Norma C. Thull, age 78 of New Munich, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016, at the Mother of Mercy Nursing Home in Albany.

 A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in New Munich with Rev. Daniel Walz officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

 Visitation will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at the church in New Munich.

 Norma Catherine Thull was born March 12, 1938, in New Munich, to Anthony and Clara (Sand) Thull. She graduated from Melrose High School in 1955 and worked in Minneapolis for a number of years. Norma then moved to Milwaukee, Wis., and worked at General Electric as a clerk for over 25 years until her retirement. She lived in Milwaukee until moving back to New Munich in the spring of 2016. Norma enjoyed working crossword puzzles and watching television.

 Survivors include her children, Todd (Danielle) Smukowski of Milwaukee, Wis., Tara Smukowski of Milwaukee, Wis., and Francesca (Harrison) Paist of San Jose, Calif.; mother, Clara Thull of New Munich; brothers and sisters, Norine (Francis) Olmscheid of St. Martin, Jean (Art) Hopfer of New Munich, Butch (Joyce) Thull of New Munich, Irene (Ron) Schmidt of Opole, Cheryl (Greg) Johnson of Bozeman, Mont., Dennis (Sheila) Thull of New Munich and Gary Thull (Cheryl Ziemer) of New Munich. 

 Norma was preceded in death by her father, Anthony Thull; and sister, Alice Thull.

 Serving as casket bearers will be Butch Thull, Dennis Thull, Gary Thull, Travis Thull, David Solsrud and Todd Smukowski. Cross bearer will be Kim Olmscheid and scripture bearer will be Irene Schmidt. Readers will be Ron Schmidt and Irene Schmidt and serving as gift bearers will be Norine Olmscheid, Jean Hopfer and Cheryl Johnson.

 Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Melrose. B-40-1B

Walburga M. “Wally” Meyer, age 98 of Freeport, died peacefully surrounded by her family on Monday, Oct. 3, 2016, at the CentraCare Health Nursing Home in Melrose.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport with Rev. Roger Klassen, O.S.B., officiating and Abbott John Klassen, O.S.B., and Rev. Ken Thielman concelebrating. Interment was in the parish cemetery.

Walburga Mary Klassen was born Aug. 13, 1918, in St. Martin to Mathias and Gertrude (Schaefer) Klassen. She was united in marriage to Joseph H. Meyer on June 6, 1939 at St. Martin Catholic Church in St. Martin. The couple farmed north of Freeport until 1979 and then moved into the city of Freeport in June of 2002. Wally then moved to the Park View Center in Melrose. She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport and the Christian Mothers. Wally enjoyed gardening, with her favorite flower being the wild rose. She also enjoyed traveling and playing cards, especially 500. 

Survivors include her sons, Lloyd (Joanie) Meyer of Mantorville and Joanie’s daughter, Shawn (Tony) Leth and their children, Karlyn and Keegan, and Dale Meyer of St. Cloud.

Wally was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Meyer on March 1, 1993; parents; brothers and sisters, Anna Pfau, Mathias Klassen, Peter Klassen, Clara Brix, Nick Klassen, Al Klassen, Sally Flint, Hildegarde Wieber, Norbert Klassen and Paul Klassen; and an infant sister, Rose 

Klassen.

Serving as casket bearers were Daniel Eveslage, Leon Flint, Wayne Wieber, Keith Klassen, Allen Dingman, Gerald Litchy and Dan Klassen. Cross bearer was Carol Nathe and scripture bearer was Janice 

Klaverkamp. Readers were Ralph Klassen and Diane Blonigen.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Sacred Heart Catholic School in Freeport.

Arrangements made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Freeport.         B-41-1B

Mass of Christian Burial celebrating the life of Marcella Briol, 91, Freeport, was held Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport. Fr. Dan Walz officiated and burial followed in the parish cemetery. 

Marcella passed away late Wednesday evening, Oct. 5, at the Pine Villa in Melrose with family at her side. 

Marcella was born on July 28, 1925, to Louis and Frances (Wiewel) Ferrian in Sauk Centre. She grew up with seven siblings and graduated from Melrose High School. Marcella joined the US Cadet Nurse Corps at the St. Cloud Hospital School of Nursing. On May 30, 1945, she married John Joseph Briol at Fort George Wright in Spokane, Wash., and their union welcomed three children.

Marcella worked for the US Postal Service for 27 years and retired as Postmaster in 1986. She enjoyed playing cards, especially bridge, and loved tending to her rose gardens. Marcella was instrumental in starting a Red Cross Blood Drive in Freeport and was a member of the National Right to Life, MCCL, ProLife Across America and the VFW Auxiliary. Marcella served on the Diocesan Parish Council (Melrose Deanery), as well as two terms on the Sacred Heart Parish Council. She was an active member of Sacred Heart Church in Freeport, the Christian Mothers and the Catholic Order of Foresters.

Marcella is survived by her children 

Kathleen (Melvin) Klasen of Melrose; Judith Briol of Freeport; John Briol of Sauk Centre; her sister Agnes Grundmann of Villard; grandchildren Audrey (Marti) Van Beck, Ellen Klasen, Anthony (Julie) Klasen, Michael (Randi) Klasen; 10 great-grandchildren, as well as many other family and friends.

She is greeted in Heaven by her husband John Joseph Briol, who passed away Oct. 2, 1972; her parents, Louis and Frances Ferrian; her siblings, Stella Brees, Leona Hendrix, John Ferrian, Walter Ferrian, Andrew Ferrian and Cecil Ferrian; and her infant granddaughter, Mary Elizabeth Klasen.

Arrangements are being entrusted to Miller-Carlin Funeral Home of Albany. 

 Eleanor R. Dierkhissing, age 101 of Freeport, died peacefully surrounded by her family on Friday, Oct. 14, 2016, at the CentraCare Health Nursing Home in Melrose.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11a.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport with Rev. Daniel Walz officiating and Rev. Ken Thielman concelebrating. Interment will be in Immaculate Conception Cemetery in New Munich.

 Visitation will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday at the church in Freeport. 

 Eleanor Rose Dierkhissing was born June 2, 1915, in Melrose Township, Stearns County, to Joseph and Gertrude (Schwieters) Herzog. She was united in marriage to Norbert Dierkhissing on Oct. 6, 1936, at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Melrose. Eleanor lived in New Munich until moving to Freeport in 1959. She cooked at the Melrose Hospital for 27 years. She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport, Christian Mothers and the Goldenaires Senior Citizens. Eleanor enjoyed cooking, baking, playing cards and going to the casino. 

 Survivors include her daughter, Marilyn (Pete) Heidgerken of Freeport; seven grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandsons.

 Eleanor was preceded in death by her husband, Norbert Dierkhissing, on April 13, 1961; parents; grandson, Steven Heidgerken; brothers and sisters, Agnes Hiltner, Alfred Herzog, Alois Herzog, Bertha 

Dickhaus, Elizabeth Hallermann, Angeline Wessel, Mayme 

Dickhaus, Zitta 

Moening, Alvina 

Moening and Irene Viere.

 Serving as casket bearers will be Sue 

Rieland, Ann Rolfes, Mark Heidgerken, Kay Sawyer, Gary 

Heidgerken and David Heidgerken. Cross bearer will be Kim Swanson and scripture bearer will be Jake Swanson. Rose bearer will be Maddie Heidgerken and Mass server will be Mason Heidgerken. Lector will be Ron Rieland and reading petitions will be Gavin Sawyer, Hunter Heidgerken and 

Makenna Heidgerken. Serving as gift bearers will be Mathew Rolfes, Brandon Sawyer and Jeremy Rieland. 

 Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Freeport.  

Gerald B. Arnzen, age 79 of St. Rosa, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, at his home near St. Rosa, Minn.

 A Mass of Christian Burial was held Tuesday, Oct. 25, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in St. Rosa with Rev. Dan Walz. Interment was in the parish cemetery.

Gerald Ben Arnzen was born Oct. 28, 1936,  to Henry and Anna
(Ritter) Arnzen in St. Rosa, Minnesota on their family farm. Gerald’s final wish was to die in the same house he was born, which he did. Gerald was united in marriage to Arlene Middendorf on Sept. 2, 1959, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Melrose. Together they farmed until they retired in 1996. Gerald also worked for his brothers at Arnzen Contruction and Arnzen Trucking. 

Gerald was an active member of the St. Rose of Lima Church in St. Rosa and also took care of marking the cemetery plots for over 40 years. He was a member of the Holy Name Society and charter member of the St. Rosa Lions, where he received the Helen Keller and Melvin Jones awards. He was a very proud member of the Lions and the membership director. 

Gerald’s passions were farming, playing cards, fishing, hunting, and driving his 4-wheeler and golf cart. But most of all he enjoyed spending time with his wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and friends. His fondest memories are taking the kids fishing to Wolf Lake, going to St. Rosa for a drink, and just having people over to visit. His kind heart, big smile, well-known voice with lots of stories will be deeply missed. 

Gerald is survived by his wife of 57 years, Arlene of St. Rosa; his children, John (Lillian) Arnzen, Bonnie (Mark) Stangler, Henry Arnzen, Mike (Beth) Arnzen, Fred (Linda) Arnzen, all of St. Rosa, and Julie (Jerry) Engelmeyer of Merrifield, MN; sister, Emily (Denis)
Schneider of Meire Grove; 15 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. 

Gerald was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Anna Arnzen; brothers, Jerome, Joe, Roy, and Virgil Arnzen; and sister, Rita Boeckermann. 

Serving as casket bearers were John Arnzen, Henry Arnzen, Mike Arnzen, Fred Arnzen, Mark Stangler, and Jerry Engelmeyer. Cross bearer was Jason Arnzen and scripture bearer was  Sara 

Revermann. Reader was Jodi Maus and petitions were ead by Brenda Greeley. Gift bearers were Cassandra and Jordan Arnzen. Mass servers were  Luke and Eli Engelmeyer. Serving as honorary pallbearers were  the St. Rosa Lions. 

Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Melrose. 

Florence M. Lange, age 93 of St. Francis, died peacefully surrounded by her family on Monday, Oct. 17, 2016 at Mother of Mercy Nursing Home in Albany, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 20 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in St. Francis with Rev. Cletus Connors, O.S.B. officiating. Interment was in the parish cemetery.

Visitation was from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in St. Francis. Parish prayers were held at 5 p.m. followed by the Christian Mothers and Catholic United Financial at 6 p.m. Wednesday evening at the church.

Florence Mary
Batcha was born June 23, 1923 in Elmdale Township, Morrison County, Minnesota to Joseph and Mary (Elkanics) Batcha. She graduated from
Upsala High School and moved to Minneapolis.  On May 21, 1946 she married Hubert Lange at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Bowlus. The couple farmed and lived near St. Francis until 1994. After the death of her husband, she moved to Freeport. She enjoyed cooking, baking, canning, and gardening. She also enjoyed playing cards and BINGO, and loved spending time with her family, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

 Florence was a life-long member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church where she was a member of the sewing circle, Christian Mothers, and the Catholic Aid Society for more than 50 years.

Survivors include her daughters, Marlene Jennissen of Sauk Centre, Jane (Loren) Scherping of Freeport, Joyce (Dan) Schulzetenberg of Freeport, and Shirley (Ken) Utsch of Paynesville; 17 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren with four on the way and two great-great-grandchildren;  sister, Verna Kotzen of Minneapolis; and sister-in-law, Marian Batcha of Minneapolis.

Florence was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Hubert Lange on October 21, 1994; son, Marvin on December 26, 1971; son-in-law, Pete Jennissen on July 14, 2013; brothers, Clarence, Raymond, and Leo Batcha; sister, Eleanor Wehseler; and sisters-in-law, Carol  Batcha and Elsie Batcha.

Serving as casket bearers were Kelli 

Arceneau, Karen 

Jennissen, Kari 

Schulzetenberg, Randy Scherping, Bryan 

Scherping, Dale Utsch and Brad Utsch. 

Cross bearer was Lori
Scherping and scripture bearer was Kristi Fuchs. Mass servers were Kaitlyn and Alex Gilk. Eucharistic Minister was Sister Alice Imdieke, O.S.B. and Reader was Wendy Gilk. Honorary bearers were Florence’s neighbors.

The family would like to thank the staff at Mother of Mercy Senior Living in Albany and the St. Cloud Hospital for the wonderful care Florence received for the last five years, and a special thank you to the St. Croix Hospice for their care as well. 

Arrangements made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Melrose.

Adam P. Van Beck, age 101 of Greenwald, died peacefully surrounded by his family on Monday, Oct. 24, 2016 at the CentraCare Health Nursing Home in Melrose, Minn.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29 at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Greenwald with Rev. Mitchell
Bechtold officiating and Rev. Marvin Enneking, Rev. Ken Thielman and Rev. Vince Lieser concelebrating. Interment was in the parish cemetery.

Visitation was held from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday at the
Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose. Knights of Columbus prayed at 5 p.m. followed by parish prayers at 7 p.m. Friday evening at the funeral home. 

 Adam Peter Van Beck was born May 31, 1915 in Spring Hill Township, Stearns County, Minn. to Albert and Mary (Kolb) Van Beck. Adam attended country school through the eighth grade. He was united in marriage to
Cecelia Fuchs on June 2, 1941 at St. Margaret’s Catholic Church in Lake Henry. The couple farmed southwest of Greenwald until June of 1974, when they retired and moved into town.

He was a member of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Greenwald and the Knights of Columbus Council #1633. Adam enjoyed watching purple martins and was a bowler who was able to bowl until he was the age of 98.  He also enjoyed fishing and dark house spearing, listening to old time music, and was a big fan of the Minnesota Twins and the Greenwald Cubs.

 Survivors include his children, Norma (Tom) Kaluza of Circle Pines, Peter (Joan) Van Beck of Greenwald, Vernon Van Beck of Shoreview, Larry (Rosie) Van Beck of Melrose, and Ralph (Linda) Van Beck of Greenwald; 16 grandchildren and 43 great-grandchildren; sister, Katherine “Kitty” Gruber of Melrose; and brother, Reuben (Arlene) Van Beck of Cold Spring.

 Adam was preceded in death by his wife,
Cecelia Van Beck on March 15, 1993; parents; brother and sisters, Edwin Van Beck, Beata Brang, Monica Ehlert, and Erma Walz.

Serving as gift bearers were Lisa Aronson, Elisha Seanger, Jessica Reed, and Jill Van Beck and lector was Nate Van Beck. Cross bearer was Laurie Nyren and scripture bearer was Marti Van Beck. Mass servers were
Damon Van Beck and Zack Van Beck and Eucharistic minister was Tom
Kaluza. Serving as gift bearers were Lisa Aronson, Elisha
Seanger, Jessica Reed, and Jill Van Beck.

 Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Melrose.

   Marion T. Schulzetenberg, age 92 of Melrose, died peacefully surrounded by her family on Friday, Oct.  28, 2016, at the CentraCare Health Nursing Home in Melrose, Minn.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, November 3 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Meire Grove with Rev. Marvin Enneking officiating. Interment will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Melrose. 

Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and from 9 to 10 a.m. Thursday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose.  The Christian Mothers will pray at 5 p.m. followed by parish prayers at 7 p.m. Wednesday evening at the funeral home.   

Marion Theresa Bringe was born June 9, 1924 in Melrose, Minnesota to Otto and Rose (Meyer) Bringe.  During her high school years, Marion was an exceptional student, played the organ for Masses at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and worked at the Melrose Telephone Company.  Upon graduation from Melrose High School, she obtained a nursing degree at the College of St. Catherine and began work as an RN in
Ogden, Utah for several years before returning to Melrose to work as a nurse at the Melrose Hospital. 

Marion was united in marriage to Urban
Schulzetenberg on June 24, 1952 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Melrose and eventually began her career as a homemaker.  She moved to Pine Haven Nursing Home in Melrose in 2010.  Marion was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Melrose, the Christian Mothers, and the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 101.  Marion especially enjoyed music, playing the piano and French horn, and singing in the church choir.  She also enjoyed gardening, traveling, bowling, playing cards, especially Bridge and 500, watching Jeopardy, playing Scrabble, and volunteering her services at the blood bank.  

Survivors include her children, Alan (Daria)
Schulzetenberg of Melrose and their daughter, Grace, Amy Grider of Maple Grove and her sons, Cory and Bennett, Kurt
Schulzetenberg of St. Paul and his children, Aaron and Elliana, Carl (Lori)
Schulzetenberg of Avon and their sons, Andy, Eric, and Aaron; two great-grandchildren; brother, Charles “Dick” (Rose) Bringe of Eugene, Oregon; and many nieces and nephews.  

Marion was preceded in death by her husband, Urban on February 12, 2010; parents; brothers and sisters, Arthur Bringe, Luella Trisko, Esther
Hinnenkamp, Robert Bringe, Margaret Hawn, Rose Marie “Jimmy”
Foster, Dan Bringe, and Clara Mae Cogswell; and an infant sister, Mabel. 

Serving as casket bearers will be Cory
Grider, Bennett
Grider, Andy Holmbo, Eric
Schulzetenberg, Aaron Schulzetenberg, and Carter Holmbo. Cross bearer will be Grace Schulzetenberg and scripture bearer will be Alan Schulzetenberg. 

Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Melrose. 

Marie H. Bösl, age 95 of Sauk Centre passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016 at CentraCare Health Nursing Care Center in Sauk Centre, Minn. 

Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29 at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church with Fr. Greg Paffel presiding. Interment took place at Calvary Cemetery in Sauk Centre. 

Visitation was held from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28 at Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Sauk Centre and 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29 at the funeral home prior to the service at the church.  Christian Mothers prayed the Rosary at 5 p.m. on Friday evening and parish prayers followed at 7 p.m.

Marie Hilda Wielenberg was born Feb. 1, 1921 in Melrose Township, Stearns County, Minn., the daughter of Frank and Elizabeth (Gramke) Wielenberg. She grew up on the family farm in Melrose Township; attending country school for six years and earning her 8th grade diploma. Prior to her marriage, she was employed as a “hired girl” for several families in the area. On May 19, 1942, she was united in marriage to Edward J. Bösl in St. Boniface Catholic Church in Melrose. Together,
Marie and Edward farmed in Sauk Centre Township for many years. She was a hard-working woman and raised her family of eight children on the farm. When time allowed, she enjoyed quilting, playing cards, crocheting, working in her vegetable and flower gardens, and completing crossword puzzles. Later in life, she truly enjoyed watching Wheel of Fortune! Marie was proud to be able to live in her home in Sauk Centre until she felt she needed to move to the nursing care center just two weeks ago. 

Marie was a member of Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church, Christian Mothers, OLA Catholic United Financial treasurer, Meals on Wheels volunteer, and a member of the Sauk Centre Senior Citizens. 

Survivors include her eight children,
Marina Bahmer (Larry Morrel) of St. Cloud,
Dr. Robert (Vickie) Bösl of Starbuck, Tom (Diane) Bösl of Avon, Anita
Kerfeld (Hank Stankiewicz) of White Bear Lake, Jim
(Diane) Bösl of Sauk Centre, Patricia (Steve) Westad of White Bear Lake, Susan
Hollingsworth of Lakeville, and John (Debi) Bösl of Sauk Centre; 24 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews and friends.  

Marie was preceded in death by her husband, Edward on Jan. 26, 1977; two infant daughters, Mary and Josephine; son-in-law, Ron Bahmer; three grandchildren; three brothers; and five sisters. 

Serving as her casket bearers were her grandsons, Dan Bahmer,
Andrew Bösl, Chad Bösl, Kyle Kerfeld, Michael Bösl, Brandon Bösl, Alex Westad, Tom Westad, Brian Hollingsworth and Kevin Hollingsworth.  Lindsey Bösl, Eddie Bösl, and Gregg Bösl were mass servers. At the beginning of mass, Marie’s eight children adorned her with the pall. Sarah Westad served as the cross bearer while Jennifer Steinemann was the Scripture bearer.  Scripture readers included Rachel Bösl and Karen Leum. Amanda Martins prayed the petitions for the Mass. Communion gift bearers included
Megan Hollingsworth, Sarah Hanson, Brittany Palmer and Anne Major. 

Arrangements were handled by Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Sauk Centre

Aurelia Sundermann, age 88 of Melrose, passed away Oct. 28, 2016, at Belgrade Nursing Home in Belgrade, Minnesota surrounded by her family. 

 A Mass of Christian Burial was held Monday, Oct. 31, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Meire Grove with Rev. Marvin Enneking presiding.  Interment was in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Aurelia Catherine Bertram was born March 21, 1928 in Spring Hill Township, Stearns County, Minnesota to Joseph and Katherine (Hemmesch) Bertram. She was united in marriage to Roman
Sundermann on Jan. 31, 1948. The couple farmed northwest of Melrose.
Aurelia was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Melrose and volunteered with the St. Mary’s Mission Group there for many years. Aurelia was also a member of the Christian Mothers. Aurelia enjoyed gardening, sewing, quilting, and doing miscellaneous crafts. She also loved bird watching, being outdoors and helping on the farm. 

 Aurelia is survived by her husband, Roman
Sundermann; daughters, Jonie Sundermann of Sauk Centre and Jane (Scott)
Keppers of Holdingford; seven grandchildren; six great grandchildren; brother,
Clarence Bertram of Spring Hill; sisters, Ann
Hinnenkamp of Sauk Centre and Catherine Lieser of Plymouth.

 She is preceded in death by her parents; son, Jim Sundermann on Dec. 2, 1996; brothers, Leo, Nick, and Al Bertram; sisters, Mary Lieser, Loretta
Lieser, and infant sister, Theresa Bertram. 

 Serving as casket bearers were Jason
Keppers, Eric Keppers, Kyle
Keppers, Mark Boecker, Peter Hinnenkamp, and Ben Hinnenkamp.
Holly Keppers was the cross bearer and JoAnn Hartung was the scripture bearer.  Holly Keppers prayed the petitions. Communion gift bearers were Eric Keppers and Kyle Keppers. Mass servers were Kim Meyer and Sarah Meyer. 

 Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Melrose.

   George R. Kuhlmann, age 65 of Grey Eagle, died after a short battle with cancer on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016 surrounded by his family, extended family and friends at the St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, Minn.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, at St.  Joseph’s Catholic Church in Grey Eagle with Rev. Ronald Dockendorf officiating. Interment was at St.
Bernard’s Cemetery in Ward Springs.

George Kuhlmann was born March 7, 1951, in Melrose, Minn., to Theodore and Antoinette (Terwey) Kuhlmann. George married
Donna Maciej on Sept. 28, 1974, and later divorced. He farmed north of Ward Springs for many years while working at Jennie-O Foods in Melrose for over 25 years where he was a supervisor. He owned New Munich Meats for 12 years before becoming co-owner with Marilyn of Melrose City Meat Market.

George enjoyed hunting, fishing, trapping, gardening and had a love for birds and beekeeping. In his younger years he enjoyed playing softball and bowling.

Survivors include his significant other, Marilyn Gaebel of Grey Eagle; children, Jill
(Christopher) Skaja of Rice, Joshua
(Amanda) Kuhlmann of Freeport, and Jordan
(Brittany) Kuhlmann of Sauk Centre; three grandchildren, Amber and Ava Skaja, and Reagan
Kuhlmann; brothers and sisters, Fritz Kuhlmann, Diane (Rich) Koehn, Bill (Carol) Kuhlmann, Garry Kuhlmann, Sharon Kuhlmann, and Frank (Annette) Kuhlmann; and sister-in-law, Lois
Kuhlmann.

George was preceded in death by his parents, Theodore and Antoinette Kuhlmann; and brothers and sisters, Ralph Kuhlmann,
Lorraine Snetsinger, Larry Kuhlmann,
Shirley Deters, Tom Kuhlmann, Ted
Kuhlmann, and Jim Kuhlmann.

Serving as casket bearers were Linus
Ritter, Rodney Deters, Garry Joe Kuhlmann, Jason Gruber, Barry Lankow, and Matt Kuhlmann. Cross bearer was Frank Kuhlmann and scripture bearer was Sheila Gaebel. Gift bearers were Melissa
Luethmers, Michelle Heinen, and Darren Gaebel. Mass servers were Bobby Deters and Jacob Deters. Readers were Chris Skaja and Diane Koehn. Petitions were read by Rose
Deters.

Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Grey Eagle.

Randall J. “Randy” Killian, 65, of Melrose, Minn., formerly of North and Northeast Minneapolis, passed away suddenly in his sleep on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. 

Randy is survived by his loving wife, Gayle Moltz, step-mom
Delores Killian, little sisters Jane (Dan) Schmidt and Nancy Killian, sister-in-law Elaine (Dale) Erickson, brother-in-law Brian Moltz, nieces, nephews, and countless friends. He was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Matchinsky Killian, his father Joe Killian and his older brother Mark Killian.

Randy was the owner of North End Hardware in Minneapolis from 1976 until 2001. He was well-known for his generosity, good sense of humor and ability to make friends at just one encounter. He loved to garden, golf, travel and to entertain friends and family at the lovely home he shared with his wife on Little Birch Lake. We will miss him beyond measure.

Family and Friends will gather Friday, Nov. 11, beginning at 4:30 p.m. at ElmerZ, 1225 Timberlane Drive, Sauk Centre, Minn., to celebrate his life, share a meal and drink a toast to a wonderful man. Please come prepared to share your favorite Randy story. We know there are many! In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice.

Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Melrose.

   Sylverius F. “Syl” Rademacher, age 91 of Melrose, died peacefully surrounded by his family on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016, at the CentraCare Health Hospital in Sauk Centre, Minn.

 A Mass of Christian Burial was  Monday, Nov. 14, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Meire Grove with Rev. Mitchell Bechtold officiating.  Interment was in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Melrose.

 Sylverius Francis Rademacher was born Feb. 4, 1925, in Spring Hill Township, Stearns County, Minn.,  to John and Anna (Froehler) Rademacher. He was united in marriage to Beatrice Austing on June 15, 1949, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in St. Rosa. The couple lived on a farm south of New Munich until their retirement in 1989 when they moved to Melrose.  In 1999, they moved to an apartment in Meire Grove.  

He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Melrose. Syl enjoyed farming, traveling, fishing, playing cards, and spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.Survivors include his loving wife of 67 years, Beatrice Rademacher of Sauk Centre; children, Ruth (Ken) Kortenbusch of Albany, Allen (Deb) Rademacher of Savannah, Georgia, Judy (Keith) Kaiser of St. Joseph, Jack (Rosie) Rademacher of Greenwald, Lori (Dave) Doll of St. Martin, Renee Hesse of Alexandria, and Loren (Shari) 

Rademacher of Richmond; 23 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren; sisters, Beatrice Funk of Melrose and Marietta Mueller of Albany; and sister-in-law, Dorothy Rademacher.

Sylverius was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Virgil Rademacher, Vernon Rademacher and Ralph Rademacher; and sisters, Aurelia Feldewerd and Eileen Kuhl.

Serving as casket bearers were Russell Kortenbusch, Tony Rademacher, Chad Fleischhacker, Nick Rademacher, Brent Doll, Dustin Von Wahlde, and Jesse Rademacher. Cross bearer was Bryan Rademacher and scripture bearer was  Cindy Neuman. Honorary bearers were Syl’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren.Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Melrose.

  Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m., Wednesday, Nov.  16, 2016, at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Cold Spring, Minn.,  for Raymond J. Gerding, age 88, who died Friday, Nov. 11,  at Assumption Home in Cold Spring surrounded by his loving family.  Burial will be in the Sts. Peter & Paul parish cemetery in Richmond, Minn.

 Raymond was born in Elrosa, Minn., to Hubert and Rose (Deters) Gerding. He married MaryAnn Meyer on May 3, 1955, in St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Spring Hill. Raymond served in the Army during the Korean conflict. He worked at Cold Spring (Granite) for 36 years. Raymond loved eating his wife’s cookies, singing, dancing to old time music, garage parties and going for walks. He also enjoyed visiting people and house painting.  

Survivors include his children, Deb Vogt (Max Monnens) Sherry (Jim) Hartman, Scott (Robyn) and Pamela Skogland (Paul Fleck); son-in-law, Tucker (Patti) Plantenberg; sister, Lillian Schoenberg; sisters-in-law, Tillie, Rita and Valeria Gerding, Isabel & Kathleen Meyer; 5 grandchildren, Joell and Jenny Vogt, Jenna (Noah) Rezac, Leah (Jake) Riesgraf and Beau Gerding; and 3 great-grandchildren, Taylor and
Mykayla Evens, and Isaac Rezac.

He was preceded in death by his wife, MaryAnn; daughter, Denise Plantenberg and unborn child; parents; brothers, Elmer, Wilfred, Robert, and Rueben; 2 infant sisters, Bertha and Bernice Gerding; in-laws, Armella Gerding, Monica and Dillo Leukam, Henry Schoenberg, Leander and Alvera Meyer, and Gerald and Sylvester Meyer. 

A special thank you to the staff at the Assumption Nursing Home, Ione Koltes and Heartland Hospice for the wonderful care provided to our dad. Additionally, we would like to thank Fr. Matthew Luft, O.S.B., Fr. Julius Boeckerman, O.S.B., and Fr. Bob Rolfes for their unending spiritual care and support. 

Arrangements are with Wenner Funeral Home, Richmond.

Pauline B. Janson, age 100 of New Munich, died Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, at the Tree of Life Assisted Living in New Munich, Minn.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 22 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in New Munich, with Rev. Daniel Walz officiating.  Interment was at the parish cemetery following Mass.

Visitation was at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose from 4 to 8 p.m. on Monday, and from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at the church in New Munich. Rosary was prayed at 5 p.m. on Monday by the St. Anne’s Christian Women and Immaculate Conception Catholic United Financial.

Pauline was born on Feb. 16, 1916, in New Munich, Minn., to
Ferdinand Schwieters and Mary (Niehoff) Schwieters. She was united in marriage to Alphonse “Dick” Janson on July 24, 1944, in New Munich.

She was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, St. Anne’s Christian Women, Little Flower Mission group, Immaculate Conception United Financial, and Schanhaar-Otte VFW Post 7050 Auxiliary. 

Survivors include her son Joseph (Kathryn Palmer) of Austin, TX, her daughter-in-law Lorraine Janson of Loveland, CO, her son Thomas (Martha Risch) of St. Joseph Township, Minn.; five grandchildren, Elizabeth (Mick), Tara, Katherine, Michael (Angela) and Holly; and four great-grandchildren, Caden, Patrick, Anders-Erik and Elise.

Pauline was preceded in death by her husband; daughter Mary; son Dennis; and brothers, Paulin, Claude, Conrad, Raymond, Casper and Al Schwieters; and sisters, Ida Timmer, Mary Stahlboerger, Eleanor Altmann, Alma Wiener, Lorretta Athmann and Theresa Ehlert.

No flowers or memorials. Instead, please consider a donation to your local food shelf.

 Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Melrose.

LouAnn B. “Lou” Middendorf, age 78 of Melrose, died peacefully after a courageous battle with cancer on Thursday, Nov.  24, 2016, at the CentraCare Nursing Home in Melrose, Minn. Her strength, determination and grace showed throughout her journey.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose with Deacon Ernie Kociemba officiating. Interment will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Melrose.

 Visitation will be from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose.  Parish prayers will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday evening at the funeral home.   

Lou Schlicht was born March 23, 1938,  in Melrose, Minn., to Max and Lorraine
(Claseman) Schlicht.  She worked as a secretary at St. Mary’s School for 19 years. She then worked part-time at Melrose State Bank/US Bank for nine years; retiring in 2000. 

Lou was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and a volunteer election judge for many years. In her younger years, she enjoyed bowling at the Melrose Bowl and traveling to Las Vegas. She also enjoyed dog sitting, Melrose sports, especially boys basketball, was a MN Vikings fan and enjoyed scratch offs. Her greatest joy was spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren. 

Survivors include her children, Deb (Keith) Miner of Circle Pines, Terry Middendorf of Minneapolis, and Sheila (Robin) Handy of Minneapolis; four grandchildren, Brooke (Sam) Schmitz, Nikki
Middendorf, Kelly
Miner, and Sammy
Miner; and two grand dogs, Maizey and Mickey. 

Lou was preceded in death by her parents, Max and Lorraine Schlicht. 

Serving as casket bearers will be Deb and Keith Miner, Sheila and Robin Handy, Terry
Middendorf, Sam Schmitz, and Jeff Goihl. Cross bearers will be Brooke Schmitz and Nikki Middendorf and scripture bearers will be Kelly Miner and Sammy Miner. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the CentraCare Health in Melrose, Coborn Cancer Center in St. Cloud and/or the Humane Society in Golden Valley. 

Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Melrose.

Karen Elizabeth (Schlicht) Hoppe, age 85, a resident of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., passed away in her home on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016.

Karen was born in Melrose, Minn., on June 8, 1931, to Urb and Rose (Eiler) Schlicht, the eldest of seven children. She married Vic Hoppe of Melrose in 1952. They had six children, Barbara (Bob) Leatherwood, Elizabeth Karen, Gail (Andy) Anders, Kevin (Connie) Hoppe, Timothy (Grace) Hoppe, and Michelle (Dan)
McGuire.

She was an excellent homemaker and loved knitting, cooking, baking, sewing and crafting.

Survivors include her children, five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, her siblings Rea (Carly) Danzl, Rosalie (Don) Frie, Gail Schlicht, Ellie (Lyle)
Olmscheid, Chuck (Chris) Schlicht, and Mike (Julie) Schlicht. Karen was preceded in death by her parents, two daughters,
Elizabeth Karen and Barbara Leatherwood; and two grandsons,
Jeffrey Leatherwood and Jared Hoppe.

Funeral arrangements are pending. 

B

Roy Aloysius Kramer, formerly of Melrose,  passed away on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, at the age of 75 years, and six months at the Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD.

A visitation will take place on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Osterberg Funeral Home in Jackson, Minn. Burial with Military Honors will take palce immediately following the vistation at the Riverside Cemetery in Jackson.

The son of Henry and Laura (Schiltz) Kramer, Roy was born on May 17, 1941, in Melrose, Minn. He attended St. Boniface Catholic Grade School and Melrose High School completing the 11th grade. After leaving school, Roy was employed at a metal shop in Melrose until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy on Oct. 16, 1963. While stationed in San Diego, CA, Roy proudly defended our county in the Vietnam War aboard the USS Chicago CG11. After his honorable discharge on Oct. 3, 1967, he worked as an apprentice woodworker and Toyota mechanic in California until his return to Melrose. Roy returned to work at Tieman Ford, before moving to Jackson. While in Jackson, Roy was employed by Tufvesson Motor, Tom Burns Ford and Johnson Ford, until the closure of the dealership. While working for Tom Burns Ford, Roy met Peggy Johnson and the couple was united in marriage at the First Presbyterian Church in Jackson on Oct.  26, 1979. The couple remained in Jackson and were blessed with their daughter, Holly, raising her in the Presbyterian faith. Following the closure of Johnson Ford, Roy took employment with AgCo and retired in July 2011. 

After retirement Roy enjoyed participating in period re-enactment.  Living as the Mountain Men did at Rendezvous held in Jackson, Walnut Grove and Lake Benton. Every year Roy enjoyed traveling to the Big Island Rendezvous in Albert Lea to visit with friends and learn more about the buck skinners and their way of life. He enjoyed woodworking, reading, black powder shoots, photography, music and spending time at Little Birch Lake with his family and friends in Melrose. Roy was a track worker for the VFW Racing Association and watered the racetrack every Friday night for many years.  He “wrenched” for Gabby Lusk’s “Mean 18” sprint car in Jackson and loved the sport of sprint car racing all of his life. Most days Roy could be found at Johnson Automotive hanging out with Bobby Johnson and the “guys.” Roy loved polka and blue grass music and was teaching himself to play the violin and the mandolin. 

Roy is survived by his wife of 37 years,
Peggy Kramer, Jackson, MN; his daughter,
Holly (Dan) Elbert, Sioux Falls, SD; his brothers, James 

Kramer and Micky (Carol) Kramer, both of Melrose, MN; his nephews, Sam (Janice) 

Kramer, Freeport, MN; and Terry (Connie) Kramer, St. Augustine, FL; nieces, Sara Kelly, Cranberry Township, PA; Tammy (Glenn) Lane, Raeford, NC; Tanya Synder, NC; his puppies Mia and Bailey; and grandpuppies Zoe and Adaline.

He is preceded in death by his parents and many aunts and uncles.

Blessed be the memory of Roy A. Kramer.                    

Elaine M. Blommel, age 85 of Freeport, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 at the CentraCare Health Hospital in Melrose, Minn.

 A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport with Rev. Daniel Walz officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport. Christian Women and Goldenaires Senior Citizens will pray at 5 p.m. followed by parish prayers at 7 p.m. Friday evening at the church.

Elaine Mary
Butkowski was born March 27, 1931 in Millwood Township, Stearns County, Minn. to Joseph and Edith (Coe)
Butkowski. She graduated from Melrose High School and became a bookkeeper for Kraft Foods in Melrose. She was united in marriage to Roman Blommel on June 16, 1953 at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in St. Rosa. The couple farmed in Millwood Township and retired from farming in 1998.  Elaine also worked as a bookkeeper at Freeport Co-op and First Stop for ten years, retiring in 2000. 

She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport, Christian Women, and the National Catholic Society of Foresters Court 532. Elaine was a Master Gardener for Stearns County and belonged to the Stearns County Horticulture Society.  She was a volunteer for the Stearns Electric for School Safety Program, 4-H Leader, and was a former member of the Roving Hillbillies Snowmobile Club.  

Survivors include her children, Kevin (Mary Jo) McKenzie of Avon, Keith (Tammy)
Blommel of Freeport, Karl Blommel (significant other, Donna) of Burnsville, Kelly 

(Shirley) Blommel of St. Cloud, Glenn (Robin) Blommel of Freeport, and Gwenn (John)
Peterson of Maple Grove; 14 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren; brothers and sisters, Leilani Rolfes of Freeport, David (Carol) Butkowski of Freeport, Leah (Duane)
Vornbrock of Sauk Centre, and Daniel (Nancy) Butkowski of Roland, Arkansas. 

Serving as casket bearers will be
Nathan, Eric, Kris,
Corey, Michael, and
Jordan Blommel. Serving as cross bearer will be Mitchell Peterson and scripture bearer will be Abby Peterson.

Elaine was preceded in death by her husband, Roman Blommel on November 13, 1999; and sister, Ida Kutzer. 

Arrangements made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services, Freeport.

 Dr. Gary J. Hinnenkamp, age 61, of Sauk Centre, passed away Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, with his loving wife by his side at his home in Sauk Centre, Minn.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7, at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Sauk Centre with Rev. Greg Paffel officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

Gary Joseph
Hinnenkamp was born Feb. 21, 1955,  in Wichita Falls, Texas to Albert and Rita (Schulzetenberg) Hinnenkamp. In Gary’s youth he lived in Texas, New York, Japan, Pennsylvania, and Maryland until his dad retired from the Air Force and moved to Minnesota. Gary graduated from Melrose High School in 1973, St. Cloud State University in 1978, and the University of Minnesota Dentistry School in 1984. Gary practiced in the Twin Cities until he moved to Sauk Centre in 1996. He started his own dental practice in 1997 and retired in 2015. He married Laura Thomas on Feb.  14, 2000,  in St. Cloud. Gary enjoyed being at the lake fishing, gardening, feeding birds, squirrels, and other animals, and taking small trips in the five state area. He also loved spending time with his family, friends, nieces and nephews.

Gary was a member of St. Paul’s Catholic Church.

Survivors include his wife, Laura Hinnenkamp of Sauk Centre; step-mom, Merlen Biebesheimer, The Villages, FL; sister, Linda (David) Orth of Melrose; brother and sister in-laws, Barb (Jim) Warner of Buffalo, Jeff (Rhonda) Thomas of Brainerd, and Scott (Terri) Thomas of Maple Grove; father-in-law, Martin Thomas of St. Cloud; and many nieces, nephews, and relatives.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents; Albert and Rita 

Hinnenkamp.

Serving as casket bearers will be Jeff Thomas, Scott 

Thomas, Jim Warner, Glenn Berscheit, Eric Orth, Brian 

Schulzetenberg, Alan Mayers, and Marvin Thielen. Cross bearer will be Jenna Orth and scripture bearer will be Kristen Orth. Honorary bearers will be Gary and Nancy Mueffelmann, Quint Swedenberg, Diane Kelly, Leon Thielen and Phil Osendorf. Readers will be Dan Hinnenkamp and Ann Hoey. Gift bearers will be Ava Mayers and Renee Marchel and Eucharistic Minister will be Al Mayers.

Arrangements made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Sauk Centre.