Week of Feb 23 2008 - 7:00pm to Mar 1 2008 - 6:59pm
George Clark
Saturday, February 23, 2008
George Henry Clark, 76, peacefully left this world on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008.
George was born in Des Moines, Iowa, March 22, 1932. He graduated from Tech High School. After graduation he went to work for Orville Lowe Ford, in sales. Throughout the years he worked at Bud Flood Buick and General Manager New Cars, Bob Brown Chevrolet. He later had his own car lot at East 6th and Court Avenue before moving to California to work in RV sales.
He returned to Des Moines seven years ago and continued working at Prairie Meadows and recently was employed by Polk County.
George enjoyed fishing, telling a good joke, and making people laugh. George served in the Iowa National Guard and was a member of the Iowa Masonic Lodge.
George is survived by his wife, Shari (Hanke) Clark; four daughters, Cindia (John) Badger, Cathy (Tom) Goldman, Cheryl Teply (Tom Grimes), and Carrie (Ron) Glanville; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ina and George; and his sister, Delores.
Arrangements are being made by Westover Funeral Home of Des Moines. A private memorial service is being planned for the immediate family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Association for the Preservation Clear Lake, PO Box 54, Clear Lake, IA 50428.
Clare Olson
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Clare Rex Olson, 94, of 2102 North 32nd St, Clear Lake, passed away at his residence Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008. Funeral services were held Tuesday, Feb. 26, at Zion Lutheran Church, Clear Lake, with the Rev. Derik Yarian officiating. Interment was in Clear Lake Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of North Iowa.
Clare was born Nov. 25, 1913, the son of Knute and Aleta (Rear) Olson, on the family farm rural Clear Lake. Clare attended country school and was a graduate of Clear Lake High School.
Clare married Violet Jolly on Dec. 21, 1942 at Bethany, Mo. They farmed in the Clear Lake area. He fixed clocks, televisions and radios. He loved to make people happy and did custom farming. Clare could pick up any instrument and play it and enjoyed talking, dancing and going to the Surf. He also liked to travel and was a collector and enjoyed going to auctions. Clare was family oriented and liked to ride his motorcycle.
Clare is survived by his former wife and good friend, Violet Olson, Clear Lake; three daughters, Mary Butts, Clear Lake; Marcia (Jim) Gardinier, Clear Lake; and Ruth (Doug) Henning, Fertile, Iowa; four grandchildren, Steven (Echo) Cash; Ashley Olson; John (Lynn) Sheimo and April Sheimo; and nine great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, David Olson; brother, Arlin; sisters, Gladys Bier and Mildred Van Lear.
Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, was in charge of arrangements.
Janis Ball
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Janis Ball, 59, of Clear Lake, died Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008 at Mason City Mercy Medical Center North Iowa from a cerebral hemorrhage sustained while delivering the Des Moines Register which she had done every morning for the past 13 years. She had also worked at Fleetguard in Lake Mills for four years and as a cashier at K-Mart for five years.
A memorial service was held Sunday, Feb. 24, at the Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, with the Rev. Steve Smith officiating. The graveside service was held Monday, Feb. 25, at Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City, Iowa. Memorials may be made to the Janis Ball Memorial Fund.
Through organ donation she has the potential to improve the quality of life for many people.
Janis was born the daughter of Merle and Esther (Denkas) Fish, Aug. 21, 1948 in Charles City, Iowa. She was a 1966 graduate of Rudd, Rockford, Marble Rock High School. She was married to Clarence Ball of the Bronx, N.Y. for 21 years before his passing in 1997.
Janis was a kind, gentle, soft spoken woman who enjoyed cooking, talking with family and friends and watching her grandchildren grow up. Janis was a big fan of “Walker, Texas Ranger,” “Rachael Ray” and “Paula Dean.” She will be deeply missed.
Survivors include her daughter, Sara Ball, of Clear Lake; daughter, Wendy Smith and her husband, the Rev. Steve, of Lake Mills, Iowa; son, Dennis Ball of Spencer, Iowa; daughter, Debbie Ball of Albert Lea, Minn.; three grandchildren whom she adored, Megan Shahan (17), and Erin Shahan (14) of Lake Mills and Trevor Marquez (6) of Albert Lea; a brother, Dean Fish and his wife, Jeannette, of Phoenix, Az.; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence Ball; parents, Merle and Esther Fish; brother, Dale Fish; and son-in-law, Don Shahan.
Ethelyn Opel
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Ethelyn L. Opel, 93, of Carlsbad, Calif., formerly Clear Lake, died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008 at the Glen Brook Hospice of San Diego, Calif. Services are pending at the Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake.
Dennis Duregger
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Dennis Ray Duregger, 67, of 802 S. 9th St., Clear Lake, died Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008 at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit, Mason City, Iowa.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, Feb. 26, at the United Methodist Church, Clear Lake, with the Rev. Diana Hoover officiating with military honors by the Clear Lake V.F.W. Graveside services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Clear Lake Cemetery. Family suggests memorials to Dennis R. Duregger Memorial Fund.
Denny was born Jan. 18, 1941 in Clear Lake, the son of Albert and Fannie (Rish) Duregger.
He attended Clear Lake High School. He served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. Following the service he worked construction in the Des Moines area on the Red Rock Dam. He later was employed at Winnebago and then Curries Manufacturing as a mechanic.
Denny enjoyed golfing, fishing, NASCAR and spending time with friends.
Denny is survived by his daughter, Rene’ Duregger, Wichita, Kan.; his former wife, Sharon Newell, Clear Lake; three sisters, Karen Nichols and her husband, John, Clear Lake, Vicki Dietrich, Mason City, and Jolene Boyd and her husband, Bill, Mason City, and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Jeffrey in 1999; sister, Carol Jean; and an infant sister.
Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, was in charge of arrangements.
Fern “Skippy” Miller
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Fern I. “Skippy” Miller, 74, of Hampton Health Center, Hampton, Iowa formerly Clear Lake, died Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008 at the Hampton Health Center.
Memorial services were held Monday, Feb. 25, at the Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake with the Rev. Jeff Ungs officiating. Inurnment will be in the Clear Lake Cemetery. Family suggests memorials to Fern I. Miller Memorial Fund.
Fern was born Sept. 25, 1933 in Fertile, Iowa the daughter of Ernie and Laura (Braun) Prohaska. She attended country school.
Fern married Orville C. “Buzz” Miller May 6, 1950 in Glenville, Minn. They farmed in the Clear Lake area. She worked at Unisys in Clear Lake.
Fern enjoyed Fourth of July celebrations, listening on her CB, going to the casino and her dog, Patty.
Fern is survived by sisters-in-law, Pearl Miller, Clear Lake, Peg Prohaska, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Dorothy Jean (Orville) Heimendinger, Osage, Iowa; brothers-in-law, Dwayne (Ardith) Miller, Charles City, Iowa and Bob Carpenter, Louisiana; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Buzz on Nov. 19, 1995; two sisters, Cathy Carpenter, and Bonnie Ellefson and a brother, Glen Prohaska.
Payton Jo Blomstrom
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Payton Jo Blomstrom, 17-month-old daughter of Jeffrey and Susan (Ford) Blomstrom, died on Feb. 19, 2008 at the St. Cloud Hospital, St. Cloud, Minn.
Services for Payton were held Friday, Feb. 22, at Living Waters Lutheran Church, Sauk Rapids, Minn. with Pastor Mark Odland officiating.
Payton Jo was born on Aug. 30, 2006 in St. Cloud. Based on her diagnosis, Payton beat the odds and overcame a lot in the short time she was here.
Survivors include her parents, Jeffrey and Susan, Sauk Rapids; grandparents, Ken and Alice Blomstrom, Clear Lake, and Craig and Jo Ford, Suwanee, Ga.; great-grandmothers, Norma Ford and Marie Blomstrom; great-grandfather, Leo Krumholz; and her uncles and aunt and cousins.
Clear Lake, Mason City EDC’s build on partnership
Jim Morrow, Board president for the Mason City Economic Development Corporation and Vickie Snyder, Board president of the Clear Lake Economic Development Corporation announced Friday that the two
organizations will expand their existing partnership. The partnership will develop under the auspices of the North Central Iowa Growth Partnership an already established partnership promoting economic development for Cerro Gordo County.
“Our past successes have led us to this point,” said Morrow. Mason City and Clear Lake through the North Central Iowa Growth Partnership have joined together for over six years in their existing business annual call program and in sharing in prospect activity and marketing.
“By leveraging the resources of both the Clear Lake and Mason City communities and Cerro Gordo County we will partner our economic development efforts to strengthen the competitiveness of the areas as a place to do business, grow existing business, to work and enjoy north Iowa as a place to live”.
“A joint steering committee has spent several months discussing this exciting opportunity and we have received great community support. Prospects do not see borders locally, regionally or in north Iowa even from state to state,” said Snyder. This allows us to promote our area more regionally and to build on the relationship already established with our North Central Iowa Alliance seven county marketing partners.”
Both Morrow and Snyder expressed their thanks to the businesses in the community that have been so supportive of the partnership discussion. Snyder gave special thanks to the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce for their support of the changes.
Lake couple establishes $100,000 education fund
With a gift of $100,000, Dr. Tom and Janis Joslyn have established an education fund with the Clear Lake Community Schools Foundation, Inc., to make annual scholarships available to local graduating seniors.
In May, the first two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to students whose applications will be considered by the Board of the Foundation. It is anticipated the fund will grow over time and be used to fund multiple scholarships in the future.
As Dr. Joslyn indicated in his letter to the Foundation, his family has a long history with the Clear Lake Schools. Both Tom and his father, Dr. Albert Joslyn, served on the School Board. His mother, Adelaide, was a home economics teacher in Clear Lake. Members of the Joslyn family who have attended the Clear Lake schools from kindergarten through graduation include Tom, his brother Harper, his sisters Kathryn Gambell and Alberta Randall, sons Tom, Paul and Jim Joslyn, daughter Jane Joslyn Gruis, and grandsons Michael and Thomas Gruis. All have attended or are in college.
“We are grateful to the Clear Lake schools for the wonderful education we received,” wrote Dr. Joslyn.
Criteria for the annual scholarship includes graduation from Clear Lake High School, with attendance for at least three consecutive years, 2.0 or above grade point average, participation in one or more extra-curricular activities or employment outside of school, enrollment in post-secondary college, university, or trade school, financial need, and evidence of good character and study habits. It is the Joslyns’ desire that students with a 2.0 GPA to a 3.0 GPA will apply and are encouraged to apply for these scholarships. The application deadline is April 1, 2008. Application forms are available in the high school counseling office.
School Board approves three-year plan for PPEL spending
The Clear Lake School Board worked through a lengthy, but relatively routine agenda Monday night.
High School Principal Jay Mathis presided at the board meeting in fulfillment of a requirement as he works toward his endorsement as a superintendent.
As another part of that endorsement, Mathis has been working to development a three-year PPEL (Physical Plant and Equipment Levy) expenditure plan. Together with Maintenance and Transportation Director Kelly McLaughlin, Technology Coordinator Jason Christianson and Business Manager Lorna Leerar, Mathis made a recommendation to the Board for PPEL expenditures.
The district annually takes in approximately $490,000 through the levy, Mathis reported. However, the district had no specific plan for spending the funds. Typically, the levy was used to fund large expenditures, such as buses and computers, rather than tap the general fund for such items.
Mathis said he asked McLaughlin and Christianson to create wish lists for their departments. Then, those lists were prioritized and developed into a short-term spending plan.
“The plan will provide guidance to the district and keep us from over-spending, while also protecting us to ensure our needs can be met,” said Mathis.
The Board will revisit the proposed three-year plan on an annual basis.
Mathis and Superintendent Dwight Pierson stressed that recommendations made by a Facilities Committee in recent years will be honored, however the three-year PPEL plan will help the district plan its spending. Pierson noted the district has committed its local option sales tax revenues to its expansion project at Clear Creek School until 2013. After that date, those revenues can be considered for use on facilities recommendations, along with PPEL funds.
