Alabama School Yearbooks by State and County
Arthur 'Art' Wildeman
ROCK RAPIDS, Iowa - Arthur "Art" Wildeman, 72, of Rock Rapids died Tuesday, July 31, 2001, at Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls from complications after heart surgery.
Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at First Reformed Church with the Rev. Henrietta Kla-renbeek officiating. Private burial will be held prior to the services in Riverview Ce-metery. Visitation will be 2 to 8:30 p.m. today, with family present 7 to 8:30 p.m., at Roste Funeral Home in Rock Rapids.
Mr. Wildeman was born Aug. 26, 1928, in Sioux County, near Boyden, Iowa, the son of Leonard and Henrietta (Roelofs) Wildeman. As a young boy, his family moved to a farm near Rock Rapids where he grew up and attended school. After his education, he began farming. He married Dena Overman on July 27, 1948, in Rock Rapids. They farmed northwest of Rock Rapids and later near Edna, Iowa. In 1960 they moved into Rock Rapids, where he became a car salesman. He worked for various dealers including Quality Motors, Bob Lucas Ford and Ted Henning Motors. Later he worked at the elevator and then the Co-op oil company. In the early 1980s, they purchased the Pool Hall and operated it until 1991.
He kept busy as a handyman in Rock Rapids. He enjoyed pinochle and playing the accordion.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, David Wildeman and his special friend, Diane Lynch of New Ulm, Minn., and Arlen and his wife, Lori Wildeman of Boone, Iowa; a daughter and her husband, Donna and Earl Bomgaars of Orange City, Iowa; seven grandchildren, Jason Bomgaars, Joe Bomgaars, Nathan, Drew and Kollin Wildeman, Katie Lind and Kelsey Wildeman; two sisters, Johanna Klarenbeek and Leona Harmsen, both of Rock Rapids; a brother and his wife, Henry and Phyllis Wildeman of Marion, Iowa; and a sister-in-law, Eileen Wildeman of Buena Park, Calif.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, William Wildeman.
Gerrit 'Butch' De Bruin
ROCK VALLEY, Iowa - Gerrit "Butch" De Bruin, 80, of Rock Valley died Monday, July 30, 2001, of an apparent heart attack.
Private family services will be held at a later date. Visitation with the family will be 7 to 8 p.m. today at Porter Funeral Home in Rock Valley.
Mr. De Bruin was born April 10, 1921, on a farm south of Inwood, Iowa, the son of Gerrit and Coba (Kragt) De Bruin. He worked as a butcher at his father's Home Meat Market in Rock Valley, and later at a butcher shop in Alvord, Iowa. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, from Oct. 31, 1942, to Nov. 11, 1945. He married Lorraine Splear on Aug. 21, 1946, in Rock Valley. He owned and operated De Bruin TV Sales and Service.
He was an avid fur trapper in the area.
Survivors include his wife; a son and his wife, Gary and Donita De Bruin of Vernon Hills, Ill.; three daughters, Joanne and her husband, Donald Decker of Centreville, Md., Sandra and her husband, Arlen Horne of Brigham City, Utah, and Nancy Wilson of Waterloo, Iowa; three brothers and their wives, Peter and Janet De Bruin of Millbury, Ohio, Harvey and Nellie De Bruin of Worthington, Minn., and Delmer and Pauline De Bruin of Rock Valley; a sister and her husband, Agnes and Albert Heronemus of Little Rock, Iowa; a sister-in-law, Cleone De Bruin of Larchwood, Iowa; and two grandchildren, Kristen and Laura De Bruin.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Stanley De Bruin, and a sister, Marie Vander Ploeg.
Terry LeRoy Swain
SOLDIER, Iowa - Terry LeRoy Swain, 64, of Soldier died Monday, July 30, 2001, at a Sioux City hospital.
Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Soldier Lutheran Church with the Rev. Jack Torgersen officiating. Burial will be in Soldier Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. today at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Rush Family Care Services of Onawa, Iowa.
Mr. Swain was born Jan. 1, 1937, in Soldier, the son of LeRoy and Lena (Hamlin) Swain. He graduated from Soldier High School in 1955. He married JoAnn Grause on May 31, 1964, at Morningside Lutheran Church in Sioux City. She died in 1967.
He was a member of Soldier Lutheran Church and the Masonic Lodge in Moorhead, Iowa. He spent his life farming and was involved in several other farm related business ventures. He enjoyed 10 years of catering as a business hobby.
Survivors include a brother, Richard of Soldier; four sisters, Kay and her husband, Ken Harfst of Webster City, Iowa, Nancy Swain of Fremont, Neb., Sandra Tilson of Denver, and Kathy and her husband, Dennis Kennedy of Council Bluffs, Iowa; a sister-in-law, Carol Hewett of Sioux City; 12 nieces and nephews.
He also was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Larry Swain.
Edith 'Ester' Beeck
AKRON, Iowa - Edith "Ester" Beeck, 73, of Akron died Monday, July 30, 2001, at a Sioux City hospital.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church with Monsignor Richard Zenk officiating. Burial will be in St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be 2 to 8 p.m. today, with family present 6 to 8 p.m., and a Scripture prayer service at 7 p.m., at Schroeder Funeral Home in Akron.
Mrs. Beeck was born Feb. 18, 1928, in Akron, the daughter of Dick and Emma (Henke) Richters. She attended St. Joseph's Catholic School and graduated from Akron High School. She married Chris Beeck on April 5, 1947, in Elk Point, S.D. He died Dec. 21, 1990. She was employed as a repair operator with Aalfs Manufacturing for 14 years.
She was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church. She enjoyed flowers, birds and her cat.
Survivors include two sons, James Richters and Mert Beeck, both of Akron; a daughter, Linda and her husband, Larry Parker of Sioux City; and three sisters, Helen Martin of Akron, Dorothy Graff of Sioux City, and Francis and her husband, Kenneth Mead of Davenport, Iowa.
She also was preceded in death by her parents; five brothers, Fred, Richard, Henery, Clancy and George; and a sister, Bernice.
Pallbearers will be Doug Mackey, Jed Mackey, Tim Richters, Duane Schelling, Bob Beeck and Wayne Bumm.
Agnes M. Richards
LE MARS, Iowa - Agnes M. Richards, 92, of Wonder Lake, Ill., formerly of Le Mars, died Sunday, July 29, 2001, at Northern Illinois Medical Center in McHenry, Ill.
Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hinton, Iowa. Burial will be in Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Hinton. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today at George J. Justen and Son Funeral Home in McHenry, with a prayer service at 8 p.m. Visitation will continue 9 a.m. until service time Thursday at the church in Hinton. Local arrangements are being handled by Mauer-Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars.
Mrs. Richards was born April 23, 1909, in Le Mars, the daughter of John and Ida (Mathwig) Kounkel. She married Clinton E. Richards on Jan. 12, 1929, in Hinton. They moved to Wauconda, Ill., in 1963, living there until 1976, when they moved to Friendship, Wis. Mr. Richards died Feb. 11, 1991. In 1994, she moved to her daughter's residence.
She was a member of Fellowship of Faith Lutheran Church of McHenry, and formerly of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hinton. She was a floral designer and for a time owned Richard's Cafe. She enjoyed sewing and gardening.
Survivors include three daughters, Bonnie Brown of Wonder Lake, Phyllis Riley of Adams, Wis., and Carol and her husband, Lenard Mummert of Friendship; six grandchildren, Paul Brown, Kathy Condon, Tim Brown, Brad Brown, David Brown and Vicky Schwaber; 18 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and a brother and his wife, Ralph and Mildred Kounkel of Le Mars.
She also was preceded in death by a daughter, Kay; a grandson, Steven Brown; four brothers, Walter, Roy, Lawrence and Fred; and a sister, Viola Robinson.
Memorials may be directed to the family.
Gary A. Timm
Ute, Iowa - Gary A. Timm, 57, of Ute died Monday, July 30, 2001, at Burgess Memorial Hospital in Onawa, Iowa.
Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at Armstrong Funeral Home in Ute. Visitation will be after 4 p.m. Thursday, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at the funeral home.
William C. Metz
William C. Metz, 79, former president and chief executive officer of the Metz Baking Company, died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001, at his residence in Sioux City.
Services will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Cathedral of the Epiphany, with The Most Rev. Lawrence D. Soen, retired Bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City, and The Most rev. Daniel N. DiNardo, Bishop of the diocese, officiating. Entombment will be in the Mausoleum of the Resurrection at Calvary Cemetery, with military rites conducted by the 185th Air National Guard. Visitation will be 1 to 9 p.m. today, with the family present 6:30 to 8 p.m. and a parish vigil service at 7 p.m., at Larkin Northside Funeral Home.
Mr. Metz was born April 8, 1921, in Sioux City, the son of Henry and Gladys (Peterson) Metz Jr. He attended Sioux City Public Schools and graduated from Lake Forrest Academy (high school) in Lake Forrest, Ill. He attended Amherst University and the University of Iowa.
Metz enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in April 1942 and received most of his training at the Sioux City Army Air Base, graduating from a navigation school at Ellington Field, Texas. He was stationed with the 8th Air Force in England in 1944. Metz was wounded by flak during a bombing mission. His bomber was destroyed, and an explosion blasted him through the Plexiglas nose of the craft. He and other survivors of the blast were picked up by German civilians and served 14 months in a POW camp.
He married Eleanore Considine on May 10, 1947, in Sioux City.
His father founded Metz Baking 1922, and he started working for the company by the time he was 12. He loaded trucks and later drove delivery trucks between the plant and the storage garage. He took over as president of the company in 1952 at age 32. He was named chairman and chief executive officer in 1968, and continued as a director in the company. He retired as chairman of the board in 1989.
He was active in the community through the years, serving on the Chamber of Commerce, including a term as president, and many other business and civic organizations. Metz had also served as chairman of the Siouxland Association of Business and Industry.
He was named to the Briar Cliff College Board of Trustees in 1976, and in 1991 he and his wife, Eleanore, received the Briar Cliff College Medal.
In 1991, then-Gov. Terry Branstad appointed Metz to the Iowa Economic Development Board. He served on the board until June 1992 when he resigned, saying he was too busy with his business and other activities. Although he had retired from the baking company by 1992, he was heavily involved in helping then Bishop Lawrence Soens establish a pension fund for priests in the Sioux City Diocese in 1990.
He was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. He was a major donor in the remodeling of the Cathedral of the Epiphany. He was a member of the Priest Pension board and a former member of the finance board for the Diocese of Sioux City. He served as chairman of the Heelan High School Endowment Program in 1988.
He served as chairman of the American Bakers Association in 1978 and 1979. He was a member of the board of trustees of the American Institute of Bakers and a former president of the Library Foundation. He received an honorary doctorate degree from Briar Cliff College in May 2000. He was recently presented the Deming Award by the Sioux City Chamber of Commerce. He was also recently given awards by the Siouxland United Way and Sioux City Rivercade Association.
Survivors include his wife; two sons and their wives, William and Nancy of Dakota Dunes and Henry and Christie of Naples, Fla.; five grandchildren, Hillary, Conrad, Jason, Carrie and Andrew Metz; a great-granddaughter; and a sister, Elizabeth Hoselton of Naples.
Pallbearers will be Conrad, Andrew and Jason Metz, Larry Harrington, Jeff Mohrhauser and Royce Ranninger.
Memorials may be directed to the donor's charity of choice.
John R. Hewitt
John R. Hewitt, 97, of Sioux City died Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2001, at a Sergeant Bluff retirement community.
Services will be 11 a.m. Monday at Nelson-Berger Morningside Chapel, with military rites conducted by American Legion Monahan Post 64. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be 10 a.m. until service time Monday at the funeral home.
Merle L. Van Gorkom
Merle LeRoy Gorkom, 55, of Sioux City died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001, at a Sioux City hospital.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Mauer-Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars, Iowa. Burial will be in Christ Lutheran Church Cemetery. Visitation will be 9:30 a.m. until service time Saturday at the funeral home.
Mr. Gorkom was born Aug. 11, 1945, in Le Mars, the son of Merinas and Edna (Bauman) Van Gorkom. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. He attended school in Le Mars.
He was employed with Swift Packing in Sioux City. He later moved to Omaha and then to Denver, where he was employed with Gates Rubber Co. He transferred to Sioux City and had lived here for 25 years. He was most recently employed with a irrigation manufacturer.
Survivors include his mother of Le Mars; two sisters, Karen Van Gorkom of Baltimore and Shirley and her husband, Steve Ausburger of Colton, Calif.; two brothers, Ronald of Le Mars and Jerry of Sioux City; and nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father and grandparents.
Mario Andrie, 6-week old son of Cameo Zuniga of Sioux City, died Thursday; Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel.
