Category Archives: Funeral

Funeral

Ken LeClere Funeral

Ken LeClere

We are saddened by the passing of our friend and Cedar Hills family member Ken LeClere.  Services will be at 11am Saturday morning on August 8.  A visitation will be held just prior to the funeral at 10:30.  There will be no luncheon following the funeral.

Obituary

Kenneth A. LeClere, 66, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020, at his home. A church service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, at Cedar Hills Community Church with a visitation 30 minutes before. All guests are respectfully requested to wear a mask and practice social distancing. Because of COVID-19, there will be no luncheon reception following the Celebration of Life.

If you are unable to attend the service, it will be livestreamed on the Cedar Hills Community Church Facebook page.

Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Cedar Rapids is assisting the family with arrangements. Kenneth was born Jan. 20, 1954, in Cedar Rapids, the son of Mary “Dolores” and Casper “Cap” LeClere. He was united in marriage to Nancy Golembiewski on April 28, 1979. Kenneth worked for Kenworth of Cedar Rapids for almost 30 years, where his coworkers would say, “If Ken can’t fix it, it’s not fixable.” He was a member of Cedar Hills Community Church. Kenneth enjoyed being part of a team that worked at church and around the community. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing and riding his bike on the trails. Survivors include his wife, Nancy LeClere of Cedar Rapids; children, Brian LeClere (Katy Merritt) of Mount Vernon, Iowa, and Laura LeClere of Cedar Rapids; and grandchildren, Walter and Greyson, whom he loved tremendously. He was preceded in death by his parents, Cap and Dolores.

Please share a memory of Kenneth at www.murdochfuneralhome.com

 

To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.

Funeral

Gage Underwood Funeral

Gage Underwood

The funeral service for Gage Underwood is Tuesday, June 30 at 11am here at Cedar Hills.  Visitation is Monday night 4-8pm at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home (4200 1st Ave N.E.), and Tuesday, 9:30-11am at the church just prior to the funeral.  Please continue to pray for this family as they grieve the loss of their son, brother, and friend.

Obituary (from cedarmemorial.com)

Gage Bryant Underwood, 18 of Palo, Iowa passed away on Friday, March 27, 2020 at his home.  Visitation will be held on Monday, June 29th from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home.  A limited number of people will be allowed in the funeral home at one time. Please plan to wait your turn outside and be respectful of social distancing guidelines.

Funeral Services will be 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 30th   at Cedar Hills Community Church: 6455 E Avenue NW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52405.  The family will greet friends from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at the church. A mask is encouraged due to social distancing guidelines. Burial will follow at Linwood Cemetery in Cedar Rapids.

Gage was born October 15, 2001 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa the beloved son of Jason Underwood and Heather Underwood.  Gage was a senior at Kennedy High School.  He was active on the football and basketball teams.  Gage worked at Safelite Auto Glass in Cedar Rapids. He enjoyed playing videos games, computers (he always wore his earbuds) and spending time with his favorite pet companion his dog, Louie.  But Gage’s true passion was all the great times spent with his friends and family.  He was compassionate, friendly, giving, a jokester, hard worker and had a heart of gold.  He will forever be remembered as a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew, and friend who will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Those left to honor Gage include his father, Jason Underwood (fiancé Kelly) of Palo, IA; mother, Heather Underwood of Cedar Rapids, IA; two sisters, Kayla and Alexis Underwood; step-siblings, Lexi, Logan and Luke Levendusky of Palo, IA; grandparents, Galen (Marlene) Underwood of Cedar Rapids, IA; grandfather, Joe Seng of Cedar Rapids, IA; special companion his dog, Louie; numerous loving aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family members, friends, classmates, and neighbors.

He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Carol Seng and two aunts, Marlaine Underwood and Nicole Seng.

Gage was taken from us much too soon, but his spirit, quest for adventure, and love for life will be with us always.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

Funeral, News

Gwyneth Aarhus Funeral

We are sad to announce the passing of Gwyn Aarhus, a faithful member of Cedar Hills Community Church. Please keep his wife Harriet and the Aarhus and Dunham families in your prayers.

Visitation is Sunday at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home 2-5pm.  The funeral will be Monday, Dec. 23 at 11am at the church followed by a luncheon.

Obituary from CedarMemorial.com

Gwyneth K. Aarhus, 82 of Cedar Rapids died Thursday December 19, 2019 at St. Luke’s Hospital.  Funeral services will be held on Monday at 11:00 AM at the Cedar Hills Community Church. Rev Kent Landhuis will officiate. Entombment in Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery. There will be a visitation on Sunday at the Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home from 2 to 5 PM.

Survivors include his wife Harriet, a daughter Kylene (Chad) Dunham of Hiawatha; two sons Todd of Ankeny and Ryan of Robins; two brothers DuWayne (Laura) of Walker and Collin (Barbara) of Center Point. He is also survived by a granddaughter Ashleigh Dunham of Hiawatha and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Gwyneth was born on April 21, 1937 in Iowa City the son of Bernard and Gladys (Narveson) Aarhus. He married Harriet A. Doty on August 13, 1961 in Cedar Rapids.

Gwyneth was an electrician at Link Belt Speeder, later at FMC and most recently at Cedar Rapids Inc. retiring in 2001 after many years of service.

He was a faithful member of the Cedar Hills Community Church, a lifetime member of the NRA, and proudly served in the Marines. He enjoyed hunting, target practice with his kids, and doing yard work. Gwyneth and Harriet traveled and visited all 50 states. He also enjoyed motorcycles, drag racing, car shows, and especially the time spent with his many friends and beloved family. He will forever be remembered as a wonderful and caring husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend whose memory will be cherished by all who knew and loved him.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be given to the Cedar Hills Community Church. If giving online, choose “Memorial Gift” from the ‘fund’ menu.

Funeral, News

Norma Schmitt Funeral Details

Norma Schmitt passed away on Saturday, Nov 2. Please keep her family in your prayers. Her funeral arrangements will be as follows:

Wednesday, November 6 at Cedar Hills Community Church
9am-10am – Family Visitation
10am-11am – Public Visitation
11am-12pm Funeral Service
Luncheon to follow.

(The a recording of the service is now available online for 90 days, until January 4, 2020).

Obituary (from the Gazette).

NORMA JEAN SCHMITT, 86, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House in Hiawatha. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, at Cedar Hills Community Church in Cedar Rapids with the Rev. Alan Crandall officiating. Interment will be held at Dubuque Memorial Gardens in Dubuque.

Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until service time Wednesday at the church. Memorials may be directed to Camp Courageous.

Norma was born Dec. 15, 1932, in Dubuque, the daughter of Arthur John and Winnifred (Baumgartner) Farley. She graduated from Dubuque Senior High School with the Class of 1950. Norma lived and raised her family in Oelwein from 1956 until 2009. She worked as an administrative assistant with the Oelwein School District and Husky Hub for 26 years. She was a caring, devoted and selfless mother, who devoted her life to her family. She loved spending time with her family and friends, she enjoyed watching her grandchildren grow up and participate in their activities.

Norma moved to Cedar Rapids in 2009, where she was actively involved in Bible study at Cedar Hills and enjoyed volunteering at the Cedar Hills Food Pantry. She is survived by her children, Diana (Dan) Richardson of Cedar Rapids, Darryl (Brenda) Schmitt of Rosemount, Minn., and Ron (Mignonne) Schmitt of Urbandale; eight grandchildren, Jason (Piper) Gloede of Cedar Rapids, Chad (Lindsay) Gloede of Cedar Rapids, Corey, Anthony and Megan Schmitt, all of Rosemount, Minn., Jacob, Joseph and Jackson Schmitt, all of Urbandale; eight great-grandchildren; her sister, Janice Becker of Scottsdale, Ariz.; and her brother, James (Mary) Farley of Arvada, Colo..

In addition to her parents, Norma was preceded in death by her son, Thomas; and her brothers, John and Dick Farley. Online condolences may be left at www.phillipsfuneralhomes.com.

Cedar Chips, Funeral, News

The Symphony of Me

THE SYMPHONY OF ME

Written by Selma Phillips-Williams

The Symphony of me!
Me, with my wide range of depth and height.
Low tones from the bass to the high of 
the flute and violin.
Some times I sink into the mire of the
tuba and other times I dance like the
strings. Oh yes, I am a symphony and you,
oh Lord, are my conductor.
So simple and yet so complex am I.
Created of many rhythms and tones.
I listen. I groan. And he comes.
Again I move to the stirring within.

Selma Phillips-Williams, Oct 11, 1943—Sept 11, 2019

Funeral, News

Dee Williamson Funeral

Please join us in prayer for the family and friends of Dee Williamson as they mourn her passing.  Dee was a faithful member of Cedar Hills Community Church and a life-long volunteer in many ministries at the church, including over 50 years of playing the organ!

Dee’s funeral is Friday, October 18 at 10:30am at the church.

Obituary

The organ sounded and the angels sang. Hallelujah! Amen.

Dee Williamson, 89, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 8, 2019. She was born April 15, 1930. Dee grew up on a farm near Tama, Iowa and worked as a Registered Nurse. Dee lived a long and full life of service – to her faith, to her family, to her church, and to her community. She was a lifelong musician, playing the piano and organ with love at her church since childhood and retired just about a year ago. She volunteered at the Community Health Free Clinic, Meals on Wheels, Mercy Hospice, the Red Cross, and many other organizations throughout the years.

Dee is survived by her son Earl of Atlanta, Georgia; daughters Cindy Sabot (James) of Moorhead, Minnesota and Susan Scholl (Gary) of Omaha, Nebraska; sister-in-law Ruth Tomlinson of Marshalltown, Iowa; step-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and special friends.

Dee was preceded in death by her husband Dale; her son Dennis; step-daughter Patricia Richardson; her parents, step-mother and eight siblings.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Friday, October 18, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. at Cedar Hills Community Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A luncheon will follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Camp Courageous of Monticello, Iowa; Heartland Youth for Christ of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; or the Community Health Free Clinic of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Funeral, News

Selma Williams Funeral

We are sad at the passing of our sister in Christ, Selma Williams.  Visitation is Monday evening at Cedar Memorial, with the funeral at 10:30am Tuesday morning, Sept. 17 at Cedar Hills Community Church.  Please continue to pray for Selma’s family and friends as they grieve her loss, but also celebrate her new place with our Lord and Savior!

Memorial

Selma Phillips-Williams, 75, of Cedar Rapids, joined the angels on September 11, 2019. Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, September 16 at the Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 17 at the Cedar Hills Community Church.

She is survived by her seven children Renee (Michael) Miceli, Shawn (Jill) Phillips, Joel (Jenni) Phillips, Patrick (Karen) Phillips, Mark (Margaret Wong) Phillips, Robyn (Chuck) Luensman, and Amy (Chris) Schmidt; 23 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joe Williams.

Selma was born on October 11, 1943 in Duluth, Minnesota and moved to Cedar Rapids in 1961. Selma loved to quilt, crochet, read books, write poetry and play cards. Above all she loved spending time with her family. She was a spiritual woman and could find God in everything she saw. She has a deep relationship with Jesus, trusting Him for strength through many trials. Knowing that even with all of our imperfections as humans we are still loved by Him. She has passed down a legacy of faith to her family. She was resilient, strong and caring. She always had a smile and conversation for strangers and had the ability to make everyone she touched feel special. Selma loved her family dearly and her family will miss her immensely. Selma was looking forward for her reunion with her husband Joe and the many family and friends that have gone before her.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation to Unity Point Hospice.

And, we leave you with a prayer from Selma:
Lord, this is one of those times when
I just need to climb up on your lap.
Father/Mother God,
I just need you to hold me for a while.
I just need for your arms to circle about me
And to rock me. Just for a while…
And then I’ll be able to slip down and face the day again.
I’ll be able to go forth into what I cannot see ahead.
Because I have touched your love,
I will be strengthened with courage, and trust.
Because you have touched me
As gently as a breath breathing life once again.

Funeral, News

Deb LaKose Obituary

Please pray for Dave LaKose and family as the grieve the passing of his wife, Deb.

OBITUARY

(from https://www.thegazette.com/obituaries/debra-lakose-20190723-0000175536-01)

Debra Jean (Grissom) LaKose, 62, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Saturday, July 20, 2019, at home following a battle with lung cancer. A Celebration of Life will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 26, at the Fraternal Order of Eagles No. 2272, 1735 11th St. NW, Cedar Rapids.

Deb is survived by her husband, David Dwayne LaKose; two children, Adam (Kirsten) LaKose of Concord, N.C., and Cody LaKose of Cedar Rapids; three grandchildren, Madyson, Kenzie and Greyson LaKose of Concord; and five siblings, David Grissom (special friend Deb Heins) of Robins, Dennis Grissom of Marion, Daniel (Sherry) Grissom of Fairfax, Donald (Emili) Grissom of Robins and DeAnna Grissom of Cedar Rapids.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold Wayne Grissom and June Olive (Theel) Grissom; three siblings, Douglas Wyatt, Donna Jane and Denise Joan; two sisters-in-law, Denise Grissom and Stephanie Grissom; as well as other aunts, uncles and cousins.

Deb was born Feb. 5, 1957, in Manchester, Iowa, the daughter of Harold and June (Theel) Grissom. After moving to Robins and various houses in Cedar Rapids, Deb graduated from Cedar Rapids Jefferson in 1975. On March 27, 1982, Deb married David LaKose at Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids. She spent her latter years working for the Cedar Rapids Community School District as a food service worker for various elementary schools, which she truly enjoyed. Nothing gave Deb greater joy than the time she spent with family, especially her children and her grandchildren. She loved to read, spend time outdoors, support her children in their various athletic endeavors, and travel, particularly if the destination resulted in spending time with her grandchildren.

The family would like to extend a special thank-you to the caregivers at Mercy Hospice. In lieu of flowers, please plan on sharing stories and uplifting memories at the aforementioned Celebration of Life.

Funeral, News

Eva Kriegermeier Funeral

Eva Ellen Kriegermeier ObituaryWe are saddened at the passing of Eva Kriegermeier this past weekend.  She was a beloved member of Cedar Hills.  The visitation is Tuesday evening, 4-7pm at Cedar Memorial, and the funeral Wednesday morning at 10:30am at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories.

Obituary

Eva Ellen Kriegermeier, 88, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, July 13, 2019, at Willow Gardens Care Center in Marion, Iowa. A visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. Funeral services will take place at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 17, at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories. Burial will follow in Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery. Eva is survived by her children, Patricia Sorensen and Michael (Debra) Kriegermeier; six grandchildren, Chad (Shane) Kriegermeier, Tara (Lari) Chesmore, Tracy Sorensen, Corey (Andrea) Kriegermeier, Eric (Laura) Kriegermeier and Nathan Kriegermeier; seven great-grandchildren (with one on the way); a sister, Juanita Traxler; and many loving extended family members; and her special dog, Zoey. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Wayne Kriegermeier; a son, Gregory Kriegermeier; and five siblings. Eva Ellen Kriegermeier was born on Aug. 3, 1930, in Albia, Iowa, the daughter of Willie and Eva (Rouse) Daugherty. She was a teacher in a one-room school house before meeting her future husband, Wayne Kriegermeier. They were united in marriage on May 29, 1948, in Albia, Iowa. Eva was employed at Rockwell Collins as a lead operator from 1972, until retiring in 1991. She worked on space shuttle parts. Eva was a member of Cedar Hills Community Church, where she taught adult Bible study. She always will be remembered for being a loving and wonderful mother, wife, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Cedar Hills Community Church or the Alzheimer’s Association. Online condolences may be conveyed at www.cedarmemorial.com.