AGENDA
December 1, 2020
Approve Agenda
Approve Minutes
9:00 Jake Hotchkiss, Engineer Weekly Update
9:30 Planning & Zoning Monthly Update
10:00 Canvass Recount (U.S. Rep. District 2) of General Election Nov 3, 2020
Other County Business as time allows
Supervisors Sub-Committee Updates
David F. VanSickle, 56, of Mt. Pleasant formerly of Elgin passed away on Thursday, November 26, 2020, at his home, surrounded by his family.
Cremation has been entrusted to the care of Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant. No Services are planned at this time.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.murphyfuneralandmonuments.com
Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant are caring for his arrangements
Marilyn “Mary” Marti Pesante, 55, of Mt. Pleasant formerly of Puerto Rico passed away on Thursday, November 26, 2020, at Pearl Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation of Muscatine.
Friends may call from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, at the Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant. Funeral Service will be held at 1:00 p.m. at the Murphy Funeral Home on Tuesday, with Pastor Eleuterrio Barahona officiating. Burial will be held in Puerto Rico. A memorial has been established in her memory.
Those attending are required to wear a mask and social distance.
Sandra Marlene Anderson, 85, of Danville, died Saturday, November 28, 2020 at New London Specialty Care in New London, Iowa. She was born November 26, 1935 in rural Henry County, Iowa to John and Alta Conor Anderson. She was a graduate of Danville High School, received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee, then completed her Master’s Degree in Education at Indiana University. She was a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Mt. Pleasant.
Sandy was a highly respected teacher. She taught 15 years near Gary, Indiana, then returned home and taught 19 years at North Hill Elementary School in Burlington. Though she was single and an only child, she is survived by hundreds of students, colleagues, and friends whose lives she richly changed for good. She loved the Lord and taught or participated in many Bible studies. She shared her faith openly. One could not be with Sandy for any length of time without catching her passion for her dogs, songbirds, music, reading, and her favorite teams, the Iowa Hawkeyes and St. Louis Cardinals.
The funeral service for Miss Anderson will be at 2:00 PM, Wednesday, December 2nd at Elliott Chapel, New London with Pastor Kyle Noll officiating. Visitation will begin at 9:00 AM with close friends greeting from 1:00 PM until the time of the service. Burial will follow at Brooks Cemetery, rural New London. Please follow social distancing guidelines and masks will be required. Memorials have been established for New London Specialty Care and Calvary Baptist Church. Online condolences may be expressed at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.
Eugene Stace Fraise, 88, of Fort Madison, Iowa, passed away at 3:34 p.m. Friday, November 27, 2020, at Great River Medical Center in West Burlington, Iowa due to COVID-19 complications.
He was born on May 7, 1932, in rural West Point, Iowa, the son of Theodore and Viola (Grelk) Fraise. On December 31, 1949, he married Faye Pumphrey at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in West Point, Iowa.
He is survived by his wife of seventy years, whom was the center of his world: Faye of Fort Madison, Iowa; three sons: Mike (Abby) Fraise of Wever, Iowa, Ron (Kim) Fraise of Fort Madison, Iowa and Larry (Dawn) Fraise of Wever, Iowa; one son-in-law: Paul (Betty) Mohrfeld of Fort Madison, Iowa; fourteen grandkids: Tim (Tammy) Mohrfeld, Jason (Mindy) Mohrfeld, Amy (Mark) Kellerman, Brian (Sara) Mohrfeld, Jerry (Stephanie) Mohrfeld; Julie (Darin) Astor, Todd (Erin) Fraise, Nick (Maria Scott) Fraise, Heather (Shawn Kafar) Fraise, Stacey (Jason Dixon) Fraise, Evan (Ashley) Fraise, Adam Fraise, Nathan (Kara) Fraise, Brent (Trent Jones) Fraise; thirty-two great grandchildren; five great – great grandchildren; one sister: Shirley Martin of West Point, Iowa; one brother: Marvin(Marcia) Fraise of West Burlington, Iowa and one sister-in-law: Faye Fraise of West Point, Iowa. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews.
He was proceeded in death by his parents; daughter: Rita Mohrfeld; granddaughter-in-law: Laurie Mohrfeld; brothers: Albert Fraise, Keith Fraise and Andrew Fraise; sister-in-law: Topsy Fraise and brother-in-law: Wayne Martin.
Gene’s life was one of dedication to his family and friends, farming and serving the people of Iowa. He was born and raised in the West Point area where he established his roots raising his family and farming. His passion in this community lead to him being Lee County Supervisor for seven years and serving and retiring from the Iowa Senate after twenty-seven years. He was proud to be the longest serving senator in District 42 of Southeast Iowa. Serving the people of Iowa was his calling and a source of great pride. He was particularly proud of being instrumental in the building of the 61 Bypass, the Bridgeport Bridge project and serving as the only non-lawyer judiciary committee head in the history of the state of Iowa. Above all, he seen his family as being his greatest achievement. To them, he walked on water.
Friends may call from 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m. Monday, November 30, 2020, at Schmitz Funeral Home in West Point. Attendees will be limited to fifteen people at a time.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, December 1, 2020, at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in West Point with Father Dennis Hoffman officiating.
Those attending are required to wear a mask and social distance. Mass will be lived streamed on the church Facebook page and posted on his Tribute Wall on our website: www.schmitzfuneral home.com.
Burial will be at Fairview Cemetery in rural Fort Madison, Iowa.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in his memory.
The Schmitz Funeral Home of West Point is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com
The Mount Pleasant School Board will meet in special session November 30 at 6 pm in the High School Media Center. The board will consider changes to the district’s return to learn plan. Also on the agenda is consideration to approve an online curriculum provider for second semester.
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Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly from April through November. Naig said farmers have capitalized on the mild and dry weather over the past few weeks to wrap up harvest and complete other fieldwork, including seeding cover crops and installing other conservation practices. He also said this growing season has been challenging. But Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to evaluate the positive food security initiatives and conservation work happening around the state. Only 2% of Iowa’s corn for grain crop remains to be harvested, over 3 weeks ahead of last year and 11 days ahead of the 5-year average. In most areas of the State only scattered fields remain to be harvested.
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The winter season is upon us and the colder weather may take individuals further into isolation. Many Americans have been hunkering down amid the COVID-19 pandemic since early March and this prolonged isolation may take its toll on individuals, especially the elderly population. According to the American Psychological Association, more than 12 million Americans over age 65 live alone. Beyond the feelings of stress and anxiety that may accompany wintertime and the upcoming holidays, families are facing the death of loved ones, grave illnesses, prolonged isolation, and loss of income due to the pandemic. These stressors can make the holiday blues feel even bluer this year, and Henry County Health Center’s Senior Life Solutions program is here to help older adults in the community. Senior Life Solutions at Henry County Health Center is an intensive outpatient group therapy program designed to meet the unique needs of older adults typically ages 65 and older struggling with depression and anxiety often related to aging. Individuals who are already struggling with their emotional health should take steps of extra self-care during this time. For example…Get enough sleep or rest, spend time speaking with supportive people on the phone and don’t drink alcohol if you are feeling down. Take walks. Do something you enjoy whether it be walking the dog, or sewing a new scarf. If you or someone you know is struggling with symptoms of the winter blues or a difficult life transition, contact Henry County Health Center’s Senior Life Solutions at 319-385-6552.
Richard C. “Dick” Looker, 83, died Sunday, November 22, 2020 at Great River Medical Center in West Burlington.
Dick was born July 1, 1937, in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, son of Stanley and Ruth (Crane) Looker. He was a 1955 graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School and attended Iowa Wesleyan College. On June 14, 1958 Dick was united in marriage to Joanne Strang at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Mt. Pleasant, where they have been longtime members. They made their home in the Mt. Pleasant community. He worked for RK Crane Furniture and Crane Funeral Home. In 1977 he formed Benda Looker Furniture and Appliances with Jim Benda. Friends and family were very important to Dick. He loved the game of golf both playing in the twilight league and watching it on television. Dick enjoyed playing cards and was known for being a practical joker. He also enjoyed drinking Pepsi and collecting Pepsi memorabilia. Dick was a member of Knights of Columbus, the Mt. Pleasant Jaycees and the Mt. Pleasant Chamber of Commerce.
Dick is survived by his wife Joanne; 5 children, Theresa Rose of Mt. Pleasant, Beth (Wayne) Swafford of Fairfield, Marcus (Marilyn) Looker, of Mequon, WI, Michael Looker of Jacksonville, NC and Ted (Gretchen) Looker of Lockridge; 21 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, sister Jean (Bob) Potter of Walcott and 6 nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and son-in-law Mark Rose.
Visitation will be held Friday, December 4, 2020, from 1:00-6:00 p.m. at Olson-Powell Memorial Chapel. The family will not be present. The Funeral Mass will be on Saturday, December 5, 2020, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Mt. Pleasant, with Fr. Paul Connolly officiating. Interment will follow at the St. Alphonsus Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant. A general memorial fund has been established. Social distancing guidelines will be followed and masks are required. The service will be livestreamed on the Powell Funeral Homes Facebook page and, on our website, powellfuneralhomes.com.
James J. “Choo-Choo” Whetsler, 77, of Rome, IA, died Thursday, November 19, 2020 at the Henry County Health Center in Mt. Pleasant.
A memorial celebration of life service will be held at a later date. Inurnment will be in the Grant Cemetery, rural Rome, IA. Memorials may be directed to the family for organizations to be decided upon later. There will be no visitation at the Kimzey Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant, which is assisting the family with the arrangements. Online condolences may be left at www.kimzeyfuneralhome.com.
James J. Whetsler was born November 1, 1943 in Newport, Washington. He was the son of William A. and Marguerite (Van Valkenburg) Whetsler. Jim grew up in the community of Priest River, Idaho, where he attended school. Jim entered the United States Navy on November 18, 1960 in Spokane, WA. He served on the USS Helena and was discharged on March 18, 1963 at the US Naval Command, Portsmouth, NH. On May 29, 1979 in Mt. Pleasant, Jim was united in marriage to Maria J. Harrison.
Jim was nick-named “Choo-Choo” as his vocation and hobbies involved the railroad. He started as a C&NW locomotive fireman on the Wisconsin Division and was certified as a locomotive engineer with the C&NW Railway on April 22, 1968. Later he moved to Nebraska. Jim worked for the Great Plains Railroad for the relocation of 2 diesel locomotives and operated them as locomotive engineer. As a locomotive engineer, he ran engines at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in Middletown. Jim worked for the Building and Leasing International, Inc. in Kansas City for the delivery and restoration of the Mark Twain Zephyr for the Saudi Arabia Railways. In his later years, Jim was a nightwatchman for Amtrak at the Mt. Pleasant Depot.
Throughout his life, “Choo-Choo’s” love of steam power and trains remained a constant, even when he held jobs at Sheets Motors where he inspected new Ford Blue Bird Buses, the Mt. Pleasant Utilities in the Generating Plant, as a Security Guard at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center, and as a Summer Caretaker at Forest Home Cemetery.
Choo-Choo was involved with the relocation and operations of stationary steam engines for the Midwest Old Threshers (MOSTA) museums, the Midwest Central Railway, and the Midwest Electric Railway on the MOSTA grounds. He helped out at the Sears Sawmill. On August 29, 2008, Choo-Choo was recognized with the MOSTA Volunteer Award for the many hours of dedicated volunteer support of the association’s projects and programs. He loved history and when he heard “volunteer”, he was off to help, participating with the smaller railroads and steam/gas engine shows during the year. Jim was a member of the local volunteer community’s Rome Skunk River Navy. He spent his last years watching and photographing train engines.
Those thankful for sharing in Jim’s life include his wife of over 40 years, Maria of Rome; several nieces and nephews and their families and a host of surrogate “kids” who began their longtime friendships as they participated with Choo-Choo in his many interests.
Jim’s parents and 2 brothers – Dell and William Whetsler precede him in death.
