Alabama School Yearbooks by State and County
Virginia 'Penny' Stebbings
WOODBURY, Minn. – Virginia “Penny” Stebbings, 97, of Woodbury, Minn., formerly of Keokuk, passed away on March 13, 2017.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Vigen Memorial Home in Keokuk.
The family will meet with friends from 10:30 to 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Burial will be in Keokuk National Cemetery.
Daniel "Danny" McGraw
Daniel Frank “Danny” McGraw, 55, of Keokuk, died Saturday, June 17, 2017, at his home.
He was born Jan. 19, 1962, in Grandview, Mo., the son of Virgil and Shirley Weith McGraw.
On Nov. 29, 1995, he was united in marriage to Jil Thompson in Keokuk. She survives.
Other survivors include two sons, Shane McGraw (Amanda) of Ottumwa and Lucas McGraw of Keokuk; a stepdaughter, Courtney Gustin (Jason) of Anchorage, Alaska; a stepson, Travis Thrush of Keokuk; seven grandchildren, Layton Thrush of Keokuk, Taytum and Nevaeh McGraw, both of Ottumwa, and Natalie, Ryan, Anna and Joey Gustin, all of Anchorage; his mother, Shirley McGraw of Hamilton, Ill.; two sisters, Deborah Mueller (Bryan) of Keokuk and Joan Markey (Russell) of Warsaw, Ill.; a brother, Joe McGraw (Karen) of Argyle; a sister-in-law, Janet Dennison of Kansas City, Mo.; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father and a daughter, Danielle, in infancy.
Danny graduated from Central Lee High School in Donnellson with the Class of 1980.
He had been employed through the years at several area businesses, including Canton Marine Towing in Canton, Mo., and Gateway Terminal and Henniges, both in Keokuk.
He had been a member of the UAW Local No. 444.
Danny enjoyed being outdoors, fishing, camping and mushroom hunting. He also enjoyed watching the WWE Wrestling on television.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Calvary Foursquare Church in Keokuk, with Pastor Dan Davis officiating.
There will be no visitation.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family.
Richard 'Tex' Riter
FORT MADISON – Lt. Richard D. “Tex” Riter, ret., 86, formerly of Fort Madison, passed away May 31, 2017, surrounded by his family.
Born Nov. 3, 1930, in Fort Madison, he was the son of the late Dean Riter and Hilda Fredrica Mackie Riter.
He served our country proudly in the U.S. Navy and later worked for the U.S. Department of Energy with over 31 years of experience in nuclear inspection activities in the U.S. Navy Nuclear Propulsion and Reactor Plant Systems.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father; his sister, Helen Miller; brother, John Riter; his first wife, Maryann Reid; and his children’s mother, Mildred Riter.
He is lovingly remembered by his daughters, Geray McCay (David), Frances Turner, Donna Riter, and Mary Engel (John); his sons, John Riter (Dee) and Chris Riter (Denise); his grandchildren, Jessica Martinez, Heather Hunt (Rob), Heather McCay, Jennifer Smith (Michael), Heidi McCullough (John Paul), Josh Riter (fiancée, Kelly Echous), Megan Deel (Jon), Sierra Riter and Gage Riter; 16 great-grandchildren; his cousin, John Riter of Oklahoma; several nieces and nephews; and the Reid family.
In accordance with his wishes, Tex will be cremated and a memorial service will be held at a later date in Nauvoo, Ill. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken, S.C. 29801.
Arrangements are being handled by The SC Cremation Society, 210 State St., Columbia, S.C. 29169
John Lee Strahn
May 14, 1950 ~ December 1, 2015 (age 65)
John Lee Strahn, age 65 of Yarmouth, passed away on December 1, 2015. He was a source of strength and support to those around him throughout his life, especially during his 18 year battle with cancer, and his spirit was unbreakable to the end.
John was born in Japan and moved to the United States at the age of five. He was a 1968 graduate of Burlington High School. On May 12, 1973 he married
Lana Koger in Burlington. John was an electrician by trade and worked at Case New Holland for over 30 years. Upon his “retirement,” he initially focused his energy on his business, Reboot Computer Service, and then returned to work full-time as the Maintenance and Facilities Manager at Hawkeye Pedershaab.
John was well known for his giving nature and friendly personality. He could construct anything, fix everything, and if he couldn’t fix it, then the odds were high it wasn’t fixable. He had a thirst for knowledge and was a jack-of-all-trades. Family and friends were the most important part of John’s life, and his greatest happiness came from spending time with those he loved. He created a paradise for his grandchildren and spent numerous hours riding four wheelers, fishing, swimming in the pond, and teaching them life lessons. He was, and will remain, their hero.
Throughout his life, John taught us many important things: leave things better than you found them, slow down, do it right the first time, enjoy life, and whiskey never hurts.
John was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Kuni Strahn, and one brother, Mike. He is survived by his wife, Lana, of Yarmouth; his daughter, Brooke Strahn-Koller, and son-in-law, Jake Koller, of Coralville; his son, Jesse Strahn, and daughter-in-law, Kelly Strahn, of Collinsville, Oklahoma; and three grandsons: Mason, Easton, and Sutton Koller, of Coralville.
John had an immense affection and appreciation of animals and has established memorials for the Des Moines County Humane Society and Heavenly Pet Sanctuary. No services are scheduled at this time but a celebration of life will be announced at a later date. Cremation has been entrusted to the care of Prugh~Thielen Crematory.
John will most be remembered by the fact he always contributed much more to life and living than he took. His determination, fight, and fervor will continue to inspire those who knew him.
Buddy Wise
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Buddy L. Wise, 86, passed away on May 19, 2017, at his home, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. His wife and daughter were by his side.
Buddy was born Jan. 15, 1931, in his grandmother’s home in Keokuk, the son of Leroy and Delia Wise.
He graduated from Keokuk High School in 1949, and in 1951, he married
Joan Boyle, also of Keokuk.
He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he taught electronics, and this led to a career in education after his discharge. For over 30 years, Bud taught industrial arts, was a junior and senior high school counselor, and vice principal with the Monterey, Calif., Peninsula Unified School District.
After his retirement in 1990, Bud and Joan moved to the Sacramento area to be closer to their daughter.
He enjoyed collecting and working with tools, building projects for his home and for St. Paul’s Parish in Sacramento.
He was a Grand Knight with the 6922 Order of the Knights of Columbus.
He also liked to travel, going on many road trips throughout the United States.
Buddy was a loving, kind and generous man who will be greatly missed.
He is survived by his wife, Joan, his daughter, Janet, and his son-in-law, David Rogers, all of the Sacramento area; and a cousin, Mildred Ewing of Keokuk.
A rosary and memorial mass were held June 8 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Sacramento.
Warren Meredith
Warren Meredith, 82, of Keokuk, died Thursday, June 22, 2017, at Montrose Health Center.
He was born Sept. 11, 1934, in Keokuk, the son of Ellsworth and Beulah Shaffer Meredith.
Warren was first united in marriage to Lois Malone on Jan. 2, 1955. She preceded him in death on June 11, 1970. On Jan. 26, 1972, Warren was then united in marriage to Patricia Dunagan Johnson in Keokuk. She preceded him in death on Jan. 25, 2013.
He is survived by his son, Rick Meredith (Denise); a daughter, Barbie Johnson (Jeff); three stepsons, Craig Johnson, Doug Johnson (Belinda) and Vince Johnson; 10 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother.
Warren graduated from Keokuk High School with the Class of 1953.
He had been employed at Hubinger’s in Keokuk as an electrician for 40 years until his retirement.
He was a member of the Local Grain Millers Union.
Warren was an avid fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and St. Louis Cardinals.
Warren enjoyed woodworking and spent many hours in his workshop. He liked to travel and took many trips to California and Branson, Mo. Later, he had a permanent campsite at Lake Wilderness. He enjoyed watching movies and documentaries and reading books about World War II. Warren loved spending time with his family and had a kindness and sense of humor that brightened their lives over the years.
A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Vigen Memorial Home in Keokuk, with the Rev. David Turner officiating. Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery in Keokuk.
Visitation will be after 1 p.m. Monday at the funeral home, with family meeting with friends from 6 to 8 p.m.
Memorials may be made to the Honor Flight or Keokuk Animal Services.
Julie Robinson
Julie Kay Robinson, 56, of Keokuk, died early June 16, 2017, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.
She is survived by her husband, Charles Robinson of Keokuk; daughter, Briann (Nate) Washburn of Oskaloosa; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law; and nephews and nieces.
Cremation will take place and memorial services will be at a later date.
Matthew "Matt" Barker
BURLINGTON – Matthew Alan “Matt” Barker, 41, of Burlington, died at 10:19 a.m. Monday, June 12, 2017, at Great River Medical Center in West Burlington.
Born July 2, 1975, in Iowa City, he was the son of Eric and Colleen Murphy Barker, who survive.
Cremation has been entrusted to the care of Prugh-Thielen Crematory. There will be no formal visitation or services at this time. Interment will be at a later date.
Blaine Molsberry
COWAN HEIGHTS, Calif. – Blaine Gue Molsberry, 84, of Cowan Heights, Calif., formerly of Montrose, passed into eternal life on Saturday, May 27, 2017.
Blaine was born March 20, 1933, to Jessie and Wilbur Molsberry.
Survivors include his wife, Laurie; and eight children.
A funeral service and reception were June 1 at Samsvick Chapel in Santa Ana, Calif.
Marilyn Peper
WACO, Texas – Marilyn Schmidt Peper, 89, died peacefully on Tuesday, March 28, 2017, in Waco, Texas.
She was born on Feb. 6, 1928, in Keokuk.
A graveside service and burial will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Oakland Cemetery in Keokuk, with arrangements having been made through Vigen Memorial Home in Keokuk.
