Obituaries

Mathew “Matt” Karpan was born on March 21, 1944, to John Sr. and Sarah “Babe” Karpan (Laws) in Des Moines, Iowa. He entered into eternal life on March 29, 2015.  Matt was known for his ferocity of spirit and even amazed many in the medical community, with his will to fight, against impossible odds throughout his journey.  Through this experience, Matt has taught many that living with cancer requires one to live with an attitude. An attitude to never give up, no matter what the odds are.

Ione Dennler, 85, of Elgin, Iowa, died Monday, March 30, 2015, at St. Mary’s Hospital, Rochester, Minnesota.  Borghild Ione, the daughter of William and Luella (Benson) Torkelson, was born September 21, 1929, on the family farm in Clayton County, Iowa. After Ione’s mother, Luella, passed away in 1934, she lived with her aunts and uncles until her father married Elsie Butikofer in 1938. Ione graduated from Elgin High School in 1947 and received her teacher certification from Upper Iowa College in Fayette. She taught in a country school near Volga, Iowa until she was united in marriage with Albert Lee Dennler on September 26, 1948, at the Highland Lutheran Church, rural Elkader, Iowa. Albert and Ione farmed southeast of Elgin for many years. After Albert’s death on November 30, 2010, Ione continued to live on the farm until 2013.

Zala Pauline Schultz Baade was born December 19, 1936, on a farm near Garber. She passed away at home on April 1, 2015. Zala attended country school through eighth grade and graduated from Garnavillo High School. She was the only child of Art and Edna (Kruse) Schultz. Zala was baptized and confirmed at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Elkport. She loved music and learned to play the guitar, piano and accordion by ear. She never needed or read a note of music. She and her dad had a band called the Turkey River Rangers and entertained many people! Her love of music has been passed on to her family.

Lifetime resident of the Elkader area, Harold Edward Matt, fondly known as “Shorty”, died at the age of 90 with amazing grace on March 21 at the Mercy Medical Center in West Des Moines after a battle with leukemia.  He was born November 24, 1924 in the rural St. Olaf, Iowa to Leo and Rose (Gebhart) Matt.  He attended the Garnavillo St. Joseph’s Catholic School through tenth grade school and graduated from the Garnavillo High School in 1942.