Obituaries

Viola G. Crane, 97, of Mt. Pleasant, died at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2003, at Parkview Care Center in Fairfield.      The funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 15 at the First United Methodist Church in Mt. Pleasant, with the Rev. Kimberly Bowles officiating. Burial will be in Forest Home Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant. Visitation will be from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14 at Beatty Funeral

LaVerne C. Hult, 92, of Swedesburg, died on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2003, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.      The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13 at the Swedesburg Evangelical Lutheran Church with the Rev. Philip Borleske officiating. Burial will follow at the Swedesburg Church Cemetery. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at the Honts Funeral Home in Winfield, with family present

Kenneth G. Keck, 57, of Floris, died at 12:12 p.m. on Sept. 8, 2003, at the Davis County Hospital in Bloomfield.      The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11 at Reece Funeral Home in Ottumwa. Burial will be in Shaul Cemetery. Visitation began at 10 a.m. today, with family present from 6 to 8 p.m. A memorial has been established.      Survivors include a daughter, Misty Keck of Floris; a son,

Virginia M. Coen, 88, of Mt. Pleasant, died on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2003, at Pleasant Manor Care Center in Mt. Pleasant.      There will be no service and the cremains will be buried in Forest Home Cemetery at a later date. Elliott Chapel in New London is in charge of arrangements.      Survivors include two sisters, Vera Johnson of Fairfield, and Helen Snelling of Galesburg, Ill.      She was preceded in death by her

COLUMBUS JUNCTION - James "Dick" Russell Blodgett, 68, of Columbus Junction, died Saturday, Sept. 6, 2003, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.      Funeral services will be held at the Stacy-Lewis Funeral Home in Columbus Junction, at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, with the Rev. Donald Bundy officiating. Visitation will be held Tuesday evening from 4 to 7 at the Stacy-Lewis Funeral Home. A memorial has been established

KALONA-Gladys Miller, 88, of Kalona, died Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2003, at Pleasantview Home in Kalona, following a brief illness.      Celebration of Life services will be held on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 10 a.m., at Pleasantview Chapel in Kalona, with the Rev. David L. Yoder and the Rev. Phil Schrock officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery in rural Kalona. Visitation will be Friday, Sept. 12, from 2 to 8 p.m., at

Adam John Gartner, 49, of Washington, died Saturday, Sept. 6, 2003, at his residence. He had been in declining health for the past few years.      A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, at the residence of Louis and Sandra Wilson, 1616 Sixth Avenue North, in Wellman. Jones-Eden Funeral Home of Washington is in charge of arrangements.      Mr. Gartner was born Oct. 16, 1956, in Omaha, Neb., to

COLUMBUS JUNCTION - Richard "Dick" Hills, 76, of Columbus Junction, died Saturday, Sept. 6, 2003, at his home in Muscatine.      Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the Stacy-Lewis Funeral Home of Columbus Junction, with the Rev. Cathy Whitlatch officiating. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, at the funeral home. A memorial has been established at the funeral home.

Samuel "Sam" Irvan Hesseltine, 3 1/2, of rural Washington, died suddenly, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2003, in an accident at home.      Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 8, at United Presbyterian Church in Washington, with the Rev. Ron McMenamin officiating. Burial will be in pleasant Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday, from noon to 7 p.m., at Jones-Eden Funeral Home in Washington, with

Kenneth Gardner Butzier, 76, of Laporte, Minn., died on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2003, at Woodrest Nursing Home in Walker, Minn.      A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9 at the Walker Community Church in Walker, Minn., with the Rev. Zachary Crosby officiating. A public gathering will be from 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Thomas-Dennis Funeral Home in Walker. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been