Obituary
Richard Ivan Johnson, 95
Richard Ivan Johnson, 95
Gowrie - Richard Ivan Johnson, 95, passed away Friday January 16, 2026, at the Marian Home in Fort Dodge surrounded by his loving family.
Richard (Dick) was born on October 10, 1930, to Harold F. and Ruby (Skoglund) Johnson in a home in Dayton, IA. He was raised and educated in Dayton, graduating from Dayton High School in 1948. On September 10, 1949, he was united in marriage to Pauline M. Johnson. To this union three children were born; Randy, Paul, and Lynne. Richard owned and operated Dicks Service Station Oil Co. for 40 years until retiring in 1989. He was active in the Gowrie community serving on the town council and as city mayor for many years. Dick was an active member of Zion Lutheran Church, Sons of the American Legion, and Gowrie Golf and Country Club. He was an avid snow skier, enjoyed restoring old gas pumps, and tinkering on anything mechanical. Dick’s biggest joy in life was his family. He spent his years traveling with Pauline and attending events for all of his grandkids. Dick was a huge fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Chicago Cubs.
Richard is survived by his wife of 76 years, Pauline. Children: R. Randall (Kathy) Johnson of Austin, TX, Paul D.(Kathleen) Johnson of Gowrie, IA, and daughter Lynne (Jess) Benson of Albuquerque, NM. Grandchildren: Brandi (Ron) Hemesath, Randalyn (Andrew) Houser, Paul D (Jen Hicks) Johnson, Rebecca (Josh) Benson-Stuyvesant, Joshua (Rachel) Johnson, Jason (Monica) Johnson, Katelyn Johnson, Zac (Margaret) Johnson, Chris Benson, and Jonathan Benson. Great Grandchildren: Conner (Elizabeth), Landon, and Josephine Hemesath, Henry, Hudson, Huck, Hayes, and Hagen Houser, Braxton Richardson, Rose & Lily Johnson, Sloan Stuyvesant, and Gracie Mellencamp & Brianna Thielen. Great-great grandchildren: Hallie & Scottie Hemesath, and Addie & Coleson Thielen.
Richard is preceded in death by his parents, sister, Roberta Hale, and brother, Robert Johnson.
Funeral Services were held at 10:30 AM Saturday January 24, 2026, at Zion Lutheran Church, Gowrie, with Lay Minister Beth Carlon officiating. Burial was in Gowrie Township Cemetery. There was a visitation from 4:00 to 7:00 PM Friday January 23, 2026, at Zion Lutheran Church, Gowrie.
Laufersweiler Palmer & Sons Funeral Home, Gowrie, is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.
Ramona K. Lind, 92
Ramona K. Lind, 92
Ramona K. Lind, age 92, of Pocahontas, formerly of Gowrie, passed away on Saturday, January 3, 2026, at Accura HealthCare in Lake City, Iowa.
Funeral Service was 10:30 AM, Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at Powers Funeral Home in Pocahontas, Iowa. Lay Minister Gary Zeman officiated. Burial took place in the Gowrie Township Cemetery near Gowrie, Iowa. Visitation was from 9:30 - 10:30 AM, Wednesday, prior to the service time. Powers Funeral Home of Pocahontas, Iowa handled the arrangements.
Ramona, daughter of Wilbur and Gladys (Anderson) Bricker was born on April 13, 1933, in Boone, Iowa. Growing up, Ramona lived in Pilot Mound, attending and graduating from Pilot Mound High School in 1951 where she was active in basketball, music and drama.
On June 15, 1951, Ramona married Don Lind, the “milk man” at Pilot Mound Covenant Church. Don delivered milk to Ramona’s high school everyday, where they soon became sweethearts, and upon graduation for Ramona, they settled down and made their home together in Dayton before later relocating to Gowrie. Ramona was a homemaker and Don worked for many years at Lind Dairy. During their time together, they enjoyed music, camping, and spending time with their children, grandchildren, family and friends.
In 2002, Ramona moved to Pocahontas to be closer to family after Don’s passing. There, she enjoyed being with family, watching her grandchildren in their activities, and occasionally baking.
Ramona spent the last couple of years at Accura HealthCare in Lake City, where she enjoyed many visits from her great-grandchildren. She loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren very much, and she loved to show off photos of “the grandbabies” to anyone who would visit.
Ramona is survived by her three children, Steve (Doris) Lind of Webster City, Bob (Shari) Lind of Hill City, SD and Patti (Denny) Martin of Pocahontas; 4 grandchildren, Eric (Danielle) Lind of Hill City, SD, Bret (Amber) Lind of Rapid City, SD, Andy (Erin) Martin of Pocahontas and Katie (Daniel) Smith of Lake City and 10 great-grandchildren.
Ramona was preceded in death by her parents, Wilbur and Gladys; husband, Don (1997), and siblings, Duane Bricker, Glenda Paris and Carol Moeller.
Carol S. Mundt, 74
Carol S. Mundt, 74
Carol S. Mundt, 74
Gowrie - Carol S. Mundt, 74, passed away Thursday, February 5, 2026, at Regency Park Nursing and Rehab, Jefferson.
Funeral services were held 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at the United Methodist Church, Gowrie with Pastor Kay Christie officiating. Burial followed in Gowrie Township Cemetery. There was a visitation one hour prior at the church. Laufersweiler Palmer & Sons Funeral Home is serving the family.
Carol is survived by her brothers, Allan (Sharon) Mundt of Gowrie, Dave (Diane) Mundt of Callender, five nieces and nephews, and eight great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Glen and Doris (Drayer) Mundt and her infant sister, Marilyn K. Mundt.
Carol S. Mundt was born on February 23, 1951, in Jefferson, IA. Carol and her family lived in Farnhamville until moving to Gowrie in 1957. Carol graduated from alternative high school in Fort Dodge in 1970. She was a long time Hawkeye fan and enjoys doing word search, computer games, and putting together puzzles. She was a member of the Lanyon Covenant Church.
Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.
Local News
Gowrie Community Celebrates Dr. Bruce Towne’s Career and Retirement
The Gowrie community recently came together to honor Dr. Bruce Towne for his decades of service in veterinary medicine and to celebrate his 70th birthday and retirement. Friends, family, and colleagues gathered at Mulligans on Saturday, February 7, for a come-and-go party featuring food and drinks, sharing memories, and wishing Dr. Towne well as he begins this exciting new chapter of his life.
Dr. Towne has been a cornerstone of veterinary care in Gowrie since 1988. He initially worked with Dr. Richard Hubbard’s practice before establishing Towne Veterinary Clinic in March 1993. Over the years, he expanded the clinic’s services, adding specialties in preventive veterinary medicine in 2007 and acupuncture in 2016.
In June 2019, ownership of the clinic transitioned to Dr. Steven Leppert, who also owns veterinary clinics in Manson and Clarion-Goldfield. While the clinic’s name was slightly modified to Town Veterinary Clinic PC, dropping the “e” at the end, services, staff, and contact information remained the same, and Dr. Bruce Towne continued to work part-time at the clinic following the transition.
Dr. Towne’s legacy in Gowrie spans decades of dedication, compassion, and service, and the community celebrated him not just as a veterinarian, but as a valued friend and neighbor. Read More...
SV Farnhamville Preschool Enjoys Fun Field Trip to Gowrie Public Library
The Southeast Valley Farnhamville Preschool class recently took an exciting field trip to the Gowrie Public Library, where they were warmly welcomed by Librarian Lacey Spece. The visit was filled with hands-on learning, creativity, and plenty of fun for the young students.
Upon arrival, the preschoolers were divided into smaller groups so they could rotate through four engaging stations. At one station, children created their very own library cards, decorating them with colorful stickers and markers. Another group gathered to listen to a special story read aloud, introducing them to new books and the joy of reading. A third group enjoyed free play time with the library’s toys, allowing them to socialize and explore. Read More...
Webster County 4‑H and Extension Representatives Meet with State Leaders at Iowa Capitol
Representatives from Webster County 4‑H and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach traveled to Des Moines on January 21 to participate in Extension and 4‑H Voices at the Capitol, an annual statewide advocacy event that gives youth and Extension staff the opportunity to engage directly with their legislators. The experience is designed to strengthen civic awareness, elevate youth voices, and demonstrate the powerful impact 4‑H and Extension programs have on Iowa communities.
Attending from Webster County were:
• Brookelynne Peterson, Senior at Southeast Valley High School
• Aiden Anderson, Freshman at Iowa State University
• Kristyn Klemp, Webster County Youth Coordinator, representing 4‑H
• Jan Peterson, representing the Webster County Extension Council
Throughout the day, the Webster County delegation met with several Iowa leaders, including:
• Ann Meyer, Webster County Representative
• Pat Grassley, Speaker of the Iowa House
• Wendy Larson, Representative for House District 7
The event provided youth with the chance to share personal stories about how 4‑H has shaped their leadership, communication skills, and commitment to community service. Brookelynne and Aiden spoke about the importance of hands‑on learning, strong mentorship, and inclusive opportunities that help young people grow into confident leaders. Read more...
Sports
SV JV Boys Defeat SCC Titans on the Road
By Coach Dahlstrom
The JV Boys for Southeast Valley opened up the month of February with a road win on Tuesday, Feb. 3rd. The contest was played versus the SCC Titans and held in Rockwell City. The young Jaguars won by the score of 38-24.
Landon Vote paced the Jaguars with 11 points, while also adding 3 assists and 2 steals. Conner Rentz scored 8 points on 4 for 8 shooting, and added 5 steals and 3 assists on the night. Dawson Tuel added 6 points and 2 steals. Jacob Paterson and Spencer Peterson both contributed with 4 points in the paint, with Paterson collecting 5 rebounds and Peterson collecting 4 boards off the glass. Caden Cramer added 3 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. Carver Peterson added 2 points, one steal and one blocked shot. Colby Peterson earned 2 steals on defense. Read More...
Jaguars Dominate Raiders at Home, Improve to 17–1
On Friday, February 6, 2026, the Southeast Valley Varsity Boys’ Basketball team welcomed the East Sac County Raiders to Gowrie and came away with an impressive 68–42 victory.
The Jaguars came out strong in the opening minutes, jumping ahead to a 10–3 lead. However, East Sac County fought back, capitalizing on trips to the free-throw line and knocking down a couple of key baskets to even the score at 10–10 by the end of the first quarter.
The Raiders continued to challenge Southeast Valley in the second quarter, keeping the game competitive as the Jaguars carried only a narrow 24–20 lead into halftime.
Coming out of the break, the Jaguars found their rhythm. Behind strong defense and efficient offense, Southeast Valley surged ahead to a commanding 48–27 lead by the end of the third quarter. The Jags continued to control the game in the final period, ultimately securing the convincing 68–42 win. Read More...