Obituaries

Nellie Mae (Williams) Skinner, 79, of Keokuk, died Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024.Nellie was born July 7, 1945, in Keokuk, Iowa, to JB and Lora Williams.She was united in marriage with Thomas E. Skinner on Dec. 30, 1968. Thomas preceded Nellie in death on Jan. 10, 2019.Nellie is survived by three daughters: Leslie Erxleben of Keokuk, Lora (Andrew) Stevens of Keokuk, and Lisa (Justin) Ward of Van Horne, Iowa; four grandchildren: Emmy (15) and Libby (13) Ward, and Drew (11) and Cora (8) Stevens; and five siblings: James, Marvin, Keith, Luke, and sister Leetha Smith.

Gary “Bear” Charles Becker, 68, of Watkins, IA passed away September, 23, 2024 at his home.Gary was born January 7, 1956 to Louis and Mary (O’Brien) Becker in Cedar Rapids, IA. He graduated from Benton Community High School, class of 1974 and studied Ag Mechanics at Kirkwood Community College. Following school, he worked as a mechanic at Leo Kelly’s and for the Ford tractor dealership in Cedar Rapids.

Melvin Young, 97, of Palo, IA, passed away on Wednesday, September 18, 2024.A funeral service celebrating Mel’s life will be held at 11:00 am Saturday, September 28, 2024, at the Palo United Methodist Church with Pastor Tyler officiating. The service will be live streamed via Facebook. A reception in the church’s Fellowship Hall will follow afterwards.

Donna Mae Funk, 87, of Vinton, Iowa, died Sunday, September 22, 2024. A visitation will be held from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Center Point, Iowa. Funeral service will follow at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home, with Pastor Todd Hart officiating. Burial: Walker Cemetery, Walker, Iowa.

Robert Levi Thompson, 82, of Lincoln, NE, passed away September 4, 2024. He was born September 15, 1941, to Chester and Doris Thompson.Bob is survived by his sons, Jim (Lisa) Thompson, Brien Thompson; grandchildren, Jared, Keegan, and Faith Thompson; and sister, Joanne Winterchaser.He was preceded in death by his parents and beloved wife, Virginia Lou Thompson.

Dean Chandler Schirm, 96, of St. Petersburg, Florida, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2024, due to natural causes. Dean was born on April 4, 1928, in Vinton, Iowa where he was raised and where he graduated from Vinton High School.In 1951, Dean married the love of his life, Helen, whom he met in Vinton before joining the U.S. Army. Their love story continued as Helen accompanied him to Georgia during his service.

Jack Duane Decker, 89 of Morris, Illinois died in his sleep on Friday, September 13, 2024. He was born July 26, 1935, to Harry and Selma (Kota) Decker in Finchford, Iowa, where he will also be buried.Jack worked for his father as a young man putting up telephone lines. He joined the navy in 1953 and served in the Korean war until 1956. He worked for Coca-Cola before becoming employed with John Deere, where he retired after 26 years.

Ballard J. “Bop” Smith, Jr., age 70, of Ida Grove, Iowa, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Monday, September 16, 2024.A Celebration of Life Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Saturday, September 28, 2024, at the Ida County Conservation Center located at 299 Jasper Ave., Ida Grove, Iowa.  The Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home of Ida Grove, Iowa, is in charge of the funeral arrangements.

Paul Edward Mittan, 80, of Blairstown, IA passed away September 16, 2024 at Keystone Care Center, Keystone, IA. Paul was born September 25, 1943 to Charles Edward and Donna (Usher) Mittan in Cedar Rapids, IA. He attended Roosevelt and Jefferson High Schools in Cedar Rapids. Moving with his family to Blairstown, to enjoy the small-town life, Paul graduated from Blairstown High School.

It is with great sadness that the family of Gavin Monroe Rohrbach announce his death.Gavin Monroe Rohrbach, 17, of La Porte City, passed away in a car accident on Tuesday, September 10, 2024.Gavin was born on March 15, 2007, to proud parents Victor and Leah (Monroe) Rohrbach in Yokosuka, Japan where his father served in the United States Navy. His mother was blessed to stay at home with him while stationed at multiple Navy bases including in Oklahoma and Virginia before settling in La Porte City in 2014.