Jean Lawanna Sammons, 98, of Mt. Pleasant, died Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at Legacy Point in Iowa City.

Jean was born April 7, 1926 in Chicago, IL. She was the daughter of George and Marie (Schenk) Johnson. The family moved to northern Iowa during the Great Depression and then settled in her mother’s hometown of Winfield, IA. Jean attended Elementary School in Winfield and Crawford School near Swedesburg . She then attended Olds High School and graduated as one of the two Valedictorians of the Class of 1944 from Pleasant Lawn High School.

After high school, Jean worked as a Nurses Aide at the Mt. Pleasant Memorial Hospital (now HCHC).

On July 30, 1944, Jean was united in marriage to Merritt Keith Wandling. To this union a son, Charlie, was born.  Mr. Wandling was killed in a stock car racing accident on September 20, 1948. After his death, Jean accepted a position as the bookkeeper and pump attendant at the former Sinclair Service Station in Mt. Pleasant. It was there she met and began to date the fuel delivery driver. On October 30, 1950, Jean was united in marriage to William Patrick Sammons. To this union, 4 children were born, Robert, Gary, Susan and Jane. Mr. Sammons died February 22, 1981.

Jean was a longtime homemaker devoted to raising her children. After her children left home, Jean worked at  Fashion First Fabric, and later was the cashier at the former Iowa State Liquor Store in Mt. Pleasant.

A product of the depression, Jean was very skillful at stretching a dollar, and employed many of those traits until her final days. She was an excellent seamstress, and made many of her children’s clothes. Her skills with fabric also allowed her to be a gifted quilt maker. She was known as the family barber, cutting the family’s hair and even cutting her own.

Jean loved to be outdoors. She loved to garden. But, her most fond love was mowing the lawn. She enthusiastically hopped on the mower often, and was particular in how she cut the grass. Even after fracturing her ankle and was in a cast, she continued to mow while keeping her leg high in the air. During Old Threshers, she park cars in her yard, and was fastidious about how the cars were to be parked.

In her later years, Jean loved to go dancing with her friends at the Moose Lodge in Burlington. She won ribbons in Speedwalking at the Senior Olympics. Her family was amazed at her incredible memory, and how she could recall the details of her early life. Jean developed an immense love and admiration for the country of her father’s birth, Sweden. She visited Sweden six times, and was very pleased to meet and spend time with the relatives of her father’s family.

Those thankful for sharing in Jean’s life include 3 children – Charlie Wandling and his wife Shirley of Mt. Pleasant; Susan Hill and her husband Tom of Iowa City, and Jane Sammons and her husband Jay Speckeen of Iowa City; her daughter-in-law, Judy Sammons of West Branch, IA; 7 grandchildren – Nick Hill, Ryan (Mary Kay) Hill, Scott (Rebecca) Sammons, Julie (Chad) Jedlicka, Matthew (Mary) Millard, Benjamin (Shannon) Millard and Dallas Kyle, and 9 great grandchildren – William, Harrison, Josephine, Jack, Boden, Samuel, Emry, Marek and Jensen. Jean is also survived by her brother Ralph’s children and their families.

Jean’s parents, husbands, a son – Gary Sammons, a son in infancy, Robert Sammons, and her brother, Ralph Johnson, precede Jean in death.

A funeral service for Jean will be held at 3 PM on Sunday, November 10, at the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant. A private family burial will be on Tuesday at the Forest Home Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant. The family will be present to greet friends from 1-3 PM on Sunday at the Funeral Home.

Jean’s family would like to thank her friends and neighbors, especially Lynn and Maxine Bender, the Legacy Point Staff and St. Croix Hospice for the way they all looked after and cared for Jean.

Those considering an expression of sympathy may direct memorials to the family for a fund to be established for the care of various Henry County rural cemeteries.

Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com.

Lori Ann Poock Goerdt passed away August 2, 2024, at her home outside of Cathlamet, Washington, at the age of 61. She was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on July 27, 1963, the daughter of Gary and Mary Jacobs Poock. At that time, Gary was in the U.S. Navy.

At the age of 2, Lori moved back to Iowa along with her family. She was baptized and later confirmed at Faith Lutheran Church in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Lori graduated from public school in Mt. Pleasant, and then attended Western State College near Gunnison, Colorado, for a few semesters. She loved to ski using her telemark skis! Lori later returned to Iowa and completed her B.A. in botany and geology and a Master’s degree in teaching from the University of Iowa in 1991. Lori taught for several years in the Cedar Rapids Public school system.

During that time, Lori met a neighbor who a year later moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, and entered the real estate business at a Century 21 brokerage, selling property around Lake Pend Oreille. On her summer break, Lori went to Idaho with her mother, Mary, for a visit to her former neighbor and fell in love with the lake, the ski slopes at Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort AND the former neighbor, Alan Goerdt.

Lori stayed in the Sandpoint area and joined Alan in his real estate ventures and became very active in the Lake Pond Oreille Idaho Club. After a good development fell into place, they had the opportunity to plan for their wedding on a cruise ship vacation through the Caribbean during the Christmas holidays. The wedding took place at a port in Jamaica on December 26, 2000. Lori was a stunningly beautiful bride! Lori’s entire family was able to be there.

Upon their return, Alan and Lori would become caretakers for a private island in the San Juan islands off the northwest coast of Washington State. They stayed there for 3 ½ years until Lori saw the opportunity to fulfill one of her dreams: owning her own restaurant!! She loved cooking. Lori watched many TV cooking shows, bought many of the chef’s books and experimented with many of the recipes. When Lori saw an ad selling a historic house with an attached diner, she wanted to go see it! It was located up in the mountains near the North Cascade National Park. After the trip up there and a good ‘look around’, they put in an offer and became the owners.

At the diner, Lori was the star that made it happen! They ran it for 7 very successful years. To this day, the local folks rave about her cooking skills and wish she was still there running The Marblemount Diner!!

Upon retirement, Lori and her husband retired to the southwest corner of Washington State. They first moved to Vancouver, Washington, and then six years later, 70 miles north and west to Cathlamet, Washington, to build their new house along the Elochoman River, which drains into the Columbia River about 35 miles before it goes into the Pacific Ocean.

Lori was an inspiration in the lives of everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her. She had an extraordinary gift for connecting with people. Her boundless compassion and genuine love for helping others left a lasting impact on countless lives. She found her greatest joy in the simple yet profound moments in life from making a special sauce and connecting with friends or enjoying the timeless tunes of the 70’s and 80’s music. She knew how to make every moment memorable. Her presence was a source of comfort and happiness, and her love will continue to echo in the hearts of those she touched.

Preceding her in death were her grandparents Ed and Jo Poock of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Her Mother Mary Longanecker of Mt. Pleasant and Edwin and Mary Longanecker of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

She is survived by her husband, Alan Goerdt of Cathlamet, Washington, adopted father Edwin Longanecker of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, brother Lance Poock and Joe of Poinciana, Florida, uncle Craig Poock, wife Sue and nieces Allison and Delaney of Omaha, Nebraska, and brother Edwin Longanecker III., wife Heather along with their children Jack and Katie of Austin, Texas.

Lori’s service is planned for a later date . She will be laid to rest in the family plot in Forest Home Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. The Olson-Powell Chapel & Crematory is caring for Lori and her family.

Mark J. Beauchamp, 68, of Winfield, passed away on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at his home in Winfield surrounded by his family.  Private family services will be held.  Memorials may be directed to the family in memory of Mark.  The Snyder & Hollenbaugh Funeral and Cremation Services of Winfield is caring for the family. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sandhfuneralservice.com.

Mark Jeffrey Beauchamp was born on December 20, 1955, in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa the son of Russell and Dorothy (Kepper) Beauchamp.  On November 10, 1979 he was united in marriage to Teresea “Terri” Nichols.  Mark worked as a welder for JI Case and the American Ordinance Plant and was a bus driver for Trailways.  He enjoyed staying busy with work, riding his Harley, going on truck rides with his dog Belle, going to his grandchildren’s events and most of all, spending time with his family.

Mark will be deeply missed by his wife. Terri of Winfield; children, Asa Beauchamp of Brighton and Nate (Amanda) Beauchamp of New London; grandchildren, Gage, Caitlyn, Nayla, Raeleigh and Aven; brothers, Sam (Karen) Beauchamp of Winfield and Hal (Jolene) Beauchamp of Mt. Pleasant.

Mark was preceded in death by his parents; son, Michael; siblings, Jim Beauchamp, Mick Beauchamp and Jackie Beauchamp in infancy.

It is with incredible sadness the family of Linda Lee Linn (maiden name, Day) announce her passing. Lin, to those who knew her, 77, died in Bettendorf, IA on Nov.1, 2024.  She was born on Jul. 21, 1947, in Cedar Rapids, IA to Beatrice (Bea) and David Day and she had one younger brother, Doug Day.

Lin had a youthful spirit, and possessed, “unconventional beauty” in the way she dressed, embraced life, and went about her way in the world. She also had a special way of reinventing herself, and the world around her that was transformative in the most magnificent way. Her talent for gardening exemplifies this transformative quality, in that she could make any piece of earth into a thing of enchantment.

She carried that same passion, vision, and talent into her home. She would often buy obscure items at flee markets or antique shops that most people would not consider as a piece of décor in their home or garden. A street manhole with bits of concrete adhered the bottom, a collection of colorful glass insulators, two colorful, antiquated stained glass church windows, all can be seen in her home or her yard to this day as exquisite works of art that pull at your curiosity and spark pleasant conversations of how these items made their way into her orbit.

For those that knew her, Lin was a force of nature. She strongly encouraged her children to pursue their higher education, and always showed up for them in meaningful ways while they chased their dreams.

Lin’s love for her family and husband were equally as fierce as her nature. She is survived by her son, Chris Linn, her daughter, Melissa Chesmore, her granddaughter, Makenna Chesmore, and her husband, Mark Shuck. A private service was recently held in her honor for close family and friends. In lieu of sending flowers, Lin wished for donations to be made to the Scott County Humane Society, a cause close to her heart, in life.

Charlotte Loges, 83, of Donnellson, Iowa, passed away at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at Birkwood Village in Fort Madison, Iowa.

She was born on December 27, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Adolf and Melinda (Bartsch) Jahnke. On November 3, 1990, she married Roger Loges in Crawford, Colorado. He preceded her in death on December 13, 2022.

She is survived by three children: Danette Onstott of Greenville, South Carolina, Todd (Sally) Onstott of Donnellson, Iowa and Craig (Anna) Onstott of Crawford, Colorado; grandchildren: Brandon (Chanae), Joshua (Bria), John Michael, Mason (Emilee), Shannon (Aaron), Taylor, Amber (Jason), Curtis and Kolsie; great grandchildren: Phoebe, Macy, Kynlee, Ashley, William and Kaylee. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands; one brother and one sister.

Charlotte was a registered nurse and loved farming. She was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church.

A visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday, November 9, 2024, at Schmitz Funeral Home in Donnellson, where the family will receive friends from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

A funeral service will be held at 5:00 p.m. Saturday, November 9, 2024, at Schmitz Funeral Home in Donnellson with Pastor Orie Thomford officiating.

Burial will be at a later date at the Garden of Memories in Crawford, Colorado.

A memorial has been established in her memory.

Schmitz Funeral Home of Donnellson is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com