Area Obituaries

 H.W. ‘Bib’ Combs was born March 23, 1918 in the farm home of his parents, Charley Combs and Mae (Wilkinson) Combs, near Allendale, Missouri. He passed away on February 15, 2010 at the Clearview Home in Mount Ayr, Iowa. The family moved to Redding, Iowa, where Bib graduated from high school with the class of…

  Doyle Lee Adams was born November 29, 1934 in Ringgold county, Iowa the son of Lewis and Hazel (Baker) Adams. He graduated from Benton high school with the class of 1953.  In September of that year, Doyle began working for the telephone company as a lineman. During his employment with the phone company he…

 Walter Ivan Matzen, 93, died Thursday, February 11, 2010 at his residence in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Walter was born December 4, 1917, the son of Andrew and Minnie Matzen at Mason City, Iowa. Walter received his education in Mason City, then enlisted in the U.S. Army and served during WWII.  After discharge from the army…

Gwen Livesay Kennedy, 72, passed away peacefully at Mercy Hospice in Johnston, Iowa on February 3, 2010. Gwen was born in Ringgold county to Richard and Margaret Livesay on November 1, 1937. On August 16, 1957, Gwen married the love of her life, Dennis Kennedy, and to this union were born three daughters, Kim, Tammy…

Joseph Miles Minarik was born December 8, 1966 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Susan and Joseph R. Minarik. He enjoyed working with computers, collecting trains and photography. His favorite destination was Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida where he and his wife visited every year. Joseph married Rebecca Sue Haley on October 21, 1995…

Alice Darlene Bruner Larsen, youngest daughter of Frederick Arthur and Ava E. (Greer) Bruner, was born November 7, 1928 at Clearfield, Iowa. She died February 4, 2010 at the Clearview Home in Clearfield after a lengthy illness. Darlene was united in marriage to Richard Dean Larsen on August 29, 1947. To this union three children…

Sam K. Merrill, youngest child of Forest R. and Lucile (McCreary) Merrill, was born June 29, 1927 at the home on a ranch north of Wray, Colorado. He departed this life on January 25, 2010 at the Mount Ayr Health Care Center in Mount Ayr at the age of 82 years. He attended country school…

William Ralph (Bill) Rees was the son of Ralph and Ellen (Lottie) Barnett Rees. Bill was born on July 19, 1932 in Garden Grove, Iowa.  He passed away Thursday, January 28, 2010, at his home in Mount Ayr, Iowa. Bill grew up in rural Ringgold county and graduated from Mount Ayr high school in 1950.…

Thomas Darrell Rhodes was born August 18, 1979 at Linden, Texas, the son of Susan and Mark Watson and Ricky and Jewell Rhodes. Thomas graduated from Hughes Spring, Texas high school in 1997. He enjoyed music and was active in the band and choir and enjoyed stirring up the chorus teacher. Thomas married April Lacsey…

Billy Emmett Harris departed this life January 28, 2010 at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa.   Bill was born April 2, 1940 in Grant City, Missouri to Harley E. Harris and Marjorie (Pickering) Harris. He attended elementary school in Grant City and high school in Stanberry, Missouri. Bill was united in marriage to…

Joe F. Motsinger, 82, passed away January 21, 2010 at Iowa Lutheran Hospital. Funeral services were held at Hamilton’s Funeral Home in Des Moines, Iowa on January 25, 2010. Burial was at Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery.   Joe was born January 8, 1928 in Redding, Iowa to Harry (Doog) Motsinger and Marian Fisher Motsinger. He…

 Kendall Crawford, son of Bernard and Marla (White) Crawford, was born January 7, 1986 at the Ringgold County Hospital in Mount Ayr. He was immediately life-flighted to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines. He came into the world a fighter and left us as a fighter. He was able to come home to his parents…