Obituary
Gary S. Hall, 79
Gary S. Hall, 79
Farnhamville - Gary S. Hall, 79, passed away on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, February 20, 2026, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Farnhamville with Pastor Aaron Zimmerman officiating. Burial will follow in Reading Township Cemetery in Farnhamville. There will be a visitation from 10:00 AM until the time of the service on Friday. Laufersweiler Palmer & Sons Funeral Home in Gowrie is serving the family.
Gary is survived by his daughters, Denise (Ryan) Moore of Gowrie, Darci (Jeff) Nemmers of Fort Dodge, grandchildren, Breann Moore (Tyler Price and Ashley Bates), Blair (Damon) Wynes, Baylee Moore (Blake Richmond), Jeff (Charity) Nemmers Jr., Trey (Kaylin) Thiele, Madeleine (Elliot) McLarty, John Nemmers, 15 great-grandchildren with 4 on the way, brother, Mike Hall of Cedar Rapids, sister, Shelly (Bill) Berger of Jefferson, brothers and sisters-in-law, Richard and Pamela Goodrich of Pleasant Hill, George and Paula Henry of Salem, VA, and nieces and nephews.
Gary is preceded in death by his wife, Sheila, parents, Raymond and Roberta (Schumann) Hall, grandchild, Catherine Nemmers, and sister-in-law, Vicki Hall.
Gary S. Hall was born on February 7, 1947, in Holstein, Iowa, and graduated from Prairie Community High School in Gowrie. Gary was united in marriage with Sheila Bowers on October 10, 1969, and the couple established their home in Farnhamville. He was employed with Farmers Co-op in Farnhamville for 35 years, retiring in 2009. Gary loved watching NASCAR and attending car shows. He was a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.
Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.
Marlys Christopher Ransom
Marlys Christopher Ransom
Marlys Christopher Ransom was born in Minneapolis, MN, May 13, 1926 to Edwin L. and Grace Johnson Christopher. She passed peacefully in her sleep on April 23, 2026.
Chris was predeceased by her parents; sister, Eileen Carlson; brother, Leighton Christopher; daughters, Judith Conway and Mary Ransom; granddaughter, Angela Brooks; great-grandson, Jake Robert Lees; great-granddaughter, Cassidy Elizabeth Lees. She is survived by her son Mike Ransom (Ann Marie); daughters, Terry Battle; Cindy Lindquist (Nels); Susy Soto (George); 12 grandchildren, many great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews and a host of friends.
The family would like to thank the staff at Trinity Grove for their loving and compassionate care of Chris for the past two years. Trinity Grove became a home to her where she was surrounded by kindness and love every day.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Trinity Grove, Wilmington, NC April 29, 2026 at 2:30 PM.
Jennifer Sue Sorenson Morrill, 80
Jennifer Sue Sorenson Morrill, 80
Jennifer Sue Sorenson Morrill, 80
Jennifer Sue Sorenson Morrill, aged 80, went to be home with the Lord on March 4, 2026, after a long health battle. She passed away peacefully, in her sleep, on her birthday. Being with her Lord and Savior Jesus - what a wonderful birthday present for her.
She was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and grew up on a farm with her three sisters. She later graduated from Luther College in Iowa, where she met her future husband, Bill Saetveit. They married in 1968, moved to Indiana, and then to Denver, Colorado.
Jennifer was a stay-at-home mom to two beautiful daughters, Amy and Stacy. She then eventually worked as an Administrative Professional in the Pulmonary Division at the University of Colorado Medical Center.
She is survived by her two daughters: Amy and Stacy; her four grandchildren: Logan, Blake, Simon and Alex; her two sisters: Jeri Peffer and Jane Mosher; and many other loved ones. She is preceded in death by her parents Alvin and Bethel Sorenson, and her sister Judy Sorenson Paski.
Jennifer enjoyed time with family, traveling, sewing, painting, and other crafts, and loved shopping on QVC!
The family will be having a small, private service, and thanks you in advance for your thoughts and prayers.
If so led, those wishing to honor Jennifer’s life can make a donation to the Alzheimer’s research organization of their choice.
Local News
Southeast Valley DECA Members Attend International Conference in Atlanta
Five Southeast Valley High School DECA students recently traveled to Atlanta to attend the 2026 DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC), held April 25–29. Hallie Crampton, Paizley Jondle, Mason Newell, Brock Norine, and Oliver Riehl joined more than 25,000 students, advisors, and business professionals from around the world for the premier event focused on career readiness and leadership development.
The conference opened with a high-energy general session featuring the Parade of Associations, state awards, keynote speaker sWooZie, and DECA’s national officer team. Attendees were also entertained by a performance from the internationally recognized dance group Light Balance. Read More...
SV Senior Aubrey Sandstrom Graduates from Iowa Central Before Receiving Her High School Diploma
Southeast Valley senior Aubrey Sandstrom reached a remarkable milestone this spring, graduating from Iowa Central Community College on May 8, just days before she will walk across the stage to receive her diploma from Southeast Valley High School. Sandstrom, the daughter of Tyler and Laura Sandstrom, has spent the past several years balancing high school life with a full college course load, ultimately earning her associate degree ahead of schedule.
Sandstrom shared her journey, motivation, and advice for younger students considering the same path. When asked what inspired her to begin taking college classes while still in high school, Sandstrom said she saw an opportunity early on. “I made this decision because I found it was possible and I knew that it would help me get through college quicker.” Read More...
Gowrie Kensington Club Learns the Art of 1875 Furniture Making
The Gowrie Kensington Club ladies met with Master cabinet maker Robby Pedersen in Jefferson on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Pedersen owns and runs the shop “RVP-1875”. Pedersen’s shop has been deemed the world’s leading historical furniture shop and museum. Robby is a Master Furniture Maker, he builds furniture using ONLY the tools, techniques, and finishes that were used in the year 1875 in lowa. Robby gave the group a very interesting presentation on how furniture was made during the pioneer days in lowa. The group learned how well built and beautiful these furniture pieces are. The showroom displayed many pieces of Pedersen’s work. Read more...
Sports
Southeast Valley Girls Golf Takes 5th at Twin Lakes Conference Meet
Southeast Valley competed in the Twin Lakes Conference Meet on Monday, May 4, at Lake Creek Golf Course in Storm Lake.
Eleven conference teams competed in the meet, with 10 teams posting team scores. Team results were as follows: Alta-Aurelia – 400; Emmetsburg – 413; Newell-Fonda – 421; Pocahontas Area – 435; Southeast Valley – 451; Sioux Central – 456; East Sac County – 465; West Bend-Mallard – 473; Manson Northwest Webster – 574; and GTRA – 586.
Medals were awarded to the 15 lowest individual scores. Southeast Valley’s Ellie Gernhart earned a 4th-place medal with a score of 101. Read More...
SV Boys Win 8th Meet of the Season at Lake City
By Coach Nuss
Coming off their conference championship two nights earlier, the Southeast Valley boys’ track team had little rest as they competed in the Jim Yunek Relays in Lake City on Thursday, May 7th. With a very different line-up as the Jaguars rested some of their top athletes after Tuesday, the Southeast Valley showed their depth on Thursday as they won their 8th meet of the season. The Jaguars scored 155 points to out-distance second place IKM-Manning with 92 points.
The Jaguars got points from five first place finishes. Colden Mapel was a double winner in the high jump (5-10”) and the 110m high hurdles (16.03) where he tied his own freshmen record. Kolton Ollinger won the 200m dash (23.84) and Colin Johnson won the 400m dash in a school record time of 50.29. The 4 x 100m quartet of Casey Hanson, Logan Jaeschke, Bryce Harrison and Colin Johnson found gold with a 43.90. Read More...