The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 16

Metro Edition The Des Moines Register Page6B Wednesday, October 6, 2010 FRITZ LENN0N Spirit Lake JOHN MICHAEL BUFFINGT0N Colo EVA MAY BURGESS Johnston DARLENE 0. EIKENBERRY Dps Moines fire chief Bracken dies at 71 DAVID LOWRY Montezuma David Lowry, 51, of Montezuma, died Sunday, October 3, 2010. Funeral services will begin at 10 a.m., on Thursday, October 7, 2010 at the First Presbyterian Church in Montezuma. Visitation will begin at noon on Wednesday, with family present from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Holland-Coble Funeral Home in Montezuma.

Burial will be in the West Liberty Cemetery near Montezuma. GARY A. BR0UWER Pella Fritz Lennon, 73, of Spirit Lake, IA died Sunday, October 3, 2010 at the Royal Johnson Veteran's Administration Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD, of complications from Hodgkin's lymphoma. Burial will take place on Friday, October 8, 2010, St. Michael Cemetery in Sioux Falls, with a Memorial Service at a later date.

Fritz Lennon, son of John and Helene (Wermuth), was born and raised in Sioux Falls. Fritz graduated from Cathedral High School in 1954, then went on to Augustana College where he received his Master's Degree in Music. In 1959, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed at the Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, and was given opportunities to act in plays throughout Asia. After his three years in the military, Fritz went back to school and earned an additional Master's Degree in Theatre Arts.

One major accomplishment in his life was when he studied Music Composition under Darius Milhaud, world renowned French composer. Throughout Fritz's acting career, he was in more than 500 performances on stage. He has acted in Europe, the Dallas Repertory Theatre, San Diego Shakespeare Theatre, the Heartland Professional Theatre in Kansas City, and had over 35 years in the Okoboji Summer Theatre. Fritz was an avid fan of baseball, the Dallas Cowboys, and the San Diego Chargers. In his free time, Fritz would study Art History, and he truly loved to compose Classical Music.

Fritz belonged to Actor's Equity, and was a Mensa member. Grateful for having shared Fritz's life are his brothers, Anthony of Fort Dodge, IA, and John of St. Paul, MN; niece, Gretchen Lennon of St. Paul; nephew, John Lennon of Seattle, and his many friends at the Okoboji Summer Theatre. His parents, and a brother, Dan preceded him in death.

All memorials should be sent to: Okoboji Summer Theatre, PO Box 341, Spirit Lake, IA 51360 Li J) Eva May 4 Burgess, 91, passed away T. at her home 2010. She was born November 6, 1918 in Des Moines to Joseph and Ressie Rector. Eva is survived by her husband, Clarence Burgess; sons, Rick and Ron Burgess; daughter, Betty Caul-field; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m.

Thursday, October 7, 2010 at Glendale Cemetery. Hamilton's GUINEVERE M. SCH0NEBERG Cedar Falls "GINNY" Guinevere M. "Ginny" Schoneberg, 81, of Cedar Falls, died at the Cedar Falls Luth eran Home Friday, October 1, 2010. Ginny was born May 12, 1929.

She married Laverne "Pete" Schoneberg August 23, 1950; he died April 27, 1989. Ginny retired in 1994 as communications secretary in the Cedar Falls office of the National Episcopal Cursillo after 20 years of dedicated work. She was past president of NE Iowa Stroke Assoc. and past vice president of National Episcopal Pews Action. Ginny is survived by son, Scott (JoBeth), Des Moines; son, Reid (Dorene), Fort Worth, TX; five grandchildren, Sara, Ben, Peter, Cole, and Callie Schoneberg; two step- granddaughters, Erica and Heather Feldt; two step-great- grandchildren, Danielle Feldt- Lange and Austin Feldt.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. L.W. "Pete" Schoneberg. Services: 2 p.m. Thursday at Trinity Episcopal Parish in Waterloo.

Burial: Garden of Memories Cemetery. Visitation: 4 to 7 p.m. today at Locke Funeral Home (319) 233-6138. Memorials: Trinity Episcopal Parish Schoneberg Library. Online condolences may be made to www.lockefu-neralhome.com I 7r and VsLA fit time liam, Martha, Lorena and Our Neville taking by your August of uzj Darlene D.

Eikenberry, 82, passed away on Monday, October 4, 2010. The funeral service will be on Friday, October 8 at 1 1 a.m. at Hamilton's on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, with burial at Glendale Cemetery. The visitation will be Thursday, October 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.

She is survived by her children, Kevin (Marie), Neil, Mark, Todd (Wanda), Jill (Bob) Gray; nine grandchildren; three sisters; one brother; and many nieces and nephews. Darlene was preceded in death by her husband Don; two sisters and one brother. Memorial contributions may be directed to Hospice of Central Iowa or to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Online condolences mav be made to www.hamiltonsfuneralhome.com To submit Memorials and Cards of Thanks, please visit us online for more information www.DesMoine6Regftter.com VIVIAN A.

KUHR Urbandale Vivian A. Kuhr, 92, of Urbandale died Sunday, flf.tnhor AV 2010 at the lYVf Urbandale Health Care Center. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Octo-ber 7, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Burial will be at Glendale Cemetery.

Vivian was born in Defiance, IA, on September 29, 1918 to Mike and Magde-line (Jacoby) Finken and grew up in Harlan, IA. After her marriage to Gerald E. Kuhr in 1944, they made their home in several Iowa communities, including Waterloo, before returning to Des Moines 12 years ago. Vivian enjoyed playing golf and cards, especially Bridge. Vivian is survived by three daughters, Patsy Jones, Pam (Steve) Mach-holz and Debora Kuhr; three grandchildren, Tina (Scott) Jayne, Rod Jones and Eric Machholz; and two great-grandchildren all of the Urbandale and West Des Moines area; brother, Jim Finken; and sister, Terry (Ted) Brazie.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gerald; grandson, Jeff Jones; and seven siblings. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 6, at lies Funeral Homes -Westover Chapel, in Des Moines, where a vigil ser-, vice will begin at 7:30 p.m. Memorial contributions may be directed to Wesley Hospice or the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

ILES Westover Chapel 6337 Hickman Road $Q095 Regular Price 00 Pre-Season bpeciai Discount $81 95 Includes Carbon Monoxide lest 'Offer good for a limited time A property tuned furnace uses less fuel (TO (rVr (rVte, e2 es tfM John Michael Buffington, 57 of Colo died on Monday, October 4, 2010 at his home. Visitation will be A .1 held Friday, October 8 with the family present from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the United Methodist Church, 602 4th Street in Colo. Private graveside services will be held in the Colo Cemetery. John was born on April 27, 1953 in Marshalltown to George D.

and Corinne I. (Chelsvig) Buffington. He was a 1971 graduate of Colo High School. On December 12, 1980, John married Deborah S. Horn-berg in Nevada.

He retired in 2009 as a farmer and driver for Nevada Ready Mix. John was a member of the United Methodist Church in Colo and served on the Colo City Council. He loved watching his children and grandchildren play sports. John also enjoyed watching bull riding and horse pulling events. John is survived by his wife, Deb Buffington of Colo; a daughter, Wendy (Scott) Stensland of Slater; a son, Clint Buffington of Schweinfurt, Germany; two grandchildren, Holly and John Johnson; two step-grandchildren, Hannah and Caleb Stensland.

John was preceded in death by his father, George on June 15, 1980; and his mother, Corinne on April 21, 2002. A memorial fund has been established in John's name. Chet Ryan Mortuary has been entrusted with the care of John and his fam- a LARRY D. BEST Grimes Larry Best, 65, of Grimes, formerly of Gar- i A TL Monday -1 (October 4, 2010) at his home. Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m., Friday at St.

Boniface Catholic Church in Garner with Msgr. John Hemann officiating. Burial will be in St. Boniface Catholic Cemetery in Garner. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday at the Cat-aldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E.

4th in Garner with a Scriptural wake service at 7:30 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at the church. Larry Dean Best, the son of Herman and Vera (Young) Best, was born April 6, 1945 at Garner. He graduated from Garner-Hayfield High School in 1962. Larry served his country in the U.S Navy during the Vietnam war.

Following his honorable discharge he returned to Garner and worked with brother, Bob, in construction. On August 29, 1970 he married Mary Hejlik at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Duncan. They lived in Garner where they raised their family and Larry continued working in the construction industry. In 1996, they moved to Guymon, OK and then in 2000 returned to Iowa making their home in Grimes where Larry was self employed as an underground utilities inspector.

He enjoyed spending time with his family, fishing, woodworking, playing cards and games and was an avid Green Bay Packers fan. He was a former member of St. Boniface Catholic Church in Garner and belonged to the Knights of Columbus in Guymon, OK. Larry was a lifetime member of the Garner VFW where he served as past commander. Larry is survived by his wife, Mary, of Grimes; son, Mike (Angela) Best and their two sons, Nick and Jacob of Johnston; daughter, Stacey (Chad) Baker of West Des Moines; a brother, Dennis Best of Clear Lake; a sister-in-law, Barbara Best of Garner; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and brothers, Walter and Robert Best. By DANIEL P. FINNEY dafinneydmreg.com Randy Bracken, the fireman whose foresight saved lives and property during the 1993 floods and guided the West Des Moines Fire Department from a smalltown volunteer unit to a hybrid volunteer-professional squad, died Monday. Former colleagues said the cause of death was a heart attack. He was 71.

"We lost a friend, a leader and most of all A a family mem- Mszdi ber Monday nieht," said nidinif was Mike Whit-sell, West Des Moines Fire Department spokesman. known for leadership during the 1993 floods. "He taught us how to be firefighters, to value the people we served and to always be proud of the role we fill in the community." Bracken joined the West Des Moines department as a volunteer in 1968 and rose to chief in 1978. He managed the department during West Des Moines' population boom by hiring the city's first paid firefighter in 1988 and gradually expanding the department's professional ranks while continuing to manage a loyal volunteer base. Bracken may best be remembered for his leadership during the 1993 floods when he shouted evacuation orders through a bullhorn as he stood in a gazebo while the Raccoon River rushed into the historic Valley Junction area.

Bracken had made a habit of checking the river gauges and water levels in Van Meter during heavy rains. During one of those routine trips in 1993, he saw water levels higher than ever. He hustled back to the city and called an emergency meeting with city leaders. "He said 'We've only got a few hours to evacuate Valley Whitsell said. "He really kicked things into motion." Bracken retired from the West Des Moines department in 2000.

Later, Norwalk faced a change from an all-volunteer department to a combination volunteer-professional squad, and city leaders there coaxed Bracken out of retirement for two years to help with the transition between 2006 and 2008. "He really exemplified what fire and emergency services was all about," said Mark Miller, Norwalk city clerk. Bracken is survived by his wife, Mary Jo, of West Des Moines; and a son, Mike, who serves as a firefighter in Kansas City, Mo. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at West Des Moines Christian Church, 4501 Mills Civic Parkway.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the church. Afterward, Bracken's body will be carried on a 1937 International firetruck to the fire station at Valley West Drive and Ashworth Road, where it will pass through the fire-house bay before proceeding to Resthaven Cemetery, 801 19th St. Sen-inx the Des Moines Area Since WU Gary A Brouwer, 80, of Pella, IA, passed away Monday morning at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown, IA. Gary is survived by his wife, Wilma Brouwer; a daughter, Connie and her husband, Kevin (Skip) Boldt, and a grandson, Nathan Boldt all of Pella.

Funeral services will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Otley Reformed Church. Visitation will begin after 2 p.m. on Wednesday with the family present from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Van Dyk Duven Funeral Home.

RANDALL LEE BRACKEN West Des Moines Randy Bracken, 71, passed away ffl on Monday, K. a October 4, I 9nin at Meth odist West Hospital in West Des Moines. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at West Des Moines Christian Church with burial at Resthaven Cemetery. Randy was born August 9, 1939 in Fort Dodge, Iowa to Lester and Evelyn Bracken.

He worked at the Meredith Corporation as a Pressman for 19 years. Randy worked for the West Des Moines Fire Department for 32 years and was the active Fire Chief for 22 years. He was also the former Fire Chief at the Norwalk Fire Department where he came out of retirement to work for two years. Randy was active at he YMCA, member of the West Des Moines Christian Church and the Past President of the Iowa Fireman's Association and board member for seven years. Randy served the West Des Moines community by expanding the Fire Department, was instrumental in helping during the floods of 1993 and he proudly served the City of West Des Moines for 32 years.

He enjoyed working at the West Grand Golf Range, had a love for cars and was a racing fan, especially the Daytona 500 in Florida. Randy was a graduate of the last class from the old North High School Class of 1957. Randy is survived by his wife of 50 years, Mary Jo Bracken of West Des Moines; son, Mike (Jill) Bracken of Kansas City, MO; three grandchildren, Ashley Marie Bracken, Brooke Tonya Bracken and Hayden Michael Bracken; two brothers, Brian (Pam) Bracken of Urbandale and Steve Bracken of Des Moines; aunt, Carol (Roy) Dillon of Fort Dodge; sister-in-law, Jean (Dick) Pre-ston of Omaha, NE; brother-in-law, Bob (Nancy) Allan of Knoxville, TN, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Randy was preceded in death by his daughter, Tonya Jean Bracken; parents; and two brothers-in-law, Bill Allan and Jerry Dellaai. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m.

Thursday at West Des Moines Christian Church. Memorial contributions may be directed to West Des Moines Christian Church, West Des Moines Firefighter's Memorial and Iowa Firefighter's Memorial in Coralville, Iowa. McLaren's Chapel Vl at Resthaven Cemetery 5 LILAWARD NEVILLE Dallas Center Good Lord came to Lila Monday, October 4, 2010, her quietly by the hand saying Come with me it is for you to go. We shall tread the still waters and restore soul." Lila was born 3, 1920 in Clarksdale, Missouri to Roy and Clara (Gib-bins) Parker. Lila was the oldest six children, Orville Lee, Wil Lila moved to Dallas Center, Iowa, to live with her grandparents in 1935.

In man Ward and they had one son Robert James Ward. Herman passed away in 1981. In 1994 Lila married Carroll L. Neville. Annabel.

1938 she married James Her four years moved to what is 23 years she worked at up to supervisor of person in the downtown store. Lila was Herman's partner in Ward's Painting Service until 1955. At that time she opened the Homaid Bake Shop in her home and after now the Korner Kone. Younkers working her way nel over the entire first floor After retirement from For Younkers, she worked as head cook for HomeCare Services in Adel. The first day she prepared meals for 25.

Three years later, the day before she retired, she prepared her life purpose was to take care of others and she enjoyed doing what the Lord wanted her to do. She was responsible for starting Meals-on-Wheels in Dallas Center. Lila was a wonderful volunteer in Dallas Center Federated Woman's Club, American Legion Auxiliary and the btlAKh program. ated many beautiful counted cross stitch items and crocheted a number of beautiful gifts for her friends, uicludmg a large table cloth Lila recently was honored for her 60 years of membership at First Presbyterian Church. She held many positions in the church over Lila was preceded in death by her parents; grandpar meals for 300.

Lila believed Lila loved gardening and ere for Terrace Hill. those years. Langdon Paul Ward and his Dallas Center. Burial will be at Memorial contributions may be Uhurch of Dallas Center. ents; ana sister, Martha, bhe is survived by her husband.

Carroll Neville, now of Perry, Iowa; son, Robert James Ward and Linda; grandsons, wife, Shawn and Randy Ward; four great-grandsons; and one great-granddaughter; brothers, Orville Lee Mitchell and his wife, Thelma and William Davison and his wife, Vera; and sisters, Lorena Repp and Annabel Merritt and her husband, Jack; nephews and nieces and her church family. Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at lies Funeral Homes-Brandt Chapel Dallas Center. Funeral services will be held Thursday at 10.30 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church in the Brethren Cemetery.

maae to irst Presbyterian 1301 Ash Brandt Cheating cooling I fMrjlttl LI1) ELES Charml Dallas Center.