Obituaries

Donald R. ?Jake? Batterson, 88, of Washington, died Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010, in University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City following a sudden illness.    Celebration of life services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30, at the Jones-Eden Funeral Home in Washington with the Rev. Julie Poulsen officiating. Burial will be in Elm Grove Cemetery in Washington. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home,

COLUMBUS JUNCTION ? Lon Allan Messer, 43, of Letts, died Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010, at his home.    Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 24, at the Stacy-Lewis Home for Funeral and Cremation Services in Columbus Junction with the Rev. Joseph Sia officiating. Burial will be in the Letts Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. today at the funeral home. A general memorial has been

BRIGHTON ? Lucille Francis Sobaski, 78, of Brighton, died Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010.    A funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, at Ss. Joseph and Cabrini Catholic Church in East Pleasant Plain, Brighton. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery in East Pleasant Plain. Family visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at the church with Prayers for a Christian Wake to follow at 7 p.m. Memorials may be

Paul F. Swift, 65, of West Chester, died Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010, in Mercy Hospital in Iowa City following a sudden illness.    The family will receive friends during a gathering and visitation from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, at the Jones-Eden Funeral Home in Washington. Calling hours will begin at noon Tuesday at the funeral home. Private family inurnment will take place in Elm Grove Cemetery in Washington at a

KALONA ? Mattie Marie Ropp, 78, of rural Kalona, died Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010, at her home.    Funeral services will be at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at the Elson Ropp residence at 2484  540th St. S.W. in rural Kalona with the Rev. Willis Yoder officiating. Burial will be in the North Cemetery in Hazleton. Visitation began at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Ropp residence and will continue all day today. The Yoder-Powell

RIVERSIDE ? Margaret Mary Swailes, 87, of Riverside, died Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010, in the Iowa City Rehabilitation and Care Center in Iowa City.Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at the Sorden-Lewis Home for Funeral and Cremation Services in Riverside. Burial will be in the Riverside Public Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Memorials may be directed to Iowa

HOUSTON, Texas ? Larry Edward Dittrich, 63, of Houston, died Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, after a brief illness.    The body is being cremated and will be buried in his father?s grave in Washington at a later date. National Cremation Service in Houston, Texas, is handling the arrangements.    Mr. Dittrich was born Feb. 11, 1947, in Washington.For the full story, see the Oct. 6 edition of The Washington Evening Journal

WELLMAN ? Donald E. Eash, 82, of Wellman, died Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010, in Parkview Manor in Wellman.    Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, at the West Union Mennonite Church in rural Parnell with the Rev. Martha Yoder and the Rev. Ray Reimer officiating. Burial will be in the West Union Cemetery. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Powell Funeral Home in Wellman where the family

KALONA ? Albert J. Yoder, 76, of rural Austin, Minn., died Monday, Oct. 4, 2010, at his home.    The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 8, at Fairview Mennonite Church in Kalona with the Rev. Dennis Martin, the Rev. Arnold Skrivseth and the Rev. Perry Miller co-officiating. Burial will be in the Fairview Mennonite Church Cemetery in Kalona. Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at

ROCHESTER, Minn. ? Donald E. ?Don? Birka, 88, died Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010, at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, Minn., as a result of a car accident.    His wife, Lavona ?Bonnie? Birka, died Monday, Sept. 20, 2010, as a result of the same accident.    A memorial service for Don and Lavona ?Bonnie? Birka will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9, at St. Luke?s Episcopal Church in Rochester, Minn. Burial will be at