Alabama School Yearbooks by State and County
Allen Myklestad, 85, Mason City, Iowa died Saturday, Aug. 6, 2005, at the Good Shepherd Care Center in Mason City.
Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 11, at the Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel, 126-3rd Street NE, Mason City, with the Rev. Sam Hamilton-Poore of Trinity Lutheran Church in Mason City officiating. Inurnment will be in the Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City. Visitation will be held from 4 until 7 p.m.. on Wednesday and one hour prior to service time on Thursday at the chapel.
The family of Allen Myklestad has requested that memorial contributions be made to Hospice of North Iowa, Mason City Fire Department Honor Guard, or to KCMR Radio in his memory.
Allen Myklestad was born on May 14, 1920, on a farm near Emmons, Minn., the son of Lars Meyer and Velma (McDowell) Myklestad. He attended rural grade school in the area and graduated from Forest City High School in 1937. Allen was inducted into the Army-Air Corps on Feb. 6, 1943, at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., and served in the Burma Theater area with the 51st Flight Control Squadron until his honorable discharge on Dec. 14, 1946, at Ft. Leavenworth as a Staff Sergent.
He was united in marriage to Frances A. Quam Eckert on Feb. 6, 1947, in the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa.
Throughout his life Allen was employed as a carpenter and cement finisher in the Mason City and North Iowa area. He loved his work and helped build hundreds of homes until his retirement in the spring of 1980.
Allen loved to be outdoors, but his great love and enjoyment was his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and spending time with them.
Allen was baptized and reaffirmed the faith of his baptism through confirmation at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Mason City. He had been a lifelong member of the church.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Frances Myklestad of Mason City; his children, Roger Myklestad and his wife, Elizabeth, of Ottertail, Minn., Karen Brockett and her husband, John, of Plano, Texas, Jim Myklestad and his wife, Mary, of Mason City, and Linda Myklestad of Ft. Collins, Colo.; eight grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; a brother, Melvin Myklestad of Garner, Iowa; a sister, Gladys Baker of Clear Lake, as well as other relatives and many friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and a sister, Beulah Rothamel.
Phyllis I. Beam, 92, Hampton Health Care Center, Hampton, Iowa, died Monday, Aug. 8, 2005 at the Franklin County General Hospital, Hampton. A memorial service was held Tuesday, Aug. 16, at the Faith Baptist Church in Hampton. Memorials may be given to the Phyllis Beam Memorial Fund.
Phyllis was born Feb. 8, 1913, in Deep River, Iowa, the daughter of Samuel W. and Ella Mae (Ringle) Jacobs. She attended and graduated from Barnes City High School in 1929. She married
Jesse Niewald in 1929. They lived in Barnes City. In 1935, Phyllis married
Ronald Beam in Montezuma, Iowa, where they owned and operated the Beam Bakery. During World War II, Ronald and Phyllis both worked at a munition plant in Iowa; Phyllis was a forklift operator. After the war, they moved to the Chicago area where Ronald worked for John Deere until his death in 1963. Phyllis worked for Darling & Co. as a secretary until her retirement. She then moved to Florida. When her health began to fail, she moved to Nebraska, and later to Hampton.
Phyllis enjoyed doing many kinds of crafts. She was very involved in the Methodist Church and was a former member of the Moose Lodge. While she lived in Hampton, she attended Faith Baptist Church with her family.
Phyllis is survived by her daughter, Patricia Stilfield, Hampton; her son, Thomas Beam and his wife, Linda, Coleridge, Neb.; 13 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren and 32 great-great-grandchildren.
Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents; her second husband, Ronald Beam; two brothers, Clair and Samuel; one sister, Gertrude; and one son, Donald Beam.
Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, was in charge of arrangements.
Timothy R. Phalen, 76, of 821 2nd Street SE, Mason City, Iowa, died Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2005, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit, Mason City, after a long battle of Parkinson's and heart disease and complications due to chronic renal failure.
A funeral Mass was held Monday, Aug. 22, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Mason City, with Father Harry H. Koelker officiating. Internment was at the Elmwood- St. Joseph Cemetery with full military honors conducted by members of Mason City Veteran's Memorial Association.
Memorials may be given to Hospice of North Iowa, which will be used to maintain and fill bird feeders at the Inpatient Unit, and to the MacNider Art Museum.
Timothy Richard Phalen was born on April 23, 1929 in Mason City. He is the son of Timothy and Nina (Cowan) Phalen. He attended St. Joseph Catholic School through eighth grade, and graduated from Mason City High School. He then attended Mason City Junior College. He was inducted in the United States Air Force in the 727th A.C.&W. Squadron. He was a Tactical Radar Technician, serving in Texas, Massachusetts, New York, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Mississippi. He was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant. While in the Air Force he learned to fly a small aircraft, soloing in 1954 in Coonemesett, Mass. He always had a passion for airplanes and as a youth was involved with flying model airplanes, attending the nationals in Kansas and Minnesota. Upon leaving the Air Force, Tim joined the family business at Phalen Cleaners, until his retirement 36 years later in 1991.
Tim married
Mary Lou Ehlers on Aug. 13, 1954, and they had three children, David, Judy, and Cynthia. Later he was united in marriage to Jacque Simon on Dec. 12, 2002.
Tim was an active lifetime member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Many will remember him as a local artist who brought his love of the out-of-doors to the canvas. He was very active in the North Iowa Artist League. He attended many art festivals and had numerous one-man shows. His interest in art led him to be a docent at the MacNider Art Museum for seven to eight years and where he also conducted several art classes. He also enjoyed designing and painting sets for the Stebens Children's Theatre and the Mason City Community Theatre.
Tim was an avid bird watcher. For years he would make weekly treks around the area with fellow birders, seeking out their feathered friends. He was a member of the North Iowa Nature Club and Lime Creek Nature Center, where he did various volunteer projects.
Those who knew Tim remember him as an extremely active person. He was in a bowling league, square dance club, and almost always was reading a book or working on a crossword puzzle. The outdoors man in him enjoyed camping with his family all over the U.S.; downhill and cross-country skiing in Colorado, Minnesota, and Iowa; biking the area trails, and participating in three RAGBRAI's; playing tennis and golf; and traveling forty states, Canada, France, Holland, and Belgium. He also enjoyed the water on sailboats, canoes, kayaks, and iceboats. He and his family also crewed on a three-masted schooner in Maine.
Music was an important part of Tim's life. He loved jazz and easy listening. He also spent many evenings at the Surf, dancing to the tunes of the big bands.
He will be greatly missed by his wife, Jacque Simon, Mason City; Mary Lou Phalen, Mason City, and their three children, David Phalen and his wife, Jane, Clear Lake; Judy Delperdang and husband, Dave, Clear Lake; and Cynthia Rasmusson and her husband, Mark, Clear Lake; seven grandchildren, Christopher, Anna, Emily, Geoffrey, Tim, Michelle, and Kyle; and a sister, Jean Paulson and her husband, Bob, Mason City.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Nina and Tim; a brother, Dan, and a sister, Colleen.
Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapel, Mason City, was in charge of arrangements.
Robert Wesley Harrington, 82, Clear Lake, died Thursday, Aug. 18, 2005, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit, Mason City, Iowa. A funeral service was held Saturday, Aug. 20, at the Clear Lake United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Jan R. Burnett officiating. Full military rites were conducted, following the service at the church, by the Clear Lake V.F.W. Interment will be at a later date in the Clear Lake Cemetery.
Robert was born June 27, 1923, on the family farm in Murdo, S.D., the son of Raymond W. and Twila L. (Clark) Harrington. They moved to a farm in Vermillion, S.D. and he attended and graduated from Vermillion Schools in 1941. At the age of 17, Bob became interested in boxing. He was self trained, built his own boxing ring and trained more than 200 young boys. Bob was one of the best boxers in South Dakota. After high school Bob continued to work on his father's farm until being drafted into the U.S. Navy in 1944. He worked as a radio operator on a ship all over the Pacific until the end of the war. He then returned back to the family farm.
Bob met Ethel Millage at a social dance and the rest is history. They married
Dec. 14, 1947 and bought a farm outside Vermillion. A while later they moved into town and Bob started carpentry work. They later moved to Yankton, S.D. where Bob was the first worker at the Gavins Point Dam. He became the Chief Steward of the Union. In 1956, he took a job with Henkle Construction in Mason City. Soon after he went into the insurance industry and moved to Clear Lake on the north shore. Robert became one of the top 10 insurance salesmen in the USA for Lincoln Liberty Life. He had the honor of being in the Appa Week Club for 15 1/2 years for selling at least one policy a week. Robert continued in the insurance business until 1995 when he retired.
He was a member of the Clear Lake United Methodist Church, the Clear Lake V.F.W., the Masonic Lodge (Worshipful Master), the Eastern Star, and White Shrine.
Some of his fondest memories are of watching his children grow up and then watching his five grandchildren grow. Family has always been everything to Robert and his desire to be close to them and help them achieve their goals has been clearly seen in all he has done.
He has also enjoyed his trips to Acapulco, Mexico, and the Black Hills in South Dakota. He loved to go camping, fishing, and most of all hunting for rabbits and pheasant. Robert gives this advice: "Be a fighter! Go to the top of wherever you are at! Never give up! Love your family and stick to teamwork!" Ethel says that her husband has never been a quitter. He has also always put every effort into loving people and truly showing he cares. She says that he has always been a quiet man and has never had much to say, but you can see his faith shining through in everything. He knows that the Lord has been taking care of him, especially through the hard times.
Growing up on the farm in South Dakota, Bob's father took great pride in celebrating Christmas to the fullest. The tree went up early and the entire house was decorated. Bob continued this tradition for his children and grandchildren.
As expressed by his granddaughter, Sheri Riley, in 1997, "What I admire the most in my Grandpa Robert is what I have seen in the last two years through all his physical difficulties. He has shown me true perseverance when all the odds have been against him. Instead of giving up when doctors said there was not much of a chance, grandpa kept fighting! With God's strength he has overcome many obstacles. His life is a true miracle!" Eight years later, her words became only too true.
Robert is survived by his wife of 57 years, Ethel Harrington, Clear Lake; two sons, David Harrington and his wife, Janelle, Clear Lake; and Steven Harrington and his wife, Phyllis, Sioux City, Iowa; one daughter, Pam Riley and her husband, Scott, Burnsville, Minn.; five grandchildren, John Harrington and his wife, Kristie, Oklahoma City, Okla., Sheri Prescott and her husband, Tony, Sierra Vista, Az., Willem Riley, Burnsville, Adam and Amber Harrington, Sioux City; four great-grandchildren, Bethany, Brandon, and Bailey Harrington, and Savannah Prescott; and several nieces and nephews.
Robert was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Elaine Phinney; brother, Gordon Harrington and an infant sister.
Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, was in charge of arrangements.
Inh Van Luong, 78, of Clear Lake, died Friday, Aug. 19, 2005, at the Oakwood Care Center in Clear Lake. Funeral services were held Sunday, Aug. 21, at the Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, with the Rev. Dean Hess and Koung, Hoang Van officiating. Inurnment took place Monday in the Clear Lake Cemetery.
Inh Van Luong was born on March 27, 1927, in Sonla, Vietnam, the son of Theung, Luong Van and Gea Luong Thi. He was united in marriage to Ouane Thi Quang in 1947, in Vietnam. She preceded him in death on Dec. 2, 2003. After their marriage Inh served in the French Army in Vietnam until his discharge in the early 1950's. After his discharge from the French Army he moved to Laos and worked for the French Government for 20 years. He came to America in 1978 and Inh and his family were sponsored by the Zion Lutheran Church. Inh worked for a plastic molding company in Clear Lake for a few years until he retired.
He loved fishing, hunting, and gardening.
He was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake.
He is survived by his children, Luong Van Phuc and family of Tacoma, Wash., Luong Van Xuong and family of Clear Lake, Luong Van Hoa and family of Denison, Iowa, Rattanasone Vieng and family of Boston, Mass., Boun Reimer and family of Clear Lake, Senephannarath and family of Denver, Colo., Luong Van Hac of Denver, and Luong Vikan and family of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; 20 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and a brother-in-law, Dam Quang of Clear Lake.
Besides his wife, Ouane Thi Quang, he was also preceded in death by his parents.
Dean P. Tompkins, 75, of Garner, Iowa died Friday, Aug. 19, 2005 at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit, Mason City, Iowa
Funeral services were held Tuesday at the United Methodist Church in Garner. Music was provided by organist Mary Kopacek who accompanied soloist, Doug Hayes, and a congregational hymn. Ushers were Maynard and Marvin Schoneman. Casket bearers were Claire Tompkins, Gabe Stearns, Allen Tompkins, Larry Tompkins, Zachary Tompkins, Michael Beaver, Mark Hiscocks and Jerry Zwald. Burial was in Concord Township Cemetery. Cataldo Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be directed to Hospice of North Iowa.
Dean P. Tompkins, the son of Purd and Viola (Burnham) Tompkins, was born Nov. 15, 1929 in Concord Township, Hancock County. He graduated from Garner High School in 1947. On Aug. 20, 1949 he married
Betty Johnson at the United Methodist Church in Garner. They lived on a farm south of Garner where Dean farmed with his father and brother, Claire. He retired from farming in 1987 and continued to live on the home place. In his retirement Dean and Betty enjoyed spending time at their cabin in the Lake of the Woods. His passion was hunting, fishing and trapping.
He was a lifetime member of the United Methodist Church in Garner.
Dean is survived by his wife, Betty, of Garner; three children, Allen (Marian) Tompkins and their two children, Sarah and Zachary of Clear Lake, Larry (Sandi) Tompkins of Urbandale, Iowa and Beth (Michael) Beaver and son, Gabe Stearns, of Garner; a brother, Claire (Bettylou) Tompkins of Garner; a niece, Julie (Richard) Bahlmann of Urbandale; and a nephew, Jay Tompkins of Dallas, Texas.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Barbara, March 19, 2000; his parents; and a sister, Ruth Tompkins, in 1935.
Berniece V. Lenning, died Sept. 26, 2004. A graveside Inurnment will be held Friday, Aug. 26, 2005, 1 p.m. at the Clear Lake Cemetery. Marion J. Lenning Grau, daughter of Berniece and Clarence Lenning, will also be inurned at that time. Marion died Sept. 20, 1994 at her home in Le Sueur, Minn.
Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, is in charge of arrangements.
Peter Nathan Smith, Chief Master Sgt. (Ret.) U.S. Air Force, 63, beloved husband of 29 years to Retta Jan Miller Smith, died on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2005, at Colleton Medical Center in Walterboro, S.C.
Peter was born in Mason City, Iowa, the son of the late Ralph Maxwell Smith and Ruth Hannah Miller Smith. He grew up in Clear Lake and graduated from Clear Lake High School. He retired as a Chief Master Sergeant after more than 26 years in the U.S. Air Force; previously he had served in the Marine Corps for three years. He was a combat controller and a member of the Commando Association. He later retired from the U.S. Postal Service. He was an avid photographer, loved carpentry and was a wonderful devoted husband and father. He was a member of the Bethesda Church of God.
Surviving in addition to his wife are five sons, Zachary Smith, Joshua Smith and Duane Smith of Washington, D.C., Corey Smith, currently serving with the U.S. Army in Iraq and Seth Smith of Sumter, currently a student at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla.; two sisters, Judy Smith of Seattle, Wash., and Jane Smith Arevalo of Leavenwarth, Kan. He is survived by three cousins, Ruth Lease, John Miller, Tom Miller, Nancy Mullan and Fred Banks, all of Clear Lake.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his father-in-law, Eugene Miller.
Funeral services with full military honors will be held Wednesday, Aug. 24, 11 a.m., in the Bullock Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Al Sims officiating. Burial will be held in the Family Gardens Cemetery in Madison, W. Va.
Memorials may be made to The Unmet Needs Program, VFW Foundation, 406 West 34th St., Suite 514, Kansas City, Mo. 64111.
Online messages may be sent to the family at www.bullockfuneralhome.com.
Opal D. Mathre, 82, 1000 N. Eisenhower, Mason City, Iowa, formerly of Clear Lake, died Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005 in Mason City at Mercy Medical Center North Iowa. Due to her wishes she will be cremated and there will be no services. Family suggests memorials to Hospice Of North Iowa.
Opal was born Feb. 7, 1923, in Klemme, Iowa, the daughter of Chris and May E. (McDorman) Back. She graduated from Ventura High School in 1940. She was a beautician for many years, having graduated from LaJames Beauty College in 1941. Opal married
T.H. Mathre in 1942 and they had three children, Tom, Julie and Tammy. In 1969 she went back to school and became a licensed practical nurse and worked in that capacity at the Veterans Administration Hospital at Knoxville, Iowa until her retirement in 1980.
Opal is survived by her daughter, Julie Montgomery, Mason City, and son Tom, Oskaloosa, Iowa; two grandchildren, Darcy Madden, Mason City, and Mike Raab and his wife, Kelly, Littleton, Colo. and three great-grandchildren, Derek, Josie and Calvin.
Opal was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Tilford on April 28, 1989; daughter, Tammy Irene Mathre and two brothers, Leo and Gerald "Pete" Back.
Arlin C. Olsen, age 89, a longtime resident of Klemme, Iowa and a native of Clear Lake, died, Friday, Aug. 26, 2005 at the Belmond Medical Center in Belmond.
Funeral services were held Monday, Aug. 29, 10:30 a.m. at Klemme United Methodist Church. The Rev. Paddy Druhl officiated. Burial was in the Ell Township Cemetery, Klemme. The family suggests memorials to the donor's wishes.
Arlin, the son of Knute and Aleta (Rear) Olson was born June 9, 1916 on his parent's farm in rural Clear Lake. He attended Eden Country School and Union # 2.
Arlin or "Ole" as many people knew him began his lifelong love and devotion to trucking in his youth. By age 11 he had built his first truck using a Model T car frame and used the gas tank he installed on the frame as his seat. He later graduated to a 1938 Ford Truck which he used to haul hogs for area farmers to Mason City. As the years went by he hauled countless trips all over the regions of Iowa and to St. Paul, Minn.
Arlin was united in marriage to Christina Schwartz on July 6, 1946 at the Little Brown Church, Nashua, Iowa. Their partnership of nearly 60 years was blessed with four sons, Merlyn, Harland, Randy, and Roger, and one daughter, Corrine (Susie) Olsen. Roger preceded Arlin in death.
Following their marriage they resided south of Clear Lake for a time and later moved to Klemme.
Over the years much of Arlin's trucking was done at night so that he could do farm work during the days. He did custom combining from 1944-49 in addition to his trucking and when he was too busy to drive truck Christina would fill that role. In 1949 he purchased a semi-tractor and entered the trucking business full-time. In 1972 he and his wife quit their trucking business. At that time Christina began driving school bus and Arlin switched to driving a U.S. Mail truck, hauling First Class Mail out of the Postal Service Bulk Mail Center in Minneapolis, Minn. His route ran seven days per week for the next 13 years, covering 800 miles roundtrip from the Twin Cities to Omaha, Neb. and back. Arlin's dedication to the trucking profession carried him on journeys of more than 100,000 average miles per year between 1942 and 1985. Arlin retired in 1985. He continued to remain very active working on cars, trucks, and lawn mowers at the couple's home in Klemme. Even in the last few weeks of his life he could still be found tinkering and fixing lawn mowers.
Arlin will be remembered by his family and friends for his warm and uncanny sense of humor. Always ready to share a joke with his family and friends. His grandkids will remember their annual Christmas allowances from Grandpa Ole, the joy he received from teasing them and being teased in return, and for his unending supply of peppermint candies. His wife and children will remember him as a wonderful, warm, and hardworking spouse and dad. Many farmer's who he hauled livestock for over the years will remember Arlin's special and very efficient technique of allowing the livestock to load their own way on to the truck while he and the farmers visited over a cup of coffee.
In recent years Arlin looked forward to the daily visits to the Klemme School for senior dining and fellowship with friends.
Those left to cherish the memory of his life include his wife, Christina Olsen, a resident of the Belmond Health Care Center; his sons, Merlyn Olson and wife, Audrey, Santa Maria, Calif., Harland Olsen and wife, Janet, Mason City, Iowa, and Randy Olsen and wife, Monica, Garner, Iowa; his daughter, Corrine (Susie) Olsen, Klemme; and daughter-in-law, Linda Olson, Ventura; nine grandchildren: Doni and husband, Bill Schaefer; Denette Olson; Deanne and husband, Mike Luis; Greg and wife, Kim Olson; Ryan and wife, Tina Olsen; Shannon and husband, Gary Graves; Jim Olsen; Jenn Olsen; Dan Olson and wife, Eenja; 16 great-grandchildren; Will, Sarah, and Evan Schaefer; Lane, Levi, and Aubrey Luis; Jacob, Daniel, and Nicole Olson; Zachary and Caitlin Olson; Riley and Wyatt Olsen; Alex and Bailey Graves; and a brother, Clare Olson, Clear Lake. Arlin was anxiously anticipating the arrival of "Baby Graves."
He was preceded in death by his parents, Knute and Aleta; sisters, Gladys Bier and Mildred Van Laere; his son, Roger, on March 4, 1997 and an infant brother and sister.
Andrews Funeral Home, Klemme, Iowa, was in charge of arrangements.
