Mary Kay “Kay” Mohrfeld

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 at 11:03 am CDT

Mary Kay “Kay” Mohrfeld, 85, of West Point, Iowa, passed away at 1:45 p.m. Monday, May 11, 2026 at The Birkwood Village in Fort Madison.

She was born on February 17, 1941 in Colwich, Kansas, the daughter of Alphons and Cecilia (Spexarth) Eck. On June 30, 1962 she married Francis J. “Frank” Mohrfeld in Colwich, Kansas.

She is survived by three daughters: Terri Askegaard, Jan (Dan) Kramer, Karen (Pat) Petelin;  Six Grandchildren: Anna (Avery), TJ (Megan), David, Beth, Matt (Samantha), Gabe; Great – grandchildren: Emma Kay, Ben, Caden, Kenzie Kay, Callan; three sisters: Carol Dugan, Celi Goff, Nancy Denton; and brother Ivan Eck. Also surviving are many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters: Lou Ann Bergkamp, Helen Orth; and brother Frank Eck.

Kay was a member of St. James the Less Catholic Church, the Altar and Rosary Society. A past member of the Fort Madison Chamber of Commerce. She was a graduate of Andale High School, and retired from Lee County Bank as a Loan Officer. Kay enjoyed golfing, entertaining, wintering in Arizona, traveling, and her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, May 15, 2026 at St. James the Less Catholic Church in St. Paul, with Father Dan Dorau as celebrant. The family will receive friends following the Mass at the St. James Parish Center in St. Paul.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 4:00 p.m. Friday, May 15, 2026 at The Point 95 in West Point.

Burial will be at a later date in St. James Cemetery in St. Paul.

Memorials have been established in her memory for Holy Trinity Catholic School Endowment Fund and Lee County Hospice.

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

Prep Boys’ Soccer: Mt. Pleasant Doubles Up on SEC Championships

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 at 10:31 am CDT

Burlington, IA- Mt. Pleasant has rattled off 23 victories over the last two years, including 15 victories in Southeast Conference (SEC) play. A tie against Fort Madison last Thursday had clinched it but a 1-0 victory over Burlington last night made it official that the Panthers had become back-to-back SEC champions.

The Panthers have had a flair for the dramatics at times this year in conference play with three games that ended in one-goal victories and the aforementioned tie. Last year, the Panthers strived for a stingy defense to allow for the offense to find the goal enough times to secure the win.

This year, the offense has led the charge. Behind an offense that averages five goals per game, it has allowed for their defense and goalie Xachary LeBlanc not have to be challenge as much as he was a season ago. It also helps that the senior between the pipes has stopped 85.2% of the shots he has faced, a three percent increase from last year.

Another aspect of this team that cannot be understated is Dylan White. The senior led the team in goals and assists both his freshman and sophomore seasons, then tallied 15 assists last season to lead the team. White has been an absolute menace on the pitch this season as his 32 goals and 82 points lead the state and his 18 assists rank 3rd in the state.

Now, the Panthers will try to rewrite history. In 2013, Mt. Pleasant won the conference and qualified for the state tournament; last year, they fell in the substate championship to Williamsburg, 3-2, after winning the conference title.

Nonetheless, this will be their toughest road to travel. Mt. Pleasant will end the regular season with a road matchup against newly ranked in Class 1A #10 Burlington Notre Dame, who just knocked off Class 2A’s #5 Williamsburg 2-0 this past weekend, on Thursday, May 14th.

Then the Panthers will have to navigate the Class 3A postseason bracket instead of the Class 2A bracket from a year ago. At the time of publication, Mt. Pleasant is ranked 16th in the Class 3A Bound Power Rankings; yet, for head coach Rocco Russo, no one can stop his team if they are in the right mindset,

“… once positive stuff starts falling, then it’s like the floodgates open and we start playing our soccer. We need to just start the game like that. We need to start with the mentality of we’re the big fish in the pond and we’re going to go get it.”

Sports, May 12th

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 at 6:46 am CDT

High School Track and Field

Danville, New London, WACO, Wapello, Van Buren County, and Winfield-Mt. Union will travel to Sigourney for the Class 1A Region 10 State Qualifying meet on Thursday, May 14th.

West Burlington/Notre Dame, Mediapolis, Columbus, and Central Lee will contend at Tipton for the Class 2A Region 7 State Qualifying meet on Thursday.

Mt. Pleasant will host the Class 3A Region 5 State Qualifying meet on Thursday with Fairfield and Washington making the trip. 

High School Soccer

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team finished conference play undefeated and officially as back-to-back Southeast Conference champions after taking down Burlington on the road last night, 1-0. Isaiah Denning scored the lone goal for the Panthers. The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team fell to the #14 Grayhounds, 10-0. 

The Panthers will travel to Burlington Notre Dame on Thursday, May 14th, with the girls’ teams leading off the night at 5 pm.

The Mediapolis boys’ team lost to Hillcrest Academy last night, 5-1. 

Burlington Notre Dame will host Mediapolis tonight with the girls’ teams leading off the night at 5 pm.

Washington swept Keokuk last night with the girls’ team winning 4-0 and the boys’ team clobbering the Chiefs 9-1. Santiago Ramirez notched three assists and a hat trick for the Demons. 

The Washington girls’ team will hit the road to play Mid-Prairie at 5 pm on Thursday with the boys’ team making the trip to Clear Creek Amana on Friday, May 15th, at 5 pm.

Fairfield was swept by Fort Madison last night with the girls’ team losing 5-1 and the boys’ team falling to the Bloodhounds 3-1. The Trojans will contend with Centerville on Thursday with the girls’ team playing first at 5 pm at home.

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team celebrated senior night with a 3-0 shutout last night against Centerville. Dahlia Valdez, Mary Par, and Rozlynn Garza each found the back of the net. 

The WACO boys’ team will travel to Columbus tonight at 5 pm.

Wapello will play tonight with the girls’ team hitting the road to face off against Cedar Valley Christian and the boys’ team staying at home to take on Highland with both games kicking off at 5 pm.

Central Lee will compete at home tonight with the girls’ team playing Canton at 5 pm and the boys’ game to follow at 7 pm against Hillcrest Academy.

High School Boys’ Soccer Rankings

The Iowa High School Athletic Association released their fourth edition of the boys’ soccer rankings and Burlington Notre Dame made their first appearance into the top 10, rounding out the Class 1A rankings.

The Nikes are 11-3 on the year with a 2-0 marquee victory over Class 2A’s #5 Williamsburg this past Saturday. The team averages an impressive six goals per game, while notching nine shutouts as well. Sophomores have accounted for 57 of the team’s 86 goals, including 31 from Jordan Edgington.

High School Golf

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference girls’ teams met on the fairways yesterday for their conference meet and Highland grabbed the team title with a team score of 370 as Wapello and Burlington Notre Dame rounded out the top three.

Nike Allee Booten, a freshman, led the entire course with a round of 79. Emersyn Hopkins joined her teammate in the top 10 with a score of 88. Wapello’s Emmalin Marshall finished just outside the podium with a 4th place card of 86 as Macey Kuntz grabbed 10th place.

Winfield-Mt. Union was led by Ashlyn Bender who took home a 91 for the course, which was good enough for 7th place. Bri Spears of Mediapolis finished in 9th place with a score of 94. Elizabeth Griffin of Holy Trinity Catholic, Jocelyn Hernandez of Columbus, and WACO’s Morgan Meyer snatched 11th, 12th, and 14th place, respectively. 

The Columbus, Danville, Holy Trinity Catholic, Van Buren County, WACO, Wapello, and Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ teams will head to New London for the Class 1A Region 5C meet on Friday, May 15th. 

The girls’ Southeast Conference tournament is slated for tomorrow, May 13th, in Washington.

The Mt. Pleasant and Washington boys’ teams will gear up for their Class 3A Sectional Qualifier in Fairfield tomorrow.

The Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team will host the Class 1A Sectional qualifier for Danville, Holy Trinity Catholic, New London, WACO, and Wapello tomorrow.

The Mediapolis, Central Lee, and Columbus boys’ teams will meet in Tipton for the Class 2A Sectional Qualifier tomorrow.

High School Boys’ Tennis

Fairfield will host the Class 1A District 4 Singles and Doubles competition on Saturday, May 16th, with Mt. Pleasant making the trip.

College Signing

A pair of WACO student/athletes signed their letter of intent to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level with Garrett Landau joining the Mustangs at Mount Mercy University and Jude Dykstra opting to attend Northwestern College.

Landau, who finished in the top 10 at the Southeast Iowa Super Conference (SEISC) cross country meet in the fall, will be running cross country and participating in the Jazz Band.

Dykstra will be pulling double-duty, running for both the cross country and track and field programs. The Warrior collected a trio of top 11 finishes at the 2025 Iowa High School State Track Championships last year, and helped the WACO cross country program earn a top 5 ranking by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches as he nabbed the individual conference gold medal in the fall.

Both grabbed an individual SEISC banner at the 2026 conference track and field meet in front of their home crowd.

Southeastern Community College

The softball team announced that three of their players will be continuing their softball careers at a four-year university next season. Anna Woods will attend Upper Iowa University, McKenzie Sweeney will be heading to Lewis University, and Lydia Zaruba will be playing at William Penn University. 

College Baseball

The Iowa baseball team will finish the regular season with a three-game series against Purdue starting on Thursday, May 14th, at 6:35 pm from Principal Park in Des Moines.

This Day in Sports History

1955 – Chicago Cub Sam “Toothpick” Jones is the first African-American to pitch a no-hitter, winning 4-0 over the Pittsburgh Pirates, at Wrigley Field, Chicago. 

1970 – Ernie Banks (Chicago Cubs) hit his 500th home run. 

1998 – Indiana Pacers head coach Larry Bird became only the third rookie head coach to win the NBA Coach of the Year award.

Dolores M. Beaber

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 at 6:26 am CDT
Dolores M. Beaber, 76, of Mt. Pleasant, died Sunday, May 10, 2026 at Park Place in Mt. Pleasant.
Mrs. Beaber, the former Dolores Marie Welcher, was born July 9, 1949 in Creston, Iowa. She was the daughter of Alvin Edward and Beulah Evelyn (Dady) Welcher. Her family followed her father’s work on the railroad before settling down in southeast Iowa. Dolores attended grade school in Lockridge and graduated Cum Laude from Fairfield High School as a member of the Class of 1967. While in high school, Dolores was a member of the National Honor Society. On October 11, 1969 in Biggsville, IL, Dolores was united in marriage to Tony Eugene Beaber. Tony preceded Dolores in death on Saturday, July 9, 2022 in New London.
For many years, Dolores worked in the Customer Service Field. From 1979 to 1993, she worked for the Contel Telephone Company (later GTE). In 1998, Dolores accepted a position as a Correctional Officer in the Women’s Unit of the Mt. Pleasant Correctional Institution. She retired in 2012. During her working years at the prison, Dolores was a member of the AFSCME Union.
In her youth, Dolores was baptized at the Rome Baptist Church. For many years, Dolores has been a member of the Oakland Mills Community Church.
Her family, though, was her life. Dolores attended an untold number of concerts, sporting events and other activities of her children and grandchildren. She treasured the time she could spend at the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion. Dolores loved to listen to Elvis Presley and loved to listen to him often.
Those thankful for sharing in Dolores’ life include her 3 children – David (Mindy) Beaber of Rome, Edward (Sandy Smith) Beaber of Trenton and Suzanne Beaber of Mt. Pleasant; a sister, Dixie (Harold) Engle of Salina, IA; a sister-in-law, Beth Welcher of Mt. Pleasant; a brother-in-law, Gene Wenzel of Mt. Pleasant; her grandchildren – Blake (Amie) Beaber, Allison (Cody) Washburne, Sydney (Wolfgang) Schumacher, Shariah Collins, Reese Thele, Alex Thele, Manaysha (Quayson Talton) Minner, Nehemiah Minner, Trevor Beaber and Brittany (Alex) Howe and her great grandchildren – Elliot, Landon, Clay, River, Sutton, Augie, Torrin, Carter, Louie, Dulahni and Judah, as well as a host of aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family.
In addition to her parents and husband, Dolores’ brother, Dale Welcher and sister-in-law, Karen Wenzel precede Dolores in death.
A funeral service witnessing Dolores’ faith will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, May 15 at the Oakland Mills Community Church, 1530 Oakland Mills Road, rural Mt. Pleasant. Pastor Rick Moorman will officiate. Burial will be in the White Oak Cemetery, rural Rome. Friends may call from 12 Noon to 7PM on Thursday at the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 N. Main Street, Mt. Pleasant. The family will not be present at that time, but they will be present to greet friends 1 hour prior to the funeral at the church on Friday.
Memorials may be directed to the family for a charity to be named later. Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com

Seuang Kavanh

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 at 6:24 am CDT

Seuang Kavanh, 93 of Mount Pleasant, died Sunday, May 10, 2026, at Savannah Heights in Mount Pleasant.

Seuang was born October 5, 1932, in Ban Muoi, Son La, Vietnam the daughter of Heup and Song Cavan. On June 5, 1951, she was united in marriage to Theuang Kavanh in Ban Muoi, Son La, Vietnam. The couple moved to the United States in October of 1979. They lived in Keosauqua for 15 years before moving to Mount Pleasant in 1994. While in Keosauqua she was a member of the United Methodist Church and after moving to Mount Pleasant she attended First Baptist Church. Seuang loved taking care of her children, and grandchildren. She has left a lasting imprint in the hearts of all those who loved her. Seuang was a skilled seamstress, sewing much of her own clothing. She enjoyed tending to her garden and was an excellent cook.

Seuang is survived by six daughters, Phuong (Savalith) Muongsouvanh of Quebec, Canada, Phong (Phong) Lo of Sheldon, IA, Somboua (Oun) Lovan of Sheldon, IA, Khamphou (Heriberto) Medina of Mount Pleasant, IA, Chom (Kurt) Naae of Des Moines, IA, and Nhoth (Dave) Myers of Mount Pleasant, IA; one son, Bounloth Kavanh of Mount Pleasant; 16 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and a sister Sieng Cavan of North Vietnam. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Theuang; son Thau Kavanh; two daughters Pheuy Baccam, Huc Be; two grandsons Toby and infant Andrew; two sisters, Sing and infant Leung.

Funeral Service will be held 2:00 p.m. Thursday, May 14, 2026, at the Olson-Yoder Funeral Home in Mount Pleasant. Pastor Steve English will officiate. Private family inurnment will be in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 1:00 pm until the time of the service. Memorials may be directed to Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter. The Olson-Yoder Funeral Home is caring for Seuang and her family. Messages may be sent to the family at www.olsonyoderfh.com

Hard Work Pays Off for WACO’s Garrett Landau in Climb to Mount Mercy University

By Slaten Swords · Monday, May 11th, 2026 at 1:57 pm CDT

Wayland, IA- The game of long-distance running is all about steady improvement and a spirit of fortitude. WACO’s Garrett Landau fully encompasses that, and Mount Mercy University took notice as he will be joining the Mustangs’ Cross-Country program and the Jazz Band in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

(L-R: Chelsea Landau, Orchestra Teacher Holly Reynor, Garrett Landau, Coach Caylon DeVaul, Brent Landau)

Landau was a key member of a WACO cross country squad that saw time in the Iowa Association of Track Coaches top five rankings and eventually went on to win the Southeast Iowa Super Conference (SEISC) meet in the fall. Landau was able to finish inside the top 10 with a sub-18-minute time.

Most recently, the senior claimed the SEISC title in the 1600-meter run with a time of 4 minutes and 43 seconds to help WACO finish in 4th place as a team.

“We are incredibly excited for Garrett,” said Coach Caylon DeVaul. “He has shown tremendous growth and a tireless work ethic throughout his time here, and we look forward to seeing him excel at the next level with the Mustangs” 

Landau will look to make his way to Des Moines for the Class 1A State Track and Field Championships when WACO makes the trip to Sigourney for the State Qualifier on Thursday, May 14th.

WACO’s Jude Dykstra Running to Northwestern College to Continue Athletic Career

By Slaten Swords · Monday, May 11th, 2026 at 1:55 pm CDT

Wayland, IA- The WACO Boys’ Cross County team experienced quite the bump in attention and success this past fall season and the track and field team has been putting work in during this spring season resulting in a couple of conference champions and state hopefuls. One of those runners leading the charge is Jude Dykstra, who committed to Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa.

(L-R: Tiffany Dykstra, Justice Dykstra, Jude Dykstra, Joise Dykstra, Steve Dykstra, and Coach Caylon DeVaul)

Dykstra will join the Cross Country and Track and Field program starting in the 2026-2027 season.

Since transferring over to WACO from Mt. Pleasant for his junior season, Dykstra has been able to hit his stride in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference and beyond. Last year, the Warrior finished in the top 11 for both the 800 and 1600-meter runs before joining the distance medley team to finish in 8th place.

He brought that momentum with him into the fall cross country season and anchored a WACO boys’ team that found their stride midway through the season, leading to a top 5 ranking by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches and a conference championship for the team and an individual gold medal for Dykstra with a time of 16 minutes and 47 seconds.

Now, in the spring, Dykstra was able to bring home the individual conference championship in the 800-meter run with a time of two minutes. Coach Caylon DeVaul had this to say about Jude’s next step,

“Jude’s work ethic and competitive spirit have been the heartbeat of our distance program. His transition to the collegiate level at Northwestern is a testament to years of hard work. We are thrilled to see what he accomplishes in Orange City.”

The Warriors will be traveling to Sigourney on Thursday, May 14th, for their State Qualifying meet.