Month: December 2020

Roberta Ruth “Tootie” Rider Kinney, 89, of Mt. Pleasant passed away on Monday, December 7, 2020, at Park Place Elder Living Center in Mt. Pleasant.

Graveside Services will be held on Friday, December 11, 2020, at 9:00 a.m.at the Forest Home Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant with Reverend David Bracht-Wagner officiating.   Friends may call from 2 to 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Murphy Funeral home in Mt. Pleasant.  The family will not be present.  Memorials may be directed to Lincoln or Harlan Schools for reading books for children in her memory.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.murphyfuneralandmonuments.com

Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant are caring for her arrangements.

Max Richard Hammond of Wapello, Iowa passed away on Monday, December 7, 2020, at the Great River Medical Center, in Burlington Iowa.

He was born on November 22, 1933, and leaves behind his wife, Lorna M. Hammond (Reynolds), and his sons, Ronald D. Hammond (Mary) of Pleasant Hill, IA and Rodney L. Hammond of Wapello, his sister, Sharon Zimmer of LeMars, IA, seven grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by his oldest son, John R. Hammond, his parents, Max and Josephine Hammond (Morrison), his brother John W. Hammond, and his sister, Grace Gustison.

Richard grew up in Louisa country, attending school in Columbus Junction, Iowa.  He and Lorna were married on April 16, 1952 at the Columbus City United Methodist Church, residing most of their married life in Wapello.  He worked for the Louisa County engineering department, for many years, and for a short time for the Mahaska County engineering department.  He worked with Johnson Land Surveying in Wapello, and then obtained his professional land surveyors license in 1988.  He owned and operated Hammond Land Surveying in Wapello for many years, providing his services with great pride until his retirement in 2014.

Richard enjoyed watching his grandchildren play sports and provided loving guidance to his family and close friends and will be missed by many and remembered for a lifetime of kindness.

Due to the current pandemic that took his life; there will be having a short service at the Snyder and Hollenbaugh Funeral Home in Wapello to be followed by his internment at the Columbus City cemetery for Richard’s immediate family, with pastor Linda Morris of the Wapello United Methodist Church presiding.

In lieu of flowers, please make any gifts to the Wapello Fire and Rescue or the Wapello Ambulance for all the caring help they have provided for Richard.

Brenda D. Hand, 57, of Mt. Pleasant, died Sunday, December 6, 2020 at her residence.

A funeral procession will leave the Kimzey Funeral Home at 12:30 PM on Saturday, December 12 and will travel to the Salem East Cemetery, Salem, IA, for a graveside service for Mrs. Hand at 1 PM.  Friends may call from 12PM-8 PM on Thursday, Dec. 10 at the Kimzey Funeral Home. There will be no family present. Visitation will again continue Friday from 12-8PM at the funeral home where there will be a family member present during all of the hours of visitation. Online condolences may be left at www.kimzeyfuneralhome.com.

Mrs. Hand, the former Brenda Diane Lamb, was born May 26, 1963 in Mt. Pleasant. She was the daughter of Richard Wayne and Karen Ann (Sanderson) Lamb. She attended school in Mt. Pleasant. On June 12, 1987 in Baxter County, Arkansas, Brenda was united in marriage to Ricky Joe Hand. Mr. Hand died Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

Brenda began her working career at the former Mental Health Institute in Mt. Pleasant. She then became a Correctional Officer for the Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility, from which she retired. During her time at both facilities, Brenda was a member of the AFSCME union. In her spare time, Brenda was a very gifted seamstress. She also enjoyed crafts of all types. She was noted for the fried chicken feed she and her family hosted every Fourth of July.

Those thankful for sharing in Brenda’s life include her children – Heloni (Larry) Cook of Crawfordsville, Cassi (Eric Gaul) Hand of Little York, PA, Ricky Hand of Mt. Pleasant and Gina (Jason) Schwartz of Mt. Pleasant; 2 sisters – Patty DuFour and Vikki Pearson, both of New London and Jerry (Renee) Lamb of New London and 9 grandchildren – Joseph, Jaklyn, William, Autumn, Buster, Rachael “Bumba”, Warwick, Emmy and Hather.

Her parents, husband, a daughter in infancy – Brandy Hand, and a brother, James Lamb, precede Brenda in death.

Jeanette R. Trueblood, a longtime resident of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, entered into eternal rest on Sunday, December 6, 2020.

Jeanette was born in rural Henry County on December 7, 1935, the daughter of Ray D. and Helen Alice (Harshbarger) Trueblood. She graduated from Mount Pleasant High in 1954 and went on to earn a teaching certificate at Iowa State Teachers College (University of Northern Iowa) in 1956 and her BA degree from Iowa Wesleyan College in 1961.

Jeanette taught elementary grades at Bennet, Iowa (4 years) and at Knoxville, Iowa (30 years). Upon retiring from teaching, she returned to Mount Pleasant and worked as a sales person at Walker’s Office Supply for many years.

While living in Mount Pleasant she enjoyed membership in several clubs, including; Stitch & Chatter Neighborhood Club, South Center Club, Pleasant Pickers, Coterie, Fortnightly, and Retired School Personnel of Henry County.

She enjoyed her family and friends, reading, music, pets, and collecting horse figurines.

Survivors include her sister, Mildred Irene Thompson, of Marion, Iowa, (currently residing at Sunnybrook Assisted Living in Mount Pleasant); nieces, Janice (David) Adams of Lake Zurich, IL, and Donna (Martin) Finnegan, of Vermillion, SD; nephew, Kevin (Debbie) Thompson, of Columbia, MO; 6 great-nieces/nephews, 6 great-great nieces/nephews and many cousins and dear friends.

Jeanette was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers; Merlin H and Kenneth Wayne.

A visitation will be held from 1:00 – 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 9, 2020, at the Olson-Powell Memorial Chapel, the family will not be present. There will be a private family service 10:30 a.m. Thursday, December 10, 2020. Burial will be in the Cedar Creek Friends Church Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, or Cedar Creek Cemetery. The service will be livestreamed at Powell Funeral Homes Facebook page and at our website, www.powellfuneralhomes.com.