Betty June (Lipscomb) Dodds 97, passed away peacefully on Monday, April 25, 2022, at Danville Care Center.
Born in England, AK, she was the daughter of James Wood and Nettie June (Schooley) Lipscomb.
She grew up during the Great Depression with three brothers and two sisters. She attended college at the University of Illinois, then transferred to Arkansas State Teachers College at Conway AK. There, she met her husband Clinton Dodds who was a Naval Aviation Cadet at the airfield in Conway. They were married in the living room of her home on November 18, 1944. The marriage lasted until Clinton’s death in 2006.
During the war, they lived in Daytona Beach, FL, San Diego, CA, and Pasco, WA. After the war, they lived briefly in Palmyra, MO and Ft. Madison, IA before settling in Burlington, IA. In 1971 they moved to Rochester, NY then returned to Burlington after Clinton’s retirement.
When her children were young, Betty was a homemaker. She was an excellent cook, seamstress, knitter and quilter. She introduced her children to music and made sure there was a piano in the living room for those who chose to learn. She was a life-long attendee of Civic Music programs. When her children were older, she worked in the main office at Burlington High School.
Betty was a member of Asbury Methodist Church for over 70 years. She rarely missed a Sunday service and joined all the church activities.
Betty is survived by three children, Patt Dodds of Oak Bluffs, MA, Royce (Dodds) Norton of Madison, WI, and Chris Dodds of Burlington; one sister, Ditty Mitts of Jonesboro, AK; five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
Cremation has been entrusted to the Prugh Crematory.
A private family committal service will be held at Aspen Grove Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established for Asbury Methodist Church, and the Burlington Public Library.
Prugh Funeral Service is in care of the arrangements.
Condolences can be sent to Betty’s family by visiting her obituary at www.prughfuneral.com.
Jeffrey Allen Land, 59, of Burlington, died Monday, April 25, 2022 at his home.
Born October 29, 1962 in Keokuk, Iowa, he was the son of Wendell Land and Deanna “Dee” Ralston Louden. He married Deborah Johnson on February 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He was the plant planner for WestRock in Galesburg, Illinois for the past 39 years. He was of the Christian faith.
Jeff raced and built RC cars for many years. Everyone he met through life and touched, loved him. He was very well liked and respected by all of his co-workers and was known to be quite the jokester.
He is survived by his wife Deborah Land of Burlington; daughter Nikki Creighton; granddaughter Demsey Creighton; his mother Dee (Jim) Louden of Florida; half-brothers Ryan Land and Vince Land of Keokuk; step-brother Christopher Wilkerson of Tulsa, Oklahoma; his “bonus” children Shawna Ranney, Emma Ranney, Chloe Ranney, Jade Moser, Stephanie (Alex) Ranney and Justin (Brittany) Weiss and their children; and his fur babies, Pedro, Bella, Izzy, Zoey, Cleo, Luna and Milo.
He was preceded in death by his father, uncle and paternal and maternal grandparents.
A Celebration of Life will be held from 2:00 p.m until 6:00 p.m Saturday, April 30th at the Burlington Moose Lodge #579. According to his wishes, cremation has been accorded and entrusted to the care of Lunning Chapel.
A memorial has been established for the Des Moines County Humane Society.
Beverly Louise Reeder, 86, of Burlington, died Tuesday, April 26, 2022 at Klein Center in West Burlington.
Born January 9, 1936 in Tipton, IA, she was the daughter of Elmer and Violet Dunn Kautz. She was of the Christian Faith.
Beverly earned her RN degree from Southeastern Community College. She was a Registered Nurse at local hospitals and for the Burlington Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons from 1976 to 2000.
On July 24, 1955 Beverly married Richard “Dick” Reeder in Tipton, IA.
Beverly was a member of P.E.O., T.T.T. and United Methodist Women. She was a world traveler in her later years with her daughter Terri and she loved her bridge clubs.
Survivors include daughters Terri Smith of Naperville, IL, Kris (Bill Jr) Wilke of Burlington and April Reeder Beckfield of Marion, IA; two grandchildren Evan (Ashley) Ramsey and Megan Beckfield; two great grandchildren Kylie Ramsey and Raylee Ramsey, several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband and two brothers.
The memorial service for Mrs. Reeder will be Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 11:00 AM at Lunning Chapel with the Reverend Dean Graber officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the start of service. Inurnment will be in the Masonic Cemetery, Tipton, IA at a later date.
Cremation has been accorded and entrusted to the care of Lunning Chapel.
In lieu of flowers a memorial has been established for the World Wildlife Organization.
The family wishes to thank everyone at Klein Center and the staff and nurses from the Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice for their love and support of our mom/grandmother/great grandmother.
Online condolences may be made by visiting www.lunningfuneralchapel.com
George “Bill” Joseph Townsend, 79, of Danville, died Sunday, April 24, 2022 at the Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice House in West Burlington following a courageous three-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
Bill was born September 7, 1942 at Mercy Hospital in Burlington, Iowa to George William Townsend and Josephine (Woodruff) Townsend Kerr. He attended school K-12 in Memphis, Missouri, graduating from Memphis High School in 1960. He then attended Northeast Missouri State (Truman State) for three years and the University of Missouri for two years. Following college, he lived and worked in California for a short time before returning to the Midwest. He decided to pursue a career as an electrician following his father’s path and training from the Townsend Electric family business. He worked as an electrician at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant from the late 1960’s until retirement.
On May 14, 1977 he married Sheila Kay Long of Ottumwa, Iowa. They lived in Burlington for a few years before moving to Danville, Iowa in 1980. Their son, Brent David Townsend was born in December 1981.
Bill was a member of I.B.E.W. Local 13, Friends of Danville Museum and Library, Danville Community School Foundation, and a lifetime member of the Memphis, Missouri United Methodist Church. He was a previous member of the Southeast Iowa River City Corvette Club, Danville High School Athletic/Music Boosters, and served on the IAAP United Way board.
His hobbies included purchasing/restoring corvettes, lawn and gardening, building projects, attending Brent’s school activities, dining with family and friends, family Disney World/Florida trips, Iowa Hawkeye sports, spending time with his son and grandson in Toronto or Iowa when they returned for Christmas and summer visits, and golf cart rides with Sheila.
Bill is survived by his wife, Sheila; son Brent Townsend of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; grandson William Townsend of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; sister Ann Allen of Delray Beach, Florida; brother-in-law Mike (Shirley) Long of Mt. Pleasant; sister-in-law Susan Koger of Burlington, Iowa; nieces and nephews; great-nieces and nephews; cousins and wonderful friends and neighbors. He was preceded in death by his parents; mother-in-law Vonda Long; father-in-law Keith Long; step-father Harley Kerr; grandparents; aunts, uncles and cousins.
The family would like to express their gratitude to the physicians and staff at the University of Iowa Hospital Holden Cancer Center for their outstanding care during Bill’s cancer journey.
Visitation will begin at noon Thursday, April 28, 2022 at Elliott Chapel, New London with the family greeting friends from 5:00 – 7:30 PM. Per his wishes, cremation has been accorded and a private family inurnment will be held at a later date at Long Creek Cemetery, rural Danville with Pastor Jacob Yochum, Danville United Methodist Church officiating. Memorials have been established for the Danville Community School Foundation, the Danville Library and Museum, and Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice. Online condolences may be expressed at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.
Jamie Wiseman, 50, of Burlington, died at 7:55 PM Friday, April 22, 2022, at the Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice House in West Burlington.
Born September 19, 1971, in Sigourney, IA, she was the daughter of Marion and Linda Kinsler Short. On May 27, 2010, she married Byron N. Wiseman at the West Burlington Methodist Church.
Jamie was a homemaker. She also helped with odd jobs and painting.
She enjoyed morel hunting and going fishing. She enjoyed gardening and loved spending time with her family.
Survivors include her mother and father, Linda and Marion Short; husband, Byron N. Wiseman of Burlington; one son, Jules Short of Burlington; one daughter, Ashley Wilson of Burlington; two grandchildren, Zander, Vinnie, and one brother, Jeff Short of Mount Pleasant, IA.
She was preceded in death by her maternal and paternal grandparents and her sister, Julie Short.
Cremation has been entrusted to the care of Prugh Crematory.
Per the families wishes, there will be no visitation or services.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established.
Prugh Funeral Service is in care of the arrangements.
Condolences can be sent to the family by visiting Jamie’s obituary at www.prughfuneral.com.
Peter Richardson, 78, of Burlington, died Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.
Born December 15, 1943 in Milford, Massachusetts, he was the son of Allen and Bernice (Hofstra) Richardson. He married Marilyn Marie Riffel on April 20, 1968. She passed away in 2005. Pete graduated from Medway High School in 1962, Dean Junior College in 1964 with a degree in Building Construction Technology, and Bradley University in 1967 with a B.S. in Applied Science. Directly after graduation he began working at the I.A.A.P as an engineer and worked his way up to the Mechanical Division Manager and Facilities Use Manager, responsible for maintaining all the buildings, roads, vehicles, and utilities within the facility, until his retirement in 2000. He served on the Burlington school board for six years as a member and president, volunteered with the Travelers Protective Association, provided employer’s support for the Iowa National Guard and Reserve, and served on the Southeast Iowa Airport Authority. His service earned him the Governor’s volunteer award in 1991 and the Ann Parks Human Rights Award in 1995.
Pete was an avid collector, especially of railroad and airplane memorabilia. He could build or fix anything, and would spend hours cleaning and repairing treasures found at flea markets and auctions. He enjoyed visiting with friends and staff during his daily exercise at Great River Health. In recent years he enjoyed traveling and selling memorabilia at railroad and airline shows with his friend, Pamela Varner.
Survivors include his two daughters, Julie Oriano (Anthony) of Riverside, Iowa, and Jemma Richardson-Bever (Bruce) of Houston, Texas; three grandsons, Noah, Nicolas and Nash.
He was preceded in death by his parents and wife Marilyn.
A memorial visitation will be held at a later date. According to his wishes, cremation has been accorded and entrusted to the care of Lunning Chapel.
Memorials have been established for Des Moines County Historical Society or the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Online condolences may be made by visiting www.lunningfuneralchapel.com
The graveside committal service for Helen L. Reynolds, 94, and her son Bill L. Reynolds, 69, will be 1:00 PM Thursday, April 28, 2022 at Burlington Memorial Park Cemetery. Prugh Funeral Service is in care of the service
Michael A. Lee Jr., 45, of Burlington, died Thursday, February 10, 2022 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics after battling brain cancer since May of 2021.
Born October 15, 1976 in Burlington, Iowa he was the son of Michael Sr. and Rosella (Myers) Lee. He married Heather Ring in May of 2004. Together they had two children Cheyenne and Kenneth. They later divorced but continued to be friendly for the sake of their children. Once Michael was diagnosed, Heather has continued to be very supportive towards he and their children.
Michael was a truck driver for 20 years and enjoyed driving party buses and limos for Executive Transportation in previous years.
Michael loved the river and fishing became his passion. He enjoyed attending races at 34 Raceway and recently attended his first NASCAR race in Phoenix with his brother. Together they shared a love for racing and even raced Figure 8 Derby cars together.
Michael had a huge heart! He cherished his time with his kids and loved his nieces and nephews as if they were his own. He was a “Good Ol’ Country Boy” and enjoyed listening to country music.
He is survived by his step-children; Jacqueline Gronwoldt and Jason Martin Jr; children, Cheyenne Lee, Kenneth Lee and Echo Bergthold; his four legged, furry “kids” Princess and Bella; parents, Michael and Rosella Lee of Burlington; brother Paul (Renee) Lee of Buckeye, Arizona; his fur sister “Willow; nieces and nephews, Elizabeth, Jayden and Jaxson; great niece and great nephew, Broderick and Gracelynn; several aunts, uncles and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his paternal and maternal grandparents and his best friend and cousin Micah Taylor.
A celebration of life will be held starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 29th at the Eagles Aerie #150. Inurnment will be held at a later date in Prairie Grove Cemetery, rural West Burlington.
Cremation has been accorded and entrusted to the care of Lunning Chapel.
Online condolences may be made by visiting www.lunningfuneralchapel.com
