Alabama School Yearbooks by State and County
Ruth Bernhagen
Ruth Bernhagen, 76, died February 15, 2004 from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease at The Madrid Home. Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m., Thursday, February 19 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Burial will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Cambridge Cemetery in Cambridge, IA.
Ruth was born in Mackville, WI, and lived in Appleton, WI, before moving to West Des Moines in 1958. She worked for the state legislature and most recently was a secretary to the Iowa Supreme Court, retiring in 1991. Ruth was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Ruth will be missed by her daughter, Kathy (Bob) Nervig of Cambridge; sons, Paul (Stephanie) Bernhagen, a full-time RVer, and John Bernhagen of Des Moines; three grandchildren, Ross and Kelsey Nervig and Ashley Bernhagen; two sisters, Alice (Joseph) Wismans of Racine, WI, and Deloris (Marlowe) LeClair of Milwaukee, WI; and two brothers, John (Joanne) Griesbach of Horseshoe Bay, TX, and Ralph (Marianne) Griesbach of Sterling, IL. She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, and her husband, George Bernhagen.
Friends may call one hour prior to the mass at the church. Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Richard Copic
Richard F. Copic, Sr. (Dick) was born July 27, 1936. Dick died August 19, 2004 at home surrounded by many family members and friends. He fought a long and courageous battle with rheumatoid arthritis.
He is survived by his wife of 47 yers, Donna; their five children, two daughters, Regina Copic of Austin, Texas, and Robin Copic of Des Moines; three sons, Richard Copic, Jr. of Des Moines, Dane Copic (Katie) of Zimmerman, MN, Jamie Copic (Angie) of Perry and Steven Jon Sloan (Kelly) of Adel; 16 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; two sisters; and three brothers. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends.
Richard requested no JFS.
Family and friends are invited to celebrate his life at the family home on Sunday, August 22 starting at 11 a.m.
Richard E. Eikleberry
Richard died Monday of a ruptured aneurism. No services are planned.
He will be missed by his son, Robert; daughter, Pamela Kay Eikleberry; daughter, Kathleen Marie Burnett; 3 grandchildren, Richard Allen Reed, Donald Jean Reed, and Douglas Burnett. He was preceded in death by his wife of 34 years, Bonita Marie.
Phuong Dang
Mrs. Phuong Dang, 85, died April 1, 2004 at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. Visitation was held at Brooks Funeral Care-University Chapel. Services and burial will be next week in Fullerton, CA.
Patricia French
Patricia J. Stringer French, 71, died April 26, 2004 at home. Pat's wishes were to be cremated and no services are planned. She is survived by her husband, Charles of West Des Moines; son, Rick of Marlton, NJ; sister, Audrey (Grant) Llewellyn of St. Charles; and brothers, Richard (Corrine) of Des Moines and Dudley (Jolene) of Tempe, AZ. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Central Iowa.
Robin Edwards
Robin Taylor Edwards, 51, died Friday, February 27, 2004 at Kavanagh House Hospice from complications of cancer. A memorial gathering will be held from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, March 3 at Brooks Funeral Care – University Chapel.
Robin will be missed by his long time companion, Leah Gaither; two children, Melchizedek and Justina Edwards, both of Des Moines; his mother, Ann Bell of Des Moines; two brothers, Johnny C. Bell III of Naperville, IL and Brian A. Bell of Des Moines; and five sisters, Billie L. Lovelady, Aria Fuson, Cecilia Edwards, and Maxine Edwards, all of Des Moines, and Barbara A. Bell of Cedar Rapids, IA.
Rose Jean Kuhns
Rose Jean Kuhns passed away Tuesday, June 1, 2004 at Mercy Hospice-Johnston. Rose Jean was born in Des Moines, Iowa on April 19, 1929. She attended school at St. Anthony's and graduated from St. Joseph's Academy. She married William Kuhns, Jr. on June 27, 1948 in Des Moines, Iowa. She was a member of St. Anthony's Catholic Church, Catholic Women's League, Bellizzi MacRae American Legion, and Altar & Rosary Society. Rose Jean was also a member of the Des Moines Area Association of Realtors and sold real estate in the Des Moines area for the last 38 years, most recently with Universal Realty. She was Realtor Salesperson of the Year in 1981, was a member of the Million Dollar Club for many consecutive years, and also owned National Realty until 1983.
Rose Jean's special interests were her family, friends and pets and St. Anthony's Church. She loved to sell real estate, race car driving, and she lived life on her own terms.
Rose Jean is survived by her son, John Kuhns and wife, Carey of Monroe; daughter, Pattie Kennedy and husband, Jeff of Arvada, Colorado; six grandchildren, Jack and Kate Kuhns, and Zach, Josh, Kaleb and Nathan Kennedy; great grandchild, Delaney Ochoa; as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins; and her beloved dog, Carmie. She was preceded in death by her parents, Mary and John Salvaggio; husband, William Kuhns, Jr.; and brother, John Salvaggio.
Funeral Services will be held 9:30 a.m., Saturday, June 4, 2004 at St. Anthony's Catholic Church. Burial will follow at the Masonic Cemetery at Glendale. Visitation will be held at Brooks Funeral Care Ð Tonini Chapel on Thursday, June 3, 2004 from 4 to 8 p.m. and Friday June 2, 2004 from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., and a rosary will be recited at 7 p.m., Friday. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mercy Hospice-Johnston or St. Anthony's Catholic Church.
Ricky Garcia, Jr.
Ricky Garcia, Jr., 20, died January 29, 2004. Memorial services will be held 3:30 P.M., Tuesday, February 3, at First Assembly of God. Ricky was employed at Storey Kenworthy. He was a loving son, grandson, brother, father, and uncle.
He will be missed by his 22 month old son, Christopher Tyler Garcia of Urbandale; his mother and stepfather, Pete and Deb Peterson of Urbandale; father, Ricky Garcia, Sr. of Milwaukee, WI; sisters, Amy and Wendy Garcia; grandmother, Shirley Sheehan of Des Moines; fiancée, Lyndsey Smith of Urbandale; mother of Christopher, Sara Adreon of Urbandale; nephews, Kalob Garcia of Urbandale, and Sean Garcia of Des Moines; nieces, Alexus Gutterez of Des Moines and Alisa Garcia of Urbandale; and aunts and uncles.
Visitation will be 2 to 8 p.m., Sunday, February 1, with family present from 4 to 6 p.m., at Brooks Funeral Care – University Chapel. Memorial contributions may be made to the family in care of the funeral home to establish a trust for Ricky’s 22 month old son, Christopher.
Ruth Pohlmeier-Kingery
Ruth "Ruthie" Ann Pohlmeier-Kingery was born August 1, 1966 with great expectation and joy to George and Mertice Kingery.
Ruthie had an abundant smile and zest for life. When she smiled, God's own heart opened. None can be compared to the light of one heart. She looked to find good in all that crossed her path. Her heart was open and full of compassion, a young lady with an artist's eye for all she saw. Looking forward to the light of God, she has been called to the open arms of her dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on April 24, 2004.
Ruth will be missed by three sisters, Mary Elliott of Boone, Laura Fraizer of Des Moines and Alice Schnormeier Kingery of Gilbert; and four brothers, David of New Virginia, Dan of Phoenix, AZ, Paul of Des Moines and Chuck Kingery of Arizona.
She was preceded in death by sisters, Georgie Anna Kingery and Phyllis Long; father, George and mother, Mertice; and a brother, Sam.
A Time of Remembrance will be held at the funeral home on Friday, April 30, 2004 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Sonny Paris
Private family services will be held for Sonny, who died July 26, 2004. Sonny enjoyed working on cars and playing with his children, Brittany Wellons and Joseph Reeser. He is also survived by his sister, Dee Saint and grandmother, Betty Sorter.
Ralph Varisco
Ralph W. Varisco, 66, entered into rest Thursday, April 29, 2004. A Celebration of Life will take place at 2 p.m., Tuesday, May 4 at the West Des Moines Christian Church, 4501 George Mills Parkway. Graveside services will take place at 1 p.m., Wednesday, May 5 at the Lakeview Gardens Cemetery in Spirit Lake, IA.
He was born in Woodward, IA the son of Ralph and Fern Varisco. He worked for EMC National Life Company for 34 years serving as Sr. V.P. of Marketing. His credentials include CLU, ChFC and FLMI. Ralph loved gardening, working outside, spending summers in Okoboji, traveling overseas, an avid reader of Egyptian history and a loyal Hawkeye fan.
Mr. Varisco is survived by his loving wife of 41 years, Roberta (Bobbi) of West Des Moines; son, Jeffrey (Penny) Varisco of Altoona and their children, Bryan, Kennedy and Caleb; daughter, Kellie (Gary) Dvorchak of Los Angeles, CA and their children, Alexandra and Claissa.
The family will receive friends friends at Brooks Funeral Care, 7975 University Blvd. on Monday, May 3, 2004 from 4 to 7 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Central Iowa or the American Cancer Society.
Sandra Masker
Sandra Masker, 61, died March 19, 2004 at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. Funeral services will be held 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 23 at Faith Independent Assembly of God, 6001 SW 14th St, Des Moines.
Sandra will be missed by 5 daughters; 1 son; 12 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; 1 brother; and 2 sisters. She was preceded in death by her husband, Don.
Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m., Monday, March 22 at Brooks Funeral Care – University Chapel.
Brooks Funeral Care – University Chapel
Dr. Sara Scott
Dr. Sara Baker Scott, 56, died on June 22, 2004 of complications from diabetes at Taylor House hospice in Des Moines. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the First Unitarian Church.
Born in Somerville, MA, Sara grew up in Hyattsville, MD. She was very active in inner city work and the anti-war movement in Washington, DC. From 1971 to 1974, she lived in North Carolina, participating in the anti-war movement, the National Committee of the Venceremos Brigade, and receiving her LPN certification. In 1974, Sara returned to Baltimore to work at the Johns Hopkins Hospitals in labor and delivery for 10 years before moving to Des Moines.
Dr. Scott received her DO degree from the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Services (now Des Moines University) in 1990. She did her internship at Des Moines General Hospital and grad uated from the Family Practice Residency program at Lutheran Hospital in 1993.
She will be remembered as a caring physician, dedicated to treating patients who lack access to adequate healthcare. She founded the International Clinic at Broadlawns Medical Center which served non-English speaking families. As a staff member of Primary Health Care, Dr. Scott cared for patients through the Homeless Outreach Project. Sara worked as the first Medical Director for the Kavanaugh House hospice facilities. While there, she mentored caregivers who continue to influence hospice services in Des Moines today.
Throughout her life, art and music were a source of inspiration and an outlet for her creativity. She was a member of the Des Moines Concert Singers, Drake University Community Chorus, and the choir of the First Unitarian Church. An accomplished artist in her own right, her artistic works have been shown in various Des Moines exhibitions. After she lost most of her vision, she was determined to continue creating visual art. Most recently, Sara's work was exhibited in Washington, D.C. as part of the International VSA Arts Festival, an international juried art show. She was selected as one of two disabled artists from Iowa to have her works included in this exhibition. In addition, Sara enjoyed writing poetry and had several poems printed in literary publications.
Dr. Scott is survived by her children, Buddy Donahue, Matthew Douglas, Rosalie Roberta, and Loren Ailene; the light-of-her-life, grandson Qade Michael; her siblings, Carol Ann Baker, Douglas James Baker and his partner Cathy McAlister, and Buddy Baker-Smith and his wife Gretchen; and her long-time friend and former husband, Harry Scott.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Primary Health Care Homeless Outreach Project, 2353 SE 14th Street, Des Moines, IA 50320.
Stephen Michalski
Stephen L. Michalski, 81, died January 17, 2004, at Mercy Medical Center. Services will be 10:30 a.m., Thursday, January 22 at St. Augustin Catholic Church. A private burial will be held at Resthaven Mausoleum.
Stephen was born February 27, 1922, in Amsterdam, NY. He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and worked as an agent for Prudential Insurance. Stephen was a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus, serving in the Knights of Columbus Honor Guard.
He will be missed by his wife, Gladys; daughter, Lisa Michalski of Des Moines; son, Stephen Michalski of Paso Robles, CA; sister Theresa Novakowski of Amsterdam, NY; and granddaughters, Susan and Cassandra Michalski of Des Moines.
Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday at Brooks Funeral Care – University Chapel, where a Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Memorials may be made to his church or the Animal Rescue League.
Fr. Thomas Pfeffer
Fr. Thomas J. Pfeffer, retired priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, died early Friday morning at Mercy Medical Center. The cause of death was complications from a cerebral hemorrhage.
Fr. Pfeffer was born in Des Moines on February 27, 1934, the son of Edward and Elizabeth (Witte) Pfeffer. He graduated from Holy Trinity School and Dowling High School in Des Moines and Loras College in Dubuque. Upon completion of studies at Mt. St. Bernard Seminary in Dubuque, he was ordained on June 5, 1960 at St. Ambrose Cathedral. In 1962 he completed an additional two years of graduate studies in Rome, Italy.
In his 44 years of ministry Fr. Pfeffer served in a wide variety of assignments: assistant pastor of St. Augustin Church in Des Moines from 1960-1963; teacher at Dowling High School from 1963-1974; director of Youth Ministry from 1978-1979 and the Permanent Diaconate from 1978-1982; pastor of St. Boniface Church in Waukee and St. John Church in Adel from 1979-1985; pastor of Ss. Peter and Paul Church in Atlantic from 1985-1991; sabbatical for advanced studies in Spanish, Bolivia and Guatemala in 1991; pastor of Visitation Church and Guadalupe Chapel in Des Moines from 1992-2000; associate pastor of Visitation/Guadalupe and coordinator of Holy Family Inner-City School from 2000-2002. He retired from formal ministry in 2002, but continued to be active in ministry to the Hispanic community of the Des Moines area.
Fr. Pfeffer is survived by two brothers, Fr. Edward Pfeffer of West Des Moines and James (Carolyn) Pfeffer of Gravois Mills, MO; a sister, Janet Fiala of West Des Moines; five nieces; four nephews and their children.
Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m., May 3 at Our Lady of the Americas, Visitation Catholic Church in Des Moines, followed by a Vigil Service at 8 p.m. An all-night vigil will be observed at the church. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Ambrose Cathedral in Des Moines at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 4. Burial will be at 3 p.m. in the Catholic Cemetery in Atlantic, IA.
Because parking space may be difficult to find on Tuesday morning, carpooling is recommended. Also, shuttle-bus service will be provided from Visitation and St. Augustin Churches between 9:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. before the Mass and 11:45 a.m. and 1 p.m. after the Mass. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Holy Family School Inner-City Youth Foundation, P.O. Box 8437, Des Moines, IA 50301.
Vaja con Dios, Padre Tomas!
