April 2025
Complete obituaries can be found in the Paynesville Press each week.
April 2025
Complete obituaries can be found in the Paynesville Press each week.
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Donna Adams, 93, Paynesville
Donna Adams, 93, of Paynesville, died Thursday, April 10, at Koronis Place in Paynesville. Her Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 14, at St. Louis Catholic Church in Paynesville. Visitation was held one hour prior to the service at the church. A rosary was said by the Daughters of Isabella at 9:30 am. Burial was held at the church cemetery. Arrangements were with Harvey Anderson and Johnson Funeral Home in Paynesville: www.hafh.org. Donna Louise Ernesti was born on May 30, 1931, to Ben and Netti (Shamla) Ernesti in Bird Island, Minn. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Bird Island. In 1949, she graduated from St. Mary's High School and went on to attend Minnesota Business College, earning her degree in 1950. After college, Donna began her career working at a bank in Minneapolis. On Aug. 14, 1954, she was united in marriage to William "Bill" Adams at St. Mary's Catholic Church. The couple made their home in Amboy, Minn., until 1968, when they relocated to Paynesville. Donna worked for many years as a waitress at Bernie's Barn in Paynesville - a job she especially loved. She later became the first school aide hired at Paynesville Schools, where she worked in the library for 19 years before retiring. In retirement, Donna and Bill spent 22 winters in Apache Junction, Ariz., making countless cherished memories together. A devoted member of St. Louis Catholic Church in Paynesville, Donna was also one of the founding members of the Daughters of Isabella. She was involved with Christian Women, the Paynesville Legion Auxiliary, and many other community organizations. Donna loved being with people and was always ready for a good time. She enjoyed woodworking, crafts, sewing, play cards in many card clubs, golfing, clogging, pickleball, and the outdoors. Donna found great joy in time spent with her family. She is survived by her children, Pamela (Thomas) Osterberg and Kent (Elaine) Adams; her grandchildren, Seth (Jessica) Adams, Brooke Hoving, Emily (Alan) Williams, and Tucker (Ashley) Osterberg; and nine beloved great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill; her parents, Ben and Netti; two brothers; and one sister. A special thank you to the staff of Koronis Place for all the support given to Donna and her family.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, April 11, 2025, at Paynesville Lutheran Church for Rita Ruby Pifer-Thieszen, 79, of Paynesville. Pastor Paul Shumaker will officiate. Burial will be in Moffit Cemetery in Moffit, N.D. Visitation will take place one hour prior to services on Friday, April 11, at the church in Paynesville. Arrangements are with the Daniel-Anderson Funeral Home in Paynesville. Rita Ruby Pifer-Thieszen was born, March 5, 1946, to M. Jewel (DeWeese) and Roy R. Pifer in Bismarck, N.D. She was the third of four daughters. Rita moved to Xenia, Ill., as a young child only to return to the Bismarck area, where she graduated from Steele High School in 1964. After graduation, she worked for a year in retail while residing in Northfield before attending business school where she obtained her business certification. After business school she met and married Jerome Jandl. From this union, they had two children. They eventually settled in Winona, Minn., for approximately 20 years, devoting her time to many volunteer committees such as the Red Cross, Jaycees, and the YWCA board of directors. Always one to take on challenges she went back to college and proudly graduated cum laude from Winona State University with a B.S. in business administration in 1989. Her love of travel and new adventures took her to Colorado Springs, Colo., where she worked as the head HR manager for over a decade with Skyline Products. Colorado is also where she met the love of her life Glenden Thieszen. They were united in marriage on Feb. 9, 2002. They had many adventures together... almost making Rita's dream to visit every state in the U.S. She only missed two! Rita had a passion for genealogy. Family history led her to compile a DeWeese family history book as well as a family cookbook. Even though she lived a distance from her grandchildren she made it a priority to spend fun quality time with them. They even had a few adventures such as when they entered the Peace Gardens in North Dakota/Canada and exited the wrong way and had to explain to the border patrol who all the kids were. In addition to genealogy, she had a love for rock collecting and took friends and Glen on some escapades that may have included late-night pajamas on a mountain side. However, Rita will be best remembered as making connections wherever she went. Her family often joked she would go into a restroom and come out with a new best friend or a long-lost relative. She will be greatly missed by her loving husband who stood by her side. She is survived by Glenden Thieszen; son, Jeff Jandl (fiancé Kristen); and daughter Tricia (Jandl) Utsch (husband Chris); stepson Jeremiah Thieszen (wife Sarah); grandchildren Jacob Jandl, Alayna Willcutt (Andrew), Emily Jandl, Courtney Jandl, Alivia Buggs, and Aylah Utsch; great-grandchildren Sage and Kai Willcutt; sister, Brenda (Bob) Heintzelman; and brothers-in-law Dale Twedt and Joe Chesla; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was proceeded in death by her parents; sister Nar Alice Holm; and sister M. Sue Twedt. The family would like to say a special thank you to the staff at Vista Prairie for the wonderful care they provided for Rita.
Elaine Betty Hawkins (née Vogelpohl) passed away on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at the St. Cloud Hospital, surrounded by many loved ones, at the age of 53. Elaine was born on March 6, 1972, in Buffalo, Minn. She graduated from Dassel-Cokato High School in 1991. She later had three children, met the love of her life, and in 2005 she and her husband moved to Webster, Wis., where they chose to raise their family. Elaine dedicated 22 years of her career to Community Living Options, where her compassionate work provided care and support to individuals with developmental disabilities, mental health needs, and medical challenges. Her kindness and dedication left a lasting impact on many lives. Elaine found joy in life's simple pleasures. She loved shopping and hunting for treasures at garage sales and fairs. A passionate makeup enthusiast, she also enjoyed collecting Precious Moments figurines and other trinkets. Above all, Elaine cherished time spent with family and friends. If you had the honor of knowing her, you'd know how deeply she loved her children and husband - and how much they adored her in return. She had a special gift for caring for children and was always eager to lend a helping hand to those in need, even if it occasionally put her in a bind. Elaine is survived by her husband of 24 years, Lee, of Litchfield; her daughters Summer (Zach) of Grove City and Autumn (Joey) of Hutchinson; and her son Levi of Litchfield. She is also survived by her siblings: Lena (Bob) of Paynesville, Eva (Robert) of Litchfield, Lora of Hutchinson, Art of Hutchinson, and Lloyd (Donna) of Howard Lake; as well as many cherished nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, Sally and Marvin; parents-in-law, Sandy and Craig; her brother Al; and dear friends Brad and Dewey. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 5, from 1 to 5 p.m. at The Eagles Club, located at 389 CSAH 34 in Litchfield, Minn. Elaine's kindness and generosity touched countless lives. Her memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved her. A heartfelt thank you to the CentraCare Paynesville oncology team, Minneapolis Oncology, Allina Health Home Care, and St. Cloud Hospital for their compassionate care and support. |