Virginia Toenges

Virginia J. Toenges, 85, of Sumner, and formerly of Hawkeye died Wednesday, February 22, 2017, at the Hillcrest Home in Sumner.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, 2017, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hawkeye with Rev. Jim Harbaugh officiating.  Interment will follow at Hawkeye Cemetery.  Friends may call from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 28th at Becker-Milnes Funeral Home in Hawkeye and for one hour preceding services at the church on Wednesday. Memorials may be made to the family to be designated to a charity of their choice at a later date. Online condolences may be left at www.beckermilnesrettig.com.

Russell Ungerer

Russell F. Ungerer, 84, of Fayette, died Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, at Maple Crest Manor in Fayette.

Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 1, 2017, at Grace Lutheran Church in Fayette with Rev. Herbert Mueller, III officiating.  

Interment will follow at the Hawkeye Cemetery in Hawkeye. 

Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Becker-Milnes Funeral home in Fayette and for one hour preceding services at the church on Wednesday.

Online condolences may be left at www.beckermilnesrettig.com.  

Russell Frederick, son of Fred and Mildred (Schlessner) Ungerer was born July 9, 1932, at the family farm south of Hawkeye. 

He was baptized in August of 1932 and confirmed in March of 1947 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hawkeye.

Donald Hanson

Donald R. Hanson, 63, of Elgin, Iowa passed away Sunday, February 19, 2017 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, Iowa after a courageous battle with cancer.  

Donald Robert, the son of Robert and Beulah (Hofer) Hanson, was born July 18, 1953 in West Union, Iowa. 

He graduated from Valley High School, Class of 1971. He enjoyed sports in high school and excelled in baseball.  

Donald was united in marriage with Patricia Rummel on October 20, 1973; together they had two children, Stacy and Shane. 

Following graduation, Donald worked for Torkelson Motors in Elgin.  

Don Vontalge

Donald “Don” Edward Vontalge, 87, of Wadena, IA, died Saturday, February 11, 2017, at Good Neighbor Home in Manchester, IA.  

Don was born July 12, 1929, in Manchester, IA, to Edward and Irma (Brockmeyer) Vontalge.  He attended rural country school near Wood Center and graduated from Edgewood High School in 1947. Don enlisted in the United States Marine Corps from 1950-1953, including serving with the First Marine Division, 11^th Battalion – Love Battery, from June, 1951 to June, 1952 in Korea.  Don married Arla “Joanna” Corkery on May 23, 1959, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, in Wadena, IA.

Michael Bowen

Michael “Mike” Bowen, 66, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away after a long illness, Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, at Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids.  

Services:  10:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 6, 2017, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cedar Rapids.  Pastor Steve Knudson officiated.  

Visitation: 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, at the funeral home.  

Burial:  East Clermont Lutheran Cemetery, Clermont, Iowa, at a later date.

Mike was born October 4, 1950, in Cedar Rapids, the son of Robert and Lorraine (Wyjack) Bowen.  

He graduated in 1968, from Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids.  

On Dec. 4, 1971, he married Elizabeth Ann Bilden at East Clermont Lutheran Church in Clermont, Iowa.

Mike was a union sheet metal worker for 15 years for Sheet Workers Local #263. 

Jane Westerfield Turner

Word has been received of the death of former West Union resident Jane Westerfield Turner of Irving, Texas.

Jane died Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017.

She was the daughter of the late R.M. “Dick” and Jannes Westerfield of West Union. Dick was the longtime editor/publisher of The Fayette County Union.

Margery Gorden

Margery Kay (Fike) Gorden was born on January 31, 1929 in Waterloo, Iowa, the daughter of Homer and Margaret (Dawson) Fike.  

She graduated from Orange Consolidated School in 1947.  

She attended McPherson College in Kansas and received her Home Economics Education degree in 1951 from Iowa State University. Margery taught Homemaking classes at Newhall, New Hampton and Klemme, 

Iowa schools and Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Virginia. 

Margery was united in marriage to Doyle Gorden on August 7, 1955 at South Waterloo Church of the Brethren. They lived in Garner, Tripoli, Fort Collins, Colorado, Spirit Lake, and West Union before moving to their farm near Castalia in 1971. 

Margery was a member of numerous organizations, some of which were the Association for Retarded Citizens, Opportunity Homes, and United Way of Winneshiek County. 

Anita Parsons

Anita (Steffens) Parsons, 95, of Eldorado, Iowa (formerly of Henderson, Nevada) passed away Friday, Feb. 10, 2017 at the Good Samaritan Society in West Union, Iowa. 

Rozella Anita, the daughter of Edward and Frieda (Vagts) Steffens, was born Jan. 25, 1922 on the family farm near Eldorado, Iowa. 

She was baptized March 5, 1922 and confirmed April 14, 1935 at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Eldorado. 

Anita attended Dover School #4 and graduated from West Union High School in 1940. She received normal teacher training at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa and was a country schoolteacher. Anita attended summer classes at Upper Iowa University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. She then taught elementary school in Tripoli, Postville, and Decorah.  

Louis Seitz

Louis Roy Seitz, 83, of Monona, Iowa, died Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, at the Elkader Care Center in Elkader, Iowa. 

Inurnment will be at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at Farmersburg-Wagner Cemetery, Farmersburg, Iowa.

A Celebration of Life will follow at the Monona Community Center in Monona from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Louis was born April 15, 1933, in Smithfield, Iowa, to Rufus and Sybil (Cowell) Seitz. 

He attended school at Smithfield and at Monona High School. 

In 1952 to 1953, Louis served in the Army, most of which was spent in the Korean War.

In 1957, Louis married Janice Kleppe. They had five children. Janice died in 1974.

In 1977, Louis married Shirley Hauan.