from The Paynesville Press
August 1998

Helen Runge
Helen Runge, 92, of Paynesville, died Saturday, Aug. 21, 1998, at the Paynesville Area Hospital.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Paynesville Lutheran Church. The Rev. Rick Hoyme officiated. Interment was in the Paynesville Cemetery.

Helen Laura (Moss) Runge, the daughter of John and Pauline (Mogler) Moss, was born on May 2, 1906, in St. Charles, Ill. She grew up in Elgin, Ill., and graduated from the Elgin High School.

On Dec. 28, 1929, Helen was united in marriage to Ralph Henry Runge. Together they lived in St. James, Minn., and later moved to Rice Lake near Paynesville, Minn. Helen worked at the Elgin Watch Factory and as a secretary in her husbandŐs business, RungeŐs Plumbing and Heating.

She was interested in reading, knitting, needlework, and gardening. She was a Girl Scout leader for many years, and a member of Paynesville Lutheran Church and the Paynesville Area Senior Citizens. Helen was active at First Lutheran Church and the Church Ladies Aid in St. James.

She is survived by her husband, Ralph, and her daughter, Lois, both of Paynesville.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Pearl (Mrs. Walter) Seel of Elgin, Ill.

Vernon Vogelpohl
Vernon Vogelpohl, 70, of Paynesville, died Saturday, Aug. 15, 1998, at the Pine Villa Care Center in Melrose.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at Johnson Funeral Home in Paynesville. The Rev. Rich Hubert officiated. Interment was in the Paynesville Cemetery.

Vernon Henry Vogelpohl was born on July 6, 1928, in Eden Valley. He was the son of Erwin and Lena (Blomker) Vogelpohl. Vernon grew up near Eden Valley, and attended District 12 School near Manannah. During the Korean War, Vernon served his country in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955.

On Oct. 26, 1964, he was married to Sara Clark in Minneaplis. Following their marriage they moved to Paynesville, where Vernon worked for A.M.P.I. In 1990 he retired after working there for 35 years as the warehouse foreman. He was a member of the Paynesville American Legion Post #271.

Vernon enjoyed farming, telling stories, and visiting with friends.

He is survived by his wife, Sara of Paynesville; sons, Scott of Sauk Rapids, and Kelly of Paynesville; daughters, Tracy (Ray) Hickman of Paynesville, and Mary Vogelpohl of Paynesville; brothers, Vincent of New London, Marvin (Sally) of Dassel, and James (Joyce) of Lake Elmo; sisters, Vera (Jim) Myllykangas of Kimball, Marie Vogelpohl of Paynesville, and Betty Boehl of Paynesville; and by several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Arthur C. Brekke
Arthur C. Brekke, 92, of Litchfield, passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 1998, at the Emmanuel Nursing Home in Litchfield.

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15, 1998, at the Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield. Casket bearers were grandsons, Eugene Kadelbach, Brian Erickson, Glendon Caron, Barry Christensen, Jeff, Michael, Brent, and Jamie Brekke. Honorary casket bearers were grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Pastor Harvey Nelson officiated. Interment was at the Ripley Cemetery in Litchfield.

Arthur Conrad Brekke was born on Feb. 17, 1906, in Andover, S.D., to Andrew and Bertha (Berg) Brekke. Arthur was raised in Andover and attended school through the eighth grade. In 1928 he moved to Minnesota, where he began farming. On Oct. 25, 1934, Arthur married Lydia Rosenow. After Arthur and Lydia stopped farming, they moved into the city of Litchfield. Arthur began working for the city of Litchfield and later Dura Supreme in Howard Lake until his retirement.

After Arthur retired he worked as a custodian for First Lutheran Church in Litchfield for nine years. He and Lydia also worked as custodians for the Creek Side Apartments in Litchfield.

Arthur was a member of Zion Lutheran Church, Zion Lutheran Men's Group "OWLS," and the Litchfield senior citizens.

Arthur is survived by his wife, Lydia of Litchfield; four sons, Arthur "Butch" (Lynn) of Elk River, Gary (Peggy) of Hutchinson, Jim (Wanda) of Anoka, and Rodney (Sandy) of Litchfield; three daughters, Emogen (Ed) Erickson of Marion, Iowa, Barbara (Roger) Caron of Litchfield, and Pam (Ken) Christensen of Paynesville; one son-in-law, Robert Kadelbach of Litchfield; 21 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Lorinda Sigdestad and Olga Stadsklev, both of Bristol, S.D.; and several nieces and nephews.

Arthur was preceded in death by a daughter, Geraldine Kadelbach; a great-granddaughter; three sisters; three brothers; two half brothers; and four half sisters.

Michael M. Gruber
Michael M. Gruber, 79, of Paynesville, died on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 1998, at the Paynesville Area Hospital.

The Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 14, 1998, at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Regal, with Fr. Felix Fasching officiating. Interment was in the church cemetery.

Michael M. Gruber was born on Nov. 24, 1918, in Lake Henry. He was the son of John and Maria (Meyer) Gruber. Michael was baptized and confirmed at St. Margaret's Catholic Church in Lake Henry, and grew up on a family farm. He attended District #196 school near Lake Henry.

On Oct. 16, 1945, Michael was married to Stella Hageman in Roscoe at St. Agnes Catholic Church.

Mike farmed south of Regal for several years, and in 1956 they moved to a farm north of Regal where he has farmed and lived since. He was a member of St. Anthony Catholic Church in Regal, the Holy Name Society of St. Anthony's, and he was a Third Degree member of the Knights of Columbus.

Mike enjoyed his family and his farm. His grandchildren were special to him, and visited often. Farming was his life. Before selling his dairy herd, Mike had milked cows for 50 years. He enjoyed his young stock and beef cattle as well. One of his hobbies was driving his blue Ford pickup truck.

Michael is survived by his wife, Stella of Paynesville; sons, Curtis (Verna) of Buffalo, Gary (Linda), and Dale (Julie), all of Paynesville; daughter, Charlotte (Ronald) Eisenschenk of St. Joseph; 11 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; a brother, Frank (Helen) Gruber; a sister, Marie (Norman) Leyendecker of Paynesville; and several nieces and nephews.

Michael was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Jacob and Leonard; and sisters, Loretta Gruber and Sally Rousslang.

Ella Fechner
Ella Fechner, 83, of Paynesville, died Monday, Aug. 10, 1998, at the Koronis Manor in Paynesville.

Funeral services were held on Friday, Aug. 14, at 12 noon, at the Johnson Funeral Home in Paynesville. The Rev. Rick Hoyme officiated. Interment was in the New Ulm City Cemetery.

Ella Ester Kieper was born on Sept. 4, 1914, in Springfield, Minn. She was the daughter of Leopold and Helene Kieper. Ella grew up in Springfield and attended school at the Springfield Elementary School. She also attended one year of high school.

On Aug. 17, 1935, she married Edgar Fechner in Milbank, S.D. Following their marriage, they lived in Springfield. In 1949 they moved to Madelia, where they lived until moving to Minneapolis in 1957. In 1976 they moved to Paynesville, where Ella has lived since.

Ella's hobbies included sewing and baking, old time music, crafts, and collectibles.

Ella is survived by her daughter, Margaret (Daniel) Ling of San Jose, Calif.; son, Roger (Mary) of Adrian, Mich.; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Edgar in 1991; four brothers, Emil, Herman, Rudolph (Mike), and Bernhardt (Bernie); and a sister, Lydia Kieper.

Lula Harrah
Lula Belle Harrah, 83, died on Thursday, Aug. 6, 1998, at the Greene County Medical Center in Jefferson, Iowa. Interment of her cremated remains will be at a later date at the Paynesville Cemetery, Paynesville, Minn.

Lula Belle Harrah was born on March 8, 1915, at Prestonsburg, Ky. She was the daughter of Thomas Adkins and Eunice Mae Dillon Adkins. Lula had a total of 20 brothers, sisters, stepbrothers and stepsisters.

Lula was married to Woodrow W. Harrah on Jan. 30, 1935, at the courthouse in Fort Scott, Kan. They became the parents of four children. The couple lived in Colorado and Minnesota, where they worked as farm hands. Lula also worked at a supper club in Minnesota.

In 1977 they moved to Jefferson, Iowa, and worked for several local farm hands. Lula was a member of the Assembly of God Church in Jefferson. She also worked for four years at the Jefferson Manor.

Lula continued to live in Jefferson until her death.

Surviving are her sons, Gerald of Jefferson, Iowa, Richard of Waterloo, Iowa, and Tom of Spring Green, Wis.; several brothers and sisters; grand-children; great-grandchildren; and other relatives.

Preceding her in death were her parents; husband, Woodrow in 1996; daughter, Cheryl; two grandsons; and several brothers and sisters.

Eugene Schwartz
Eugene Schwartz, 80, of Paynesville, died Monday, Aug. 3, 1998, at the Koronis Manor in Paynesville.

Funeral services were held at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, 1998, at the Daniel-Anderson Funeral Home in Paynesville. The Rev. Ric Koehn officiated. Burial was in the Paynesville Cemetery in Paynesville.

Eugene was born on April 28, 1918, in Roseville Township, Kandiyohi County, Minn., to John and Lydia (Krupke) Schwartz. He farmed the family farm in the Paynesville area until 1961 when he moved to Paynesville.

He was a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Paynesville and the Paynesville Farmers Union. He was the guitarist for Gene's Rhythm Rascals and a member of the Men's Quartet and choir at Grace United Methodist Church.

Gene is survived by his children, Richard of Hawick and Bonnie (David) Burch of Amery, Wis.; and seven grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a grandson, Greg Schwartz.

Gerald Meyer
Gerald A. Meyer, 67, of Cold Spring, died Thursday, July 30, 1998, in Cold Spring.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 3, 1998, at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Cold Spring. The Rev. Cletus Conners, OSB, and the Rev. LeRoy Scheierl officiated.

Burial took place in St. Boniface parish cemetery in Cold Spring, with full military honors provided by the Cold Spring American Legion Post #455.

Gerald was born on Feb. 10, 1931, in Spring Hill, Minn., to John and Frances (Lieser) Meyer. He married Isabel Fuchs on June 20, 1955, at St. Martin Catholic Church in St. Martin. He served in the United States Army from 1957-1958. He worked at the Cold Spring Granite Company as an electrician for 32 years.

He was a member of Assumption Council #5344 Knights of Columbus, where he served as financial secretary for many years and was a past grand knight. He was also a member of the Fr. Pierz Assembly of Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus, the Cold Spring American Legion Post #455, St. Joseph's Society, the Cold Spring Senior Citizens and St. Boniface Catholic Church. He was also caretaker of Assumption "Grasshopper" Chapel in Cold Spring.

Gerald is survived by his wife, Isabel of Cold Spring; children, Steven (Debra) of Cold Spring, Michelle Patterson of Plymouth, and Michael (Kristin) of Savage; five grandchildren; and siblings, Monica (Odillo) Leukam of Sauk Centre, Leander (Alvera) of Richmond, Mary Ann (Raymond) Gerding of Cold Spring, and sister-in-law, Kathleen Meyer of Belgrade.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Sylvester; and son-in-law, Miles Patterson.

Edwin Anderson
Edwin Anderson, 92, of Brooten, died Wednesday, July 29, 1998, at the Glacial Ridge Hospital in Glenwood.

Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, at the South Lake Johanna Lutheran Church in rural Brooten. The Rev. Art Wiese officiated. Interment was in the church cemetery.

Edwin Anderson was born Aug. 29, 1905, in Kerkhoven Township, Swift County, near Sunburg. He was the son of August and Eline (Medalen) Anderson. Edwin was baptized and confirmed at the Sunburg Free Lutheran Church. He grew up on a family farm north of Sunburg, and he attended the Pope County District #83 school.

On Aug. 17, 1927, Edwin was married to Ruth Rasmusson in Brooten. Following their marriage, they farmed in the Sunburg-Brooten area for several years. In 1967 they moved into Brooten. Edwin was a member of the South Lake Johanna Lutheran Church.

Edwin is survived by his daughter-in-law, Rosella Anderson of Paynesville; four grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife in 1995; son, Stanley; two grandchildren; one great-grandson; four brothers; and five sisters.

Agnes Holifer
Agnes W. (Unger) Holifer, 95, of the Fountain of Boca Ciega Bay Home in St. Petersburg, Fla., and formerly of Paynesville, died on Monday, July 20, 1998, at the Palms of Pasadena Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Memorial services were held at Woodlawn Funeral Home in St. Petersburg, at 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 23, 1998, with the Rev. Jerry Milner Jr. officiating. Her final resting place is in Memorial Park Cemetery in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Agnes was born on June 6, 1903.

Survivors include her daughter, Beverly (Robert) Kelley; two sons, Robert (Denise) Holifer, and David Holifer, all of Florida; two grand-daughters, one great-grandson, and one great-granddaughter.

Preceding her in death were her parents; all her brothers and sisters; and her husband, Marvin, on Sept. 27, 1988.


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