Archive - Jan 2012

Arlon T. Nelson, 97, of Cedar Rapids, died Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, at St. Luke’s Hospital. Funeral services were held Jan. 20 at the Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories. Pastor Tye Male of New Covenant Bible Church officiated. Burial was at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.
Local survivors include his brother, Weir (Mary) Nelson of Ely.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Eleanor; his son, Dr. Robert J. Nelson; daughter-in-law, Sue Nelson; and his brother, Irwin Nelson.

Doris Sara Kearney, 89, of Marion, formerly of Iowa Falls, died Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, at home. Per Doris’ wishes, there were no visitation or services. Private family inurnment will be at Iowa Falls, at a later date.
Local survivors include Mary J. Claassen of Swisher.
She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; siblings, Russell Sturgis, Allen Sturgis, Blanche Degraf, Ethel Sturgis and Walter Sturgis; and her grandparents, Sara and Walter Stewart.

Edward Willard Bangtson, 81, died peacefully at his home Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, surrounded by his family. Memorial services were held Jan. 20 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in North Liberty, with the Rev. Tim Smith officiating. Military honors followed the service. Burial will be at a later date.
Ed was born May 9, 1930, near Rockwell City, where he was a 1948 graduate of Rockwell City High School. He served in the Korean War from 1951 until 1953. On Dec. 24, 1985, Ed married Chris.

Merrill “Shorty” Aubrecht, 79, died on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012, at VAMC following a long illness.
Funeral Services with military honors were held Jan. 17 at Lensing’s Oak Hill in Coralville with the Rev. Alecia Williams officiating. Burial was at Oak Hill Cemetery, Coralville. In lieu of flowers a memorial fund has been established.

To get back to my story about finding a skeleton in the basement of my office, I need to flesh out the list of suspects as if the victim had been me instead of some yet to be revealed personage.
As detailed earlier, Solon was and is a great town filled with wonderful people, but it is a small town nevertheless. As the owner and operator of the newspaper for some 20 years, it was inevitable that I angered at least a few people along the way, and more than once I saw murder in their eyes.
One such citizen was Dick the insurance agent.