JoAnn (Dethlefs) Karsten
February 1, 1952 - July 13, 2020


JoAnn Dethlefs MHS 1970
JoAnn Karsten, age 68, of Manning, passed away on Monday, July 13, 2020, at Manning Regional Healthcare Center in Manning.
Visitation is from 5 PM to 8 PM on Thursday, July 16, 2020, at Ohde Funeral Home in Manning.
Public graveside services will be at 11 AM on Friday, July 17, 2020, at Manning Cemetery in Manning.
Ohde Funeral Home in Manning is in charge of arrangements.

From the 2006 Manning Quasquicentennial history book:

Kenneth and Virginia Dethlefs

Back: Jim, JoAnn, Rick, Georgia
Front: Ken, Virginia, Erica

Kenneth George Dethlefs, son of George and Ida (Roggendorf) Dethlefs and Virginia (Brown) Dethlefs, daughter of Robert and Josephine (Axland) Brown were married on July 20, 1951. Kenneth was born on March 19, 1915, in Alton, Iowa, and passed away on June 22, 2005. Ken had one sister, Bernice Ohde and her husband William F. Ohde of Manning. Virginia was born on November 11, 1920, in Irwin, Iowa, and passed away on October 18, 1997. She had 2 sisters, Betty Drake and her husband Dean of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Roberta of Ames, Iowa.
Kenneth graduated from Manning High School in 1933 and Virginia graduated from Irwin High School in 1938.
Kenneth, along with his parents, owned and operated the Klean Klose Shop, a dry cleaning business, in Manning. Ken was very interested in baseball. In 1935 he attended a baseball school in Hot Springs, Arkansas and played semi-pro ball in Sioux City in 1938. He also managed a town baseball team in the late 1940s in Manning.
Virginia attended Iowa State Teacher's College, now UNI, in Cedar Falls for two years and received her bachelor's degree from Drake University in 1967. She taught school in Peru, Iowa; Irwin; Manilla; Denison; and Manning for a total of 36 years, 24 of which were spent as a kindergarten teacher in Manning.
Ken and Virginia are the parents of two children, JoAnn and Georgia.
JoAnn and her husband Jim Karsten live in Manning. Jim owns and operates a semi-truck business and JoAnn works for Brink & Sextro law firm. Georgia and her husband Rick Lohrmann also live in Manning. Rick is a salesman for Van Meter Industrial, Inc. in Carroll, Iowa, and Georgia is the manager of the Dedham, Iowa, branch of Commercial Savings Bank. They have one daughter, Erica, who lives in Waukee, Iowa, and works for American Equity in West Des Moines.


Logeland Studio - Harlan, Iowa negatives

JoAnn & Jim's wedding


Parents


Marlys (Rutherford) Karsten, JoAnn, Jim, Hilda (Karsten) Schroeder


Wedding party


Ida & George Dethlefs


Ken Dethlefs with Ruth Ohde


Bernice Dethlefs MHS 1934


Bill Ohde & Bernice Dethlefs


Ida Dethlefs 1st upper set of teeth - Jens Sinn, dentist


Crazy Days, Loretta Vinke & Ken Dethlefs


Ken Dethlefs


Ken Dethlefs


George Dethlefs


Georgia Dethlefs MHS 1972


Georgia Dethlefs


Sarah Detlefsen, ??, Virginia Dethlefs

Logeland Studio - Harlan, Iowa negatives

Pastor Edward Heinicke with Georgia Dethlefs & Rick Lohrmann


Keith Stribe, Gary Graner, Georgia, Rick, Daniel "Boone" Arp, Doug Hansen



Rick, Erma & Frenz Lohrmann


1971 "We Love you Conrad" school play in the old gym auditorium
Georgia Dethlefs in front


1990 staff at Manning Trust & Savings Bank

JoAnn Karsten, Pat Mohr, Margaret Bilsten, Kristyn Justice (intern), Denise Doyel, Kevin Boyle
Kevin began working at MTSB in August 1986 and Denise in August 1985
Patricia Mohr, served as Vice-President and cashier for thirty years
Margaret Bilsten, served as head teller for twenty-eight years
JoAnn Karsten, served as a teller/bookkeeper for fifteen years


American Interstate Bank


1970 MHS graduates: Norma Jean Arp, Dennis H. Beck, Barbara Ann Blum, Lenus LaVerne Borkowski, Harvey Gene Dales, Leonard LeRoy Dammann, JoAnn Dethlefs (salutatorian), Elizabeth Jean Eickman, JoLynn Kay Escher, Joseph John Espenhover, Clyde Charles Fielweber, Patricia Ann Fischer, Jon Michael Grimm, Bruce Melvin Hass, Mary Jo Hiatt, Ronald W. Hill, Cynthia Rae Hinners, Ronald Dean Hinze, Tim Lee Hockett, Barbara Ann Hoffman, Marva Lou Jensen, Lynn Allen Justice, Lance Lynn Lage, Elizabeth Jean Muhlbauer, James William Muhlbauer, Beverly Ann Mundt, Lyle J. Mundt, Marcia Sue Mundt, Douglas H. Musfeldt, Gaylin Raymond Ranniger, Russel Alan Ranniger, Duane Lee Reinke, Claude Rennotte, Ronald Joseph Reischl, Linda Sue Rowedder, Keith Merlin Schroeder, Sara Ann Schroeder, Arlen Dean Schrum (valedictorian), Constance Gay Sibbel, Marilyn Ann Sporrer, Curtis Glen Struve, Robert Joseph Sturm, Armin Edgar Torrico, Eugene Venner, Don A. Vonnahme, Debra Jean Waterbury, Nancy Kay Weems, Deborah Kay Weis, Diane Julia Weitl, Dale Bernard Willenborg, Gary Witt, Wanda Fay Wurr, Michael Anthony Zerwas

1970 former students: Linda Ahrendsen, Patricia Calvert, Kevin Christensen, Reggie Frahm, Diane Gehling, Linda Golwitzer, Roger Holst, Connie Huebner, Patty Hupp, Douglas Iddings, Judy Iddings, Michael Jones, Mary Knapp, Alan Kuhl, Ronnie Kuker, Mike McCammond, Louise Meaike, Kathryn Murry, Carol Musfeldt, Bruce Naylor, David Nepple, Rhonda Nissen, Timothy Peters, Colleen Poldberg, Jerome Riesselman, Judy Rinehart, Thad Rohde, Rebecca Saunders, Jeanette Snyder, Roger Sorden, Tim Steckelberg, Diana Stubbs, Leonard Stubbs, James Switzer, Debby Vaudt, Danny Weifenbach, Linda Winkelman

Jr High Band 1965 Children's Day
Baton twirler Myra Weems, Gaylin Ranniger on Saxophone to right and Ron Hill with the other saxophone, Marcia Mundt behind Gaylin, Nancy Stoberl on base drum, behind Nancy is Julia (Croghan) Fitzgerald with the clarinet, behind Ron is Connie Sibbel on flute, Sandra Hass on clarinet - in back is Lyle Karsten on the trumpet.
JoAnn (Dethlefs) Karsten is the Majorette.
JoAnn told me that she was actually wearing the girls' PE uniform - she does not remember why but we are having "fun" trying to remember any way :-)))

The blue band uniforms were handed down from the senior high band when they got their new red uniforms.

1969 Homecoming royalty
Linda Rowedder, Marva Jensen, JoAnn Dethlefs, Debbie Weis, Debbie Waterbury, Claude Rennotte, Sara Schroeder

Choir 1970
Back: JoAnn Dethlefs, Peggy Bennett, Beverly Ohde, Pam Foley, Mark Siepker, Lonnie Hargens, Darrel Baker, Dave Schroeder, John Hornberger, Mark McNutt, Dan Andersen, Dan Weis, Sara Schroeder, Donna Sonksen, Ann Jensen, Doris Volquartsen, Joann Rohe
Third: Pam Hargens, Mary Opperman, Mary "Ging" Hudson, Deb Waterbury, Jodi Hiatt, Kathy Potthoff, Joy Hockett, Michael Zerwas, Mark Heinicke, Arlen Schrum, Paul Hiatt, Donna Reinke, Michele Mohr, Jennifer Zerwas, Linda Rowedder, Deb Schroeder, Kathy Felker
Second: Starr Christensen, Kerry Lohrmann, Connie Grimm, Twyla Misselhorn, Becky Saunders, Susann Opperman, Kevin Stangl, Vernon Hansen, Roger Musfeldt, Kent Rutz, Tom Hargens, Scott Renze, Deb Weis, JoLynn Escher, Roxanne Ruhde, Roxie Irlmeier, Gail Phillips
Front: Dorthie Dammann, Lola Stammer, Frances Struve, Francine Kruse, Judy Mueller, Mike Bilsten, Kevin Struve, Richard Hornberger, Brian Peters, Allen Rohe, Lonnie Jensen, Mary Potthoff, Georgia Dethlefs, Myra Weems, Linda Rohe, Marva Jensen, Sue Irlmeier

Band 1969
Standing: Judy Mueller, Barbara Heithoff, Marcia Mundt, Beverly Mundt, Nancy Stoberl, Kathy Potthoff, Lois Muhlbauer, Barbara Wiese
Third: Gail Phillips, Vickie Mundt, Mary Kasperbauer, Jennifer Zerwas, Kent Rutz, Mark Spack, Peggy Bennett, Daniel Weis, Allen Rohe, Lonnie Jensen, Brian Peters, Ruth Croghan, Greg Blum, Lyle Karsten, Dave Schroeder, Francine Kruse, Gaylin Ranniger, Vickie Musfeldt, Doris Volquartsen, Georgia Dethlefs, Susan Opperman, Karen Dreier
Second: Mary Wiese, Frances Struve, Sandra Hass, Julia Croghan, Russel Ranniger, Keith Schroeder, Debra Schroeder, Starre Christensen, Mary Croghan, Roger Musfeldt, Dick Hornberger, Vernon Hansen, John Dobler, Darrel Baker, Lola Stammer, Kevin Struve, Mary Hudson, Connie Sibbel, Janet Arp, Kristyn Kuhn, Marjorie Stangl
Front: Anne Jensen, Kathleen Joens, Darlis Dammann, Beverly Ohde, Linda Rohe, Roxanne Ruhde, Lance Lage, Irene Stangl, Dottie Dammann, Twyla Misselhorn, John Heinicke, Pam Foley, JoAnn Dethlefs, Kathy Felker

From the 2009 Manning Schools history book:


Jim Karsten MHS 1974
JoAnn (Dethlefs) Karsten participated in choir, band, small groups, musicals, National Honor Society, Quill & Scroll, Pep Club, and yearbook. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a BA in elementary education and received her library science certification from Buena Vista. She is now employed as a secretary at Brink & Sextro Law office in Manning. She married Jim Karsten (MHS 1974) who participated in football, basketball, track, baseball, speech, and plays. He now owns and operates his own semi-truck and hauls for George Brincks of Templeton.

From the 2009 Manning Schools history book:

Virginia Dethlefs
Virginia (Brown) Dethlefs graduated from Irwin High School in 1938. She attended Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa) in Cedar Falls for two years and later received her Bachelor's degree from Drake University. She taught a few years in schools in Peru, Manila, Denison, and Irwin before settling in Manning with her husband Kenneth Dethlefs. In 1959, Virginia began teaching Junior High Language Arts in the Manning Community School district. In her second year at Manning, she started teaching kindergarten and is where she remained until her retirement in 1984.
If you were a student of Virginia's, you probably have stories to share about her. Many of you may have had a tooth or two pulled by Mrs. Dethlefs, as for that, she was famous. Virginia loved to teach, but it was Kindergarten where she was truly able to put her talent to work. In an article written about Virginia prior to her retirement, the question was asked "What keeps you in the kindergarten classroom?" She answered, "It's the children, I love them all." Her classrooms were not just filled with toys and games, but with children eager to learn from this remarkable lady. She remembered every student she ever taught and had so many wonderful memories and stories about her teaching days.
Virginia's passion for teaching and children was a part of her and continued on through her life. After her retirement, she continued substitute teaching, taught Sunday school, and tutored many students over the years. She remained an active supporter of the Manning Community Schools; attending with Kenny, school concerts, plays, and athletic events. She collected yearbooks from each year and attended many Commencement ceremonies. Especially memorable to her was Commencement of 1996 when she had the joy of watching her last kindergarten class graduate.
In closing, Virginia's family would like to thank the past students, faculty, parents, and community members for bringing such joy and pride to this woman's life. Virginia was an incredible lady with a passion for teaching, a joyful spirit and huge heart. Virginia passed away on October 18, 1997 and although her family misses her every day, we feel blessed and comforted knowing she touched the lives of so many. If you were able to experience this wonderful lady for even a moment in your life then you know how fortunate her family feels to have had the joy of experiencing her everyday of ours.
The Family of Virginia Dethlefs
Kenneth Dethlefs (MHS 1933) 1915-2005
JoAnn (MHS 1970) & Jim Karsten (MHS 1974)
Georgia (MHS 1972) & Rick Lohrmann (MHS 1974)
Erica (Lohrmann) (MHS 1998) & Chris Heck

In front of the old Firemen's Hall 1963

Virginia Dethlefs, Charles Brotherton, Roy Karbula, Ila Rix


The last time I visited with JoAnn, I told her that once she gets to feeling better that I wanted her, Georgia Lohrmann, & Helen Wiese to do their "Andrew Sisters" singing act again.
They all had wonderful voices and I was in awe at how similiar they sounded to the Andrew Sisters.
Unfortunately that act won't ever be performed again by that lovely trio of Manning gals...

Dave Kusel


Back to Dave Kusel's main page