Coggon Richard Dick Keith Balster, 73, of Coggon, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 8, 2021, at his home, surrounded by his family, after a four-year battle with cancer. A private family service will be held. Family will greet friends from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 20, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Marion, Iowa. Inurnment will be held at a later date at Coggon Cemetery in Coggon. All guests are respectfully requested to wear a face mask and practice social distancing. Dick was born June 23, 1947, at St. John Hospital in Monticello, Iowa, the son of George H. and Mary (Petersen) Balster. He was a 1965 graduate of Coggon School. In high school, Dick played varsity football and was president of the FFA. After graduation, he worked construction for 18 years and was a member of the Carpenters Union 308, but always knew he wanted to farm. Dick bought his first 80 acres in 1968.
Cedar Rapids Lucille (Aossey) Barber, 92, passed away on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, following a brief illness. Lucille was the third of 10 children born to Abdoo and Hacebe Aossey. She was a lifelong resident of Cedar Rapids and, in addition to participating in many fund-raising efforts for the Islamic Center through the preparation and sale of delicious Lebanese foods, she was an excellent cook in her own right. She will also be remembered by many Cedar Rapids residents for her friendly service and the delicious soups she prepared for her brother s Starlite Room. A fabulous three-day celebration of Lucille s 90th birthday was held in West Palm Beach, Fla. Her large extended family came from all over the United States to honor her and she had the time of her life. She thoroughly enjoyed her winter trips to Arizona to visit friends and family. She is remembered by her family as the sweetest, hardest-working mother, sister, grandmother and aunt ever and will be dearly missed by