Irvin Johnson
Aug. 27, 1904 - Dec. 4, 1997
PAYNESVILLE - Irvin Melvin Johnson, 93, of Paynesville, died Friday at Koronis Manor in Paynesville.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Paynesville Lutheran Church with the Rev. Rick Hoyme officiating. Burial will be in Paynesville Cemetery.
Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at Johnson Funeral Home in Paynesville, and one hour prior to services at the church.
He was born Aug. 27, 1904, in Carpio, N.D., to Christian and Gertrude (Donnem) Johnson. He was a 1923 graduate of Carpio High School, a 1927 graduate of St. Olaf College, Northfield, and received his masters degree in education administration from University of Minnesota. On Aug. 8, 1936 he married Gladys Thompson in Duluth. He taught chemistry and physics at Hills and St. Louis Park where he chose Orioles as the school name. He was superintendent at Smithland, Iowa from 1938 to 1944. He then became superintendent at Clara City until retiring in 1968. They moved to Paynesville in 1990. Gladys died in December, 1992.
He is survived by sons Todd (and Lois) Johnson of Paynesville, Ward (and Ann) Johnson of Edina, Vaughn (and Shelley) Johnson of Minneapolis; nine grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and sister Myrtle Kolden of Northville, Mich.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, two brothers and two sisters.
George Johnson
LITCHFIELD - George I. Johnson, 84, of Litchfield, died Thursday at Emmanuel Nursing Home in Litchfield.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Monday at First Lutheran Church in Litchfield with the Rev. Daniel Beundorf officiating. Burial will be in Ripley Cemetery, Litchfield.
Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the church.
Funeral arrangements are with Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home of Litchfield.
He is survived by daughter Debra Ann Hepp of Pinchneyville, Ill., two grandchildren, sister Freda Johnson of Litchfield, brother Alvie Johnson of Litchfield, several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by three sisters and three brothers.
June Tonn
June 1, 1934 - Dec. 4, 1997
WILLMAR - June Taylor Tonn, 63, of Willmar, died Thursday at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar.
Funeral services will be 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Harvey Anderson Funeral Home in Willmar with Brother Keith Rissel officiating. Burial will be at a later date.
Visitation will be 5 p.m. Sunday until time of services at the funeral home.
She was born June 1, 1934, in Deerwood, to Martin and Evelyn (Wheeler) Taylor. She attended school in the Crosby-Ironton area and later lived in St. Paul. In 1951 she married Murl Madsen. In 1978 she married Albert Tonn. They lived in Raymond and Willmar. She was employed as housekeeper at Holiday Inn and Ashwood Health Care until retiring in 1995. She was a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses Willmar congregation.
She is survived by children Thomas Madsen of Japan, Timothy Madsen of Milwaukee, Wis., Veronica (and Tim) Taylor of Waukeshau, Wis., Jeanne (and Brian) Babiaz of Eagle, Wis., Gregory (and Jodi) Madsen of Ramsey, Patricia (and Art) Norton of Willmar, Michael Madsen of Willmar, Robert (and Heidi) Madsen of Willmar, Bonnie Tonn of Willmar; 18 grandchildren; brothers Wayne (and Mary) Taylor, Arthur Taylor; and sisters Jeannette (and Dave) Arlo, Eva (and Bill) Bartos, and Ruthie (and Tim) Templeton.
She was preceded in death by her parents, one brother and one granddaughter.
Ben Thomas Swenson
EAGAN - Ben Thomas Swenson, infant, of Eagan was stillborn Friday at Abbott-Northwestern Hospital.
There will be a private, family service at Oakwood Cemetery in Red Wing. Mahn Family Funeral Homes in Red Wing is in charge of funeral arrangements.
He is survived by his parents Scott and Kristina (Kohrs) Swenson of Eagon; his twin brother Corey Swenson at home; his paternal grandparents Richard and Linda Swenson of Willmar; his maternal grandparents John and Doris Kohrs of Red Wing; his great grandparents Edward Kohrs of Red Wing, Joan Jolicoeur of San Diego, Calif., and Eleanor Swenson of Willmar.
Willis Kennedy
BENSON - Willis "Bill" Hugh Kennedy died Thursday at Meadow Lane Healthcare Center in Benson.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Francis Catholic Church in Benson.
Funeral arrangements are pending with the Jacobson-Zniewski Funeral Home in Benson.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Rice Hospice.
Mary Jennings
GRANITE FALLS - Mary Jennings, 72, of Granite Falls died Thursday at the Granite Falls Municipal Hospital.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Granite Falls with the Rev. Bill Sprigler officiating. Burial will be in Appleton City Cemetery at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Wing-Bain Funeral Home in Granite Falls and one hour prior to services at the church Monday. Wake services will be 9 p.m. Monday at the church, following the regularly scheduled mass.
Ernest Hakel
July 28, 1909 - Dec. 5, 1997
MONTEVIDEO - Ernest Hakel, 88, of Montevideo died Friday at Luther Haven Nursing Home in Montevideo.
Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m. Monday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church with the Revs. Warren Broughton and Douglas Olson officiating. Burial will be in Sunset Memorial Cemetery.
Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Anderson Funeral Home in Montevideo and one hour prior to services at the church.
He was born July 28, 1909, in Hale Township in McLeod County to Adolph and Anna (Miller) Hakel. He graduated from Silver Lake High School in 1928 and later received bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Minnesota.
He was a principal in Kerkhoven for four years before moving to Montevideo in 1937. On July 27, 1940, he was married to Edna Engebretson in Glenwood.
He taught American history and world affairs at Montevideo High School until he retired in 1974. He served as a deacon on the church council, as Our Savior's Lutheran Church president and was a member of the church men's club.
He is survived by his wife; his children Mary (and Paul) Hakel Iverson of Annandale and John (and LuAnn) of Brooklyn Park; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters.
Herman Philipsen
Aug. 31, 1915 - Dec. 5, 1997
BROOTEN - Herman H. Philipsen, 82, of Brooten died Friday at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Brooten with the Rev. Rebecca Sogge officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Johnson Funeral Home in Belgrade and one hour prior to services at the church.
He was born Aug. 31, 1915 in Zetten, the Netherlands, to Gerrit and Elizabeth (Vink) Philipsen. He immigrated to the Untied States with his family in 1920. They settled on a farm west of Brooten.
He farmed on the northeast edge of Brooten, where he also helped his father at the Philipsen Butcher Shop and Locker Plant.
On June 16, 1940, he was married to Helen Iverson at the West Lake Johanna Lutheran Church near Brooten. Following their marriage he continued to farm until 1945, when he purchased the Brooten Garage and Implement Building with his brother.
They operated Philipsen Implement until 1959. He was later employed by the Brooten Feed Service, the State Bank of Brooten, the Ford Garage and Mathisen's Chevrolet of Belgrade.
He was also employed by Fauskee Oil Company in Brooten and from 1971 to 1972 he lived in Loveland, Colo.
He served as president of the Brooten Lions Club and was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, where he served on the council for nine years and as president for one year.
He is survived by his wife; sons Gary (and Helen) of Pueblo, Colo. and Warren (and Muriel) of Seattle; daughters Nancy (and Woody) Turner of Willmar and Joy (and Darrell) Rooney of Belgrade; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother.
Margaret Taylor
May 15, 1919 - Dec. 4, 1997
NEW LONDON - Margaret Elsbeth Taylor, 78, of Litchfield, formerly of Belgrade, died Thursday at the Meeker County Hospital in Litchfield.
Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Gausdal Lutheran Church in rural New London with the Rev. Victor Young officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at Johnson Funeral Home in Belgrade and one hour prior to services at the church.
She was born May 15, 1919, in Atwater to George and Clara (Hienz) Herr. She grew up on the family farm near Atwater, where she attended school.
On March 27, 1939, she was married to Joy Taylor in Milbank, S.D. Following their marriage, they lived in Wood, S.D., and Hawick prior to moving to the Belgrade area in 1958.
He died in February of 1991 and for the past few years she has lived in Litchfield. She was a member of Gausdal Lutheran Church.
She is survived by her sons Joy (and Sue) of Milwaukee, Myron (and special friend Louis) of Minneapolis and Clarion (and Bonnie) of Maple Lake; daughters Clara (and Bill) Essig of West Fargo, N.D., Marlene (and special friend Bill) Taylor of Grove City and Melva Burnette of Litchfield; 15 grandchildren; and 24 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers and four sisters.
Everett M. Johnson
May 6, 1916 - Feb. 1, 1998
WILLMAR - Everett M. "Spud" Johnson, 81, of Willmar, died Sunday morning at the Rice Memorial Hospital, following an extended illness.
Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Dan Hair officiating. Burial will be in the Cosmos Community Cemetery.
Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. today at the Peterson Brothers Funeral Home, and prior to services at the church.
He was born May 6, 1916, in Billings, N.D. to Edith (Isenberg) and Oscar Johnson. At the age of three he moved to Cosmos with his family. He attended a Cosmos rural school. On Nov. 27, 1937, he married Eleanor Grande in Atwater. Fir about six years, they owned and operated Spud's Caf(o) in Cosmos. In 1948, they moved to Willmar where he was employed for 17 years as a Salesman for the Eid's Refrigeration Company. Later they moved to Minneapolis where he worked 32 years as a salesman for the Carbonic Machine Company. Following his retirement in 1993, they returned to Willmar.
He is survived by his wife; sister Genevieve (and Ilert) Anderson of Cosmos; many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one sister and two brothers.
Edna V. Hebrink
Feb. 2, 1901 - Jan. 30, 1998
RAYMOND - Edna V. Hebrink, 96, of Raymond, died Friday at the Olivia HealthCare Center.
Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at the United Methodist Church in Raymond, wotht the Rev. Phyllis Wilcox officiating. Burial will be in the Holland Township Cemetery, neat Prinsburg.
Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Tri-County Funeral Home in Prinsburg.
She was born Feb. 2, 1901, in Holland Township, Kandiyohi County to Cornelius and Katherine (Van Akkeren) Bauman. She attended country schools in the Raymond and Prinsburg area. On Dec. 14, 1922, she married Elmer Hebrink at her family home in Prinsburg. They farmed south of Prinsburg until 1958 where they retired and moved to Raymond. Elmer died in 1970 and in 1994, she moved to the Senior apartments in Renville.
She is survived by her children Viola (and Howard) Flann of Lake Lillian, Wayne (and Delores) Hebrink of Renville, Diana (and Rod) Hanson of Lino Lakes and Dennis (and Nancy) Hebrink of Wyoming, Minn.; 12 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; sisters Evelyn Swart of Renville, Leola Sweep of Willmar, Marion Standring of Big Lake and Lorraine (and Gordon) Jerve of Mesa, Ariz.
She was preceded in death by her husband, infant son, one grandson, a brother and two sisters.
Mabel Weckwerth
Sept. 21, 1912 - Jan. 30, 1998
MONTEVIDEO - Mabel Paulina Weckwerth, 85, of Montevideo, died Friday night at Luther Haven Nursing Home in Montevideo.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the St. John's Lutheran Church in rural Montevideo.
Visitation will be 5 p.m. today at the Wing-Bain Funeral Home in Montevideo, and one hour prior to services at the church.
She was born Sept. 21, 1912, in Montevideo to Julius and Lilly (Spletter) Weckwerth. After she graduated from high school in Montevideo, she attended St. Cloud State Teacher's College, graduating in 1944. On Nov. 3, 1943, she married Clarence M. Weckwerth in Willmar, while he was home on leave during World War II. She taught country schools in the Montevideo area until they moved to Henning. Here they owned and operated a bakery from 1952 to 1958. In 1958, they moved back to Montevideo. Clarence died this past December.
She is survived by her niece Jeanne (and Richard) Richards of Morris; nephew John (and Gaetana) Wolff of Tucson, Ariz.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband and one sister.
Joel Richard Holloway
July 3, 1955 - Jan. 31, 1998
BIRD ISLAND - Joel Richard Holloway, 42, of Bird Island, died at his home Saturday morning.
Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Tuesday at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Bird Island, with the Rev. Gary Schulz officiating. Burial will in the Bird Island City Cemetery.
Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the church.
He was born July 3, 1955, in Olivia to Melvin and Agnes (Roeber) Holloway. He grew up in Bird Island and graduated from Bird Island High School in 1973. He then attended North Hennepin Community College, where he received his Associates in Arts Degree. He had worked as a truck driver for many years.
He is survived by his mother of Franklin; sisters Jane (and Neal) Anderson of Amery, Wis., Donna (and Lee) Hoffman of Spicer and Diane (and Stephen) Weisgram of Albert Lea; brother Ray (and Karen) Holloway of Maple Grove; many nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father.
Wilbert Volkmann
March 13, 1911- Jan. 30, 1998
WOOD LAKE - Wilbert Fred John Volkmann, 86, of Wood Lake, died Friday at the Granite Falls Hospital.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at the St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wood Lake, with burial in St. Luke's Lutheran Cemetery in Posen Township, Yellow Medicine County.
Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with a 7:30 p.m. prayer service at the Sunset Funeral Home in Echo, and one hour prior to services at the church.
He was born March 13, 1911, in Lucas Township, Lyon County to George and Frieda (Huelke) Volkmann. He grew up on the family farm and attended the St. Luke's Parochial School. On Aug. 26, 1931, he married Grace Mae Rairdin. They farmed near Echo and Wood Lake until moving to Benson where they farmed until 1957. In 1957, they returned to Wood Lake where he worked for Arnold Schmidt for three and a half years and then for Rolland Fiene for two and a half years. He then accepted the job of Chief of Police and Street and Water Commissioner in Wood Lake in 1963, and remained there until he retired. Grace died in 1972. On Sept. 28, 1974, he married Dora Milbradt. Dora died in 1985. He was very involved in his church, serving as Chairman, Elder, Treasurer, Trustee and also served as Sunday School Superintendent in Benson for six years.
He is survived by his children Irene (and Willie) Gades of Danvers, Alvin (and Ruth) Volkmann of Medford, Janet Lydell of San Antonio, Texas, Gordon (and Diane) Volkmann of Jordan and Dennis (and Catherine) Volkmann of Faribault; 26 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; four great great-grandchildren; two stepchildren Darlene (and Raymond) Kranzler of Montevideo and Raymond (and Eide) Lorig of Wood Lake; brother Alfred Volkmann of West Bend, Wis.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two wives, one daughter Donna, six brothers and one sister.
Ralph Breitenbach
April 12, 1918 - Jan. 28, 1998
COKATO - Ralph Wallace Breitenbach, 79, of Cokato, formerly of Darwin, died Wednesday at Cokato Manor in Cokato.
Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Sunday at All Saints Lutheran Church in Darwin with the Rev. Thor Skeie officiating. Burial will be in Ripley Cemetery, Litchfield.
Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. today at Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home, Litchfield, and one hour prior to services at the church.
He was born April 12, 1918, in St. James, to Vern and Eva (Wordelman) Breitenbach. He attended school through eighth grade. On Dec. 26, 1941, he married Margaret L. Bartz in Litchfield. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1941 to 1945. He participated in the India-Burma campaign. They lived in Rosendale, where he was employed as a butter maker by Rosendale Creamery. From 1950 to 1997, they farmed outside of Darwin, where he was also the postmaster. He was a member of the Postmasters Association, Darwin Country Club and Meeker County Fair Board. They worked together at Clay Pot Floral Shop, which they started. They later moved the shop to their farm.
He is survived by his wife; daughter Mary (and Don) Seipkes of Henning; son Gary (and Kathryn) Breitenbach of Fridley; six grandchildren; sister Evelyn van Hale of Hutchinson; brother Howard Breitenbach of Enumclaw, Wash.; nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, son Larry and one brother.
