Birth Date: 1959-03-12

Deceased Date: 2024-01-23

Obituary:
Obituary of Randy L. Littrell
Randy Littrell, 64, of Des Moines, passed away Tuesday, January 23, 2024, peacefully in his sleep of a heart attack.

Randy was born March 12, 1959. After graduating from West High school in Iowa City, he attended two years of college at San Diego State, majoring in oceanography and graduating from the University of Iowa.

He loved the outdoors, collecting geodes and sharing rock hunting stories with his family. Randy’s love for the outdoors led him to work in the construction field for many years. In his retirement he enjoyed gardening, growing his many beds of daffodils and spending time with his four legged friend, Callie.

He is survived by his significant other, Darlene DeLong; her son, Colton (Alivia); her mother, Irene Steinbrech; his mother, Mary; sisters Karen (Tim) and Kris; and brothers Dan and Chuck (Trish); and brother-in-law, Jeff. He loved his nephews Jake (Mary Beth), Nick, Sean and Dillon (Addie), and niece Sydney. Extra bonus was his great niece, Parker Quinn.

Randy was preceded in death by his father, Liness and his grandparents. A private family gathering will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to your local animal shelter in Randy’s name. To share a condolence with his family please visit Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service website @ www.gayayandciha.com.

Birth Date: 1959-04-24

Deceased Date: 2022-09-08

Obituary:
Obituary of Gary L. Shipley
Gary L. Shipley, age 64, passed away September 8, 2022, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Gary was born December 1, 1957, the son of Harold and Rilla Shipley. Gary grew up in Hills, Iowa. Gary was a quiet, good-natured man who enjoyed playing and watching football, and loved chess. We are saddened by his loss, but his memory will continue through all of us.

Gary’s family includes his mother, Rilla Shipley; siblings, Larry (Deb) Shipley and extended family, Mary (Bruce) Vrchoticky Nieces Larissa (Jeremy) Bercier and Great Nephew Jacob Bild, Lacey Vrchoticky and Great Niece Andrea Vrchoticky; and his 3 children and grandchildren.

Gary was laid to rest at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Iowa City.

Memorial contributions in Gary’s memory are suggested to the American Cancer Society.

Please continue to keep Gary in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Birth Date: 1959-02-05

Graduation year: 1977

Deceased Date: 2024-01-19

Birth Date: 1959-06-18

Deceased Date: 2020-01-18

Birth Date: 1959-05-29

Deceased Date: 2018-06-08

Obituary:
Gregory M. “Greg” Scheuerman, 59, formerly of Iowa City and Estes Park, Colorado, died on Friday, June 8, 2018 surrounded by family at the Iowa City home of his mother and stepfather, following a 9-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Gregory Merritt Scheuerman was born May 29, 1959 in Iowa City, the son of Sharm and Karlen (Sutton) Scheuerman.  He attended Iowa City schools, graduating from West High School in the Class of 1977.  He then attended Wartburg College in Waverly, IA on both football and baseball scholarships before transferring to the University of Iowa.  In 1979, he moved to Denver, CO where he was employed first in the construction business and then with Kraft Foods. 

He returned to Iowa City in 1990 to complete his studies at the University of Iowa and received the Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1992.  After completing school, he worked in finance for the Jefferies Financial Group in Denver for several years, and then moved to Reuters News in the Financial Information department.

Realizing that his true interest was in teaching, he enrolled at the University of Denver and received a Masters degree in Teaching in 2014.  His first position was with the Denver Inner-city school system, where he began by teaching mathematics to middle school students. 

After a year in Denver, he had the opportunity to fill a position in the Estes Park, School System.  It turned out to be exactly what he had wanted, teaching 7th grade math to a group of students he felt needed his full energy and involvement in order to master a difficult, but very important part of their curriculum.  Greg loved his students, bonding with them and teaching in ways that could be quite innovative, like demonstrating measurement by riding his unicycle in the classroom to solve a problem.

Greg loved life and lived it to the fullest.  While growing up in Iowa City, he developed many of the passions that lasted throughout his life.  Forever a sports fanatic, he was always there to support the West High Trojans, Iowa Hawkeyes, Chicago Cubs and many other teams that he felt close to.  Above all, he was a walking encyclopedia of information about almost every sport.

He also particularly loved the outdoors, which played a large part in attracting him to and keeping him in Colorado.  Whether he was hiking, canoeing, rafting, skiing, fly fishing for trout, with friends or alone, Greg spent many peaceful and productive hours amidst the grandeur and beauty of the mountains, forests, and streams in the backcountry.

Those who knew Greg recognized his ability to cook and his joy of cooking. Whether it was grilling buffalo chicken wings, baking black-bottom cheesecake, or making sushi, he was in his element and justly proud of his accomplishments.

And those who knew him also recognized that he had an immense knowledge of movies.  One quickly learned that he could remember and tell you anything you wanted to know about many hundreds of small independent movies as well as the most recent releases.  His exceptional memory may have been a major part of why his favorite show on TV was “Jeopardy”.

Most important to Greg was his family and his very large number of lifelong friends.  For him, it was as important to keep in touch with his group of friends from 50 years ago as it was with those he met just last week.  And he cherished them all.

Greg’s family includes his mother and her husband, Karlen and Bob Fellows, a brother, Tom and his wife Karen; a sister, Jamey and her husband David Moore; a niece, Grace Moore; a nephew, Will Moore; and his father’s widow, Kathy Scheuerman.  His father, Sharm Scheuerman, died in 2010.

Greg had shared his thoughts for this time and had asked that his family and friends gather to celebrate his well-lived life.  A Celebration of Greg’s life will be held from 1-4 pm, Sunday, September 23rd at the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame.

At this time if you wish to share a thought, memory or condolence, please visit the funeral home website at www.gayandciha.com.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Greg’s memory to the Holden Cancer Center at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City Hospice, Inc. or a fund to further support the students of Estes Park Middle School.

Birth Date: 1959-10-23

Deceased Date: 2019-02-24

Obituary:
Jennifer S. (Walz) Holloway passed away Sunday, February 24, 2019.  Currently of McHenry, and formerly of Mount Prospect, she will be remembered by her husband Robert, and daughters, Miranda and Veronica.  Jennifer is also survived by her mother, Lisa Walz; siblings, Mark Walz, Charles Walz, Ruth Thompson, Paul Walz, and Paco Walz; and a large extended family.  She was preceded in death by her father, Thomas Walz of Iowa City.

Jennifer was born in St. Paul, MN, and lived large parts of her life in Minnesota, Iowa City, and Chile before moving to Chicago.  She spent her career as a lawyer, graduating with her JD from the University of Iowa in 1988. She owned her own practice, The Law Offices of Jennifer S. Holloway, was a partner at Clark & DeGrand, and an associate at McDermott, Will & Emery. She will forever be known as a loving wife and mother, Beatles super fan, Iowa Hawkeye and Chicago sports fanatic.

A memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, March 2, from 2 pm until the time of a service at 5 pm at Davenport Family Funeral Home and Crematory, 419 E. Terra Cotta Ave. (Rte. 176), Crystal Lake. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Jennifer’s name to the American Civil Liberties Union at www.aclu.org

Birth Date: 1959-06-24

Deceased Date: 2020-05-08

Obituary:
Spencer - Michelle Renee Kreiss, the daughter of Edward and Betti (Bollman) Dorpinghaus was born June 24, 1959 in Denver, CO. She grew up in Iowa City, IA, where she attended school and graduated from Iowa City West in 1977. She attended college for several years before moving to Fairfield, IA in 1985.

Michelle married Troy Kreiss on September 7, 1985 and to this union had 2 children, Jessica, and Jon. They later divorced. Michelle moved to Spencer, IA in 2002 where she worked at the Spencer Daily Reporter, Spencer Municipal Golf Course, and Sunshine Services.

Michelle enjoyed boating, grilling, going to concerts, helping with events for the Spencer Jaycees and Special Olympics, and especially spending time with her family and grandkids. She was known for being the "life of the party".

Michelle passed away on Friday, May 8, 2020 at her home at the age of 60. She was preceded in death by her parents, birth mother, Terri Torres and birth father, Freddy Nieto.

Left to cherish her memory are her 2 children, Jessica Kreiss of Spencer, IA and Jonathan (Terri Stewart) Kreiss of Webb, IA; 2 grandchildren, Hunter and Korei; 2 brothers, Randy and Marc; 2 sisters, Karen and Kathleen; other relatives; and many special friends.

A gathering of family and friends will be held at a later date to be announced to celebrate this dear lady's life. To share a thought, memory or condolence with her family please visit the funeral home website @ www.gayandciha.com.

Birth Date: 1928-08-08

Deceased Date: 2019-11-29

Obituary:
Edwin K. (Ed) Barker, age 91 longtime Iowa City educator and businessman, died Friday, November 29, 2019, at Oaknoll Retirement Residence.

Funeral services will be held at 10am Saturday, December 7, 2019, at the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Iowa City (Sunday Parking ordinance will be in effect for streets near the church). Burial will follow a light reception at the church following the services. Visitation will be from 3 to 6 pm Friday at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City. In lieu of flowers Ed’s family encourages donations be given in his memory to either the Iowa City Community School District Foundation, Rotary International or Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. To share a thought, memory or condolence with his family please visit the funeral home website @ www.gayandciha.com.

Edwin (Ed) Kaye Barker was born at home at 409 East Fourth Avenue in Indianola, Iowa on August 8, 1928 to Earl and Una Barker.  Ed graduated from Indianola High School in 1946.  After attending Simpson College for one year, he transferred to Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Iowa where he received his BA degree in 1950, majoring in Social Studies and minoring in Business Education.  Ed began working for pay in 1939.  By saving his money, he was able to graduate from college debt free. After graduating in May of 1950, Ed began teaching in the Sharpsburg, Iowa School District in southwest Iowa.  There were a total of 20 students in grades 9 through 12 with a faculty of two, the Superintendent and Ed. 
The Korean War started in June of 1950.  Ed received his draft notice in September.  The Board of Education was able to get a deferment until the end of the first semester.  Ed was inducted into the army on January 25, 1950 and did his basic training at Fort Riley, Kansas.  During basic training Ed was notified that he had been selected to attend the Counter Intelligence Corp (CIC) School located at Fort Holabird in Dundalk MD.  After graduating from the CIC school, Ed was assigned to work at the CIC headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, arriving in late December 1951.  He worked in an office with four people, two captains and two corporals.  Ed worked with a wonderful captain, with whom he had a life-time association.  Their job was to receive all of the reports from the many CIC offices throughout Japan about sabotage and disaffected United States soldiers.  Ed had a considerable amount of free time which he used to travel to all parts of beautiful Japan and to interact with many wonderful Japanese people.  He and another CIC person taught conversational English one night a week in a private school.  Ed had a wonderful time in Japan but was ready to return home early January of 1953.

The next four summers Ed attended graduate school, graduating with a Master’s Degree at UNI.  In the fall of 1953 Ed resumed his teaching career in Lake Park, Iowa.  After two years he began his career as a secondary school principal in Stanhope, Iowa where he remained for two years.  From there, he became the Junior-Senior High School principal in Coon Rapids, Iowa.  In Stanhope and for the first year at Coon Rapids, Ed taught two or three classes.  In November during Ed’s third year in Coon Rapids, a friend introduced him, at a small party in his Des Moines home, to Ethel Kjaer Hansen.  Ethel’s first husband, a soon to be ordained minister, had died about 18 months previously, leaving Ethel with two adorable little girls, Alice and Susan.  Ed and Ethel were married by her father, a Lutheran minister, on June 18, 1960.  The family moved to Chariton, Iowa that summer.  Ed had accepted the position as the Chariton High School principal.  During the family’s four year stay in Chariton, David and Jim were born.  The family moved to Boone, Iowa in the summer of 1964 where Ed had been selected to be the principal of the Boone Junior-Senior High School which had about 1,000 students.  In December of 1967, Ed was asked to serve as principal of the new Iowa City West High Junior-Senior High school which was to open in August, 1968. Ed began working in Iowa City in February, commuting to Boone week-ends so that the children could finish the school year in Boone.  Opening a new high school and serving as the principal for 11 years was an exciting and fun way for Ed to cap his 27 year career in secondary education.

With four children planning to attend college, Ed and Ethel needed to find a way to acquire more money.  Ethel got a book on real estate from the public library.  Over the next few years several rental properties were acquired with Ed doing the negotiating and Ethel managing the properties.  Eventually Jim and a few years later David and his wife, Sarah, became involved in the business, expanding into Davenport, Iowa.

Ed was involved in many local organizations and government entities.  He also raised significant amounts of money for a variety of local and national needs.

Ed enjoyed traveling, visiting all 50 states and approximately 40 different countries.  Their daughter, Alice planned most of the family vacations, beginning when she was in 8th grade. Those trips included visiting all of the 48 lower states. 

Ed is survived by his wife of 60 years, Ethel, children Alice Miller (Mark), Susan Dresdale, David Barker (Sarah Richardson), and James Barker (Anna), grandchildren Eric Miller (Melissa Elliott), Katie Miller (Jeremy Stubbs), Jacob Dresdale (Alina) , Anna Dresdale, Gabriel Barcellos-Dresdale (Mariana), Margaret Richardson, William Barker, Nicholas Barker, Thomas Barker, and Emma Barker and great-grandchildren Michaela Barcellos-Dresdale, Benjamin Stubbs, and Elliott Miller.

Written by Edwin Barker in 2015.

Birth Date: 1958-09-06

Deceased Date: 2022-08-18

Obituary:
Mary “Molly” Elizabeth Senneff was found deceased from natural causes in her home in Iowa City, Iowa on August 18th, 2022. She is the daughter of Thomas and Nancy Senneff. Molly was born in Mason City, Iowa on September 6th, 1958. Molly was a strong woman who raised three children as a single mother. She had the heart of a child and taught others to have fun in life. Molly taught her children to work hard, be compassionate and give back to the community. She loved her dogs Sadie and Poopy dearly. Molly attended West High School and graduated in 1977. Molly was a creative spirit and loved to crochet, sew, paint and cross stitch. She also enjoyed dancing at music events around Iowa City. She volunteered at the Food Bank and brought goody bags for sick children at the University of Iowa Hospital. Molly is survived by her children Jessica (Brady) Johnson, Dillan Laughlin (Victoria Montano), Kallista (Daniel) Fischer, her five loving grandchildren, her mother Nancy Senneff (nee Bresnahan), her siblings Cyndie (William) Beaumont, Thomas Senneff Junior, Martha (Dean) Stewart, and sister in law Sarah Senneff. Preceded in death are her father Thomas Senneff, brother Joseph Senneff, grandparents John and Eunice Senneff, and grandparents George and Dorothy Bresnahan. A private family gathering will be held at a future date. In honor of Molly, please consider volunteering in the community or donate directly to St. Jude's Children's Hospital at www.stjude.org.

Birth Date: 1959-07-09

Deceased Date: 2017-09-15

Obituary:
Charles Eugene Nida, 58, of North Liberty died Friday, September 15th of injuries incurred in a motorcycle accident.

 

A Funeral Service to celebrate Chuck's life will be at 6PM Tuesday, September 19th at Lensing Oak Hill Funeral Service, 210 Holiday Rd, Coralville. Visitation will be Tuesday from 4:30 to 6 PM at the funeral home. Family committal services will be held Wednesday at Ridgewood Cemetery.

 

In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the American Diabetes Association.

 

Chuck was born July 9, 1959 in Milan, Missouri, the son of Max and Trula Gingerich Nida. He was a 1977 West High School graduate. On May 5, 1995 Chuck married Mary Ann Pfab in Kalona.

 

Chuck began his employment at the UI in February 1979 in the maintenance department at the Oakdale campus. He was skilled in both the Electrical and HVAC trades, working as an Electrician, Environmental Systems Mechanic and Systems Control Technician during his tenure. He was promoted to Supervisor in November 2008. It is likely no one knew more about the Oakdale campus facilities than Chuck, and he took great pride in caring for it. Chuck was a valued member of the Facilities Management leadership team, with 39 years of service at the UI. He will be greatly missed.

 

His father owned and operated Coralville Heating and Air Conditioning, where Chuck had worked part time.

 

He loved NASCAR and riding his motorcycle. He enjoyed time spent with family, traveling with his wife, the Dallas Cowboys and WWE Wrestling

 

Chuck is survived by his wife Mary Ann of North Liberty; his mother, Trula and sister Margaret (Charles) Sedlacek, both of Coralville; his nephew, Jason (Nicole) Sedlacek of Rowley; his nieces, Stacy (Derek) Holmes of West Branch, Kelly Sedlacek of North Liberty and Lauren Pfab of Iowa City; and his father-in-law, Irvin Pfab of Iowa City.

 

Chuck was preceded in death by his grandparents, his father and mother-in-law, Catherine Pfab.

 

Published in the Press-Citizen on Sept. 18, 2017

Birth Date: 1959-07-07

Deceased Date: 2012-07-06

Obituary:
Amy Neustrom, 52, of Coralville, chose to be with her Lord on Friday, July 6, 2012.
 
Amy was born July 7, 1959 in Cedar Rapids, the daughter of Michael Richard and Doris “Jackie” (Jackson) Finn. Growing up in Iowa City, Amy graduated from Iowa City West High School in 1977. She then received her nursing degree from Kirkwood Community College. She first practiced as a registered nurse in Wichita, Kansas from 1985 until 1987. Amy married Kirk Neustrom on October 10, 1987 in Iowa City. Returning to work in Iowa City, Amy was a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care unit at The University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. For 26 years, simply put,   Amy loved caring for her babies.
 
She loved nature and flowers. She enjoyed celebrating the holidays - making Christmas candy and Easter baskets. Amy treasured being with friends and family – especially the family reunions in Estes Park, Colorado.
 
Survivors include her husband Kirk; daughter Sarah Poggenpohl (Josh) of North Liberty, sons, Michael Neustrom of Iowa City and Ben Neustrom of Coralville; her mother, Jackie Finn of Iowa City; sister, Ellen Rausch (Bruce) of Coralville; brother, John Finn (Patty) of Olathe, Kansas, a grandson Cameron; her mother-in-law, Shirley Neustrom of Moville, Iowa; nieces and nephews, Elizabeth, Laura, Katherine, Andrew, Melvin and Brandon (Meg), a great-nephew, Collin and her well-loved animals, Lester, Mason, Joey and Libby.   
 
Amy was preceded in death by her father, Michael Richard Finn

Birth Date: 1959-03-28

Deceased Date: 2012-03-30

Obituary:
Jay B. Loomer, 53, died peacefully at home on Friday, March 30, 2012. A service to celebrate Jay’s life will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, with the Rev. Matt Paul officiating.
Jay was born March 28, 1959 in Rochester, Minn., the son of Bradley and Margaret Doescher Loomer. He was a 1977 graduate of West High School and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from the University of Iowa.
Jay was a gentle spirit. His love of nature, camping, backpacking, music and his family, especially his nieces and nephews, appeased his struggle with depression.
Jay is survived by his mother, Margaret “Margie” Loomer of Iowa City; his four siblings, Kirk (Julie) Loomer and Lynne (Doug) Ginsberg, both of Iowa City, Scott (Susan) Loomer of Portland, Ore., and Anne (Steve) Richardson of San Antonio, Texas; nieces and nephews, Kris (Amber) Loomer, Justin (Leah) Loomer, Logan, Jordan and Landon Loomer, Louis and Megan Ginsberg; and his special loves, Addyson and Avery Loomer.
Jay was preceded in death by his father.
Online condolences may be directed to www.lensingfuneral.comPublished April 2, 2012 in The Gazette

Birth Date: 1958-03-10

Deceased Date: 2012-03-03

Obituary:
Kevin R. Speas, 53, died Saturday, March 3, 2012 in Greensboro, NC. Kevin was born March 10, 1958 in Iowa City, IA to Ralph Speas of Greensboro, NC and Louise Eichler of Iowa City. He is survived by his parents, 2 daughters, Brianna Yoder and Samantha Speas, 4 grandchildren, 1 brother, and 5 sisters. Private services will be held later.

Birth Date: 1958-09-09

Deceased Date: 2002-01-31

Obituary:
TIOGA, Ill. - Wesley "Doug" Gillham, 43, of Tioga, Ill., died at 8:35 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, 2002, at Lima, Ill.
 
He was born on Sept. 9, 1958, in Iowa City, the son of Theodore James and Helen Marjorie Carr Gillham. He married Patricia Georgia Lynne Phillips on June 20, 1994, in Iowa City. She survives.
 
Additional survivors include: his parents of Hills; his mother and father-in-law, Richard and Marian Phillips of Warsaw, Ill.; three daughters, Rebecca Lynne, Lynna Elizabeth and Brooke Lynnette Gillham, all at home in Tioga; a sister, Sheree (and Randy) Tadlock of Iowa City; three brothers, Theodore Stevin (and Pamela) Gillham of Hills, Tom (and Cynthia) Gillham of Iowa City and David (and Kris) Gillham of Lone Tree; and several nieces and nephews.
 
He was preceded in death by his grandparents and a nephew.
 
He graduated from West High School, Class of 1977, Iowa City. He was employed by Knapheide.
 
Mr. Gillham was a member of the Machinist Union in Quincy, Ill.
 
He especially loved spending time with his wife and daughters.
 
His hobbies included cars, motorcycles and snowmobiling. He enjoyed people and was always willing to help others. He will be greatly missed.
 
Mr. Gillham was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Nauvoo, Ill.

Birth Date: 1959-08-12

Deceased Date: 2008-10-31

Obituary:
Dawn Marie McCarten, 49, of Lawrence, KS, died peacefully at Midland Hospice House in Topeka, KS. on Oct. 30th, 2008. Dawn was born Aug. 12th, 1959 in Iowa City, IA, daughter of William Allen Aldeman and Marietta (Gill) Aldeman. She was the oldest of four children. She graduated from West High School in Iowa City, IA, in 1977. She was united in marriage to Pat McCarten on Oct. 25th, 1980. Dawn leaves behind her grandmother, Cleo Kinsinger of Coralville, IA; her mother, Marietta Gill of Kalona, IA; her brother and his wife, William Bryan Aldeman and Marie Aldeman of Coralville, IA, her brother Zach Aldeman of Davenport, IA., two sisters, Linsey Aldeman and Rachel Aldeman, both of Davenport, IA. She was preceded in death by her husband, grandfather, Ray R. Kinsinger, and her father, William Allen Aldeman.

Birth Date: 1959-07-02

Deceased Date: 2003-11-13

Obituary:
Kristin Kay (McKeen) Helm, age 44, of Shellsburg, formerly of Iowa City. Kris suffered a massive heart attack and died on Thursday, November 13, 2003 at a hospital in Cedar Rapids. Kris was born July 2, 1959, in Iowa City, Iowa the daughter of Paul and Donna McKeen. She attended schools in Iowa City graduating from West High in 1977. As an undergraduate first at Iowa State University and then, the University of Iowa, she studied business/finance and graduated with a BBA from the University of Iowa in 1981. After embarking on a successful business career in banking and finance, she returned to the MBA program at the University of Iowa graduating with her MBA in 2001 receiving distinction as a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma School of Business Honor Society. She was employed at AEGON as a team leader in securities operations. Kris had been married to Robert Helm. For the past four years, Kris has shared her life with Gene Fritch, whom she was to marry February 27, 2004. Kris’s family includes her loving parents Paul J. McKeen and Donna McKeen. They reside in Iowa City and in Mesa, Arizona. She also leaves behind her siblings and friends; a sister Elizabeth (Beth) Wehrman, her husband Rich, and their two daughters, Carissa and Briana, of Maxwell, Iowa, and two brothers, P. Douglas McKeen, his wife Cynthia Luse-McKeen, and their two children Hanna and Jordan, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, and Timothy (Tim) McKeen of Iowa City; aunts and uncles, Dick and Kathleen McKeen of Iowa City, Pat and Kermit Fessler of Palos Heights, IL, and George and Nancy Hof of Stillwater, MN. She was a person of great spirit, compassion, keen intellect, and hard work – full of love and devotion for her friends and family. Kris had so many passions in life, her family, fiancé’, reading, baking, cooking, good food and good wine, working with Gene fixing up their home, fishing just to relax, working at AEGON, and her deep love of children.

Birth Date: 1959-07-27

Deceased Date: 1980-04-25

Obituary:
We were not able to find Randy's obituary, but there was an article in the paper, with the picture included here:

Headline: No Foul Play Indicated in Man's Apparent Drowning, by Kevin Kane, staff writer.

About 30 area residents have been interviewed in an investigation of the apparent drowning of a 20 year-old Iowa City man found in the Iowa River Friday and no signs of foul play have been uncovered, according to Iowa City Police Detective Ron Evans.

Johnson County Sheriff's officials said that the body of Randy Rummerlhart, son of UI employees Paul and Jacqueline Rummelhart of RR3 Iowa City, was discovered by a fisherman near the UI power plant south of the Burlington St. bridge.

Johnson County Medical Examiner, Dr. T.T. Bozek said that results from preliminary tests indicate the possibility of death by drowning, but that results from further tests are still pending, Bozek said that those results could be in as early as today.

Evans said that the medical examination makes up about 50 percent of the police investigation, but that local authorities have also called in the state Division of Criminal Investigation on the case.

"In the case of any death like this," said DCI investigator Tim McDonald, "we approach it as a homicide, just in terms of keeping the intensity of the investigation up."

Rummelhart, who joined the U.S. Army in December, was last seen at Woodfield's bar early Sunday morning, April 20, according to Rummelhart's mother. When Rummelhart failed to return home, his mother phoned Johnson County authorities on Monday and filed a missing person's report.

Mrs. Rummelhart said that her son had recently completed basic training at Ft. Knox, KY and was temporarily assigned to Iowa City as an aide in the local Army Recruiting Office while awaiting orders for assignment in Germany.

Both Mrs. Rummelhart and Rummelhart's commanding officer, Sgt. Robert Baker, said that Rummelhart was enthusiastic about going to Germany.

Services for Rummelhart will held at 10 a.m. today at the George L. Gay Funeral Home. Burial will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery.

Rummelhart was born on July 27, 1959, in Iowa City. He graduated from West High School in 1977.

He is survived by his parents, his grandparents, Clara Rummelhart of Riverside and Mr. and Mrs. Lester Manasmith of Wellman, and by his great grandmother, Alice Burris of Iowa City.
 

Birth Date: 1959-08-06

Deceased Date: 1991-02-06

Obituary:

Birth Date: 1959-04-02

Deceased Date: 2006-12-15

Obituary:
Marlys Ann Hebl, 47, of North Liberty died peacefully Friday, December 15, 2006 at Mercy Hospital from complications of a stroke.

Marlys was born April 2, 1959 in Iowa City, the daughter of Maynard and Betty Scott Hebl. Marlys was a 1977 graduate of West High School and an avid West High fan. She graduated from the Mercy Hospital School of Radiologic Technology in 1980.

Marlys was a radiology technician at Mercy Hospital for 25 years, where she specialized in CT and MRI scanning.

Marlys was a dedicated Mercy employee with a strong work ethic and a friend to all who knew her. She cherished the time spent with her family, especially her nieces and nephews who brought her much joy. Marlys loved her Shih-Tzu, Chloe. She had a wonderful sense of humor, a jovial spirit and a smile that lit up the room. Marlys will be greatly missed.

The Hebl family would like to extend their thanks and appreciation to Dr. Neiman, the staff at Mercy ICU and all those involved in Marlys’ care.

Marlys is survived by her father, Maynard of Iowa City and her six siblings,

Lori (Jim) Wildman of Plymouth, MN.; Dennis (Lisa) Hebl of Coralville and their children Melanie (Nathan), Brittany and Jamie; Kenneth (Carole Ann) Hebl of Oxford and their children Sara and Carter; Karen (Rick) Shemanski of Solon and their children Shelby and Kelsey; Scott (Nancy) Hebl of Hills and their children Nicole and Tyler; Kevin (Robin) Hebl of Ripon, England and their children Kyle, Ryan and Abby; her godparents Donald and Ann Draker of Hills; many aunts and uncles, especially Mary Rita Hebl; close friends Sheila and Kathy; and her beloved Shih-Tzu, Chloe.

Marlys was preceded in death by her mother, Betty, whom she greatly missed and her grandparents, Elmer and Mary Hebl and Russell and Edith Scott.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Mercy Hospital Foundation or Johnson County 4-H. Arrangements are with Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service.
 

Birth Date: 1959-02-15

Deceased Date: 1996-09-01

Obituary:
The following is not an obituary, but rather a piece published by colleagues shortly after his death:

On September 1, 1996 Patrick J. Fett died after a long battle with cancer. Pat was recently promoted to Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Memphis. His untimely death at the age of 37 robbed the profession of one of its most promising young scholars. More importantly, it robbed us of one of the most genuinely goodhearted people to touch the lives of those lucky enough to have known him.

Pat grew up in Iowa City, Iowa, the son of a public school teacher. He earned his baccalaureate degree from the University of Iowa and his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester. He held faculty positions at Vanderbilt University (1988-1993) and the University of Memphis (1993-1996).

During his all-too-brief career Pat Produced some extraordinary scholarship that demonstrated his eye for the enduring questions in politics and his commitment to rigorous scientific method. His ability to combine formal theory with empirical methods resulted in a body of works that have enhanced significantly our understanding of how institutional features of the U.S. Congress (its rules and structure) affect its operations and its interactions with the executive branch. During Pat's tenure review, Richard F. Fenno, Kenan Professor of Political Science at the University of Rochester and one of the discipline's best known scholars on Congress, characterized Pat's work as follows:
His body of research on presidential legislative priorities is, to my mind, the best political science work on that    subject. It makes a substantial contribution to the study of presidential leadership generally. And it pioneers, first, in the use of presidential messages as indicators of presidential priorities and, second, in the use of individual votes to measure legislator response and--in addition to cumulative support scores--to analyze executive-legislative relations.

Two of his articles developed our understanding of the way in which national agendas emerge from the interplay between Congress and the president. "Presidential Legislative Priorities and Legislators' Voting Decisions: An Exploratory Analysis" (Journal of Politics, 1994) and "Truth in Advertising: The Revelation of Presidential Legislative Priorities" (Western Political Quarterly, 1992) are theoretically sophisticated empirically grounded works that go beyond anecdote to offer tests of how presidential communication styles affect the voting behavior of legislators. The latter work is cited in virtually every current article on presidential-congressional relations.
In "A Content Based Analysis of Personal Presidential Lobbying of Congress" (Southeastern Political Review, 1993), Pat broadened his focus to examine the persuasiveness of presidents with Congress, not through speech-making but through the direct appeals to individual legislators by the president and his congressional liaison staff. Using specific policy battles to anchor the analysis, Pat compares presidential success in the House and Senate. His research design for this study was clever, innovative, and appropriate to the question. As in his other works, Pat advanced our understanding of executive-legislative interactions by developing an innovative research design that allowed him to explain the behavior of actors in the executive branch and both houses of Congress in their interaction over specific policy matters. His analysis corroborates the limited extent of the president's influence over legislative outcomes and the importance of political context in determining the extent and form of that influence when it does occur. His analysis is especially powerful in its ability to test for general patterns in political behavior and to recommend new avenues of research on legislative-executive interaction.

The agility of his intellect was demonstrated in two additional articles on the term limits movement, in which he brought to bear suitable social scientific methods to the analysis of an issue that is currently prominent in the public arena. "Congressional Term Limits, State Legislative Term Limits and Congressional Turnover: a Theory of Change" (with Daniel Ponder in PS: Political Science and Politics, 1993) was exceptional for its exposition of some likely outcomes of term limit legislation, outcomes that were largely ignored int he public debate surrounding the issue. Specifically, term limits on state legislatures will alter the make-up of the U.S. Congress by altering the pool of candidates for seats in the U.S. Congress. State legislators who reach the term limit in the state legislature will run for the U.S. Congress rather than retire from public life. "The Implications of Turnover and Term Limits on Institutional Stability" (with Scott Ainsworth and Itai Sened) received the Pi Sigma Alpha Award for the best paper presented at the 1995 Midwest Political Science Association convention. It combined formal theoretic analysis and statistical tests to estimate the likely effects of term limits on the instability of legislative institutions. By using this combination of approaches, Pat and his coauthors speak to two audiences that are often artificially separated by their distinctive methodologies. Richard Fenno praises it both for its use of formal, rational choice analysis of institutions and for "push[ing] that somewhat abstract literature in the direction of some hard-headed empirical analysis of important, real world problems. That ... is a very large contribution, and it is ... Pat's great talent as a political scientist. It is a talent much to be valued, in my judgment, and much to be husbanded in our disicipline."

In "Vote Visibility, Roll Call Participation and Legislative Compromise in the U.S. House" (forthcoming, Congress and the Presidency) Pat once again fit the method to the problem by employing a longitudinal design to examine a new proposition concerning strategic absenteeism from roll call votes. This work enhances our understanding of the connection between vote visibility, conflict, and participation in legislative voting. His data spans twelve congresses and six presidents. Few scholars have tested for trends over time as Pat did in this work.

For those of us who were fortunate enough to know him, Pat was far more than just a first-rate scholar. His basic kindness, decency, and good humor turned his professional relationships into warm friendships, not just with his colleagues on the faculty but with students in his class and the department's office staff. At Vanderbilt he initiated an undergraduate research methods class that enhanced the ability of undergraduates to compete effectively in quality graduate programs. He had a similar impact on the quality of University of Memphis graduates when he introduced a social choice course to the undergraduate curriculum. In a profession where advising students is seldom appreciated and rarely rewarded, Pat pursued it with an enthusiasm, commitment, and compassion that made him a favorite mentor and confidante among undergraduate and graduate students alike. Pat's door was always open, and the collection of toys he maintained in his office made him a favorite among the children of students, staff, and faculty as they waited on a parent to finish a class or a meeting. From his own child-like love of life grew a genuine empathy and appreciation for others. While in graduate school, he taught American Politics to hearing impaired students at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. He was so successful and so well-liked by the students that he was offered a full-time position there after he graduated. Other examples of this commitment to others are too numerous to list and some too personal to publicize. Many we will never know of because Pat was not one to advertise his own acts of kindness. Many we only learned of at his memorial service: facing down the spouse of a battered woman, helping a troubled veteran realize his talents and develop his commitment to scholarship, accompanying an ill friend to get tested for a life-threatening condition when he knew his own cancer had reappeared. Pat was a genuinely good person.

Pat's courage, grace, and humor in the face of his rapidly progressing cancer were extraordinary. Though he knew his life was ending, he simply refused to permit the disease to change the way he lived. His commitment to living as he always had was so great that most of his students and colleagues had no idea that he was sick. He only stopped teaching when he believed that his diminished energies would hurt his students. He continued to live at his own home, to tease and joke with his friends, and to amass silly toys. Most astonishing to many of us, he continued to think of others ahead of himself.
Just as his commitment to scholarship came from a profound, genuine, and deeply rooted love for knowledge, unpolluted by mere ambition for career advancement, so his commitment to his family, his friends, his colleagues and his students grew out of a genuine love of life. His scholarship has advanced our knowledge in one area of the discipline. His humanity enriched the lives of all who knew him.
 
Scott Ainsorth
University of Georgia
Glenn Chafetz
T. David Mason
University of Memphis
Ainsorth, Scott^Chafetz, Glenn
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 1997 Cambridge University Press

Birth Date: 1958-09-30

Deceased Date: 1986-12-16

Obituary:

Birth Date: 1959-11-09

Deceased Date: 1999-10-06

Obituary:
This is not an obituary, rather an excerpt from the Iowa Women's Archives at the UI Libraries.

Human rights activist and singer-songwriter Theresa Mary "Tess" Catalano, who was active in organizations such as the Women's Resource and Action Center (WRAC) and Common Lives/Lesbian Lives that supported feminists and lesbians, was born in Athens, Ohio, in 1959 to Cosmo and Josephine (Smith) Catalano. She was the youngest of three children. The Catalano family moved to Iowa City in 1966 when Cosmo Catalano, a theater professor, was hired by the University of Iowa. Tess Catalano attended Lincoln Elementary, Central Junior High, and West High in Iowa City, from which she graduated in 1977. She attended Allegheny College, (the alma mater of her parents), for one year, then returned to Iowa City and completed a BA at the University of Iowa in 1985.

Catalano's political activities made her "somewhat of a campus legend" at the University of Iowa, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette. She served on organizing committees for events such as Take Back the Night rallies and Pride week. She also protested South Africa's apartheid policies and the University of Iowa's economic investment in the government of South Africa. As a singer-songwriter, Catalano frequently sang at benefits on behalf of the causes she supported. Catalano supported herself during her undergraduate years by driving city and school buses, and working at the University of Iowa accounting and maintenance departments.

Catalano became a certified massage therapist after completing training at the Desert Institute of the Healing Arts in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1994. She returned to Iowa City where she practiced massage until she and her partner, Rebecca Teasdale, moved to Oregon in 1997. After a year in Portland, the couple moved to Eugene, Oregon, where Tess Catalano died suddenly in 1999. Memorial services were held in both Eugene and Iowa City as hundreds of people mourned her passing and remembered her contributions to their communities.

Birth Date: 1959-02-11

Deceased Date: 2003-08-15

Obituary:

Birth Date: 1959-01-28

Deceased Date: 2008-07-07

Obituary:

William R. “Bill” Barnes, 49, of 3 Partridge Court in Iowa City, died Wednesday, July 7, 2008 in his home after 19 years of fighting multiple sclerosis.

Bill was born January 28, 1959 in Fairfield, Iowa, the son of Benjamin and Patricia Ann (Richardson) Barnes. He graduated from Iowa City West High School in 1977 and attended
Kirkwood Community College. Bill worked at the Iowa City Eagle’s (Wardway) Grocery Store for 13 years. He was a member of the Newman Catholic Student Center and proudly supported the Chicago Cubs. He enjoyed touring motorcycles and taking trips with friends before the onset of his illness.

Bill married Janice Duwa on August 1, 1981 in Hills, Iowa. The couple divorced in 2004.

Survivors include his sons, Corey Barnes and Joshua Barnes, both of Iowa City;
brothers, Benjamin Barnes (Robyn) of Houston, Texas and Paul Barnes (Bridgette) of Trabuco Canyon, California; sister, Valerie Barnes of Iowa City; his parents, Benjamin Barnes of Iowa City and Patricia Peyton, also of Iowa City.
Instead of flowers, the family requests memorials to an education fund to be established for Bill’s sons, Corey & Joshua.

Birth Date: 1958-04-27

Deceased Date: 1995-06-16

Obituary:
David Scott Balmer, 37 of 1314 Oakcrest St. died Friday June 16, 1995 at University Hospitals of complications from AIDS.

Graveside services will beging at 9 a.m. Monday at Memory Gardens Cenetery with the Rev. Doug Flater officiating.

Visitation will be from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday at Donohue-Lensing funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Association or ICARE.

Mr. Balmer was born April 27, 1958, in Grinnell to Wayne and NoraLee (Nesmith) Balmer. He graduated from West High School in 1977. He received his bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Iowa in 1984. He was an administrative assistant at Plumber's Supply Co. 

He was a member of the Congregational United Church of Christ.

Survivors include his parents of Iowa City; two brothers and their wives, John R. and Penny, and James W. and Andrea, all of Iowa City; one sister and her husband Mary and Gene Gessner of East Lansing, Michigan; and nine nieces and nephews.