside service at 2 p.m., Monday at Marcus Amherst Cemetery with Pastor Don Meyer officiating. Family and friends will gather at the Earnest – Johnson Funeral Home in Marcus at 1 p.m., to assemble for Joe’s final motorcycle ride to the cemetery. Casual dress is requested. ...

Leona May (Rohlfs) Herzberg, 95, of Le Mars, died Wednesday, June 12, 2019, at Accura Healthcare of Le Mars. Funeral service will be at 10 a.m., Monday, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church - Johnson Township, rural Merrill. The Rev. Dr. Jean Ziettlow will officiate. ...

Keith Branum, 88, of Merrill, died Monday, June 10, 2019, at his home in Merrill. Keith LeRoy Branum was born on Feb. 6, 1931, to Orlie and Emma (Haverkamp) Branum in Sergeant Bluff. Their family moved to Merrill while Keith was in junior high school. Keith graduated from Merrill Public High School in 1949...

Rita Ostert, 93, of Le Mars, died Friday, June 7, 2019, at Happy Siesta Health Care Center in Remsen. Rita Marie Cronin was born Nov. 9, 1925, on the family farm, rural Oyens, to Jeremiah W. and Martha S. (Lauters) Cronin. She received her education at St. Joseph Catholic School in Le Mars and graduated in 1945. In her younger years, she worked at Vander Meer Bakery...

Wendell Oltmanns, 85, of Craig, died Saturday, June 8, 2019, at his home near Craig surrounded by his family. Wendell John Oltmanns was born Jan. 24, 1934, on farm near Struble, the son of John Henry and Amanda (Popken) Oltmanns. He was baptized and confirmed at Christ Lutheran Church, Grant Township, rural Le Mars. ...

Phyllis M. Hanson, 87, of Merrill, died Thursday, June 6, 2019, at the Good Samaritan Society in Le Mars. Phyllis Mary Lanegan was born Dec. 27, 1931, in Anthon, the daughter of John and Rachel (Stevens) Lanegan. She attended school in Anthon and graduated from Anthon High School in 1950. While in school, she participated in several sports...

Rita Ostert, 93, of Le Mars, died Friday, June 7, 2019, at Happy Siesta Health Care Center in Remsen. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, at All Saints Catholic Parish – St. James Church in Le Mars. The Rev. William McCarthy will celebrate Mass. ...

Farley A. Peterson, of Raytown, Missouri, died Friday, May 24, 2019, in his home at the age of 76. He was born Feb. 13, 1943, and was a graduate of Le Mars High School and Sioux Falls College. He married Karen Kludt in December of 1968; they later divorced...

Herb Caswell, 80, of Le Mars, died Friday, May 31, 2019, at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center in Sioux City. Darwin “Herb” Glenn Caswell was born Jan. 28, 1939, in Sioux Center, the son of George and Wilhelmina “Minnie” (Kriuzenga) Caswell. He grew up in Hull, where he attended school. He graduated from Hull High School in 1957. Following high school, he took college courses at Morningside College in Sioux City...

Joseph M. Kass, 99, of Marcus, died Tuesday, June 4, 2019, at Heartland Care Center in Marcus. The Earnest – Johnson Funeral Home in Marcus is assisting Joe’s family with funeral arrangements. Expressions of sympathy may be directed through www.mauerjohnsonfh.com...

Libbi Bendickson, 4-month-old daughter of Brian and Alyssa Bendickson of Le Mars, died suddenly Friday, May 31, 2019, at Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars from SIDS. Libbi Marsha Bendickson was born Jan. 4, 2019, in Le Mars, the daughter of Brian and Alyssa (Ahrens) Bendickson. Libbi was baptized on March 24 at the Presbyterian United Church of Christ in Le Mars where she was an “unofficial” member of the choir...

Beverly Wilkens, 88, of Le Mars, formerly of Hawarden, died Sunday, June 2, 2019, at the Good Samaritan Society-Le Mars. Graveside service will be at 1 p.m., Friday, June 7, at Grace Hill Cemetery in Hawarden.  Arrangements are with the Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars...

Sharon Louise Heimgartner, 68, of Sioux City, died on Saturday, June 1, 2019. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m., Wednesday at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Sioux City. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m., today (Tuesday) with the family present from 6-8 p.m., and a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel in Sioux City...

Libbi Bendickson, 4-month-old daughter of Brian and Alyssa Bendickson of Le Mars, died suddenly Friday, May 31, 2019, at Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars. Celebration of Life Service will be at 11 a.m., Thursday, at the Presbyterian United Church of Christ in Le Mars. ...

Herb Caswell, 80, of Le Mars, died Friday, May 31, 2019, at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center in Sioux City. Celebration of Life Service will be at 10:30 a.m., Monday, June 10, at the Presbyterian United Church of Christ in Le Mars. The Rev. Jan Christensen will officiate. ...

Beverly Wilkens, 88, of Le Mars, formerly of Hawarden, died Sunday, June 2, 2019, at the Good Samaritan Society-Le Mars. Arrangements are pending with the Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars. Expressions of sympathy may be extended to the family through www.rexwinkelfh.com. ...

Doris Haage, 83, of Le Mars, died Monday, May 27, 2019, at the Akron Care Center in Akron. Doris Kathryn Baack was born Sept. 12, 1935, in Hawarden, the daughter of Carl William and Katherine (Plueger) Baack. She was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Craig. She attended country school in Grant Township, rural Plymouth County, and then high school in Le Mars. She graduated from Le Mars Central High School in 1953...

James Michael Vander Meer, "Jim," 74, of Fairfield, Ohio, passed away, surrounded by his loving family, on Tuesday, May 28, 2019. Jim was born on February 23, 1945, in Le Mars, Iowa, to the late Peter and Margaret (Tuynman) Vander Meer. Jim grew up in Le Mars and graduated from Gehlen Catholic High School in 1963. ...

Artist Laura Louise Jonas, 35, of New Hampton, died unexpectedly Wednesday, April 3, 2019, in her home from sudden heart arrhythmia. Laura was born on June 23, 1983, in Le Mars, to Jean (Hagen) Jonas and Bradley Peter Jonas. In 1991, her family moved to Ames, where she spent most of her life. In 2011, she married Matthew Mize in Boone...