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Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Thursday, July 31, 2008

Obituaries for Thursday, July 31, 2008

By Tribune staff

Rita C. Siebenaler

WEST SALEM, Wis. — Rita C. Siebenaler, 75, of West Salem died Tuesday, July 29, 2008, in her home. A funeral Mass will be 11 a.m. Saturday in Holy Trinity Catholic Church, La Crosse. Entombment will be in St. Francis of Assisi Mausoleum, Catholic Cemetery, La Crosse. Family and friends may call from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass Saturday at the church. Blaschke & Schneider Funeral Home, La Crosse, is assisting the family.

Don Owen Rowlands

Don Owen Rowlands, 80, of La Crosse died Wednesday, July 30, 2008, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse. Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, La Crosse. Friends may call from 5 to 7 p.m Friday and 10 a.m. until the time of services Saturday at the church. A complete obituary will follow from Schumacher-Kish Funeral Home, La Crosse.

Ruth Harriet Olson

WESTBY, Wis. — Ruth Harriet Olson, 95, of Westby and formerly of Cashton died Tuesday, July 29, 2008, at Norseland Nursing Home, Westby. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Monday at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Cashton. Burial will be in Moen Cemetery, Cashton. Family and friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Torkelson Funeral Home, Cashton, and from 9 a.m. until the time of services Monday at the church.. Online condolences are available at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com.

Deloris H. Hokland

VIROQUA, Wis. — Deloris H. Hokland, 85, of Viroqua died Tuesday, July 29, 2008, at Vernon Memorial Hospital in Viroqua.

She was born on Oct. 11, 1922, in Viroqua to Arthur and Hilda (Thompson) Ostrem. She was baptized and confirmed at Bethel Lutheran Church. On Dec. 23, 1946, she was united in marriage to Deverne “Hokey” Hokland and helped with the operation of Hokey’s Southlawn Drive-Inn. Deloris taught in Viroqua area schools for 43 years, and after retirement continued teaching about one-room schools at the Foreaker Rural Schoolhouse (Vernon County Historical Society) in Viroqua. She was a member of the Vernon Area Retired Teachers Association and the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church where she was a member of the Anna Circle and W-ELCA.

She is survived by her sister, Ruth Ann (Marion) Clark of Viroqua; three brothers, Ardene (Harriet) Ostrem and LaVerne (Lucille) Ostrem, both of Viroqua, and Charles (Catherine) Ostrem of Livingston, Wis.; nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband on Aug. 22, 1986; two sisters, Lorraine Johnson and Eunice Sherry; and one brother, Clifford who died in infancy.

Blessed be her memory.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, Aug. 1, at 11 a.m. at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Viroqua. The Rev. Lindsay Paul Jordan will officiate with burial in the Bethel Cemetery, rural Viroqua. Friends may call on Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. at Vosseteig-Larson Funeral Home, 123 W. Decker (Hwy. 56) in Viroqua. Friends may also call at the church on Friday after 10 a.m. Memorials are preferred.

Vosseteig-Larson Funeral of Viroqua is serving the family. Online condolences may be offered at www.vosseteigfuneralhomes.com.

John M. Loesch

John M. Loesch, 92, of La Crosse died on Monday, July 28, 2008, at Franciscan Skemp Medical Center, La Crosse.

He was born in Vermillion, Minn., on May 7, 1916, to Matthew and Marie (Kiemen) Loesch. He married Viola Roesler on April 26, 1947, in Rochester, Minn., and she preceded him in death on March 7, 1995.

Early in his life, John served with the Civilian Conservation Corps. He would later serve as a medic with the U.S. Army during World War II. He served in northern France and received the American Defense Ribbon and American Theater Ribbon as well as the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Ribbon and the Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon for his service.

John was also an avid Green Bay Packers fan and a Milwaukee Brewers fan.

He is survived by two daughters, Carol, and her husband, Larry Barengo (who John treated as a son) of Mansfield, Mo., and Princeton, Wis., and Nancy Woods of Shreveport, La.; a niece, Linda Pellerino of Princeton; and several other family members who will sadly miss him.

In addition to his wife, John was preceded in death by one son, Dennis Tibbetts, and several siblings.

A private family graveside service will be held at Oak Grove Cemetery, La Crosse. Schumacher-Kish Funeral Home of La Crosse is assisting with arrangements.

Richard W. Allen

ONALASKA, Wis. — Richard W. Allen, 85, died Wednesday, July 30, 2008, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse. Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Friday at Dickinson Family Funeral Home, Onalaska. Military honors will be at Oak Grove Cemetery, La Crosse. Family and friends may call from 10 a.m. until the tme of services Friday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers memorials may be given to Kidney Foundation at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center or First Lutheran Church, Onalaska. A complete obituary will follow.

Jeffery Ward

ONALASKA, Wis. — Jeffery Ward, 52, of Onalaska died Tuesday, July 29, 2008, at his home. A full obituary will be provided by Dickinson Family Funeral Home.