bridal 2013

VOL. 148 NO. 08 • WEDNESDAY, FEB. 20, 2013 • SECTION C

8C MITCHELL COUNTY PRESS-NEWS, Osage, IA, Wed., Feb. 20, 2013

bbyy DDaavviidd NNaammaannnnyyPPrreessss--NNeewwss EEddiittoorr

Milt and Linda Owen of rural St. Ansgar celebrated their 45th wed-ding anniversary just a few weeks ago.

The couple was married on Jan. 30, 1968 at the Presbyterian Churchin Bellevue, Iowa while Milt was home on leave from the United StatesAir Force.

“We had considered eloping, but ran into problems due to blood testsand a required waiting period at that time,” recalled Linda. “When wedid get married, it was a simple ceremony - I carried a Rainbow Bibleand Milt wore his military uniform.”

A reception for the couple was held at the groom’s parents home, andthe next day the newlyweds packed up a small U-Haul and headed forFairfield, California, where Milt completed his first assignment atTravis Air Force Base. On the way to California, however, the couple raninto a problem when they were driving through the Lake Tahoe area.

“We literally to a wrong turn and ran into a wall of snow in the night-time,” said Linda. “It was easily 10 to 12 feet high and completelyblocked the road. We were eventually able to turn around and get on theright road, but it was very scary.”

Milt and Linda are now both retired. Milt, who retired last month,served for 36 years as the Director of the Mitchell County ConservationBoard. Linda has been retired for nearly two years after serving for overa decade at the Mitchell County Public Health Department.

The couple has three grown children, son Nathan and his wifeHeather Owen, co-owners of S&S Locker in Osage; daughter Angie andher husband Troy Dodd of Clear Lake; and son Matthew and TamiOwen of Lamoni. They have six grandchildren, Nikolas, Alaina,Michael, Ethan, Elijah and Autumn.

2013 Souvenir BridalMemories Section

Owens celebrate 45th

Linda and Milt Owen of rural St. Ansgar are pictured here at theirwedding on Jan. 30, 1968

bbyy JJiimm CCrroossssPPrreessss--NNeewwss RReeppoorrtteerr

It’s generally the tradition for the guy to askthe girl for her hand in marriage.

However, Lynnette Offen almost didn’t letthat happen with her fiancé Justin Gerber.

“I was going to ask Justin to marry me,”said Lynnette, “but Justin is more tradition-al, so I waited for him to ask.”

On a Sunday morning, Lynnette was get-ting ready to leave for church when Justintook her hand and told her “You can’t leaveyet.”

He got down one knee and said,“Lynnette,I love you more than anything in this worldand I want to spend the rest of my life withyou. Will you marry me?”

“It was at a very unexpected time, so thatwas fun,” said Lynnette. “I also didn’t wantanything cheesy, so it was perfect.

“I stared at the ring all through church.”

The couple actually met through a blinddate.

“Six of us went out for dinner and he

‘stepped up to the plate’ and asked me outafterwards,” said Lynnette.

Lynnette is a graduate of RicevilleCommunity School. She earned her

Bachelor’s Degree from Loras College inDubuque and a Master’s Degree from theUniversity of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

She currently owns her own conference

and meeting planning business for both cor-porations and associations.

Justin is a graduate of the SouthlandSchool District in Minnesota and RiverlandCommunity College.

He currently farms and works forKlapperich Farm Systems.

Lynnette is the daughter of Sandy and thelate Villo Offen.

Justin is the son of Marlys and Richard(deceased) Gerber.

The couple will be wed on April 13 at theMeyer Catholic Oratory with a reception tofollow at the Cedar River Complex EventsCenter in Osage.

The couple will be living near Adams,Minn. where Justin’s family and their farmare located.

“I am in the process of moving everythingfrom my city condo in Minneapolis to what Ilike to call our ‘country cottage’ nearAdams,” said Lynnette. “We currently areupdating the inside of his grandparents’house.

“By spring, Justin won’t want to see apaintbrush for another decade.”

2C MITCHELL COUNTY PRESS-NEWS, Osage, IA, Wed., Feb. 20, 2013 MITCHELL COUNTY PRESS-NEWS, Osage, IA, Wed., Feb. 20, 2013 7C

Bride to be almost pops the questionbbyy JJiimm CCrroossss

PPrreessss--NNeewwss RReeppoorrtteerr

Let the woman choose - somethingmost men learn early in a relationship.

Todd Kuntz let his fiancée AmberGast do just that the night of their pro-posal.

“Todd asked me to choose a niceplace to eat that night,” said Amber.“When he came to pick me up at myapartment, he surprised me with aring.”

Amber added the couple had metthrough mutual friends while attendingthe University of Northern Iowa.

Amber is a 2004 graduate of OsageHigh School. She graduated from UNIin 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in psy-chology. She later received her master’sdegree in School Counseling in 2012from UNI.

Amber currently works as a K-12school counselor at Lynnville-SullySchools in Sully.

Todd is a 2001 graduate of WalnutRidge Baptist Academy and a 2006graduate of UNI with a degree inEducation. He also has a degree fromUpper Iowa University in SpecialEducation.

He currently is a high school specialeducation teacher in Dunkerton, Iowa.Todd is the Dunkerton golf coach andthe high school boys basketball coach atDenver High School.

Amber is the daughter of Susan andScott Engelhardt and Gary and KariGast.

Todd is the son of Terry and SallyKuntz.

The two will be wed on July 13 at OurSavior’s Lutheran Church in Osage witha reception to follow at the Cedar RiverComplex Events Center.

“I plan to look for a school counselingjob in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area orsurrounding area,” said Amber. “Wehope to find a home near our jobs.”

Dinner and a ring: a winning combination

Amber Gast and Todd Kuntz

Lynnette Offen and Justin Gerber


Hanna McKinley and Skylar Thorson

Motorcycle or marriage? Groom ponders the correct answerbbyy JJiimm CCrroossss

PPrreessss--NNeewwss RReeppoorrtteerrThere are very few things that can come between a

man and his motorcycle, or desire to own one, exceptmaybe one thing - marriage.

According to Shelby Johnson, her fiancé DanielSchaa would occasionally express his desire for amotorcycle.

“While dating, Dan would occasionally bring upwanting a motorcycle,” she said. “A few weeks before heproposed, Dan kept on bringing up the idea.”

Every time the idea was brought up, Shelby wouldchange the conversation as quickly as she could.

“I thought that a motorcycle probably wasn’t a verygood investment at that point in our lives,” said Shelby.

One night after work, Dan called and asked if the twocould got out to eat somewhere in Des Moines.

“Of course I said, ‘yes,’” said Shelby. A little whilelater, Dan came to pick her up.

“As I was finishing getting ready, he asked me tocome over to him,” recalled Shelby. “As I went to hughim, he said, ‘wait, close the door.’ Odd,’ I thought.

“Again, as I went to hug him, he said, ‘no, just standthere.’”

At that point, Shelby was certain he was going to tellher that he had bought a motorcycle.

Instead, he got down on one knee and asked Shelby

to marry him.“A while later, after the shock had left, I told him I

would get him the best motorcycle in the world,” shesaid. “He’s still waiting.”

The couple first met while they were both attendingthe same classes at Iowa State University.

“When Dan would actually show up,” said Shelby.Shelby Ann Johnson is a 2008 graduate of Osage

High School and a December 2011 graduate of IowaState University with a degree in Agricultural Studies.

She is currently working with LG Seeds in WesternIowa, managing a sales district of four counties.

Daniel Marcus Schaa is a 2007 graduate of NortheastHamilton High School and a December 2011 graduate ofIowa State University with a degree in AgriculturalStudies.

He is currently working with AgriGold Hybrids inCentral Iowa, managing a sales district of two counties.

Shelby is the daughter of Bruce and Lisa Johnson ofOsage.

Daniel is the son of Randy and Kim Schaa of Kamrar.The couple will be wed on June 15 at the Missionary

Alliance Church in Blairsburg with the reception beingheld at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in WebsterCity.

Their future plans include moving to an acreage inwestern Iowa and starting a family.Shelby Johnson and Daniel Schaa


Moving into your first home can be hecticand stressful. So, why not propose to yourfianceé as well?

That’s what Skylar Thorson did with hisfiancée Hanna McKinley.

“I went home for a long weekend starting onSeptember 13, 2012,” said Hanna. “Skylar and Iwere busy running around all day on the 14thgetting things ready to move into the house,getting bills and addresses switched over so wewere ready to roll.”

The couple was exhausted but they wereglad to move into their home.

While they were moving the last few boxes,Skylar was in the main bedroom.

“I was carrying an awkward DVD stand thatI couldn’t quite get set down on my own,”Hanna said, “and he was going through a boxon the floor.”

As she turned to get another box, Skylarsaid,“Hey Hanna,” in a tone that she had neverheard in her life.

“So, I turned around and I saw the littleblack box in his hands,” said Hanna, “and that

is when he asked me.“He got me, I’ve never been so surprised like

that ever in my life.”The couple went to school together from

elementary through high school.“Eighth grade is when we really found each

other and started hanging out,” said Hanna.“By the end of eighth grade, Skylar asked meout and we’ve been together ever since.”

Hanna is the daughter of Mark and JaneMcKinley.

Skylar is the son of Wendy and DonnieThorson.

Hanna currently attends Iowa StateUniversity and will be graduating in May 2013with a degree in Graphic Design.

Skylar is employed at Northern CountryCo-op in Toeterville. He graduated from NorthIowa Area Community College in 2011 with adegree in Farm Operations Management andAgricultural Sales and Services.

The couple will be wed on September 21 atDeer Creek Lutheran Church with a receptionto follow at the Carpenter Community Center.

After graduation, Hanna plans to find a jobin her field of study. Skylar’s plans includestarting to farm with his father. They hope tostart a little family, as well.

Moving day means day to ‘make a move’


In this day and age of modern tech-nology, who would give a secondthought to use it for a marriage propos-al?

“We wanted to wait until I was donewith school before we started thinkingabout getting engaged,” said BrittanyGust.

Little did she know that her soon-to-be fiancé Mike Milbrandt had alreadybeen planning to propose to Brittany assoon as she was finished with studentteaching.

Brittany had just finished her last dayof college.

She arrived home to find a DVD on thecounter for her to watch.

On the DVD, Brittany saw a slideshowof pictures of herself and Mike through-out their relationship.

When the slideshow was over, Mikecame around the corner.

Brittany said she knew something was

up, and then Mike got down on one kneeand proposed.

The couple met in Cedar Falls while

Brittany was attending University ofNorthern Iowa.

Brittany was good friends with Mike’s

brother, Corey.“He introduced the two of us and we

hit it off,” she said.Brittany is a graduate of Forest City

High School and Waldorf College, whereshe majored in Elementary Education.

She is currently a substitute teacher.Mike is a graduate of Osage High

School and Hawkeye CommunityCollege, where he majored inHorticulture Science.

Farm TilePro currently employs him.Brittany is the daughter of Doug and

Andrea Gust.Mike is the son of Steve and Sharon

Milbrandt.The couple will be wed on September

21 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church inOsage with the reception being held atthe Cedar River Complex Events Center.

“We plan to stay in the Osage area,”said Brittany. “Mike will continue towork for Farm TilePro and I plan to findan elementary teaching position in thefall.”


Brittany Gust and Mike Milbrandt


Nowadays, creativity is the key to a goodmarriage proposal.

For Ricky Berding, the use of fireworkswas just the right touch.

The proposal from Ricky to his girlfriendAmy Knudsen came on August 5, 2012 attheir home by the fire.

That evening, the couple had gone to themovie “Ted”.

“Ricky insisted we not go out thatevening but just head home and have a bon-fire,” said Knudsen.“We were sitting aroundthe fire. Some of our friends, who were tocome over, never showed up.

“All of a sudden, fireworks were going off.Ricky came around my chair and asked meto marry him.”

His exact words to her were, “You havewaited long enough, will you please marryme?”

“I didn’t answer him right away,”she said.“I was so excited and shocked all at the sametime.

“What seemed like 20 years later, heasked me, ‘so does that mean yes?’ And, ofcourse, I said yes.”

Ricky and Amy first met each other whileRicky was escorting Amy’s best friendVanessa to their senior prom.

“Ricky and I first laid eyes on one anotherat my prom,” said Knudsen. “We never

spoke that night, but in the fall, we ran intoeach other at a mutual friend’s house.

“After talking for hours at our friend’shouse, we exchanged numbers.”

The couple’s first date was a week later atthe Northwestern Steak House in MasonCity.

Amy is a 2007 graduate of St. AnsgarHigh School and a 2009 North Iowa AreaCommunity College and 2012 Buena VistaCollege graduate, with a degree in HumanServices and Sociology and a minor inPsychology.

She currently works as a Member ServiceRepresentative at North Iowa CommunityCredit Union. She is also a ScentsyConsultant.

Ricky is a graduate of Central Springs, inManly.

He currently works for BerdingConstruction Specialties of Plymouth.

Amy is the daughter of Anders and CindyKnudsen and Ricky is the son of RogerBerding and Sharon Crawford.

The couple will be wed on Sept. 7 atTrinity Lutheran Church in Mason Citywith a reception to follow at The ClarionInn.

“We hope to have two or three kids,someday,” said Amy, “and to remain aroundPlymouth.

“We would love to build a new home inthe area.”

Fireworks light the skyduring unique proposal

Amy Knudsen and Ricky Berding

Groom uses technology to pop the question


Hanna McKinley and Skylar Thorson

Motorcycle or marriage? Groom ponders the correct answerbbyy JJiimm CCrroossss

PPrreessss--NNeewwss RReeppoorrtteerrThere are very few things that can come between a

man and his motorcycle, or desire to own one, exceptmaybe one thing - marriage.

According to Shelby Johnson, her fiancé DanielSchaa would occasionally express his desire for amotorcycle.

“While dating, Dan would occasionally bring upwanting a motorcycle,” she said. “A few weeks before heproposed, Dan kept on bringing up the idea.”

Every time the idea was brought up, Shelby wouldchange the conversation as quickly as she could.

“I thought that a motorcycle probably wasn’t a verygood investment at that point in our lives,” said Shelby.

One night after work, Dan called and asked if the twocould got out to eat somewhere in Des Moines.

“Of course I said, ‘yes,’” said Shelby. A little whilelater, Dan came to pick her up.

“As I was finishing getting ready, he asked me tocome over to him,” recalled Shelby. “As I went to hughim, he said, ‘wait, close the door.’ Odd,’ I thought.

“Again, as I went to hug him, he said, ‘no, just standthere.’”

At that point, Shelby was certain he was going to tellher that he had bought a motorcycle.

Instead, he got down on one knee and asked Shelby

to marry him.“A while later, after the shock had left, I told him I

would get him the best motorcycle in the world,” shesaid. “He’s still waiting.”

The couple first met while they were both attendingthe same classes at Iowa State University.

“When Dan would actually show up,” said Shelby.Shelby Ann Johnson is a 2008 graduate of Osage

High School and a December 2011 graduate of IowaState University with a degree in Agricultural Studies.

She is currently working with LG Seeds in WesternIowa, managing a sales district of four counties.

Daniel Marcus Schaa is a 2007 graduate of NortheastHamilton High School and a December 2011 graduate ofIowa State University with a degree in AgriculturalStudies.

He is currently working with AgriGold Hybrids inCentral Iowa, managing a sales district of two counties.

Shelby is the daughter of Bruce and Lisa Johnson ofOsage.

Daniel is the son of Randy and Kim Schaa of Kamrar.The couple will be wed on June 15 at the Missionary

Alliance Church in Blairsburg with the reception beingheld at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in WebsterCity.

Their future plans include moving to an acreage inwestern Iowa and starting a family.Shelby Johnson and Daniel Schaa


Moving into your first home can be hecticand stressful. So, why not propose to yourfianceé as well?

That’s what Skylar Thorson did with hisfiancée Hanna McKinley.

“I went home for a long weekend starting onSeptember 13, 2012,” said Hanna. “Skylar and Iwere busy running around all day on the 14thgetting things ready to move into the house,getting bills and addresses switched over so wewere ready to roll.”

The couple was exhausted but they wereglad to move into their home.

While they were moving the last few boxes,Skylar was in the main bedroom.

“I was carrying an awkward DVD stand thatI couldn’t quite get set down on my own,”Hanna said, “and he was going through a boxon the floor.”

As she turned to get another box, Skylarsaid,“Hey Hanna,” in a tone that she had neverheard in her life.

“So, I turned around and I saw the littleblack box in his hands,” said Hanna, “and that

is when he asked me.“He got me, I’ve never been so surprised like

that ever in my life.”The couple went to school together from

elementary through high school.“Eighth grade is when we really found each

other and started hanging out,” said Hanna.“By the end of eighth grade, Skylar asked meout and we’ve been together ever since.”

Hanna is the daughter of Mark and JaneMcKinley.

Skylar is the son of Wendy and DonnieThorson.

Hanna currently attends Iowa StateUniversity and will be graduating in May 2013with a degree in Graphic Design.

Skylar is employed at Northern CountryCo-op in Toeterville. He graduated from NorthIowa Area Community College in 2011 with adegree in Farm Operations Management andAgricultural Sales and Services.

The couple will be wed on September 21 atDeer Creek Lutheran Church with a receptionto follow at the Carpenter Community Center.

After graduation, Hanna plans to find a jobin her field of study. Skylar’s plans includestarting to farm with his father. They hope tostart a little family, as well.

Moving day means day to ‘make a move’


It’s generally the tradition for the guy to askthe girl for her hand in marriage.

However, Lynnette Offen almost didn’t letthat happen with her fiancé Justin Gerber.

“I was going to ask Justin to marry me,”said Lynnette, “but Justin is more tradition-al, so I waited for him to ask.”

On a Sunday morning, Lynnette was get-ting ready to leave for church when Justintook her hand and told her “You can’t leaveyet.”

He got down one knee and said,“Lynnette,I love you more than anything in this worldand I want to spend the rest of my life withyou. Will you marry me?”

“It was at a very unexpected time, so thatwas fun,” said Lynnette. “I also didn’t wantanything cheesy, so it was perfect.

“I stared at the ring all through church.”

The couple actually met through a blinddate.

“Six of us went out for dinner and he

‘stepped up to the plate’ and asked me outafterwards,” said Lynnette.

Lynnette is a graduate of RicevilleCommunity School. She earned her

Bachelor’s Degree from Loras College inDubuque and a Master’s Degree from theUniversity of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

She currently owns her own conference

and meeting planning business for both cor-porations and associations.

Justin is a graduate of the SouthlandSchool District in Minnesota and RiverlandCommunity College.

He currently farms and works forKlapperich Farm Systems.

Lynnette is the daughter of Sandy and thelate Villo Offen.

Justin is the son of Marlys and Richard(deceased) Gerber.

The couple will be wed on April 13 at theMeyer Catholic Oratory with a reception tofollow at the Cedar River Complex EventsCenter in Osage.

The couple will be living near Adams,Minn. where Justin’s family and their farmare located.

“I am in the process of moving everythingfrom my city condo in Minneapolis to what Ilike to call our ‘country cottage’ nearAdams,” said Lynnette. “We currently areupdating the inside of his grandparents’house.

“By spring, Justin won’t want to see apaintbrush for another decade.”


Bride to be almost pops the questionbbyy JJiimm CCrroossss

PPrreessss--NNeewwss RReeppoorrtteerr

Let the woman choose - somethingmost men learn early in a relationship.

Todd Kuntz let his fiancée AmberGast do just that the night of their pro-posal.

“Todd asked me to choose a niceplace to eat that night,” said Amber.“When he came to pick me up at myapartment, he surprised me with aring.”

Amber added the couple had metthrough mutual friends while attendingthe University of Northern Iowa.

Amber is a 2004 graduate of OsageHigh School. She graduated from UNIin 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in psy-chology. She later received her master’sdegree in School Counseling in 2012from UNI.

Amber currently works as a K-12school counselor at Lynnville-SullySchools in Sully.

Todd is a 2001 graduate of WalnutRidge Baptist Academy and a 2006graduate of UNI with a degree inEducation. He also has a degree fromUpper Iowa University in SpecialEducation.

He currently is a high school specialeducation teacher in Dunkerton, Iowa.Todd is the Dunkerton golf coach andthe high school boys basketball coach atDenver High School.

Amber is the daughter of Susan andScott Engelhardt and Gary and KariGast.

Todd is the son of Terry and SallyKuntz.

The two will be wed on July 13 at OurSavior’s Lutheran Church in Osage witha reception to follow at the Cedar RiverComplex Events Center.

“I plan to look for a school counselingjob in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area orsurrounding area,” said Amber. “Wehope to find a home near our jobs.”

Dinner and a ring: a winning combination

Amber Gast and Todd Kuntz

Lynnette Offen and Justin Gerber

VOL. 148 NO. 08 • WEDNESDAY, FEB. 20, 2013 • SECTION C

8C MITCHELL COUNTY PRESS-NEWS, Osage, IA, Wed., Feb. 20, 2013

bbyy DDaavviidd NNaammaannnnyyPPrreessss--NNeewwss EEddiittoorr

Milt and Linda Owen of rural St. Ansgar celebrated their 45th wed-ding anniversary just a few weeks ago.

The couple was married on Jan. 30, 1968 at the Presbyterian Churchin Bellevue, Iowa while Milt was home on leave from the United StatesAir Force.

“We had considered eloping, but ran into problems due to blood testsand a required waiting period at that time,” recalled Linda. “When wedid get married, it was a simple ceremony - I carried a Rainbow Bibleand Milt wore his military uniform.”

A reception for the couple was held at the groom’s parents home, andthe next day the newlyweds packed up a small U-Haul and headed forFairfield, California, where Milt completed his first assignment atTravis Air Force Base. On the way to California, however, the couple raninto a problem when they were driving through the Lake Tahoe area.

“We literally to a wrong turn and ran into a wall of snow in the night-time,” said Linda. “It was easily 10 to 12 feet high and completelyblocked the road. We were eventually able to turn around and get on theright road, but it was very scary.”

Milt and Linda are now both retired. Milt, who retired last month,served for 36 years as the Director of the Mitchell County ConservationBoard. Linda has been retired for nearly two years after serving for overa decade at the Mitchell County Public Health Department.

The couple has three grown children, son Nathan and his wifeHeather Owen, co-owners of S&S Locker in Osage; daughter Angie andher husband Troy Dodd of Clear Lake; and son Matthew and TamiOwen of Lamoni. They have six grandchildren, Nikolas, Alaina,Michael, Ethan, Elijah and Autumn.

2013 Souvenir BridalMemories Section

Owens celebrate 45th

Linda and Milt Owen of rural St. Ansgar are pictured here at theirwedding on Jan. 30, 1968

bridal 2013

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