Elsie Lahti, 85, Duluth, died Sunday, March 7, 1999 at St. Luke’s Hospital, Duluth. She was born in Cloquet to Osten and Helga Berg. She graduated from Cloquet High School in 1932 and was a nurse in Moose Lake. She later moved to Washington, D.C. to work as a nurse and where she married Eino E. Lahti of Hibbing on May 22, 1953. She returned to Duluth in June, 1973 with her husband after he retired from federal employment. She was a member of First Lutheran Church, Sons of Norway and its Auxiliary, the Norseman Federation and AARP. Visitation was held from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday at Jarvi-Dowd Chapel. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. on Friday at First Lutheran Church, Duluth. Burial will be in Park Hill Cemetery. Memorials are preferred to First Lutheran Church or the American Heart Association. Arrangements by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors Jarvi-Dowd Chapel, Duluth.

Walter D. “Chim” Misquadace 1927 - 1999, 71, formerly of Sawyer, died Tuesday, March 9, 1999 at Woodhaven Nursing Home Facility near Brainerd. He was born on Dec. 27, 1927 in Cloquet to John and Eliija (Anahmosung) Misquadace. He was a WWII Army veteran and worked in construction most of his life. He was a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. He was preceded in death by his parents and one son, Walter Misquadace Jr. He is survived by three daughters, Wanda and Anita Misquadace of McGregor and Yvonne Misquadace of Cloquet; his former wife, Agnes Chief of McGregor; 13 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. Visitation was held Thursday and continued on Friday until the 10 a.m. funeral service at the Sawyer Center. Spiritual leaders were Lee Staples and Doug Sam. Pallbearers were Jerry Ojibway, Freeman Barney, Garrett DeFoe, Wesley Misquadace, Mike Misquadace and Bradley Misquadace. Interment services followed at the St. Mary and Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Sawyer. Full military honors were presented by the Cloquet Honor Guard. Arrangements by Nelson Funeral Care, Cloquet.

Carl Thompson 1913 - 1999, 85, Bear Lake, died Sunday, March 7, 1999 at his daughter’s residence in Bear River. He was born on Dec. 23, 1913 in Bear River to Albert F. and Georgene M. (Sherman) Thompson. He grew up in Bear River and resided there all his life. He served in the Army during WWII and he was a member of the Cook Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1751. He was preceded in death by one brother, Byron Crangle. He is survived by three sons, James Thompson of Ridgecrest, Calif., Mickey Thompson of Atlanta, Ga. and Scott Thompson of Virginia; two daughters, Kitty (Bud) Wasserman of Vancouver, Wash. and Carla (Darren Erickson) Thompson of Bear River; three stepsons, Dr. Arne (Ivy) Vainio of Duluth, Kelly Vainio of Alango and Brandon (Debbie) Vainio of Esko; two stepdaughters, Shelly Durant of Hibbing and Sherry (Alan) Monroe of Duluth; one brother, Francis (Lois) Thompson of Mountain Iron; two sisters, Marcella Loween of Calispell, Mont. and Marie Gustafson of Pengilly; numerous grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Visitation was held one hour prior to the funeral service at 2 p.m. on Friday at the Mlaker Funeral Home, Cook. The Rev Peter Satren officiated. Military honors were accorded by the Cook VFW Post 1757. A spring burial will be in the Morcom Township Cemetery. Arrangements by Mlaker Funeral Home, Cook.

George A. Mehling 1918 - 1999, 80, Saginaw, died peacefully Friday, March 5, 1999 in Duluth after a battle with cancer. He was born on Oct. 19, 1918 in Twig to Albert and Emma Mehling. He was a lifelong Twig area resident. George worked as a dairy farmer, later working for Superwood Corporation. He then became a self-employed fuel oil distributor. George retired in 1976 after 20 years of service with Como Oil. He was a charter member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Twig, serving on the church council for many years, as well as doing any church maintenance that was necessary. George was a former member of the Grand Lake Volunteer Fire Department and Teamsters Union Local 346. He married Ardice Wedan on Aug. 13, 1938 in Hibbing. He will be remembered for his kindness, and willingness to help others and his gentle smile. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife on Aug. 16, 1996 and a sister, Evelyn Seafolk in 1999. He is survived by two daughters, Barb (Ervin) Richtsmeier of Babbitt and Roberta (Dale) Goman of Ironwood, Mich.; two sons, George A. (Marsha) Mehling Jr. and Gordon Mehling, all of Saginaw; two sisters, Ethel Lehmann of Lincoln, Neb. and Frances Paap of Duluth; 20 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren and a special friend, Jean Parson. Visitation was from 5-7 p.m. on Monday at Bell Brothers Chapel and continued from 1 p.m. until the 2 p.m. service on Tuesday at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Twig. The Rev. Marshall Moen officiated. Burial was in Grand Lake Cemetery. Memorials to the Bethlehem Lutheran Church building Fund or St. Mary’s Hospice would be appreciated. Arrangements by Bell Brothers Chapel, Duluth.

Duane Allen McCullough 1956 - 1999, 42, Wrenshall, died Wednesday, March 10, 1999 as a result of an automobile accident. He was born on Sept. 10, 1956 in Sandstone to Dean and Darlene (Dancer) McCullough. He moved with his family to the Cloquet/Carlton area in 1959 and was raised in the Blackhoof Township area. He served in the U.S. Army from 1974-1977. He worked in the steam plant for the Potlatch Corp. since 1980. He enjoyed hunting, Harley motorcycles, boating and water skiing. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Dean and Catherine McCullough. He is survived by his wife, Cindy of Wrenshall; a daughter, Brittany of Carlton; his parents, Dean and Darlene McCullough of Carlton; maternal grandparents, Harvey and Evelyn Dancer of Carlton; two stepdaughters, Nikki and Jo Villiard of Cloquet; two sisters, Dana (Brian) Dropps of Circle Pines and Dori McCullough of Carlton; two brothers, Darwin (Jodi Langenbrunner) McCullough of Cloquet and Dean (Shelia Brown) McCullough Jr. of Belvidere, Ill.; four step-grandchildren, Coty Barstad, Dakota, Aubrey and Justice Lundquist; his mother and father-in-law, Ron and Barb Wendling of Cloquet; and several nieces and nephews. Visitation was held from 5-8 p.m. on Friday at Nelson Funeral Care Chapel, where funeral services will be held today, Saturday, with Rev. Scott Westphal officiating. Honorary pallbearers will be Dan Maki, Layle Mullinix, Ronnie Wendling, Dean McCullough Jr., Darwin McCullough, Ronnie Thompson, Ronald Wendling, Robbie Birkholm and Craig Kemper. Military services will be presented by the Nicholson-Sellgren VFW Post 2962 of Carlton. Arrangements by Nelson Funeral Care, Cloquet.

Eileen Mattson 1925 - 1999, Formerly of Cloquet, died Friday, March 5 in Spring Hill, Fla. She was born on Aug. 17, 1925 in International Falls. She was preceded in death by her husband, Eldon Mattson and daughter, Sally Chandler. She is survived by son-in-law, Clark Chandler; nine grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; one sister, Gladys Milberger; two aunts, Viola Hill and Ellen Hubbell; and several nieces and nephews. Memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday at St. Paul’s Church. Arrangements by Ambassador Mortuary, Olds Mar, Fla.

Mervin Delford Montgomery 1913 - 1999, 85, Cloquet, passed away on March 12, 1999 in the Cloquet Community Hospital. He was born on June 11, 1913 in Carlton to Homer and Minnie (Collver) Montgomery. He graduated from Carlton High School. Mervin was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Cloquet since his marriage to Elsie Gorman on June 12, 1937. He worked at Conwed for 41 and one-half years. He was a member of the Conwed Century Club and the Zioneers at Zion Lutheran Church. He loved to travel, fish for trout and plant gardens, especially flowers. He was preceded in death by his parents; son, James in 1946; one brother and one sister. He is survived by his wife, Elsie of Cloquet; and two sisters-in-law, Mrs. Margaret (Robert) Lee Joice of Cloquet and Mrs. Mildred Noyes of San Carlos, Calif. Visitation was held on Tuesday one hour prior to the 2 p.m. funeral service in Zion Lutheran Church, Cloquet. Pastor Todd Mattson officiated. Organist was Gordon Nelson. Soloist was Rosemary Connor. Honorary pallbearers were Randy Lee Joice and David Nagorski. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery in the spring. Arrangements by Barr Brothers Funeral Home, Cloquet.

Zenia Mildred Rosicky 1911 - 1999, Died Sunday, March 14, 1999 at Villa Vista. She was born on Nov. 3, 1911 in New York Mills to Swan and Aliina (Liikanen) Maki. She later moved to Crosby with her family. In 1920, they moved to Cromwell where she attended Cromwell High School. On Sept. 12, 1930, Zenia married William Rosicky in Duluth. They farmed in Red Clover Township for several years. Zenia was also a homemaker through the years. Zenia was a former member of the Hjalmer-Alto American Legion Post 429 of Cromwell, the Cromwell Young Old Timers and the Cromwell Garden Club. She will be sadly missed by many. Blessed be her memory. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill in 1995; two brothers, Melvin Maki and Arne Maki; a sister, Marie and her parents. She is survived by a son, Ronald (Judy) of Cromwell; two sisters, Ebba Hedin of Cromwell and Ramona (Roger) Harp of Cromwell; and several nieces, nephews, aunts and cousins. Funeral services will be held today, Wednesday, at 1 p.m. in Bethany Lutheran Church, Cromwell. Rev. N. Matt Saarem will officiate. Casket bearers will be Craig Harp, Todd Harp, Ryan Harp, Stacy Hedin, Mike Peterson, Ray Lally and Donald Nyberg. A spring burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery, Cromwell. Arrangements by Hamlin-Hansen-Kosloski Funeral Home, Moose Lake.

Emily Amelia Beckstrom 1919 - 1999, 79, Cloquet, died Sunday, March 14, 1999 in Cloquet Community Memorial Hospital. She was born on April 14, 1919 in Cloquet to Ludvig and Johanna (Korpela) Latvala. She graduated from Cloquet High School in 1937. She married Kenneth Beckstrom in Minneapolis on Feb. 8, 1941. With her husband, she owned and operated the Beckstrom Paint Store in Cloquet for 28 years. She was an active member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church and it’s church circles for more than 55 years. She enjoyed gardening and spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by four sisters and two brothers. She is survived by her husband, Kenneth of Carlton; one son, Larry (Carol) Beckstrom of Carlton; one daughter, Janice (Mike) Brown of Woodbury; sister, Helen (Viljo) Simberg of Virginia; four grandchildren, Sarah and Christian (Cheri) Beckstrom, Kaye (Joe) Bradshaw and Tim (Patty) Brown; three great-grandchildren, Leann Brown, Samantha and Alyssa Bradshaw. Visitation was from 4-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Northland Funeral Home, Cloquet and continued from 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. service today, Wednesday, in Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Cloquet. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers were Larry Beckstrom, Mike Brown, Cristian Beckstrom, Tim Brown and Joe Bradshaw. Arrangements by Northland Funeral Home, Cloquet.

James Norman Anderson 1917 - 1999, 81, Carlton, died Friday, March 12, 1999 at St. Mary’s Medical Center, Duluth. He was born on June 13, 1917 in Duluth to Edward and Mary (Dalsag) Anderson and moved to the Carlton area when he was six-months-old. He graduated from Carlton High School in 1936. He married Marguerite Williams in Carlton on Dec. 16, 1939. He retired in 1982 as electrical supervisor from Superwood in Duluth. He was a member of Bethesda Lutheran Church in Carlton, a life member of Sons of Norway Heimsym Lodge, Dalles Masonic Lodge 181 A.F. and A.M. of Cloquet and I.E.E.E. He was preceded in death by his parents; and two brothers, Monroe and Roy. He is survived by his wife, Marguerite; one son, James “Jay” (Lois) of Carlton; one daughter, Barbara Schelinder of Holyoke; two brothers, Verner Anderson of Carlton and Albert (Loretta) Anderson of Scanlon; one sister, Ida Jones of Carlton; four grandchildren; three great-granddaughters; one great-grandson; and numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation was held on Monday from 12 Noon until the 1 p.m. funeral service at Bethesda Lutheran Church in Carlton. Rev. Michael Fossen officiated. Music was provided by Lorren Lindevig. Pallbearers were Coral Phelps, Tom Kittel, Bob Oswskey, LeRoy Engen, Robert Schultz and Eyvind Rathe. A spring interment will be held at Hillside Cemetery, Carlton. Memorials are preferred to Bethesda Lutheran Church or the Duluth Clinic Foundation. Arrangements by Nelson Funeral Care, Cloquet.

Sister Viola Pianfetti, OSB, 88, of the St. Scholastica Monastery, died at the monastery on Thursday, March 11, 1999. She was one of six children born in Hibbing to James and Rose (Bonani) Pianfetti. She attended Hibbing High School and she received her elementary education at McGolrick Institute in Hibbing. After her entrance into the religious life, she took courses at both Duluth and Superior Normal Schools and at the College of St. Scholastica. Sister Viola entered the Duluth Benedictine community in 1927 and professed monastic vows in 1930. For 64 years she taught classroom music and/or gave private music lessons. Sister Viola’s music ministry took her to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School in Cloquet, St. Timothy’s School in Chicago, Ill., St. Thomas School in International Falls and Assumption School in Hibbing. In 1993, poor health necessitated her retirement and she returned to the monastery. She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers and two sisters. She is survived by her sister, Amelia Chamberlain; her husband, Martin of Taconite and other relatives. A wake service was held at 9 a.m. on Saturday in Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel, St. Scholastica Monastery. A visitation followed until the Mass of Christian burial, which was celebrated in Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel at 10:30 a.m. Burial was in Gethsemane Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the St. Scholastica Monastery. Arrangements by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors, Jarvi-Dowd Chapel, Duluth.

Francis L. Brown 1928 - 1999, 70, Cloquet, died Friday, March 12, 1999 in his home. He was born on Aug. 10, 1928 in Cloquet to Redes and Hazel (Kregness) Brown. He grew up on Chub Lake and graduated from the Carlton High School in 1946. He married Shirley Erickson on Aug. 16, 1947 at Sacred Heart Church. He worked at Northwest Paper Company from 1946 to 1976 and at the Enron Corp. in Wrenshall from 1977 until retiring in 1990. He was a member of Queen of Peace Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus and president of the Golden Kiwanis. He enjoyed gardening, crafts, decorating, traveling, cooking and baking. He was preceded in death by one brother, Keith. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Shirley of Cloquet; daughter, Frances (Robert) Syse of Minneapolis; sons, Steven of Minneapolis, Mark (Barb) of Carlton and Michael (Norma) of Oceanside, Calif.; brothers, Daryl “Bud” (Chila) of San Diego, Calif., Harold (Patricia) of Old Hickory, Tenn. and Donald (Gail) of Carlton; sisters, Patricia (Kenneth) Anderson and Mary Lou (Lloyd) McMillan, both of Scanlon; seven grandchildren, Julie Foster and Robert Gehman, both of Minneapolis, Janell and Corey Brown, both of Carlton, and Kristine, Paul and Natalie Brown, all of Oceanside, Calif. Visitation was held from 5-7 p.m. on Monday with the 7 p.m. Knights of Columbus Rosary in Northland Funeral Home, Cloquet. Visitation continued from 9:30 a.m. until the 10 a.m. service on Tuesday in Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Cloquet. Graveside services will be in Maple Grove Cemetery at a later date. Arrangements by Northland Funeral Home, Cloquet.

Florence E. (Ogren) Kroll, 92, Palm Harbor, Fla., died Tuesday, March 9, 1999 at St. Mark Village, continuing care community, Palm Harbor, Fla. She was born in Cloquet and graduated from International Falls High School and St. Cloud State College. She was a resident of Grand Rapids for 33 years where she was an elementary school teacher. She was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Grand Rapids. She was married to Howard J. Kroll. They retired to Florida in 1977. She was preceded in death by her husband, Howard. She is survived by a son, Thomas of Memphis, Tenn.; two daughters, Judith Benkusky of Brooksville, Fla. and Janice Basile of Murray, Ky.; a sister, Vivian Anderson of Minot, N.D. and seven grandchildren. Services were held at St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church. Burial was in Florida.

Ruth G. Raski 1908 - 1999, 90, formerly of Cloquet, died Tuesday, March 16, 1999 at Innsbruck Health Care Center, New Brighton. She was born on Sept. 2, 1908 in Cloquet to Ole and Nellie Hagen. She graduated from Cloquet High School and was a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Cloquet. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph; her parents; three sisters and three brothers. She is survived by a daughter, Janice (Edward) Berset of Arden Hills; two granddaughters, Melissa (Frank) Bowar of Minneapolis and Theresa (Tim) Berset-Klis of Spring Lake Park; three great-granddaughters, Taylor, Alissa and Mallory Klis; sisters-in-law, Helen Cheetham of Duluth and Charlotte Raski of North Carolina; and many nieces and nephews. Visitation was held on Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at Nelson Funeral Care, Cloquet. Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Friday at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church with Rev. David Ziemer officiating. Organist was Jeanette Ferguson and soloist was Jim Wolf. Pallbearers were Frank Bowar, Tim Klis, Jim Hagen and Del Prevost. Interment services followed at New Calvary Cemetery. Arrangements by Nelson Funeral Care, Cloquet.

Sophie M. Brascugli 1913 - 1999, 85, Aurora, died Friday, March 12, 1999 at St. Mary’s Hospital, Duluth. She was born on Dec. 23, 1913 in Gilbert to John and Angeline (Zelnick) Prosnick. She graduated from Gilbert High School and received her bachelor’s degree at Duluth State Teachers College. She taught elementary education in Coleraine from 1936 to 1940. On June 22, 1940, she married Joseph N. Brascugli in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Gilbert. The couple moved to Aurora where they raised their family. She was a life member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church where she was involved in various church functions including, teaching religious education for 20 years and also serving as a Sodality leader. She was a member of the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary. She enjoyed life and loved spending time with her family and her church. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Joseph; brothers, John and Edward Prosnick; sisters, Mary Majerle, Neil Stark and Justine Landry. She is survived by her son, Tom Brascugli of Aurora; daughters, Sandra (James) Crowley of Cloquet, Carol (Paul) Andresen of Chicago and Rita (Karl) Kuth of Aurora; sister, Molly Agnich of Eveleth; grandchildren, Mindy Jezierski, Pam Baker, Jim Crowley, Joe Crowley, Joey Kuth and Bob Kuth; great-grandchildren, Thomas Jezierski and Elizabeth Jezierski. Funeral mass was held at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Aurora, with the Rev. Joseph Sirba officiating. Visitation was held one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery, Aurora.

Edward Joseph Trettel 1925 - 1999, 73, Cloquet, died Monday, March 15, 1999 in St. Mary’s Medical Center, Duluth. He was born on May 16, 1925 in North Prairie to Paul and Caroline (Burggraff) Trettel. At the age of 12 he moved with his family to Cloquet. He was a Navy Veteran of WWII. He married June Gamache on Jan. 29, 1944 in Cloquet. Edward worked at Conwed from 1943, until retiring in 1987. He was a member of Queen of Peace Catholic Church, the Cloquet VFW and American Legion and the American Bowling Congress. In addition to bowling, he enjoyed hunting, fishing and woodworking. He was a Boy Scout advisor from 1961 to 1969. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Jerome and Paul and one grandson, David Trettel Jr. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, June of Cloquet; five sons, David (Kui Yun) of Duncanville, Texas, Michael (Carol) Edward Jr. (Sharon) and Peter (Donna), all of Cloquet and Jerome “Bud” (Sherry) of New Brighton; two brothers, Benedict (Anne) Trettel and Cyril (Charlene) Trettel, both of Cloquet; two sisters, Bernice (Raymond) Olson of Cloquet and Elizabeth (Stuart) Beck of Carlton; 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Visitation was held from 5-7 p.m. on Friday with a Rosary service at 7 p.m. in Northland Funeral Home, Cloquet. Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. today, Saturday, in Queen of Peace Catholic Church. Burial will be in New Calvary Cemetery. Father Kenton Sailstad will officiate. Serving as pallbearers will be James Gamache, Charles Goad, Timothy Trettel, Rory Trettel, Russell Trettel and Kenneth Palmer. Honorary pallbearer will be Robert Bassett. Arrangements by Northland Funeral Home, Cloquet.

Sulo J. Jaakola 1915 - 1999, 83, formerly of Floodwood, died Monday, March 22, 1999 in Nopeming Nursing Home. He was born on June 22, 1915 in Cromwell to Emanuel and Ida (Ojala) Jaakola. His family moved to Wawina when he was a young boy. He was an Army Veteran of WWII and the recipient of a Bronze Star. After WWII, he worked as an ambulance driver and an orderly in Duluth for many years. He moved to Floodwood after his retirement. He was preceded in death by three brothers, George, Edward and Jalmer; and four sisters, Mae VanVynckt, Emma Pietala, Hilda Hirn and Helen Larson. He is survived by two sisters, Jennie Leppanen of Moose Lake and Aili (Alex) Maki of Floodwood; and several nieces and nephews. Family inurnment will be in Wawina Cemetery at a later date. Arrangements by Northland Funeral Home, Cloquet.

Hjalmer Johnson 1914 - 1999, 85, Menahga, passed away Sunday, March 21, 1999 at the Green Pine Acres Nursing Home, Menahga. He was born on Feb. 8, 1914 in Kingston to Edward and Charlotte (Tiukkla) Johnson. He attended country school near his boyhood home. As a young man, Hjalmer worked for several farmers near the Twin Cities. He later gained employment working as a steamfitter for Butler Brothers Wholesalers and also for Minneapolis Gas and Electric. On June 4, 1936, he was united in marriage to Julia H. Karjala. The had eight children, Carol, Cheryl, Virgil, Kenny, Leon, Jimmy, Steve and Shirley. In the early 40s, the young couple left the Twin Cities and purchased a farm west of Menahga near Midway. Hjalmer enjoyed farm life, as he loved to work outdoors in the fields and tending to his livestock. As a young man, he also enjoyed playing in the country baseball leagues. In 1951, he began a new career with National Steel in the iron ore mines of Keewatin. He began as a truck driver and worked himself up to crane operator, investing 26 productive years of his life with this company. In 1961, he and his growing family sold the farm and moved to Big Fork. Following his retirement in 1976, he immersed himself in another special interest, competitive horseshoe pitching. He first began pitching in a horseshoe league in 1932, it was following his retirement that he polished his skills into becoming a world champion. His horseshoe pitching legacy is nothing short of incredible. He has won major tournaments throughout Minnesota, Arizona, South Dakota and Wisconsin. He built Minnesota’s first indoor horseshoe pitching courts in Big Fork. He sponsored the first Women’s and Junior’s Horseshoe Tournament at his courts and held them every year until he sold his facility. He was inducted into the Minnesota Horseshoe Hall of Fame in 1989. In addition, he also enjoyed hunting deer, geese, and ducks, and also trout fishing and ice fishing. In 1980, he and Julia returned to Menahga. He enjoyed driving over to the Menahga Senior Citizens Center daily where he could visit and play cards. Each spring he would look forward to planting a vegetable garden, which he would nurture into fruitful abundance to share with his family and friends. He also enjoyed traveling throughout the United States with Julia. He was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Shirley; six brothers and sisters. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Julia of Menahga; two daughters, Carol Thompson of Superior, Wis. and Cheryl (Harvey) Zachman of LeSueur; five sons, Kenneth (JoAnn) Johnson of Ramsey, Virgil (Bonnie) Johnson of Park Rapids, James Johnson of Cottage Grove, Leon (Belinda) Johnson of Weatherford, Texas and Steven (Linda) of New York Mills; 18 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; one sister, Esther Wuollet of Dassel; one brother, Henry Johnson of Cokato; many nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends. Funeral services will be held Thursday at the Jones-Pearson Funeral Home in Park Rapids with his grandson, the Rev. Darrell L. Nelson and Rev. Clyde Allebach officiating. The soloist will be Jim Kangas and the organist will be Margie Kumma. The casketbearers will be his grandchildren, Douglas Nelson, Kelly Meier, Joseph Zachman, Justin Zachman, Jeanette Johnson, Dale Johnson, Kim Johnson and nephew, Paul Sutch. Interment will be made in the Alajoki Cemetery near Menahga. Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. today, Wednesday, at the Jones-Pearson Funeral Home, Park Rapids. Arrangements by Jones-Pearson Funeral Home, Park Rapids.

Esther E. Brice 1922 - 1999, 76, Pike Township, died Thursday, March 10, 1999 at St. Mary’s Medical Center, Duluth. She was born on April 23, 1922 in Pike Township to Matt and Fanny Marie (Manty) Esala. She grew up in Pike and graduated from Gilbert High School. She was employed at the Co-op Store in Virginia. On Nov. 25, 1950, she was united in marriage to James Donald Brice in Virginia. The couple had lived in various places during her husband’s 20-year military career. In 1965, they made their home on their ranch in Pike Township. She was a member of the Cook VFW Post 1757 Ladies Auxiliary. She was preceded in death by her husband, Don in February, 1996; three brothers, Larry Esala during WWII, Albert and Arnold Esala; a niece, Jeanne and her parents. She is survived by two nephews, Steven (Donna) Esala of Pike Township and Michael Esala of Pike Township; one grandniece, Nicole Esala; a sister-in-law, Eleanor Esala of Sandy Township; special friends, Vernon Laine of Pike Township, and Mark and June Wakefield of Wouri Township and numerous other relatives. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Range Funeral Home, Virginia. Pastor Viljo Puotinen officiated. Visitation was held one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis. Memorials are preferred to the American Cancer Society. Arrangements by Range Funeral Home, Virginia.

Norman Fredrickson 1918 - 1999, 80, Culver, died Monday, March 15, 1999 in St. Luke’s Hospital. He was born on July 2, 1918 in Culver to Erland and Selma Fredrickson. He had attended school in Alborn. On Jan. 17, 1943, he married Evelyn Erickson in Duluth. He had worked for 32 yeas as a school bus driver for both the Alborn and AlBrook Schools. He is survived by his wife, Evelyn; one daughter, Beverly Goyette of Duluth; three sons, Wesley (Susan) Fredrickson of Duluth, Neil (Julie) Fredrickson of Duluth and Gary Fredrickson of Culver; one sister, Caroline Fredrickson of Florida; two brothers, Carl (Ruth) Fredrickson of Esko and Robert (Phyllis) Fredrickson of Minneapolis; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Visitation was held on Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. at the Williams-Lobermeier Funeral Home and continued from 12 Noon until the 1 p.m. funeral service on Thursday at Williams-Lobermeier. Burial will be in Park Hill Cemetery.

Peter C. Jacobson 1950 - 1999, 48, Alango, died Thursday, March 18, 1999 at his home. He was born on July 1, 1950 to Carl and Anne (Hoblak) Jacobson in Cook. He grew up in Alango and attended school in Cook, graduating from Cook High School in 1970. He worked for the Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railroad as a mechanic for 27 years. He also was a well driller. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. He was preceded in death by his father, Carl in 1991. He is survived by son, Jason Jacobson of Wisconsin; daughter, Jennifer (Lee) McDonald of Wichita, Kan.; mother, Anne Jacobson of Cook; twin brother, John (Hollaye) Jacobson of Lake Vermilion-Tower; two sisters, Patricia (Richard) Monte of Esko and Jean Jacobson of Virginia; a granddaughter; a niece and two nephews. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday at the Range Funeral Home in Virginia with the Very Rev. Bogdan Zjalic officiating. Visitation was held one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in Alango Hillside Cemetery, Angora Township.

Clotilde M. “Tillie” Colpaert 1898 - 1999, 100, Cloquet, formerly of Wrenshall, died Saturday, March 20, 1999 in Cloquet Community Memorial Nursing Home. She was born on June 4, 1898 in Oostrosebeke, Belgium to Honore and Marie (Gekiere) Anraed. She married Julius Colpaert on Feb. 4, 1922 and came to the United States on July 4, 1922. They started farming in Duluth and from 1931 until 1962 they farmed in Wrenshall. Clotilde and Julius were married 51 years. Clotilde enjoyed making quilts and knitting for her family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Julius in March of 1973; a daughter, Josephine Loisel in May of 1997; two infant sons, Joseph and Ronald; four sisters and two brothers; and two sons-in-law, Larry Hovis and Jerry Loisel. She is survived by three daughters, Bernice (Lloyd) Reed, Rachel Hovis (Alvin) Landro and Bettie (Kenneth) Nagurski, all of Cloquet; 19 grandchildren; 40 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. Visitation was from 5-8 p.m. on Tuesday with a prayer service at 7:30 p.m. in Northland Funeral Home, Cloquet. Visitation continued from 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial in Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Cloquet. Burial will be in New Calvary Cemetery. Father Kenton Sailstad officiated. Serving as pallbearers were Curtis Loisel, Roger Hovis, Michael Nagurski, Tom Loisel, Leslie Hovis and Jim Loisel. Arrangements by Northland Funeral Home, Cloquet.