Obituaries of Louisa County, Iowa

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Obituaries of Louisa County, Iowa

Elmer E. Caldwell

GARAGE FALL KILLS IOWAN
Elmer E. Caldwell, Mediapolis, Strikes Head on Car - Rites Pending
Mediapolis, Ia. Nov. 5 - Elmer E. Caldwell, 74, of Mediapolis, retired farmer, fell dead in the garage at his home late Monday. His head struck the hub of his car when he fell.
It was first believed he met with foul play, but Coroner R.O. Giles of Burlington, who investigated the death, reported there was no such evidence. Mr. Caldwell's wife found the body.
He was the son of Milton F. and Martha Williams Caldwell, and was born on the Caldwell homestead 4 1/2 miles southwest of Morning Sun, Ia, Feb. 6, 1866.
He was married to Martha Mehaffy, Dec. 20, 1905, who survives with five children, Mrs. Ralph Swanson, of Mediapolis, Mrs. Gerald Beik, of Wapello, Mrs. Orville Graham, of Davenport, Miss Martha, at home, and Howard Caldwell, of Mediapolis; two sisters, Miss Ella Caldwell and Mrs. G.D. Delzell,, Morning Sun, and one brother, W.W. Caldwell, of Columbus Junction.
Funeral services will be held at the home in Mediapolis, Wednesday at 1 p.m. and at the United Presbyterian church at Morning Sun, Ia., at 2 p.m. The body will be taken from Fry's funeral home to the residence this evening.

The Daily Hawkeye Gazette, Monday, November 4, 1940, page 5
[Submitted by Sara Hemp]

Dorothy Rickard Campbell

BEARDSTOWN - Dorothy Campbell, 86, of Heritage Manor East died there Tuesday, July 25, 2000.
Born Sept. 4, 1913, in Wapello, Iowa, to Charlie Martin and Hattie Mae McNeal Rickard, she married Homer Campbell on Aug. 14, 1933, in Memphis, Mo. He died Oct. 14, 1982.
She also was preceded in death by one son, Charley; one daughter, Emma Louise Bauser; two sisters; and four brothers. Surviving are one son, Orville (and Mary) of Hannibal, Mo.; one daughter, Donna (and Walter ''Scootie'') Blake of Beardstown; several grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.
She worked at a Beardstown glove factory and at Beardstown Laundry. She also was a cook at several restaurants. She was a board member of the Residents Council at Heritage Manor East.
She was a member of East Union Baptist Church in Schuyler County. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Sager Funeral Home. The Rev. Jerry Houchins will officiate. Friends may call after 4 p.m. today at the funeral home with the family present from 6 to 8 tonight. Burial will be in Good Hope Cemetery in Schuyler County.

Peoria Journal Star, July 26, 2000
[Submitted by Sara Hemp]

Vera Helen Darby

WAPELLO, Iowa - Vera Helen Darby, 95, Wapello, died Friday, June 18, 2004, at the Wapello Nursing & Rehab Center, Wapello.

Services are 3 p.m. today at the Dudgeon-McCulley Funeral Home, Wapello. The Rev. Chris Thomas will officiate. Cremation will follow and burial will be at a later date at the Wapello Cemetery. Visitation is 1-3 p.m. today at the funeral home. A memorial fund has been established to benefit the Wapello Rescue Unit.

Mrs. Darby was born May 31, 1909, in Lost Springs, Kan., the daughter of Austin and Bessie Viola Danielson Jarvis. She married Willard Vernon Derby June 25, 1929, in Burlington. He preceded her in death Jan. 13, 2004. She graduated from Yarmouth High School. She worked as a bookkeeper for the Rugarber Hardware, later the Patrick's Homecrest, and Patrick's True Value in Wapello. She was a member of the United Methodist Church, Wapello, and a former member of the Rebekah Lodge. She had enjoyed league bowling.

Survivors include a son, Kenneth V. Darby of Wapello; three grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; a sister, Lulu Hartsock of Wapello; nieces and nephews; and great-nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; a stepfather, Wilbur; her husband; a brother, John "Bud"; and a sister, Mary.

Muscatine Journal (Muscatine, Iowa) June 22, 2004
(Submitted by Ida Maack Recu)

Willard Vernon Darby

WAPELLO, Iowa - Willard Vernon Darby, 95, Wapello, died Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2004, at the Wapello Nursing & Rehab Center, Wapello.

Memorial services are 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, at the Dudgeon-McCulley Funeral Home, Wapello. The Rev. Chris Thomas will officiate. His body has been cremated. There will be no visitation. A memorial fund has been established to benefit the Wapello Rescue unit.

Mr. Darby was born July 16, 1908, in Watseka, Ill., the son of Jesse and Bertha Darby. He married Vera Helen Jarvis June 25, 1929, in Burlington. He was a longtime barber in Wapello, retiring in 1980. He also carried mail for a couple years during World War II. He was a member of the United Methodist Church, Wapello; had been a 50-year member of the Wapello Chamber of Commerce; was a former member of the I.O.O.F., Wapello; and had been a member of the Indian Hills Golf and Country Club. He enjoyed golf and bowling along with gardening and flowers.

Survivors include his wife; a son, Kenneth V. Darby of Wapello; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Onis; and a sister, Ethel.

Muscatine Journal (Muscatine, Iowa) January 16, 2004
(submitted by Ida Maack Recu)

M. Louise Kammerer

WAPELLO, Iowa - M. Louise Kammerer, 82, of Wapello, Iowa, died Thursday aftrnoon, Sept. 18, 2003, at the Wapello Nursing and Rehab Center.

Services at the First Presbyterian Church at Wapello, with the Rev. Mary N. Pugh officiating. Burial will be at the Wapello Cemetery.

Visitation at Dudgeon-McCulley Funeral Home in Wapello. A memorial fund has been established for the benefit of the First Presbyterian Church in Wapello.

Mrs. Kammerer was born Sept. 10, 1921, in Mt. Pleasant, the daughter of Charles and Lillian Harper Heater. She married Lewis A. 'Luke' Kammerer on Feb. 27, 1937.

She was a homemaker. She had worked at the Ordinance Plant at Middletown and for a short time at the Wapello Nursing Home. For many years she and her husband were the custodians for the First Presbyterian Church at Wapello.

She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and the Geneva Guild of the Presbyterian Women. She was also a member of the Merry Makers Club, the Louisa County Farm Bureau Ladies, and the Geode-A-Bagos Camping Club. She had been a 4-H leader for many years. She enjoyed reading, sewing and camping.

She is survived by her husband, 'Luke'; two sons, Gerald Kammerer and his wife, Dianna, of Morning Sun and Bruce Kammerer of Libertyville; three daughters, Janet Hilde and her husband, John, of Casper, Wo., Karen Yakle and her husband, Joiner, of Wapello and Sharon Whitehorn and her husband, Ron, of Wapello; 15 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; two step-great-grandchildren; a sister, Barbara Amick of Appomattox, Va.; six step-brothers and one step-sister.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her stepmother, Edna; a brother, Charles, Jr. and two sisters, Virginia Hunt and Betty Crocker.

Submitted by June Welsch