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.
Evolue Eleanor Baxter, 103
Evolue Eleanor Baxter, 103
Evolue Eleanor Baxter, 103, passed away Monday, February 9, 2026, at West Ridge Care Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A celebration of life will be held at Windsor Heights Lutheran Church on Monday, March 23, 2026 at 1:00 PM.
Evolue was born November 29, 1922, in Gowrie, Iowa to Roy and Etta (Soderbeck) Carlson. She graduated in 1940 from Gowrie High School and moved to Des Moines where she attended the American Institute of Business. She met Loren Baxter at AIB and in 1944 they were married. They welcomed their first son Craig, who passed away at age eight. A second son, Rodd, was born three years later. Evolue retired from the West Des Moines School District.
She was devoted to her Lutheran Faith, as a former member of Zion Lutheran Church, Gowrie, Iowa, and First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Des Moines, Iowa, and Windsor Heights Lutheran Church.
Evolue enjoyed gatherings with friends, dining out, playing cards, bridge and pitch were her favorites. She enjoyed attending local sports, I-Cubs, and cheering on the “Lovable Losers”, the Chicago Cubs, as well as the Iowa Hawkeyes.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Loren and son, Craig. Evolue is survived by her son, Rodd and daughter-in-law Kerstin Braun, along with her many relatives and friends.
Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.iowacremation.com under Recent Obituaries.
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
SV Farnhamville Elementary Celebrated Read Across America Week 2026
March 2–6 marked a week full of stories, smiles, and school spirit as SV Farnhamville Elementary celebrated Read Across America Week 2026. The week served as an exciting kickoff to the school’s Spring Scholastic Book Fair, themed “Under the Sea.”
Throughout the week, students celebrated the joy of reading with dress-up days (optional), engaging activities, and the popular library coin challenge. The coin challenge raised funds to help purchase additional books for the school library, putting more stories into the hands of students.
During preview week, March 2–6, students participated in Under the Sea–themed activities during their library visits to build excitement for the Book Fair, which was held March 9–13. Family Fun Night will take place on March 12, adding even more fun to the week’s festivities. Read More...
Team Puzzle Competition Returns to Gowrie
The Team Puzzle Competition returned by popular demand on February 28 at the Heartland Community Center in Gowrie. Puzzle enthusiasts gathered for an afternoon of teamwork, strategy, and fun as teams competed to see who could complete their puzzle the fastest.
The event featured three competition categories: a 4-Person Team Division, a 2-Person Team Division, and a Family Division. Teams had up to four hours to complete their puzzles, which remained wrapped until the official start of the competition. At exactly 1:00 p.m., all teams opened their puzzles after hearing the signal to begin. Each team in a division received the same puzzle to ensure fair competition.
Teams designated a captain and were not allowed to change teammates during the event. All team members had to be present and help complete the puzzle. Throughout the afternoon, Lacey Spece and Rebecca Slawson from the Farnhamville Public Library and Gowrie Public Library monitored the competition area as teams worked toward the finish line. When teams reached their final five pieces, they raised their hands so volunteers could prepare to record their finishing time. Once the puzzle was complete, all team members shouted “Jigsaw!” to officially mark their finish. Read More...
Central Plains FFA Members Compete at North Central District LDEs
Members of the Central Plains FFA chapter competed at the North Central District Leadership Development Events (LDEs) on Saturday, March 7, showcasing their leadership skills and agricultural knowledge in several competitions.
The Ag Impact team, consisting of Brin Alliger, Taylor Carlson, Grace Kauffman, Kelsey Hayes, and Kayle Hicks, earned a first-place finish and a gold rating. With their top performance, the team will advance to compete at the state level. Read more...
Sports
Jaguar Wrestlers Earn 15 Wins in Home Meet
By Coach Lee
The crowd was loud and excitement was in the air on Thursday night as the 7th and 8th grade Jaguar wrestlers battled in their home meet. Southeast Valley finished the night with 15 wins and 18 losses. Averie Kitchen, Kenley Spece, and Jackson Craig had 1 win and 1 loss each. MaKenna Jondle had one match for a loss. Also with one match each was Aubrey McGuire and Aleeyah Hoefer with wins. Ina McGuire, Ontreail Altman, Jaxson Halsrud, Logan Weier, Brock Peterson, Caleb Schoonover, and Avery Waugh went 0-2. Boe Davis, Cooper Hefley, Caden Haug, Nalayna Knuths, and Taylor Carlson had 2 impressive wins each. Read More...
Local Wrestlers Shine at AAU State Tournament
Several young wrestlers with local ties turned in strong performances at the AAU State Wrestling Tournament this past weekend, closing out their youth careers with grit and determination before moving on to high school competition next fall.
In the C Division, 130 lbs, Anthony Goodpaster earned an impressive 2nd‑place finish, capping off a standout season. Teammate Jackson Wilson, also competing in the C Division at 130 lbs, battled through a tough bracket to place 7th. This tournament marked the final AAU State appearance for both wrestlers as they prepare to enter high school as freshmen. Goodpaster and Wilson train with Sebolt Wrestling Academy. Read More...