April 28, 2008 (from the S.C. Journal) -- Carolyn Leah Hunt, 67, of Sioux City, passed away April 25, 2008, at her residence, following a lengthy fight with cancer. She grew up in Riverside, and was a member of our class before leaving school prior to graduation. She was a board member for Siouxland Community Health Center, and worked for the Senior Companion Program and Oakleaf Management. Her family of five children and 11 grandchildren say she loved to play pool and was very good at it.

April 4, 2007 -- Following up on a lead from the Spirit Lake Dickinson Co. News, Neil Hyink, with the help of John Haviland, has discovered that Roger Wiley died December 5, 2004. He was living in Eureka, California, at the time. In September of 2002, Keith Krommenhoek had visited Roger in Spirit Lake, where he was working the sports desk of the newspaper. He said he had lived in New York for 7 years and California for some 25, and was planning to return there. His Spirit Lake house was sold in 2003; apparently he left Iowa at that time.

April 2, 2007 (from the Quad-City Times) -- Lynda Brown Cronkleton, 64, of Davenport, IA, died March 28, 2007, at the Bettendorf Hospice House, after a long battle with cancer. Services were held in Davenport on March 31st. Memorials may be sent to the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House or the Dean R. O'Neill Renal Cell Cancer Research Fund.

Lynda retired from the working world of community health care in 2005, but stayed active in her church, the Red Hat Society and the Eagles Lodge. She also enjoyed arts and crafts, gardening, and her grandchildren. Survivors include a daughter and son, three stepchildren, four grandchildren, her brother, Larry Brown of Lincoln, NE, and sisters, Susan Harlan of Jackson, MO, and Dee Arnold, of Webster City, IA.

March 26, 2007 -- Delano Skaff reported to Neil Hyink that Ray Marmo passed away approximately 20 years ago. He lived in Aurora IL the last we knew. Our reunion committee mail to him was never returned to us, so we were unaware of his passing.

December 30, 2006 (from the S.C. Journal) -- Coach Wally Piper died December 28th, at age 77, in East Lansing, Michigan, where he had moved in 1972. After earning his doctorate in 1974, he worked in the student affairs office at Michigan State University. In 1981 he became the executive director of the Michigan School of Business Officials, a position he held until his retirement in 1997. That year he was inducted into the Michigan Education Hall of Fame. This capped a 46-year career in which he dedicated himself to public education as a teacher, athletic coach and administrator. He is survived by his wife Fran, three daughters, 8 grandchildren, and his brother Gary.

December 28, 2006 (from the S.C. Journal) -- Ron Richou, who attended West Junior and one year at Central with us, died Christmas Eve after a battle with cancer. He had a 42-year career in the sheet metal business, owning and operating Richou Sheet Metal before retiring this past July. He loved the grandkids, collecting antiques, canoeing, and riding his Harley.

August 22, 2006 (from the S.C. Journal) -- Roger L. Atwood, 66, of Wildomar, California, died August 17, 2006, in Riverside, California. Services were held at Aletheia Christian Fellowship in Wildomar, followed by private graveside services in the National Cemetery, Riverside.

Roger was born in Sioux City on July 12, 1940; he graduated from CHS in the 1960 Midyear class with his brother Larry; he served in the U.S. Air Force & was stationed in California in 1960. Survivors include his wife, Marni Atwood; five daughters and one son; 15 grandchildren; sisters Donna & Nancy in Minnesota, and brothers Clair & Larry of Sioux City.

June 25, 2006 (from an astute Howard Wilshire, who picked up on this notice in the S.C. Journal, even though no mention was made of a "Castle" connection or graduation; he remembers Clifford from classes they shared and found his picture in our Junior class grouping in the '59 annual) -- Clifford "Butch" Norman of Sioux City died June 17, 2006, in Omaha. Memorial services were held June 23rd at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witness in Sioux City, following cremation. Clifford was born January 24, 1941, and was self-employed as a painter, then as a stump digger. He had served in the military. He is survived by his mother, his daughter, several grandchildren, and an aunt & uncle.

February 21-22, 2006 (from Keith Krommenhoek & the Des Moines Register) -- Jim "Chris" Christenson, 63, passed away peacefully early February 20th at his West Des Moines home. He'd had health problems with lungs, heart, and circulation for a year. Memorial services were held at Hope Lutheran Church in West Des Moines, Iowa.

During the Vietnam War, Jim served in the Navy aboard the U.S.S. Oklahoma City. He graduated from Augustana College in Sioux Falls in 1974. He retired from Bunzel Corp. after many years in sales. Jim loved his family (especially his granddaughter), golf, his classic cars & street rods, and he was an avid Hawkeye fan. He is survived by his wife, Kaye, their son, Lance & his wife, and his granddaughter, Carly Kaye Christenson, all of West Des Moines.

July 3, 2005 (from CastleWeb's John Haviland via George Thompson, Class of '58) -- Darlene Thatcher Soper died of ovarian cancer in January 1993.
(Editor's Note) Darlene had been on our "Missing" list for some time. Please check that page to see if you have any other updates for us.

May 11, 2005 (from Keith Krommenhoek) -- Coach Kermit (Ike) Isaacson passed away peacefully May 2nd in Orlando, Florida. He had put up a gallant fight to beat his cancer over the prior six months. He was cremated & taken back to California, with internment of the ashes at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, Point Loma CA.

April 26, 2005 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries via Carol Tilton Trongaard) -- Joice (Budde) Fowler, of South Sioux City, passed away April 17, 2005, following a seven-year battle with cancer. Burial was in the Dakota City (Nebraska) Cemetery. Survivors include husband & business partner,Virgil; they owned & operated Tri-View Heating & Cooling in Sioux City for 33 years. Joice had left our class after our Junior year to marry her life-long love. Also surviving are brother Larry, sister Marlene, a son & two daughters, and all their families, including 7 grandchildren.

February 18, 2005 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Hazel A. Wauer, 101, a longtime resident of Sioux City, died Feb. 11, 2005, at Hiawatha Care Center in Hiawatha, Iowa. Services and burial were in Sioux City. She was a home economics teacher at Central High School from 1951 to 1968. Following retirement, she taught part-time at the Florence Crittenden Home, St. Joseph's School of Nursing and at Western Iowa Tech Community College. Survivors include son John of Cedar Rapids and daughter, Mary Wauer Tsiaperas of London, England, who was our classmate.

February 15, 2005 (from Dennis Levine via Neil Hyink) -- Our old friend Arnie "Elbows" Lefko passed away. He lost his long battle with throat cancer. Suffice it to say there was only one Elbows.
(from Las Vegas Sun News Obituaries) -- Arnold Edward Lefko, 63, of Las Vegas, died February 12, 2005. A resident for 10 years, he was a retired owner-operator of a paper goods company. He is survived by his wife, Rosalind, four daughters, one brother, Jeff Lefko of Chicago, and three grandchildren.

February 13, 2005 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Larry G. Taylor died February 12, 2005, in Salem, Oregon. He had moved there in 1967 and had worked in the sheet metal industry all his life. His sister Marlene Taylor Westergaard passed away in 2004. Survivors include his wife Melissa, a daughter, two sons, three grandsons, and brother-in-law Norman Westergaard of Sloan, Iowa. Memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society.

January 11, 2005 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Harold D. Monlux, 63, of Tulsa, OK, passed away January 6, 2005, after a nine year battle with Alzheimer's disease. After CHS, he attended Tulsa University & joined ROTC, graduating in 1964. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force & attended pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, OK, graduating in 1966.

Harold served with the 559th TAC Fighter Squadron, stationed in Cam Rahn, South Vietnam. He was shot down on 11/11/66 & was a POW in Hanoi for over six years. He was awarded the Silver Star, two Purple Heart Medals, the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Upon returning home, he was stationed in San Antonio, TX, attending a flight refresher course. He was then assigned to Fairchild Air Force Base Survival School in Spokane, as an instructor.

He moved his family back to Tulsa in 1975, where he served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1976 through 1980, while working as a realtor. He remained in the Air Force Reserves & served as a commander from August 1981 through December 1986, retiring as a full colonel after 20 years of service.

Harold is survived by a wife, daughter & 2 grandchildren, all of Tulsa, and family in Sioux City -- mother Margaret, brother Ray & family, and sister Marilyn.

July 25, 2004 (from Karen Hauge Jensen & Mike Herzoff) -- Anita (Cox) Murphy lost her long battle with breast cancer on July 24th. She leaves behind her husband of 43 years, Parnell Murphy, daughters Shaun & Shelly and their husbands, and son Chad and his fiancee, and four grandchildren. Anita was a gifted and talented artist, dedicated to friendship and devoted to others through charity work.

May 27, 2004 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Luie L. McMahan, 64, of Sioux City died Wednesday, May 26, 2004, following a brief illness. He was born May 5, 1940, in Sioux City, graduated from Central High School in (January) 1960 & from Western Iowa Tech Community College with a degree in apartment management. As a young man, he drove a logging truck in Washington & worked in apple orchards. Later, he raised & trained Greyhounds, traveling the Greyhound racing circuit. More recently, he managed several apartment complexes & was a paddock judge at Sodrac Park (in North Sioux City).
(Editor's Note) Luie had been on our "Missing" list for a long time, but his name in our yearbook was spelled "Louis (Louie) McMahon. It's too bad we never found him since he was here most of the time!

October 12, 2003 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Arlene L. (Pittman) Krommenhoek died unexpectedly Friday, October 10th, at a Sioux City hospital. Burial was in S.C. Memorial Park Cemetery. She will be greatly missed by her husband, Darrell, daughter Tracy, and two sons, Scott and Brad, and their families.
Note from Keith Krommenhoek -- Arlene's cause of death was a massive heart attack, an effect of the diabetes she had battled for years.

August 25, 2003 -- Posted by Keith Krommenhoek:
Doug Krommenhoek passed away peacefully August 23, 2003, in a San Diego, California, hospice house following a five year battle with a brain tumor & lung cancer. Burial was at Fort Snelling Cemetery in the Twin Cities with his first wife Karen. He is survived by his second wife Diane, son Todd, daughter Stacy, brothers Bill & Randy, and sister Joann.

July 10, 2003 -- Mary Hardy Gwaltney has reported two classmates' deaths to CastleWeb:
Jean Mathson Loring passed away about 1997. Her twin's address is shown in the "New Locates" on our "Directory" page.
Clifford Schultz passed away in December, 2001, from cancer; he had been living in Colorado.

December 5, 2001 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Donald D. Anfinson, 59, of Sioux City, died December 3, 2001, at his residence following a lengthy illness. He served in the U.S. Army from 1960 to 1963.
(Editor's Note) "Donnie" did not graduate with us, but was a classmate through most of our Central years.

August 31, 2001 -- Ron Fish was found brutally murdered in his home yesterday; a slain family of six in another area of town was also discovered about the same time. The alleged perpetrator has been arrested after an intensive manhunt by the SCPD. Sioux City has made the national news in light of a tragedy again!

Update: (September 26th) In a surprise move, and against the advise of his attorney, Adam Moss, age 24, a former employee of Ben Fish Tire Co., plead guilty yesterday to 7 counts of first degree murder in the slayings of Leticia Aguilar, her 5 children, and Ronald Fish, plus the theft of Fish's car. He was immediately sentenced to 7 consecutive terms of life imprisonment, plus 20 years, with no possibility of parole.
(Editor's Note) Information from an inside source indicates that someone close to the perpetrator convinced him to plead, thus sparing the community from the details of the grisly nature of the killings, which would have come out in a trial.

July 27, 2001 (from Marlene Elvik Beggin through CastleWeb) -- "I recently talked with Nina Bennett Bender, sister of Lester Bennett, who has been on the missing list. She informed me that he died in 1987 of cancer."

November 11, 2000 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Raymond Dean Wright, 58, of St. George, Kan., formerly of Sioux City, died Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2000. Military rites conducted by the Fort Riley Honor Guard.

August 22, 2000 (from S.C. Journal Obituaries) -- Robert L. "Bob" Echols, 58, of Pensacola FL, formerly of Sioux City, died August 19, 2000. He was retired from the U.S. Navy & served in Vietnam.

August 19, 2000 -- Notice from Marlene Elvik Beggin that Susan (Comstock) Koppas passed away recently.