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Obituary Archives

John Frandson, 62, Paynesville
John Berle Frandson, 62, of Paynesville, who will always be remembered for his infectious smile and his kind and generous spirit, passed away on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. His funeral will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at St. Louis Catholic Church in Paynesville. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the the service. Interment will be in Fairview Cemetery in Kelliher. He was born to the late John Oscar Frandson and Elizabeth Neuschwander on May 10, 1954. John attended school in West Fargo, N.D., and later went on to receive his bachelor of pharmacy degree from North Dakota State University in 1979. Whether you spent an hour with John or knew him for decades, the immense pride he took in his work as a pharmacist and his joy in helping people was easily apparent. For ten years, he and his wife Kathryn owned and managed Watkins Drug. During his presidential term on the Watkins Economic Development Committee, he helped to relocate a medical clinic to the community and also helped to fund and build a community pool. Later in his life, John took a job working for Nash Finch, as a pharmacy technical specialist, which gave him the opportunity to utilize his talents as a manager, computer specialist, and technical resource for the entire chain of pharmacies. His most prized moment at Nash Finch came in 2013, when he was awarded the Shining Example of Innovation Award for his creation of the SureCost program. One of John’s greatest joys was spending time up north with his family at the cabin, fishing on Red Lake, enjoying Uncle Jimmy’s famous fish frys, and surviving near-death Fourth of July firework shenanigans by his nephews. He always looked forward to spending hours in the deerstand with his nephews, keeping an eye out for little bucks to shoot and enjoying hours in the evening playing cards. During the summer months, John, Kathy, and Mary Elizabeth enjoyed spending their afternoons on the golf course and always looked forward to their annual family vacation at Madden’s with the Golbergs. Getting rowdy and cheering on the Golden Gopher basketball team at the Barn with Mary Elizabeth was always a thrill for him. John also took great delight in successfully sneaking bags of candy to his nieces and nephews, as well as table scraps to his granddog, Bowie. John is survived by his wife of 40 years, Kathryn; daughter, Mary Elizabeth (Megan McTeague) of St. Paul; brother, Jim Frandson; nephews: Mike, Jeremy, and JJ Frandson; brother and sister in-laws, Bob and Barb Mullan of Bagley, Mike and Wanna Mullan of Coalinga, Calif., Jim and Mary Lundin of Kelliher, Minn.; nieces: Kara (Trevor) Schneeberger, Justin (Christine) Lundin, Kelly Mullan (Tyler Scouton), Erin (Josh) Lowe, Luke (Ashley) Lundin, Mark (Sam) Lundin, Marisa (Matt) Hemstad, Patrick Mullan, Tim (Alissa) Mullan; and his many beloved great-nieces and great-nephews.

Gladys Torbenson, 95, Paynesville
Gladys M. Torbenson, 95, of Paynesville, died on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017, at the Paynesville Hospital. Her funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 24, at Paynesville Lutheran Church in Paynesville. Burial will be at the Paynesville cemetery. A visitation will be held on Friday morning from 9:30-11 a.m. at Paynesville Lutheran Church.

Howard Powers, 86, Hawick
Howard J. Powers, 86, of Hawick, died on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, at his home. His funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, at Nordland Lutheran Church in rural Paynesville. Burial will be at the church cemetery. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Nordland Lutheran Church and will continue one hour prior to the service.

Ruby Arbogast, 102, Edina
Ruby I. Arbogast, 102, of Edina, passed away on Feb. 13, 2017. Ruby was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and sister who will be deeply missed. She was a longtime member of St. Stephen Lutheran Church of Bloomington. She was preceded in death by husband, Clyde; son, Calvert; brothers, Arleigh Gruetzmacher and Marvin Gruetzmacher; and sisters, Alma Galles and Idella Arbogast. She is survived by her son, Lloyd (Paula) Arbogast of Scottsdale, Ariz.; 7 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews, and friends. Memorials are preferred to Park Nicollet Foundation/Hospice. A private graveside service will be held at Glen Haven Cemetery in Crystal, Minn.

Alvina Bayer, 97, Elrosa and Lake Miltona
Alvina M. Bayer, age 97, of Elrosa and Lake Miltona, passed away on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017, at Pine Villa Care Center in Melrose. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Elrosa, with Father Peter Kirchner presiding. Visitation will be from 9 to 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Elrosa. Alvina Mary Essler was born June 27, 1919, in Padua, Minn. She was the daughter of Joseph and Theresia (Derschel) Essler. On Nov. 25, 1941, Alvina was united in marriage to Edmund Matthew Bayer at St. Anthony Catholic Church of Padua. They made their home in Elrosa. Alvina was the proud mother to six children and she also worked with her husband at Skeeter's Bar in Elrosa until 1977. Soon after retirement, Alvina and Edmund moved to Lake Miltona in Leaf Valley Township, Douglas County, Minn. Pine Villa Care Center became her home in 2014. Alvina loved to fish and garden. Cooking for people and entertaining at her home always brought her great joy. Bird-watching and feeding the birds were some of her favorite pastimes, especially at the lake. She also enjoyed dancing whenever the opportunity arose. Alvina loved being a mom and truly enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Alvina was a member of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Elrosa, Saints Peter and Paul Christian Mothers, the American Legion Auxiliary of Millerville, and the Paul F. Donart VFW Post 2853 Auxiliary in Sauk Centre. Survivors include her children and spouses: Bob and Marcia Bayer of Elrosa, Jim and Susan Bayer of Belgrade, Deb and Dan Haskamp of St. Cloud, Pam and Bob Imdieke, Jr. of Big Lake, and Bruce and Peggy Bayer of Paynesville; daughter-in-law, Delores Bayer of Brooten; 15 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; sister, Delores Schmidt of Elrosa; and other relatives and friends. Alvina was preceded in death by her husband, Edmund M. Bayer "Skeeter" in 1991; son, Allen Bayer in 2005; parents, Joseph and Theresia Essler; brother, Raymond Essler; and sister, Sally Mildenberger. Casket bearers include Alvina's grandsons: Aaron Bayer, Brian Imdieke, Paul Haskamp, Matthew Bayer, Adam Haskamp, Sam Bayer, Scott Imdieke, and Evan Bayer. Alvina's granddaughters will serve as the following: Paula Froseth, cross bearer; Kelli Imdieke, scripture bearer; Amiee Thomas, Stacy Peter, and Anne Haskamp, lectors; Jenny Bayer and Patti Liebrenz, communion gift carriers.

Gerald E. Buermann, 62, of Paynesville, passed away on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017, with his "boots on", while doing what he loved at his home farm. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16, at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Roscoe. Burial will take place in the St. Louis Parish Cemetery in Paynesville. Visitation will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday and after 10 a.m. on Thursday, both at the St. Agnes Catholic Church in Roscoe. Gerald was born on Jan. 28, 1955, to Robert and Dorothy (Eickhoff) Buermann. He married Mary Jo Lingl on Sept. 25, 1976, at St. Louis Catholic Church in Paynesville. He purchased his own farm north of Paynesville in 1978, where he raised his family. He was a simple man. He will be remembered for his love of family, his farm, and his friends. Gerald is survived by his loving wife, Mary Jo; his adoring children: Robert (Tara) of Kimball, Patrick (Rita) of Albany, and Amy of Sauk Rapids; six precious grandchildren: Katlyn, Erin, Allie, Logan, Harper, and Grayson; sisters, Mary Jane Lahr of Cold Spring and Carol Ann of Sauk Centre; and brothers, Jeff of Paynesville and Richard (Karen) of Paynesville. Preceding him in death were his parents and his brother James. Memorials are preferred in lieu of flowers.

Dennis Kotten, 74, Paynesville
Dennis John Kotten, 74, of Paynesville, died on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017, at his home in Paynesville. Mass of Christian Burial was held on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Roscoe. Burial was at St. Anthony Catholic Cemetery in Regal. Dennis Kotten was born on Aug. 31, 1942, in Sleepy Eye. He was the son of Joseph and Leona (Krzmarzick) Kotten. He attended elementary in Gibbon and High School in Belgrade, graduating in 1960. He was confirmed at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Regal. On March 11, 1964, he entered the U.S. Army, where he served his country during the Vietnam War. On Sept. 11, 1971, Dennis was united in marriage to Janet Thielen at Assumption Catholic Church in Eden Valley. To this union, four daughters and two sons were born. They made their home in Cold Spring, where he worked for Dezurik as a machinist, for more than 30 years. In 1982,they moved near Roscoe and then to Paynesville in 2016. Dennis was a member of St. Agnes Catholic Church in Roscoe, as well as the Knights of Columbus and St. Joseph Society. He enjoyed spending time with family, hunting, camping, fishing, gardening, reading, and playing cards. He is remembered as a devoted husband, father, and grandfather with a great sense of humor and smile. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Janet; children: Jeanne (Wes) Konsor of Holdingford, Kim (Tony) Frieler of Paynesville, Peggy (Ross) Loven of Mankato, Roger Kotten (Julie Lemke) of Paynesville, Rose (Mike) Hess of Clearwater, and Jonathan (Theresa) Kotten of Paynesville; 11 grandchildren; siblings: Donna (John) Liebl, Joan (Paul) Yenter, Thomas (Roberta) Kotten, Jack (Erna) Kotten, Ronald (Loretta) Kotten, Mary (Lee) Feneis, Betty Kotten, and Steve (Barb) Kotten; and sisters-in-law, Mary Kaye Kotten and Marge Kotten. Dennis was preceded in death by his parents; grandsons, Wesley James and Zachery Brian Konsor; brothers, Jerome and Robert; and two infant siblings, Anna and Mark.

Lindsay Hull, 78, Paynesville
Lindsay K. Hull died on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017, at Koronis Manor in Paynesville.Services will be held at a later date.

Rosa Schefers, 98, Paynesville
Mass of Christian Burial celebrating the life of Rosa M. Schefers, 98, of Paynesville, will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 10, at St. Louis Catholic Church in Paynesville. Rosa passed away peacefully on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, at Koronis Manor Care Center in Paynesville. Reverend Glenn Krystosek and her nephew, Reverend Eberhard Schefers, will officiate. Entombment will take place at St. Louis Parish Cemetery Mausoleum. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday and after 10 a.m. on Friday, both at St. Louis Catholic Church. Rosa was born on Oct. 27, 1918, to John and Christine (Arceneau) Blonigen in a stone house south of St. Martin, built by her great-grandfather. In 1942, the family moved to a farm south of Richmond. In her youth, Rosa was a member of St. Martin Parish and attended school in St. Martin. As a young woman, she would help families during times of child birth and illness. Rosa married Leander J. Schefers on May 22, 1944, at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Richmond. They farmed in Zion Township until 1979 when they retired and moved to Paynesville. Rosa was a member of St. Louis Parish, St. Anne's Christian Women, Catholic United Financial, and the Daughters of Isabella. Rosa had very little need for material things. Spending time with family, relatives, neighbors, and friends was her joy. She also enjoyed birds, gardening, and reading. Above all, she treasured her family and they were always well cared for. Rosa is survived by her children: Joan Plantenberg Witzig of Brooklyn Park, Kenneth (Julie) Schefers of Paynesville, Beverley (Richard) Sauer of Becker, and Ralph Schefers of Paynesville; 12 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and sister, Christine Maleska. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leander; grandson, John-Paul Schefers; son-in-law, Steven Witzig; sisters: Veronica Schlangen, Clara Minnerath, and Louise Linz; and brothers: Paul, Frank, Daniel, and Clement Blonigen.

AnnaMae Sturm, 87, Cold Spring
AnnaMae (May) Sturm, 87, of Cold Spring, died on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017, surrounded by her family after a long battle with cancer. A Celebration of Life Mass will be held on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 10:30 a.m., at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Roscoe. Burial will be in the parish cemetery. Relatives and friends may call on Friday, Feb. 10, between 4 and 8 p.m., at the Wenner Funeral Home in Richmond. St. Agnes Christian Women will pray a rosary at 3:30 p.m. AnnaMae was born on Oct. 11, 1929, in Roscoe, to John and Anna (Braegelmann) Flint. She married Richard May on May 1, 1951. They were blessed with eight children. Richard passed away on Jan. 26, 1967 from Melanoma. She continued to raise her eight children, and on Aug. 14, 1972, she married Bill Sturm. Bill's family included two sons that joined the family. AnnaMae and Bill moved to North Browns Lake. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. AnnaMae enjoyed sewing, quilting, knitting, gardening, and canning. Her real passion was fishing on North Browns Lake with her family or simply by herself. AnnaMae also enjoyed watching the Minnesota Twins. You quickly learned to not call or disturb her while the game was on. She was competitive in cards and farkel. One game of farkel was never enough. AnnaMae loved to travel, mostly day trips to the casino with family and friends. As she requested on her headstone "Always Remembered, Laughed Often, Loved Forever." Survivors include her children: Lorraine (Jerry) Svihel, Chuck (Debbie) May, Susan Will, MaryLou May, Steve (Kathy) May, Mike May, Janet (John) Dierkhising, Marlene (Jeff) Bertram; step-children: Wayne (Tamara) Sturm and Greg Sturm; siblings: Sally Lane and Val Foster; sister-in-law, Irene Flint; 14 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren on the way. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Richard May (1967) and Wilfred Sturm (2001); siblings: Regina Schlangen, Sylvester Flint, Gregor Flint, Leander Flint, Loretta Schlicht, Norbert Flint, and Andrew Flint.

Thomas Nelson, 71, Sartell
Thomas "Tom"" Ross Nelson, 71, of Sartell, passed away on Friday, Jan. 13, 2017. Services were held on Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Miller-Carlin Funeral Chapel in St. Cloud. Chaplain Gregg Valentine officiated. Tom was born on Feb. 16, 1945, to Henry and Hannah (Langseth) Nelson, in Saint Cloud. He grew up with two siblings and attended Paynesville High School. Tom proudly served his country in two military branches. He joined the United States army in 1968 and served for two years before joining the Navy, where he spent the rest of his 21 year military career. Tom was a "corpsman," a Navy medic with training similar to an LPN. He received a number of meritorious awards for his service in Vietnam and to his country. Tom married Mary Czeck in 1971, and they welcomed two children, though they later divorced. He was employed by Fingerhut as a factory worker for 20 years until his retirement in 2008. Tom was a member of the St. Cloud VFW Post 428. He enjoyed fishing and playing cards. Cribbage, euchre, and whist were among his favorites. He was a major fan of Minnesota sports. He most enjoyed following Gophers and Vikings football. Tom was happiest relaxing, talking smart, and sharing his sharp wit and dry sense of humor. It was said he teased most those he loved best. He was a patriot to the core and was a humble, private man. He shared his kind and generous spirit with his family and friends. Tom is survived by his children: Kelly Palmersheim of Hudson, Wis., and Tom (Kim "Kimmy")Nelson of Cottage Grove, Minn; his brother, Ken "Kenny" (Jackie) Nelson of Va.; his sister, Diane Schultz of Litchfield; his grandchildren, Colin and Rylan Palmersheim of Hudson, Wis.; several nieces and nephews; and his friends. He is preceded in death by: his mother, Hannah Nelson; his father and step-mother, Henry and Julie Nelson; and his brother-in-law, Ron "Ronnie" Schultz.

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