Author: Theresa Rose

Cynthia “Cindy” Dorrell has passed on January 23, 2022. She will be sorely missed.

Cindy was born on November 1st, 1952, in Chamois Missouri, the daughter of Urban and Edna Rost. She graduated from Chamois High School and Central Missouri State University with a degree in music.

Cindy married Bill Dorrell on June 30, 1979, in Morrison Missouri. The couple has made Mount Pleasant their home since 1980. To know Cindy was to know love and kindness. Cindy was an incredible wife and mother, a fierce friend and a steadfast woman of God. She loved collecting baskets, finding treasures at yard sales, baking her famous sour dough bread, knitting, snuggling her cats, reading the Bible, and uncovering secrets of the Underground Railroad in Southeast Iowa.

Cindy was a paraeducator in the special education program at the Mt Pleasant Middle School. If you had met her, even just once, you would know this because she would be sure to mention it, saying “I can handle anything! I work at a middle school!” She touched everyone she met, whether you’d known her for years or met her 5 minutes ago in line at the grocery store. Cindy could be said to have “never met a stranger” and loved to laugh and make people smile.

She became involved Hand All Around, the at-risk program in Winfield. She was a member of the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra and Explore Post 1846.

Music and faith defined every aspect of Cindy’s life. She was the band director at Winfield, the leader the First Baptist Church praise team, and she played flute and piccolo in the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra. At Old Threshers, in the Log Village, she could be found every year hammering away on her handmade hammer dulcimer, or in church, at weddings, or just in her back porch on warm summer nights. When she wasn’t sharing her gift of music, she was busy feeding, helping, educating and loving people.

Cindy was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband Bill; one son Joe Dorrell of Fort Madison; two daughters, Marie Dorrell of Mount Pleasant, SC, Anne Dorrell of St. Paul, MN; two brothers, Keith Rost of Richmond, KY, John Rost of Broken Arrow, OK; and a sister Myra Belser of Laramie, WY.

Funeral service will be held 11:00 am, Saturday, January 29, 2022, at the Mount Pleasant Middle School. The service will be livestreamed at Powell Funeral Homes Facebook page and at www.powellfuneralhomes.com. Visitation will be held 10:00 am – 7:00 pm, Friday, January 28, 2022, at Olson-Powell Memorial Chapel, where family will greet friends from 3:00 – 5:00 pm. A general memorial fund has been established.

Steven Lloyd Aanes, 74, of New London died Saturday, January 22, 2022 at his home.
Steve was born November 14, 1947 in Postville, Iowa, the son of Earl and Alma Ruth Grimes Aanes. He grew up in Fayette and graduated from Fayette High School in 1966. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity at the University of Iowa and graduated from the College of Pharmacy in 1972. Steve met Susan Carlson on a blind date arranged by a fraternity brother. She was taken aback by the handlebar mustache that he was very proud of! But he eventually shaved the whiskers and they were married January 24, 1970 in Des Moines. Just before graduation Steve answered an ad posted in the Pharmacy building from a small town pharmacy looking to fill a position in the store. Steve got out the map to see just where New London was and decided it was worth the drive. He interviewed with Rocky Shores at Shores Pharmacy who hired him on the spot and the rest is history. Ironically, Rocky’s son, Bob, was in Des Moines interviewing students at Drake. Steve spent 33 years at Shores and only left when the store was purchased by HyVee. He finished his career working at both Burlington HyVee stores and finally ended up in Mt. Pleasant, retiring in 2013.
Steve enjoyed small town living and tried to give as much or more to the town as he felt he received. He served a number of years on the H.J. Nugen Library Board until a move south of town conflicted with a residency requirement. But his most fulfilling and enjoyable “hobby” was the time he spent with the New London Fire and Rescue. He joined the department in 1978 and retired after a number of years as Chief in 2010. He was joined by his son on the department in 1989. The good times and the traumatic times that he spent with the men in the department was something he cherished. They are truly a band of brothers. He was a very supportive father to the kids in all of their school activities. He flipped many hot dogs and hamburgers on Friday nights and put many miles on the car driving to games, concerts, and whatever else they were involved in at the time.
Retirement also gave Steve time to travel – to snorkel and sail the warm waters of the BVI to the cold water rivers of Russia, he was always learning. Saturday afternoons in the fall were spent in Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City and the long winter weekends would probably find him in Carver Hawkeye Arena. He was a very devoted Hawkeye, win or lose. But his favorite pastime was to clean up the beach for a “Pond Day” with the grandkids. And in November he was blessed with a great-grandson, making the Aanes line 5 generations long. He was a pretty proud papa!
Steve is survived by his mother of Fayette; his wife, Sue of New London; son, Scott Earl of Carlisle; daughter, Sarah Patricia (Christian) Prochaska of Coralville; four grandkids, Gavin (Kirsten), Lily, Beckett, and Cooper; great-grandson, Arlo; sisters Janis Dupuis of Wisconsin Rapids, WI, and Susan (Tim) Barry of Appleton, WI; brother Paul (William) of Arizona; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 AM, Wednesday, January 26, 2022 at Elliott Chapel, New London. Pastor Nathan Cooper will officiate. Inurnment will be at a later date in the Masonic Cemetery, Des Moines. Visitation will begin after noon on Tuesday, January 25 at the Chapel, with the family receiving friends from 4:00 – 7:00 PM. Masks are requested by the family. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established to the New London Fire and Rescue.

Ronald Dale Bjorklund, 75, of New London, died Sunday, January 23, 2022 at his home.  He was born July 25, 1946 in Alexandria, Minnesota to Lloyd Andrew and Helen Marie (Aslagson) Bjorklund.  On January 21, 2015, Ronnie suffered a stroke that altered his life and ability to communicate.

For many years, Ronnie worked as a car detailer.  As a youth, he mowed yards and plowed gardens for folks in town.  He was an excellent pool player and played on several leagues, enjoyed car races, flea markets, the pigeon show, fishing at East Lake Park, watching westerns on Grit Channel, and he was quite a practical joker.

Ronnie is survived by six siblings: Bonita (Gene) Kerr of Lake Saint Louis, Missouri; Gloria Detrick of Mt. Pleasant; David (Debby) Bjorklund of Ankeny, Iowa; Deborah (Rusty) Antel of Columbia, Missouri; Sharon Bjorklund of New London; and Tamara (Michael Harris) Bjorklund of New London; and many nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Thomas and Phelan; and brothers-in-law John Williams and Jim Detrick.

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, January 27, 2022 at Elliott Chapel, New London with Pastor David Mixon officiating.  Visitation will begin at 9:00 AM with the family present to greet friends beginning at noon until the time of the service.  The family requests that masks be worn.  Burial will follow at Burge Cemetery, rural New London.  A memorial has been established for New London Fire and Rescue.  Online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.

Michael Gene Coleman, 57 of Keosauqua passed away on Friday January 21, 2022 at the Van Buren County Hospital.  In accordance with his wishes his body has been cremated.  A Memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM Friday January 28, 2022 at Pedrick Funeral Home in Keosauqua with Larry Shipley officiating.  Burial of cremains will be at Forbes Cemetery in Keosauqua.  Gifts to a memorial to be designated later by the family may be left at the funeral home or mailed to the family at 622 West Jackson Street, Centerville, IA 52544.  Online condolences may be left at www.cranstonfamilyfuneralhome.com

Michael was born on August 27, 1964 in Fairfield to Donald Huffman and Verna Mae McCarty Coleman.  He spent all his life in in Van Buren County and graduated from Harmony High School in the class of 1985.  Michael had worked at Riverside Plastics an, the glove factory both in Bonaparte.  After a car accident left him partially disabled, he worked on fixing lawn mowers and small engines from his home and a small shop in Fort Madison.

Left to cherish his memory are two brothers, Donald Coleman of Michigan and Ronald Coleman of Minnesota, a sister, Linda Douthart (Rick Cole) of Centerville and many other extended family members and friends.

 In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Carol Douthart and Connie Allen, two brother, William M. Douthart Jr. and Terry Coleman in infancy.