Area Obituaries

Craig Elliott was born to Jack Elliott and Mildred Dixon Elliott in Des Moines, Iowa on September 30, 1947. He and his family moved to Benton where he attended school till transferring to Mount Ayr. Craig enjoyed participating in sports in high school. His senior year he started dating Ellen Saville. After graduation Craig attended…

L. Maxine (Max) McGilvrey was born September 8, 1944, the eighth child of William and Hazel (Hullinger) Jones on the family farm. Max passed away at her home on May 29, 2004. Max grew up on the family farm and attended country school, Ellston schools until it closed and graduated in 1962 from Mount Ayr…

Dwayne Andrew Cason, son of Charles C. & Letha May (Safley) Cason, was born at home, southwest of Clearfield, Iowa, on December 25, 1944. Dwayne attended country school until transferring to Clearfield High School in the 7th grade. While in high school, Dwayne played football. In January 1962, Dwayne left high school at the age of…

Randy Gene Vanderflught was born on June 29th, 1952, in Leon, Iowa to Donald and Alta Hazel (Ward) Vanderflught. He was the oldest of 6 children. He left this world on May 9th, 2024, after a 3-year battle with rectal cancer. Randy attended and graduated from Grand Valley. Growing up he helped on the farm…

Virginia L. Smith (Hunt) was born on May 21, 1942, and passed on April 27, 2024. She is survived by her husband Ernest V. Smith, daughters Sherri Roe, Dianna Raymond, and son James Smith. Also survived by sister Julie Raymond Peppmeier and brother Bob Hunt. She had ten grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild.…

Frankie Duane Carson was born on February 16, 1948, at the Hale Ranch in Jefferson Township, Ringgold County, Diagonal Iowa to Leo Frank Carson and Dorothy Marie Ruby. Frank gained his wings on May 10, 2024, at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines after a short, but hard-fought battle with lymphoma. Frank grew up and lived…

Leona “Onie” Brown, 94, of Nevada passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, Iowa. Onie was born April 15, 1930, in Wolbach, Nebraska; the daughter of LeRoy Bucy and Anna Mae (Kinney) Bucy. She married Marvin Eugene Brown in Benton, Iowa, on December 24, 1949. They raised…

Bessie Ann Overholser was born December 24, 1931, in Knowlton, IA to Stanley and Helen Fredricksen-Overholser. Bessie departed her life at her home north of Diagonal on Monday, April 29, 2024, at the age of 92 years, 4 months, and 7 days. Bessie lived her whole life right in this area starting in Knowlton and…

Services for Jeff Shields, 41, formerly of Diagonal, will be 11 a.m. Saturday, May 4 at the United Church of Diagonal with visitation Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the church. Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr is in charge of the arrangements. Jeffrey Lee Shields, known to his closest friends as…