Obituaries Archive

James R. Sudmeier

James R. Sudmeier, 24, of New Vienna passed away unexpectedly of natural causes Sunday, January 24, 2021, at his home in New Vienna.

Visitation will be held from 12 – 1:30 p.m. Saturday, January 30, 2021, at St. Boniface Catholic Church in New Vienna where a Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 2 pm. Rev. Tyler Raymond will officiate and burial will be in the church cemetery.

James was born February 13, 1996, in Dyersville the son of Russell and Rosalie (Heim) Sudmeier. He graduated from Beckman Catholic High School in Dyersville with the Class of 2014. He was currently working as an equipment operator and truck driver for Steger Construction. While he loved his job, he had a real passion for farming.

James is survived by his parents, 1 son, Owen and his mother McKenzi Schmerbach of Millville, IA, his fiancé, Briana Althoff of Manchester, 2 siblings: Molly (Anthony) McAndrew of Dyersville and Robert Sudmeier of New Vienna; two nephews, Eli and Logan McAndrew; aunts and uncles: Ruth Heim of Roselle, IL, Thomas (Bev) Heim of New Albin, IA, Patricia (George) Penokie of Rochester, MN, Harold (Sherri) Heim of Manchester, IA, Alice (Dale) Roling of Dodgeville, WI, Brenda (Pat) Wessels of Dyersville, IA, Marvin (Laurie) Heim of Decorah, IA, George Heim of Dubuque, IA, Kenneth (Bonnie) Heim of Caledonia, MN, Frank (Michelle) Heim of Platteville, WI, Karen (Greg) Amadon of Seattle, WA, and David (Laurie) Heim of New Vienna, IA, Susanne (Moses) De Los Santos of Amana, IA, Jessica (Carlos) Garcia of San Diego, CA, John Sudmeier of Manchester, IA, Sara (Fred) Osborne of Wilmette, IL and Jayne Sudmeier of Dubuque; many cousins.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Robert and Bernice Heim, James and Helene Sudmeier, step-grandmother, Shirley Heim, an uncle, Robert Chabak and 3 cousins.

Information available at www.kramerfuneral.com. Cards may be sent to the family in care of Kramer Funeral Home, 750 – 12th Ave SW, Dyersville, Iowa 52040.

Sr. Francesca Koller, O.P.

Sister Francesca “Fran” Koller, O.P., died January 19, 2021 at St. Dominic Villa, Hazel Green, WI.

Born as Marie Agnes August 10, 1931, to Joseph and Mary (Pimishern) Koller in Appleton,Wis. She was the 10th of 11 children.

She is survived by one brother and one sister and her beloved Dominican Sisters.

Sister Fran was a welcome presence in the classrooms and communities where she lived. She taught with energy and zest in Illinois, Minnesota, South Carolina, Indiana and Wisconsin. She loved adventure and brought her spiritual talents as pastoral minister, liturgist, administrator and chaplain to Iowa, Tennessee, Alaska, Trinidad and again to Wisconsin.

Services will be held Jan 27-28 at Sinsinawa. Miller Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Sister Fran now sings joyfully with the living God.

Ivanelle M. Winders

Ivanelle M. “Ivy” (Hauk) Winders, age 90, of Dubuque, passed away at 3:30 p.m., on Friday, January 22, 2021, at Stonehill Care Center.  To celebrate Ivy’s life, private family services were held at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street.

Ivy was born on December 6, 1930, in Cassville, Wisconsin, daughter of Joseph and Anna (Hass) Hauk.

Ivy was born and raised in Wisconsin where she graduated from Lancaster High School.  She was a hard worker and was employed in the housekeeping department with Medical Associates for several years until her retirement.  Her faith was an important part of her life, and was evidenced by her long time membership with St. Anthony’s Church.  In her free time, Ivy could be found soaking up some sunshine out tending to her lawn and flower gardens.  She liked to feed the wild birds that came to visit, and always had several houses available for them to take up residence in.  Ivy also enjoyed sitting down relaxing and watching game shows on tv.  She had a special love of animals, and everyone who knew her knew how much she loved her faithful dog, Lexi.  Ivy traveled extensively and has been all over the world.  Stops in Italy at Vatican City to see the Pope, and traveling Switzerland were at the top of her list of favorites.  Ivy’s family, no doubt, meant the world to her.  Ivy was a strong, generous, beautiful woman who lived a hard life, but still managed to raise four hell raising sons on her own.  She gave her all and asked little in return.  If you were lucky enough to be loved by Ivy, you were indeed a very fortunate person.  She will be sadly missed.

Those left to cherish Ivy’s memory include

her children,
James (Dianne) Winders,
Randy Winders,
Dan (Cindy) Winders
and Mitchell Winders, all of Dubuque, IA;

her 7 grandchildren,
Mickie, Jennifer, Jenny, Rob, Ryan, Keri and Eric;

and her 10 great-grandchildren.

Ivy was preceded in death by her parents; a great-grandson, Isaac Weires; and a sister, Eileen (Cletus) Simon.

Ivy’s family would like to thank her friends and neighbors, Pat & Darlene and Jane & Rick, for all of their help over the years.

The family will thankfully receive your support through phone calls, greeting cards and memorials in Ivy’s memory which may be mailed to Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001, Attn. Ivanelle Winders Family.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.behrfuneralhome.com

Kathy L. Spear

Kathy L. Spear, age 64, of Dubuque, Iowa, completed her earthly journey on January 22, 2021, at home, with her dear friends by her side.  To honor Kathy’s life, her Celebration of Life will be held on June 12, 2021, with further details to be announced at a later date.  The Tri-State Cremation Center is humbly serving Kathy’s family.

Kathy was born on June 12, 1956, in Dubuque, Iowa, a daughter to Eugene C. and Kathleen M. (Schwendinger) Heeren.  She was born with a beautiful heart and soul and would share it so generously with the world around her throughout her entire 64 years among us.  Kathy’s passion in life was gardening through and through.  She eventually transformed her gifts in the garden into a viable business and became the proud owner of Kathy Spear Landscaping almost 20 years ago now.  Her vision and creations can be seen all over town and her last Parade of Ponds was the perfect culmination of all of the countless hours she had devoted to her dream.  Kathy was also known for her desire to live a natural and holistic lifestyle.  The wealth of knowledge she had gained over the years, especially when it came to essential oils, was simply amazing to everyone she helped.  Kathy viewed the world as a palate of positive potentials which only had to be explored, embraced, and embarked upon as each opportunity presented itself.  Kathy’s love for rocks and gems was also quite legendary and some of her fondest moments were found within her collection and attendance at the shows.  Kathy also enjoyed traveling, and wintering in Tucson with Jerry, always enjoying the time they had to simply relax and enjoy some quality time together.  We must not forget about Kathy’s love for cats as well. She had 2 cuddling companions around her at all times and never missed a chance to cast a little love into their days, just as they did for her.  It’s quite difficult to imagine that Kathy has been called home so soon, but she surely didn’t go without a fight.  The last two years have been faced head on and with relentless determination, no matter what the cancer would throw at her next.  We are beyond blessed to have known and loved such an amazing fighter and will treasure forever every single memory which Kathy leaves behind.  We pray now that our prayers for peace from her earthly struggles have been answered and may the healing and loving hands of her Lord and Savior hold her securely until we meet again.  Thank you, Kathy, for knowing how to turn the minutes into moments and for never letting your light dim…not even a little!

Those left behind to cherish the memory of Kathy include,

her son,
Kevin J. Fox, Epworth, Iowa;

her parents,
Eugene “Gene” Heeren, Dubuque, Iowa;
and Kathleen Schwendinger, Saint George, South Carolina;

her sisters,
Barb (Gene) Buhr, Faribault, Minnesota;
Tina (Mark) Linden, Cuba City, Wisconsin;
and Gina (Dan Sr.) Bonnett, Goodyear, Arizona;

her special friends,
Jerry Volk, Cascade, Iowa;
and Chris (Desiree) Bibb, Dubuque, Iowa;

along with numerous extended family, friends, and neighbors.

Kathy’s family would like to thank everyone who has helped Kathy throughout her courageous battle with cancer, especially the nurses and staff at Hospice of Dubuque, for all of their professional, compassionate, and tender care of Kathy during her most difficult days.

Online condolences may be shared with Kathy’s family at www.tristatecremationcenter.com

Rita M. Decker

Rita M. (Backes) Decker, age 90, of Dubuque, passed away at 3:52 a.m., on Friday, January 22, 2021, at home surrounded by her loving family.  To celebrate Rita’s life, private family services were held at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street.  The service will be available for viewing on the Behr Funeral Home Facebook page Tuesday, January 26, 2021.  Entombment will be in the Mt. Olivet Cemetery Mausoleum.

Rita was born on December 5, 1930, in Dubuque, Iowa, daughter of Leo and Mathilda (Pfohl) Backes.

Rita graduated from Visitation Academy and went on to L.P.N. Nursing school.  After finishing her training, Rita went to work as a nurse supervisor with Bethany Home for 11 years.  She also did in-home health care for several families.  Rita was never one to sit still.  She was a talented seamstress and made several beautiful embroidery pieces for her family and friends.  Rita enjoyed planting a big garden and would can her harvest to use in the kitchen throughout the year.  Much to her family’s delight Rita was an excellent chef and baker.  She was well known for her meticulous housekeeping and her love of reading and playing cards.  Rita enjoyed  traveling, and cruises to the Carribean quickly became her vacation of choice.  Rita was a very social person, and also had a great love of animals, especially her cats and little Pekingese dogs.  She was a member of St. Joseph the Worker Church and the Dominic Club for several years.  Her family was the most important aspect of Rita’s life.  She was always very interested in what everyone was up to and would check in with them daily.  Rita was truly one of a kind, and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

Those left to cherish Rita’s memory include

her children,
Leonard (Libby) Decker, Dubuque, IA,
Janaan (Glenn) Anderson, Holland, MI,
Wayne (Penny) Decker, Waterloo, IA,
Nancy (Larry) Thompson, Portland, OR,
Judy (Bob) Ward, Marion, IA,
Debbie Kirby, Rifle, CO,
Barb (Jeremy) Kass, Bellevue, IA,
Tina (David) Ries, Monticello, IA
and Roger (Celia Bullington) Decker, Yuma, AZ;

her 12 grandchildren;

her 15 great-grandchildren;

and her brothers,
Raymond (Elaine) Backes, Dubuque, IA
and Lee (Nancy Gollmer) Backes Jr., Milwaukee, WI.

Rita was preceded in death by her parents; a granddaughter, Karla Dolphin; a son-in-law, Donnie Kirby; and a sister-in-law, Mary Backes.

Rita’s family would like to thank Dr. Cao, the nurses and staff of Hospice of Dubuque, and all of the staff members of The Rose, for all of their kind, compassionate and loving care of Rita and her family.

The family will thankfully receive your support through phone calls, greeting cards and memorials in Rita’s memory which may be mailed to Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001, Attn. Rita Decker Family.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.behrfuneralhome.com

Robert L. Schreiber

Robert L. Schreiber, age 94, of Dubuque, passed away Friday January 22, 2021.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, January 26, at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Dubuque, and will be live-streamed on the Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Funeral Home Facebook page. Rev. Jim Goerend will officiate. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.egelhofsiegertcasper.com, where a link to the live-stream is available.

Because our dad was adamant that the celebration of his life in the midst of a pandemic not risk the safety of his family, friends and colleagues, there will be no wake.

He was preceded in death by the love of his life, his wife Jeanette, to whom he was married 64 years. He missed her every day following her death in 2014.

He is survived by three children: Maryellen (Glen) Thompson of Williamsburg, VA; Jim (Renee) Schreiber of Dubuque; and Dr. Ann Schreiber, also of Dubuque; four grandchildren Zachary (Jana) Schreiber of Orlando, FL;  Andrea (Dr. James) Quann of Des Moines, IA, LT.  Andrew Ferring of Norfolk, VA; and Martha (Jared) Levy of Dubuque who have among them 6 great-grandchildren:  Reagan and Hudson Schreiber, Brendan, Thomas, Audra Quann, and Calvin Levy.

He is also survived by his brother John (Mary Ann) Schreiber.

He was preceded in death by parents Carl & Emily, sisters Mary and Marita, brothers Fred and Charlie and all their spouses.

Robert was a veteran of WW II. After the war he graduated from Loras College and enjoyed a long career at Interstate Power Company (now Alliant Energy).

He retired at 62 and spent years exploring the country.

His children thank him for trying to instill common sense and real life practical skills.

He will be remembered for his endless stories, his constant supply of jokes and his dry sense of humor. He was a kind man, and a kind gentleman, who will live on in the hearts of many who knew him.

A very special thanks to the staff of Grand Meadows facility.

A memorial Fund is being established in lieu of flowers.

Mark J. Cook

Mark James Cook, 73, of East Dubuque, IL, passed away at 2:35 p.m. Thursday, January 21, 2021 at Mercy One-Dubuque.

Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at the Miller Funeral Home in East Dubuque, with Deacon Jamie Schilling officiating.  Burial will be in the East Dubuque Cemetery, with military honors accorded by members of the Dubuque Marine Corps League.

Visitation will be from 10:30 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home.

Mark was born on April 30, 1947 in Dubuque, IA, the son of James D. and Lucille (Lange) Cook.  He was a graduate of Dubuque Senior High School, class of 1965. On May 29, 1971 he was united in marriage to Debbie Arthofer at St. Mary’s Church in East Dubuque.

Mark was formerly employed at International Harvester Trucks in Dubuque. He was a member of Teamsters Local # 120.  Mark was a veteran of the U. S. Army serving during the Vietnam War.

He enjoyed metal detecting, fishing, coin collecting, Nascar Racing and spoiling his grandchildren.

Surviving is his wife Debbie; two children, Rob (Carrie) Cook of Dubuque and Lisa (Ken) Brace of Mokena, IL; 11-grandchildren, Wade (Christina), Matt (Paige), Brandon, Derek, Nolan (Ashlyn), Jordan, Devon, Addison, Mason, Harley and Quinn; two siblings, Patricia (Bob) Kaesbauer and Phillip (Cindy) Cook both of Dubuque; his in-laws, Jim Reilly, Diane Cook, Marlene Cook, John (Shari) Arthofer, Rhonda (Craig) Williams, Pete (Julie) Arthofer, Trudy Arthofer, Toby (Sharon) Arthofer and Sue (Ed) Egloff; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Lucille; siblings, Kathleen Reilly, Margaret Wood and Robert and Gerald Cook.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.millerfhed.com.©

Velma A. Martens

Velma A. Martens, 93,  of Oak Park Place, passed away Friday, January 22, 2021, at Stonehill Care Center.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday, January 26, at Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Funeral Home and Crematory, 2659 John F. Kennedy Rd., Dubuque, where a service will be held at 11 a.m., and will be live-streamed on the funeral home Facebook page. Sr. Margaret Ann Kramer will officiate. Masks and social distancing are required. Burial will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.egelhofsiegertcasper.com .

Velma was born February 10, 1927 in Epworth, IA, the daughter of Fred and Lucy (Oberfoell) Osterhaus. She graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy. Velma married William “Red” Martens on May 30, 1949 at Church of the Nativity, Dubuque.  He preceded her in death on July 2, 1997.

Prior to her marriage, Velma worked in the office at Sears. She was a long-time member of St. Anthony Catholic Church, where she volunteered in the rectory.

Velma always made sure to keep busy. While her children were young, she served as a Girl Scout Leader and a Den Mother for the Cub Scouts. Velma was a member of the Lacoma Ladies Golf League. In her later years, she volunteered at the Red Cross Blood Center and the Finley Hospital Sunshine Circle.

Velma and Red enjoyed socializing at the North End Gun Club, and after the death of her husband, she continued to go out with the North End Gun Club Widows. She was also a member of the Red Hat Society.

She loved to play board games and travel, and greatly enjoyed spending time with her family and her “adopted” family, the Mettilles.

Velma is survived by her son, Bob Martens, of Dubuque; her daughter, Sue (Joe) Mettille, of Dubuque; triplet grandsons Jeffrey Mettille, of Washington, DC, Matthew Mettille, of San Francisco, CA, and Nathan (Rachel) Mettille, of Eagan, MN;  three great-grandchildren, Lucy, Emmy, and Max Mettille;  her sister-in-law, Nancy Osterhaus of Davenport, IA; and her nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband;  her son, William J. Martens; and her brothers, Merlin (Dolores), John (Arlien), and Donald Osterhaus.

Velma’s family would like to extend a special thank you to the family of Don and Margaret Mettille for their years of friendship; and to Hospice of Dubuque, Stonehill Care Center, and Oak Park Place for their care of Velma.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sunnycrest Manor or Hospice of Dubuque.

Michael J. Mockler

Michael John Mockler, 30, of Dubuque, IA entered peacefully into eternal life on January 21, 2021 after a courageous journey with brain cancer.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 26 from 3-7 p.m. in the Resurrection Church social space in Dubuque, with the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 2 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Wednesday, January 27 at 10:30 a.m. at Resurrection Church with Fr. Ken Frisch presiding. The funeral mass will be live-streamed on the Miller Funeral Home Group facebook page.. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in Sinsinawa, WI. Masks and social distancing are encouraged. Occupancy guidelines will be followed.

Michael was born on February 8, 1990 to John and Caroline Hartmann) Mockler in Worcester, MA, which gave him his passion for the Patriots, Red Sox, and all seafood. He was a dedicated Hawkeye fan who enjoyed nature. Humble and kind, Michael embraced life each day with a positive attitude and made an impact on all those around him. Michael was a proud member of the Wahlert Catholic High School Class of 2008 and named Outstanding Senior of the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Class of 2012. He enjoyed his time rehabilitating birds, especially bald eagles, at the Raptor Education Group (REGI) and he loved his work team at Mi-T-M.

Above all else, Michael loved his bride, Cassie. They were married on March 1, 2014 at St. Joseph Church, Sinsinawa and loved each other perfectly. They enjoyed going on adventures, running together, and spending time with family and friends. Michael was a proud member of the Knights of Columbus and St. Joseph Holy Name Society. He put his faith above all things and inspired everyone with the way he lived his life.

Michael is survived by his wife, Cassandra, parents, John and Caroline Mockler, siblings, Katherine (Andy Meyer), Brian, Emma, and Sarah Mockler, parents-in-law, Roger and Mary Ellen Berning, siblings-in-law, Ryan (Kaitlyn) Berning, Katrina (David) Ernst, Benjamin (Bailey) Berning, Clara (Eric) Meyer, and Ruth (fiancé Jonny Carlson) Berning, and many beloved godchildren, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

Michael is preceded in death by his angel baby, Aurora, in 2019, paternal grandparents, John P. and Mary Lee Mockler, maternal grandparents, Frank and Agnes Hartmann, and uncle, Mark E. Hartmann.

In lieu of flowers, a Michael Mockler Memorial fund will be established.

The Miller Funeral Home of East Dubuque is serving the family.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.millerfhed.com.©

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

Ralph V. Tigges

Ralph V. Tigges, age 88, of Dubuque and formerly of East Dubuque, IL, was called home peacefully at 4:44 p.m., on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, at MercyOne Dubuque.  To celebrate Ralph’s life, family and friends may visit from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., on Monday, January 25, 2021, at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street.  Due to COVID-19 concerns the number of people inside the building will be limited, all who attend will be required to wear a face covering, and are asked to please maintain social distancing practices.  To honor Ralph’s life, funeral services will be held immediately following the visitation at 11:00 a.m., on Monday at Behr Funeral Home, with Deacon John Stierman officiating.  The service will be available for viewing on the Behr Funeral Home Facebook page.  Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, where full military honors will be accorded by the Dubuque Marine Corps League.

Ralph was born on March 29, 1932, in Dubuque, Iowa, son of Edmund and Ella (Linden) Tigges.

Ralph honorably served his country as an U.S. Army Corporal from 1950-1952, during the Korean War.  Upon his return, Ralph began his career with Dubuque Stamping and Manufacturing before going to Flexsteel Industries where he was a machine operator.  He devoted 42 years to Flexsteel until his well earned retirement in 1997.  Ralph was united in marriage to Carol Schmitt on May 16, 1953, at St. Patrick’s Church in Dubuque.  They raised their family together and were blessed with 49 years of marriage before Carol sadly passed away on August 26, 2002.  Ralph was a loving husband, father and grandpa who worked hard, but also enjoyed spending quality time with his family, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, siblings, neighbors and friends over the years.  A friendly game of Euchre was sure to be happening.  When he had a little down time Ralph loved spending it in the great outdoors hunting and fishing.  He looked forward to hosting an Annual Fish Fry at his house every Labor Day weekend to bring everyone together.  He also enjoyed family time out on the river and at the cottage in Bellevue, Iowa.  Ralph was truly a wonderful man and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Those left to cherish Ralph’s memory include

his children,
Terrance “Terry” Tigges, Elk River, MN,
Gerald “Jerry” (Gail) Tigges, Middleton, WI,
Jeffrey “Jeff” (Cathy) Tigges, Dubuque, IA
and Jacqueline “Jackie” (Tim) Kruser, Cedar Rapids, IA;

a special granddaughter,
Ashley Tigges, with whom he spent a great deal of quality time, along with her dog, Cali;

his 6 grandchildren,

his 6 great-grandchildren,

his sister,
Anna Mae Wimer, Dubuque, IA;

and his special love,
Marilyn VanOstrand, East Dubuque, IL.

Ralph was preceded in death by his loving parents; his wife, Carol J. Tigges; a son, Craig Tigges; a daughter, Becky Jo Tigges; 4 sisters, Arnelda Dress, Mildred Duggan, Marge Keenan and Eileen Pierce; and 3 brothers, Robert, Eldon and Cletus.

Our family would like to give a very special thank you to our brother, Jeff, and his daughter, Ashley, for providing the extra daily love, comfort and support required so Ralph could enjoy life in his home over the last several years.  Marilyn also became a very close friend and spent quality time with Ralph and was an extension to our family.  Your kindness is beyond words.  Ralph’s family would also like to give special thanks to the very kind staff at Mercy Medical Center during his stay.

The family will thankfully receive your support through phone calls, greeting cards and memorials in Ralph’s memory which may be mailed to Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001, Attn. Ralph Tigges Family.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.behrfuneralhome.com

Michael P. Ahern

Michael P. “Mike” Ahern, age 56, of Dubuque, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, January 21, 2021, at his home.  To celebrate Mike’s life, family and friends may visit from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., on Monday, January 25, 2021, at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street.  Due to COVID-19 concerns, the number of people inside the building will be limited, all who attend will be required to wear a face covering, and are asked to please maintain social distancing practices.  To honor Mike’s life, funeral services will be held immediately following the visitation at 6:00 p.m., on Monday at Behr Funeral Home at 6:00 p.m., with Deacon John Stierman officiating.

Mike was born on October 9, 1964, in Dubuque, Iowa, son of Lawrence and Patricia (Williams) Ahern.

Mike married the love of his life, Jennifer Hochberger on September 6, 2003.  He had a zest for life and always needed to stay busy.  Mike loved to work and developed that strong work ethic on his aunt and uncle’s farm as a young boy.  He has worked as a floor installer for the past 19 years and was a perfectionist down to the most minor detail.  Mike was also handy in all areas of construction and when he wasn’t working, he was helping out his family and friends with home improvement projects.  He also had a big heart and was always very generous.  Mike enjoyed playing with his puppy, Javy, watching crime shows and cooking for his family and friends.  He loved spending time with his family, especially when it involved spoiling the kids and pets.  Mike was deeply loved and will be missed by all of his family and friends.

Those left to cherish Mike’s memory include

his wife,
Jeni Ahern, Dubuque, IA;

his children,
Thomas Ahern,
Matthew Ahern
and Lyssie Ahern, all of Dubuque, IA;

his grandchildren,
Brody and Harper;

his siblings,
Pam (Rich) Lenz, Centralia, IA,
Lisa York, Selma, TX,
James Ahern, Peosta, IA
and John (Shelley) Hood, Boone, IA;

his father-in-law and mother-in-law,
Jim and Lynn Hochberger, Dubuque, IA;

a brother-in-law,
Joe Hochberger, Dubuque, IA;

and his nieces and nephew,
Lindsey Hobbs, Kristen Hobbs, Kelly (Jamie) Kruser, Mackenzie Lenz, Lucas Lenz.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents.

The family will thankfully receive your support through phone calls, greeting cards and memorials in Mike’s memory which may be mailed to Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001, Attn. Mike Ahern Family.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.behrfuneralhome.com

Rev. John R. Tilp

Reverend John R. Tilp, 78, of Dubuque, died Thursday morning, January 21, 2021, at Stonehill Care Center in Dubuque from Parkinsons with Lewy Body.

Visitation will be from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm Sunday, January 24, 2021, at Hoffmann Schneider & Kitchen Funeral Home & Cremation Service 3860 Asbury Road. Please respect our current social distancing requirements. If you are not feeling well or are unable to attend, we encourage you to visit www.hskfhcares.com to send a message to Father John’s family.

The Mass of Christian Burial for Father John will be 11:00 am Monday, January 25, 2021, at Holy Spirit Parish – Sacred Heart Catholic Church con-celebrated by Archbishop Michael Jackels and Father John Gossman and priests of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.  Burial will be in Mount Calvary Cemetery in Dubuque. The mass will be live streamed on Hoffmann Schneider & Kitchen Funeral Home’s Facebook page and will also be available to view later at www.hskfhcares.com.

John was born April 9, 1942, in Dubuque, the second son of Joseph Francis and Eileen Frances Tilp.

In grade school, he worked at Sacred Heart Parish Bowling Lane setting pins, and also painted classrooms and cleaned the church on Saturday mornings. In high school, he worked at Loras College doing grounds work and at F.W. Woolworth.

Father Tilp graduated from Wahlert High School and Loras College in Dubuque and completed his theological studies at Mount St. Bernard Seminary, also in Dubuque.

He was ordained May 24, 1969 at St. Raphael Cathedral in Dubuque by Archbishop James J. Byrne.

He served as associate pastor of St. Joseph’s, Waterloo from 1968-69; St. Ludmila’s, Cedar Rapids, from 1969-70; St. Anthony’s, Dubuque, from 1970-74; and St. Jude’s Cedar Rapids, from 1974-80.

He served in team ministry at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish and Catholic Student Center in Ames, 1980-87, and as pastor of St. Mark’s in Iowa Falls, 1987-91.

He served as pastor of Immaculate Conception in Clutier, St. Paul’s in Traer and St. Mary’s in Vining, 1994-2006 (St. Mary’s, Vining, was closed in 2002). He was pastor of St. Joseph’s, Dysart, 2001-2006.

He was pastor of St. Patrick’s, Clear Lake, from 2006 until his retirement in 2012. Father Tilp, along with his classmate Father Droessler, attended a celebration at Loras College May 13, 2019 for priests celebrating their jubilees.

Survivors include two brothers, Joseph Tilp of Dubuque, and Kenneth J. Tilp of Grosse Isle, MI; two sisters, Sandra (Donald) Koopmann of Peosta, and Kim Tilp of Dubuque; many nieces and nephews, and his little girl, Deaconess the feline.

He was preceded in death by his parents, one sister, Kathryn Ludovissy, and one sister-in-law, Mary Tilp.

A heartfelt thank you to Stonehill Care Center and Hospice of Dubuque for their loving care and support.

Memorials have been established for Holy Spirit Parish – Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Parkinsons Research Foundation.

Hoffmann Schneider & Kitchen Funeral Home and Cremation Service is in care of the arrangements.

A photo tribute can be viewed and condolences sent to the family by visiting Father John’s obituary at www.hskfhcares.com.

Shirley A. Winter

Shirley A. Winter, 88, of Galena, IL passed away on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at Galena Stauss Senior Care Community.

Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 25, 2021 at the Miller Funeral Home in East Dubuque.  Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery in Galena.

Visitation will be from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. on Sunday at the funeral home. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, facemasks and social distancing are required and occupancy regulations will be enforced.

She was born November 7, 1932 in Dubuque, IA the daughter of Clarence and Alberta “Dolly” (Miller) White.  She graduated from Galena High School.  She was united in marriage to Verle Winter on February 19, 1955 in Galena.  He passed away on September 2, 2005.

Shirley worked many jobs throughout her life at Burgess Battery Factory, ran the County Poor Farm, worked at the East Side Grocery and in 1969 she started at Grant’s Home Historical Sites as Assistant Site Superintendent, retiring in 1997.  After retiring, she worked at Happy Joe’s for several years.

Her family was her world and the world was her family.  She welcomed everyone to her home and no one ever left hungry.  Shirley was everyone’s “Grandma Shirley.”  She loved and treated them all the same whether it was her famous cut out sugar cookies for various holidays, hot cross buns at Easter (which no one is able to duplicate), cream cheese mints and potato salads for weddings, pasty or kraut and pork hocks with homemade bread, or peanut butter balls at Christmas.  A summer wasn’t complete without a picnic of ham salad sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies after the 4-H show.  Her basement was always stocked with jars of homemade pickles and canned tomatoes and canned beef.

Shirley also made beautiful cross-stitched quilts for each child, grandchild, and great grandchild.  There were many trips taken, including the yearly shopping trip to Clinton with the girls, stopping in Thompson for melons on the way home.  She also enjoyed the bus trips with LaVonne from the bank.

There are many memories special times spent with our “extended” family of the 630^th engineers.  The trips to Branson and many reunions across the country, the favorite being when Shirley would host it at her house.

Shirley is survived by two sons, Terry “Jake” (Gail) and Ron (Linda), both of Galena, five grandchildren, Kim Winter of Galena, Lynn (Andrew) Houy of Galena, Anna (Chad) Muntz of Dubuque, Kari (Justin) McMartin of Dennison, MN, and Nick (Sondra) Winter of Metamora, IL, ten great grandchildren, Aly, Will, Tyson, Royce, Drew, Arya, Cameron, Lachlan, Avery, and Ryan, also a special “son”, Bill Allen.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, husband Verle, brothers Don, Junior, Billy, sister Nancy, and great grandson Owen Scharpf.

Special thanks to all staff of Galena Stauss Assisted Living and Senior Care Community, especially Gwen and Angie, and also Dr. Beth for her compassionate care of Shirley.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.millerfhed.com.©

William P. Downs

William Paul Downs went home to be with his Lord on January 19, 2021.

A private family visitation was held and a memorial service will be at a later date.

William was born on March 30, 1929 in Marshalltown, Iowa. He was the youngest child of Earl and Clara Downs of Montour. Bill, as he liked to be called, had an older sister, Lucille, and two older brothers, Gordon and Jerry. The family had a farm on the edge of town so there were always chores to do. His mother ran the family dairy and Bill helped her deliver milk to the inhabitants of Montour. He also had a paper route that supplied spending money, which was good because Bill grew up during the Great Depression.

He went to school in Montour and by his own admission was, at best, an average student. The fact that he would sometimes play “hooky” to go fishing in the nearby Iowa River probably didn’t help matters much. Still, he was active in extracurricular activities including playing in the high school band and participating in baseball and basketball. It seems that he excelled in basketball, because his team made it to the state tournament.

It was at school that he met the love of his life, Ruth Hamiel, who had recently moved from Upper Michigan after the death of her mother. Bill and Ruth hit it off and dated for many years before marrying in 1948.

Bill was drafted during the Korean War, but was sent to Germany to serve with the occupation forces which patrolled Europe following WWII. Tensions were high at that time and he was quite sure that he would eventually be involved in a war with Russia, but mercifully it never happened. After his tour of duty he returned to the States to resume civilian life.

Bill had worked on the railroad since he was 16, so he once again found work with the Milwaukee Road after leaving the Army. Eventually good jobs with the railroad began to peter out so he relocated to Dubuque after landing a job with John Deere. He would spend the remainder of his working years at Deere’s, retiring in 1988.

He and Ruth had bought a beautiful farm near Balltown in 1965 where they would live for over 50 years.

The couple had two sons, Steven Earl born in 1955 and Paul Allan born in 1959.

In 1973 Bill surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and lived the remainder of his years as a committed Christian.

He and Ruth were very active in whatever church they were attending and both their sons participated in ministry related activities.

Bill loved road trips. Family vacations normally consisted of jumping in the car and driving somewhere far, far away. Usually the family camped out on these adventures. Later in life when the boys had left home, Bill and Ruth continued traveling all over the country. They even fulfilled one of Bill’s lifelong dreams when they drove the Alaskan Highway in their pickup camper.

Bill also loved the river and had numerous boats of varying descriptions over the years. Fishing and camping out on the islands was one of his favorite pastimes.

Bill was crazy about gardening. In fact, it was one of the principal reasons he bought the farm. Even when living in the trailer court in Sageville he had rented a plot of ground for a garden, but when he finally had land of his own he sort of went wild with gardens. At one point he had 5 different garden plots under cultivation. The result of all this unbridled agricultural enterprise was that he had far more produce than could be consumed by the family. Consequently, it was common for Bill and Ruth to give away vast quantities of top rate sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, squash, or whatever else happened to be ripening in their gardens.

By his own admission, Bill had a wonderful life, but after Ruth died in 2017 he was ready and anxious to join her in Heaven. His passing was a joyous event and any tears were only occasioned by the realization that he would no longer be with us.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife of 69 years, all of his siblings, his son, Paul, and one granddaughter, Melody. He is survived by his son Steven, 12 grandchildren: Jack, Sarajane, David, Daniel, Tommy, Harmony, Bonnie, Joy, William, Grace, Faith, and Andrew, and 9 great-grandchildren: Ella, Ava, Olivia, Abigail, Emily, Elias, Willow, Hope, and Hallelujah.

Bill’s family would like to thank the Nurses and Staff of Hospice of Dubuque for their compassionate care for Bill and his family and for the help and kindness of their close friends, Jeff and Cheryl Chiott.

The family will thankfully receive your support through phone calls, greeting cards and memorials in his memory which may be mailed to Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001, Attn. William “Bill” Downs Family.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.behrfuneralhome.com

Gary Till

Gary Till, 70, of Andrew, Iowa, passed away on Monday morning, January 18, 2021, at his home.

Cremation rights have been accorded. There is no visitation, but a private memorial service will be held at a later date.

Gary was born on March 2, 1950 in Bellevue, Iowa, to Elmer John and Marjorie Mae (Sommers) Till. He attended country school in early years in Jackson County, and he was a graduate of Andrew Community School. Gary was raised on a farm in rural Bellevue but has been a resident of Andrew for approximately 20 years.

Gary worked at International Paper in Clinton for 20+ years, Conlon Construction in Dubuque for a short time, and as the head bartender at the Dubuque Golf & County Club for approximately 20 years.

Gary enjoyed playing golf, socializing with his friends, and working on projects around the house. He loved watching Iowa Hawkeye games, especially basketball. His favorite TV show was The Walking Dead, and he enjoyed watching Jeopardy with his son-in-law, Tom. He enjoyed collecting coins and unique currency, which was a hobby that he also shared with his daughter, Tiffany. Gary loved animals, and he always looked forward to spending time with his granddog, Wrigley. He also looked forward to spending time with family and friends at his annual “Oyster Fest.”

Those left to honor his memory include his children, Tiffany (Tom) Cunningham of West Palm Beach, Florida, Clint Till of Clinton, Iowa, Michelle (Jeremy) Budde of Preston, Iowa, and Chad Till; brothers, Denny (Kathy) Till of Andrew, Iowa, and Marty Till (Daisy Vandever) of Bellevue, Iowa; sisters, Janet Keil (Paul Sieverding) of Bellevue, Iowa, Patricia Bousselot of Lincoln, Nebraska, Kristi (Dennis) Flenker of Maquoketa, Iowa, and Amy (Kevin) Daly of Pembroke, Massachusetts; and brother-in-law, Ken Formanek of Des Moines, Iowa.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Richard “Dick” Till, and a sister Brenda Formanek.

The Carson Celebration of Life Center in Maquoketa is caring for the family. Please feel free to call or stop at the funeral home with notes of support or leave words of comfort on the funeral home website at www.CarsonAndSon.com.