1931-2026

Donald “Donnie” William Hennen, 94, son of George and Evangeline (Shell) Hennen, was born June 19, 1931, in Panora. He passed away Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at the Guthrie County Hospital, Guthrie Center.

Donnie attended school in Panora. In 1948, he married Bonnie Louise Trent. To this union, four sons were born. They mostly made their home in the Panora area. Donnie worked as a heavy equipment operator for many years, owned and operated the DX station in Panora for 14 years, and then went on to help area farmers. He was always doing something. In July of 2021, he became a resident of Panora Specialty Care Center.

Donnie enjoyed fishing, hunting and tinkering with any engine. He was a great gardener and enjoyed doing anything outside.

He was a lifetime member of the NRA.

Donnie is survived by his sons, Mike (Jinny) Hennen and Brian “Pete” (Becky) Hennen, both of Panora; nine grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and eight great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Bonnie; sons, Mark and Timothy; brothers, Melvin, George, Jr., and Dean; and sisters, Nina and Betty.

Cremation has taken place, and visitation will be Sunday, April 26, 2026, from 3-5 p.m. at the Twigg Funeral Home, Panora. Burial of his cremains will be held at 3 p.m., Sunday, May 3, 2026, at the Morrisburg Cemetery, rural Stuart.

1941-2026

Merwyn (Merv) Jay Kinman, 85, of Waukee, passed away on April 18, 2026. He was born on Jan. 12, 1941, in Adair County to L. Hugh and Mildred Kinman. Merv will be remembered for his kindness, humor and dedication to his family and his business, Kinman Glass. Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Linda; his son, Doug; his daughter, Laura (Brian) Manatt; his granddaughters, Clair, Payton and Lucia; and daughter-in-law, Braedi Kinman, and his grandson, Cole Kinman; his sister, Mary (Graeme) Doyle; a niece and two nephews; and many other family members and friends.

He was proceeded in death by his son, David; his parents; his brother, John; and his sister, Darlene.

A celebration of life will be held at Iles Jordan Creek Funeral Home, 7150 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines, on April 27, 2026. Visitation is at 10 a.m., with the service to follow at 11 a.m. A reception will be held at the funeral home following the services. Interment will be at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, North Branch, Iowa (in rural Guthrie County).

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages contributions to be made to the Guthrie County Community Foundation, 1915 Grand Ave., Des Moines, Iowa 50309.

1963-2026 

Sharon J. Jessen, 62, was born on April 22, 1963, in Illinois to John and Jeannette Haila. She passed away on April 18, 2026, at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames.

Sharon lived in California as a child. She loved playing outside with friends in the cul-de-sac her family’s home was part of. In 1972 her family moved to West Des Moines, where she entered fourth grade. She continued her education, graduating from Valley High School in 1981. She subsequently attended Iowa State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree. Following graduation, Sharon worked at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa and then at American Federal Savings and Loan in Des Moines where she learned how to operate a computer.

Sharon met Steven D. Jessen of Guthrie Center at a Merry Mixers square dance, and on March 11, 1989, she married him at the Valley United Methodist Church in West Des Moines. The newlywed couple made their residence in Guthrie Center where Steve was employed as a farmer and an assembler of farm machinery. Sharon found employment at the newspaper office as an ad creator and feature writer interviewing retired people and telling their stories for the paper.

Sharon left the newspaper office when she became unable to work due to a chronic illness called Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD). She was later diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension. She worked from home as a freelance graphic artist creating business cards and invitations for family and friends on her home computer. She also worked as a personal historian putting together life story books.

Sharon was active before her lungs became compromised, causing her to require supplemental oxygen. She engaged in activities such as singing, walking along the country roads and in the fields with her beloved dog Goldie, playing tennis, gardening, and helping her husband with the cattle and on the farm. She also enjoyed working on her computer, creating movies from photographs and music videos for songs she had written. Her hobbies included designing and creating handmade greeting cards, reading about subjects that interested her — especially spirituality and metaphysics — and playing word games and online poker, which she was particularly successful at.

Sharon is survived by her beloved husband; her two brothers, Eric and his wife Lynn of Longmont, Colorado, and John and his wife Mary of Ames, and their two sons. She was preceded in death by her parents. Sharon was deeply loved by her family and friends and will be missed by all who knew her.

1936-2026

Fern was born to Elmer E. and Ruby E. Moreland of Bayard on Dec. 9, 1936. She grew up in Guthrie County and graduated from Guthrie Center High School 1955.

Fern was married to a military man and traveled extensively while raising a family of five children. Her travels took her to Turkey, Nebraska, Texas and Alaska. She remained in Texas for many years. While there she worked for Angelo State University in the campus library until retiring. She enjoyed reading as well as walking and was a longtime member of the San Angelo, Texas, walking club. She spent much of her time at church, participating in Bible study and civic activities. She spent many years delivering Meals on Wheels and serving as a poll worker during elections.   

Fern moved to Colorado in 2016 to spend more time with her many grandchildren who lived in Colorado. For several years, she continued her love of reading and her church activities and added many grandchildren’s birthdays and sporting events, which kept her very busy.

Fern was preceded in death by her parents, Elmer and Ruby Moreland; her sister and brother-in-law, Fleta Mae and Richard Cox; her sister and brother-in-law, Phyllis and Daniel Camp; her sister and brother-in-law, Helen and Charles Finnegan; and her brother, Clifford Moreland.

Fern is survived by her son, Mike Short of Palmer, Alaska; her daughter and son-in-law, Sherry and Jeff Wilkin of Arvada, Colorado; her son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Vicki Short of Belton, Texas; her daughter and son-in-law, Pam and Gordon Hoyt of Toyah, Texas; her daughter and son-in-law, Theresa and Tim Morgan of Port Washington, Wisconsin.  She is also survived by 16 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held for Fern on May 23, 2026, at 1 p.m. at the Bayard Cemetery in Bayard.

1964-2026

Tim Lee, 61, of rural Coon Rapids, passed away on Friday, April 3, 2026, following a valiant six-year battle with a rare form of intestinal cancer.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 10, 2026, at Annunciation Catholic Church in Coon Rapids with Father Patrick Behm officiating and Jeff Hachmeister serving as lector. Casket bearers will be Zachary Lee, Braden Foster, Lane Namanny, Pat McAlister, James McGovern and Logan Kellow. Honorary casket bearers will be Ed Ciano, Bob Warnke, John Shannon, Al Heiderscheit and Jeff Hachmeister. Interment will follow at the Coon Rapids Cemetery.

Visitation will be held at Annunciation Catholic Church in Coon Rapids from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday. Additional visitation will be held at the church from 9:30-10:15 a.m. on Friday prior to the funeral service.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Swan Lake Foundation, the Coon Rapids-Bayard School District or Main Street Coon Rapids in Tim’s name.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Coon Rapids, and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com

Timothy Owen Lee was born Dec. 15, 1964, in London, England, to Harold and Antonia “Tosh” Lee. Although the family lived in Boston at the time, Tim’s birth coincided with his father’s work trip abroad. In 1971, the family moved permanently to London, where Tim attended the American School in London. He spent many formative summers in Coon Rapids, where his grandfather, Roswell Garst, had co-founded the Garst & Thomas Hybrid Seed Company.

Tim attended Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts, earning a Bachelor of Arts in history and politics with a minor in English language and literature. It was there he developed a lifelong passion for 16th-century poetry and the works of Shakespeare.

As an adult, Tim returned to his roots in Coon Rapids to build upon his family’s legacy. Over the next three decades, he immersed himself in business and agriculture, serving as chairman of the board of Iowa State Bank in Sac City and managing a large farming operation in Carroll County from 1991 to 2022. In the late 1990s, he teamed up with Al and Barry Heiderscheit to launch TAB Concrete, tackling residential, agricultural and commercial projects for more than a decade.

Tim celebrated a personal milestone in 2021 when he married Paige Huntley. He built a home south of Coon Rapids inspired by Tim’s interest in Etruscan architecture, and the couple made their home there. The couple shared a deep commitment to local education; while Tim served as school board president, Paige served as the CRB district’s School Business Officer, frequently sitting side-by-side at board meetings.

An avid student of world, political and U.S. Civil War history, Tim also collected rare sports cars, antique firearms and Roman Etruscan glass art. He was a dedicated pool player, competing in leagues for more than 30 years, and enjoyed bowling and golf in his earlier years.

Tim’s leadership extended to numerous organizations, including the Swan Lake Foundation, the Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Foundation, the Coon Rapids Golf Association Board, the Coon Rapids-Bayard Board of Education, and the CRB Education Foundation. He was a life member of Pheasants Forever and the National Rifle Association, and a member of the Iowa Bankers Association.

Tim’s philanthropy left a lasting mark on the community. His generosity supported Whiterock Conservancy — where he funded the restoration of the Garst Ponds — the Coon Rapids Golf Course, Swan Lake State Park, and the Riverside Park Trail resurfacing. He was a cornerstone of the CRB Educational Foundation and a champion of the Main Street Coon Rapids initiative, restoring downtown buildings that now house local staples like the New Hope Bargain Shop, the Post Office, and the Raccoon River Social Club. Lee also partnered with Bryan Spangler on the purchase and subsequent renovation of the Northside Rec building, working hand in hand with the Main Street Coon Rapids organization to reopen the historic Northside Rec business.

The Coon Rapids area has benefited immeasurably from Tim’s enthusiasm and leadership; his presence in the community will be impossible to replace.

Survivors include his wife, Paige (Huntley); his sons, Zachary B. (Hanna) Lee of Lake View and Nathan Lee of Ankeny; his sister, Amy Lee of London, England; and many cousins and friends.

Tim was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Tosh Lee, and his grandparents, Roswell and Elizabeth Garst, and Hugh and Amy Lee.

1981-2026

Lisa Sherwood, 44, passed away on March 20, 2026, at Panora Specialty Care following a year-long battle with cancer.

Lisa was born on May 29, 1981, in Des Moines to Jay and Francine Sherwood. She was raised on a farm west of Guthrie Center, and she graduated from Guthrie Center High School. She was a dedicated member of the community, working first at the Guthrie Center Redemption Center and later in the deli at Hometown Grocery.

Lisa had a passion for the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing with her family. She also found great joy in cooking and baking treats for her friends and loved ones.

She was preceded in death by her brother, John. Lisa is survived by her children, Jon and Danny; her parents; her aunts, Sheba and Glenda; and her extended family in Arkansas. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

A visitation is scheduled for Friday, March 27, 2026, from 5-7 p.m. at Twigg Funeral Home in Guthrie Center.