Obituary

Harcourt - Mary Ruth King, 94, of West Des Moines and formerly of Harcourt, passed away Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. 

Memorial services will be at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at Laufersweller Palmer & Sons Funeral Home in Gowrie. Pastor Glen Hanson officiating. Burial will follow in Lost Grove Township Cemetery in Harcourt. There will be a visitation one hour prior to services on Tuesday. 

Mary King was born in Fort Scott, Kansas, to Bertha and Andrew Chambers. Mary’s life was marked by a deep love for her family. Mary moved to Ames, Iowa, in the late 1940s with her sister Rose and brother-in-law Bill, where she met and married, Harvey Theodore King, on August 24, 1949. Together, Mary and Ted raised six children: Sharon (Jim), Gary, Beth, Audrey(Rodney), Bruce, and Janet(Glen). Their love extended through their 14 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, all of whom made Mary light up and smile when she saw them. Mary and Ted also lived in Ayrshire, Burnside and Harcourt. 

Mary was a woman of great strength and resilience. She lived through the Great Depression and World War II, enduring hardships with grace and kindness. She worked throughout her life as a waitress, clerk at J.C. Penney, and at Globe Union. No matter how hard life got, her love and devotion to her family never wavered. Mary was a dedicated and proud mother, always encouraging her children to succeed in life. She valued education deeply, desiring the best for each of her kids and supporting them in every endeavor. She took immense pride in their accomplishments and the paths they chose for themselves.

After retiring, she enjoyed garage sales, gardening and crafting. She also traveled around the U.S. with Ted’s relatives and attended his Marine Corps reunions. Independent and strong, Mary was always there to help care for her children and grandchildren and offered support to her children in any way she could. She also loved her pet dogs- Mitzi, Sadie, Chloe and Duffy. 

A long-time member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Dayton, Mary had a caring heart and compassion for others. She cared deeply for the less fortunate, having experienced the hardships of life firsthand.

Mary’s legacy is one of love and resilience. She will be remembered for her kind heart and her unwavering love for her big family. Her memory will live on in the hearts of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all who were blessed to know her.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband Ted, siblings, Rose, Marcella, Helen, Dorothy, Jack, and Pat. She is survived by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. 

Kathlyn “Kathy” Sue Mossberg, 83

Kathlyn “Kathy” Sue Mossberg, 83, of Fort Dodge, died peacefully on March 1, 2025, at the Paula J. Baber Hospice House. Memorial services will be 11:00 AM Friday, April 25, 2025 (PLEASE NOTE DATE), at Laufersweiler Palmer & Sons Funeral Home, Gowrie with Lay Minister Beth Carlon officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.

Kathy was born on February 21, 1942, to Oliver (O.J.) and Sadie Mossberg (nee Lundberg) in Ft. Dodge, Iowa. She was the oldest of three children and the family lived in Manson, Iowa, Montevideo, MN, and eventually landed in Gowrie, Iowa. Kathy graduated from Prairie View High School in 1960 and then attended Iowa Central Community College and Iowa State University.

After college, Kathy worked at Mercy Health Center for five years and then at Ft. Dodge Animal Health for 31 years, where she retired in 2001. Kathy was a lifelong member of Zion Lutheran Church in Gowrie, and she served on the Board of Friends of the Ft. Dodge Library. She was also co-manager of the library’s used bookstore.

Kathy loved and was loved by her family and friends and was very active in the lives of her niece and nephew, attending their concerts, sporting events, graduations, weddings and the births of their children. She also remained very close with a tight-knit group of first cousins whose mothers were the Lundberg sisters. Although Kathy never had children of her own, she doted on her cats as if they were her children. Kathy enjoyed traveling, reading, working on jigsaw puzzles and collecting cats, bears, Santas and gnomes.

Kathy is survived by her niece, Brenda (Steve) Cecak, of Hudson, Iowa, her nephew Aaron (Monika) Peltz, of Chandler, Arizona, her brother-in-law, Leslie Peltz, of Ankeny, Iowa, her great-niece, Sadie Peltz, her great-nephew, Wiley Souhrada and her cat, Charlie.

Kathy is preceded in death by her parents, Sadie and Oliver Mossberg, her brother, Curtis Mossberg, her sister, Carolyn Peltz and her beloved cats, Emma and Halie.  

Memorials may be left to the Fort Dodge Public Library.

Wanda Elaine Dorsey (Christensen), 81

CALLENDER - Wanda Elaine Dorsey (Christensen), 81, of Callender, passed away Sunday, March 2, 2025 peacefully in her home.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Callender, officiated by Pastors Greg and Deb Stano. Interment followed at Callender Cemetery. A visitation was held from 4:00 to 7:00 PM Friday, March 7, 2025 at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Callender. Laufersweiler’s Palmer & Swank Funeral in Gowrie is overseeing the arrangements.

Wanda was born on January 9, 1944, in Bradgate, Iowa. She graduated from Humboldt High School in 1962 and, following graduation, attended The American Institute of Business (AIB) in Des Moines, Iowa. Wanda and her late husband, Steve, were married on November 19, 1977. They made their home in Callender in 1978, where they raised their only son, A.J. Together, they owned and operated Dorsey Construction until 2012.

Wanda worked for many area businesses, including the Fort Dodge Boy Scout Office, Tom Kelley Ford, Iowa Central Community College, and Fort Dodge Labs. She retired in 2010.

Wanda enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, shopping, dining out with friends and family, loving and celebrating with her many nieces and nephews, relaxing with a book, and watching The Price Is Right and soap operas.

She is survived by her son, A.J. (Katie) Dorsey of Callender; grandson, Drew; granddaughters, Charlie and Nora; brothers and sisters-in-law, Tom Dorsey, Jon Dorsey, Michel (Roger) Swanson, DyAnn (Irv) Fiala, Kathy (Dennis) Peterson, Kristy (Rex) Blunk, Sara (Tom) Barkley, and Mary Dorsey.  

Wanda was preceded in death by her husband, Steven Dorsey; her parents, Richard Henry Christensen and Esther (Pederson) Christensen-Hall; her stepfather, Fred W. Hall; her brother, Richard “Dale” Christensen; her stepsisters, Betty Tinkin and Tressa Strahorn; her brothers-in-law, Kelly Dorsey, Joe Dorsey, and Roger Swanson; and her parents-in-law, Joseph and Maxine (Lowry) Dorsey.

Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.