Obituaries

Bernard “Bernie” Van Aartsen, 90, Rock Rapids, Iowa, died Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, at Prairie Ridge Care Center in Orange City, Iowa. A funeral was Tuesday, Oct. 4, at First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids. Burial followed at Riverview Cemetery in Rock Rapids. Bernard Van Aartsen was born April 7, 1926, to Henry and Jenny (Roelofs) Van Aartsen at Hawarden, Iowa. When he was a boy, his family lived…

James Fodness, 75, Luverne, died Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, at the Sanford Luverne Hospital. A funeral service was Friday, Sept. 23, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Luverne. Funeral arrangements were through Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne, www.hartquistfuneral.com.  (0929 DN)

Erwin Roy De Boer, 73, Hills, died Monday, Sept. 26, 2016, at his home in Hills. The funeral service is at 1:30 p.m. Thurday, Sept. 29, at the Steen Reformed Church in Steen. A private burial will be at United Reformed Cemetery in Hills. Visitation is from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, at the Jurrens Funeral Home in Hills, with family present from 5-8 p.m. Arrangements are with Jurrens Funeral…

Edyth Mae Briggs, 87, Hills, died Monday, Sept. 26, 2016, at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 30, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hills. Burial will be at Riverview Cemetery in Rock Rapids, Iowa. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Jurrens Funeral Home in Hills. Arrangements are by Jurrens Funeral Home of…

Rory Clyde Burke, 61, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, formerly of Luverne, died Friday, Sept. 23, 2016, at the Bethany  Home in Brandon, South Dakota. A gathering of family and friends will be from 3-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, at the Dingmann Funeral Home in Luverne. A private family committal of cremains will be at a later date. Rory was born May 25, 1955, to Clyde and Patricia (Dell) Burke in…

Kenneth Raymond Busch, 92, formerly of Luverne, died Friday, Sept. 23, 2016, at the Good Samaritan Village in Loveland, Colorado. A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 30, with visitation beginning at 10 a.m., all at St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne. Burial with military honors will follow at Prairie Hill Cemetery in Fulda. Kenneth Busch was born Sept. 28, 1923, to Leonard and…

John Howard Tilstra, 88, Hills, died Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, at Sanford Luverne Hospital in Luverne. A funeral service was Friday, Sept. 23, at the Reformed Church of Steen. Burial followed in the Eastside Cemetery near Steen. John Tilstra was born Feb. 24, 1928, to Cornelius and Fannie (Hommes) Tilstra in Rock Rapids, Iowa. He grew up in Rock Rapids and attended school, graduating from the…

Peggy Jo Harms, 58, Luverne, died Friday, Sept. 16, 2016, at the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A private family service is scheduled for a later date. Peggy was born Oct. 21, 1957, to Harvey and Dorothy (Croswell) Dunbar in Gardena, California. She married Wayne Harms on Oct. 21, 1994, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The couple lived in Luverne. Peggy loved helping people…

John Tilstra, 88, Hills, died Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, at Sanford Luverne Hospital in Luverne. A funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 23, at The Reformed Church of Steen. Burial will follow in the Eastside Cemetery at Steen. Visitation will be from 2-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, with the family present from 6-8 p.m. at The Reformed Church of Steen. Arrangements are by Jurrens Funeral…

Peggy Jo Harms, 58, Luverne, died Friday, Sept. 16, 2016, at the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A private family service will take place at a later date. Funeral arrangements are through Dingmann Funeral Home, Luverne, www.dingmannandsons.com  (0922 DN)

Steve Lewis Hamilton, 61, Luverne, died Monday, Sept. 12, 2016, at the Methodist Hospital in Rochester. A visitation was Friday, Sept. 16, with military honors provided by the Luverne American Legion and VFW. A private family burial will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at a later date. Funeral arrangements were through Dingmann Funeral Home in Luverne, www.dingmannandsons.com  (0922 DN)

Emerson Keith “Whitey”  Russman, 80, Red Wing, formerly of Luverne, died Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016, at his home. A funeral was Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the First Presbyterian Church in Luverne. Burial followed at Pleasant View Cemetery in Little Rock, Iowa. Emerson was born June 18, 1936, to George and Tina (Huisman) Russman in Orange City, Iowa. He was raised in Little Rock and graduated from Little…

Audrey Mae Timmerman, 88, Luverne, died Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016, at the Lyon Specialty Care in Rock Rapids, Iowa. A funeral was Monday, Sept. 19, at Dingmann Funeral Home in Luverne. Burial followed at Garden of Memories Cemetery near Luverne. Audrey Peterson was born Dec. 7, 1927, to Frank and Bernice (Brown) Peterson in Rock Rapids. She was confirmed and baptized at St. John Lutheran Church in…

June A. Kroon, 89, Rock Rapids, Iowa, died Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, at Lyon Specialty Care in Rock Rapids. A funeral service was Wednesday, Sept. 21, at Jurrens Funeral Home of Rock Rapids. A private family burial was at Eastside Cemetery near Steen. June Vander Kooi was born Oct. 16, 1926, to William and Anna (De Groot) Vander Kooi in Sheldon, Iowa. She lived on a family farm during the…

Lori Jean Klein, 59, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, died Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016, at the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A funeral service was Monday, Sept. 19, at the First Presbyterian Church in Luverne. Burial followed at Memory Gardens Cemetery near Luverne. Lori Jean Essman was born Sept. 9, 1957, to Melvin and Doris (Hegstad) Essman in Luverne. She was raised on the…

Cecelia Altman, 81, Lismore, died Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, at the Sanford Luverne Hospice Cottage. A funeral was Saturday, Sept. 17, at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Lismore. Burial followed at the St. Anthony Cemetery. Cecelia Henning was born Feb. 1, 1935, to Charles and Clara (Bullerman) Henning in Larkin Township. She graduated from St. Adrian Catholic High School in 1953. Cecelia graduated…