November 2013 Death Notices - Paynesville Press, Paynesville, Minnesota
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Death Notices
Complete obituaries can be found in the Paynesville Press each week.

November 2013


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Obituary Archives

Walburga Lieser, 80, Paynesville
Walburga "Wallie" Lieser, 80, of Paynesville died on Monday, Nov. 25, at the Paynesville Hospital.

Funeral services were held on Friday, Nov. 29, at St. Louis Catholic Church. Entombment was in the parish cemetery.

Wallie was born on June 6, 1933, to Joseph and Elizabeth (Schaefer) Doll in St. Martin.

She married Werner Lieser on April 27, 1954, in St. Martin Catholic Church.

Wallie is survived by her children, Gary (Pam) Lieser and Theresa (Randy) Peterson; two grandchildren; sister, Rita Feldewerd; and brother, Virgil Doll.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Werner; parents; sisters, Marcella Laumeyer, Genevieve Loehr, Marie Faber, and Maryann Fuchs; brothers, Henry, Urban, Sylvester, Martin, Anthony, and Joseph Jr.; and infant brother, Hilary Doll.


Clarys Dembowski, 92, Paynesville
Clarys (Anderson) Dembowski, 92, of Paynesville died on Tuesday, Nov. 26, at the Koronis Manor. A memorial service was held on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at Nordland Lutheran Church in rural Paynesville.

Clarys Helen was born Sept. 8, 1921, to Horace and Helen (Olsen) Sheldon in Paynesville Township.

She grew up on the family farm and was an active youth member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Paynesville.

She attended a country school in North Town and graduated from Paynesville High School with the Class of 1938.

Clarys received her teaching certificate in 1941 from St. Cloud Teachers' College (now St. Cloud State University).

On Dec. 12, 1942, Clarys married Ivan Anderson in a private ceremony at the Sheldon home.

They purchased the Anderson family farm in Union Grove Township. This union was blessed with three sons and a daughter.

Clarys taught for one year in the Princeton school district (Santiago, Minn.) before she was married. She returned to teaching in 1964 at District 27 in Meeker County and, later, at Eden Valley Elementary School until 1976, when she and Ivan retired to spend winters in Mesa, Ariz., and summers between the Paynesville farm and a cabin near Park Rapids.

Clarys and Ivan had been married for 50 happy and full years when he passed away in August 1993.

In 2003, Clarys married Carl Dembowski, a fellow Arizona retiree and a resident of Michigan. Clarys and Carl were married for five years before Carl passed away in May 2008.

Recognizing it was time to come home, Clarys moved from Mesa to 700 Stearns Place in Paynesville, where she enjoyed re-connecting with old friends and making new ones. When her health changed, she moved to Sterling Park Nursing Home in Waite Park in October until a room opened at the Koronis Manor and she came " home" to Paynesville for the last time.

Clarys is survived by her four children, Allen (Joyce) of Paynesville, Rob (Mary Beth) of Park Rapids, Dean (Teri) of Asheville, N.C., and Gayle (Kory) Teskey of Plymouth; 11 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law; many nieces, nephews, and cousins; and countless friends.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, Ivan Anderson and Carl Dembowski; parents, Horace and Helen Sheldon; a sister and brother-in-law; a grandson; and many other family and friends of her generation.

Memorials will be distributed to 700 Stearns Place for common-space enhancement and to the ELCA Good Gifts Water Well Program to purchase a well.


Alice Liebrenz, 75, Paynesville
Memorial services were held on Saturday, Nov. 30, at Grace United Methodist Church in Paynesville for Alice A. Liebrenz, 75, of Paynesville who passed away on Monday, Nov. 25, at her home.

Reverend Ric Koehn officiated. Inurnment was in the Paynesville Cemetery. Arrangements were made by the Daniel-Anderson Funeral Home in Paynesville.

Alice was born on Feb. 13, 1938, in Shelby, Iowa, to Oliver and Evelyn (Norris) Wallace.

She graduated from Paynesville High School in the Class of 1956.

She was united in marriage to James J. Liebrenz on March 2, 1957, at the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Minneapolis. Four sons were born to this union.

Survivors include her sons, Virl (Chris) of Watkins, Cameron (Diane) of South Haven, Delwyn of Paynesville, and Deron (Patti) of St. Cloud; five grandchildren, Jim (Una), Heather (Earl) Allen, Todd, Taylor, and Ryan Liebrenz, and John Ulrick; seven great-grandchildren, Micheal, Shane, Darean, Cody, Shelby, Piper, and Lucas; one brother, Roy; and five sisters, Charlotte, Ellen, Lola, Leta, and Lila.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim, on Feb. 26, 2010; granddaughter, Nichole; brother, Larry; and sister, Artis.


Joyce Cronen, 87, Kandiyohi
Joyce E. Cronen, 87, of Kandiyohi died on Thursday, Nov. 14, at her residence following an extended illness.

Funeral services were held on Monday, Nov. 18, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Kandiyohi. Burial was in the church cemetery.

Joyce Ethelyn Cronen was born on March 5, 1926, to George and Ulva (Davis) Carley in Maynard, Iowa.

She grew up in Maynard, Iowa, and graduated from Maynard High School. She then received her teaching certificate in Montevideo, Minn.

On Aug. 29, 1946, Joyce married Harold "Jack" Cronen at St. Clara's Catholic Church in Clara City. Their union lasted until Harold's death in 1991.

They lived in the Clara City until 1951, when they moved to Kandiyohi and became engaged in farming.

Joyce is survived by her eight children, Jerald (Coleen) Cronen of Hutchinson, Ronald (Vanessa) Cronen of Houston, Texas, Linda (Cyril) Kascht of Paynesville, Michael (Debra) Cronen of Kandiyohi, Robert (Annette) Cronen of Kandiyohi, Colleen Aasen of Atwater, John (Nancy) Cronen of Shorewood, and Paul (Cathy) Cronen of Moorhead; 32 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; brothers, Wilber Carley of Lincoln, Neb., and Harlan Carley of Bettendorf, Iowa.; sister, Birdeen Kerby of Roseneath, Ontario, Canada; two sister-in-laws; and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Harold; brother, Walter Carley; and sister, Josephine Readeker.


Stella Gruber, 93, Paynesville
Stella B. Gruber, 93, of Paynesville died on Sunday, Oct. 27, at Assumption Home in Cold Spring.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at St. Louis Catholic Church in Paynesville. Burial was in St. Anthony's Catholic Cemetery in Regal.

Stella Barbara Gruber was born on Oct. 11, 1920, to Ben and Mary (Niewind) Hageman in Roscoe.

She grew up in Roscoe, where she attended school in the two-room school house.

After school, she moved to Minneapolis, where she worked at St. Mary's Hospital.

On Oct. 16, 1945, Stella married Mike Gruber. To this union, three sons and a daughter were born.

They made their home near Regal, where they operated a dairy farm. She also worked for Paynesville Produce candling eggs.

Mike passed away in August 1998. Together, they shared in 52 years of marriage.

Stella is survived by her children, Curtis (Verna) Gruber of Rockford, Charlotte (Ronald) Eisenschenk of St. Joseph, Gary (Linda) Gruber of Paynesville, and Dale (Julie) Gruber of New London; 11 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law; and a brother-in-law.

Stella was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Mike; and siblings, Lucille Flint, Viola Hormann, Cyrilla Hageman, and Raymond Hagman.


Richard Hoppe, 83, California
Richard Hoppe, 83, of Simi Valley, Calif., died on Thursday, Oct. 31, at his home following a battle with cancer.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at Oakwood Memorial Park in Chatsworth, Calif.

Richard, otherwise known as "Dick," was born in Minnesota on May 14, 1930. He was a 1948 graduate of Paynesville High School.

He was married to Barbara Hoppe for 53 years until her death six years ago.

Dick served in the Korean War and was a very proud veteran.

He lived in Chatsworth for 50 years until recently moving to Simi Valley.

Dick is survived by his children, Deborah (John) Gonzales of Camarillo, Calif., Denise (Terry) Hearts of Moorpark, Calif., and Douglas (Donna) Hoppe of Saugus, Calif.; seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and his companion, Joyce Snyder, who has been by his side for the last five years.

He was preceded by his daughter, Doreen Green.


Clifton Nygaard, 84, Hawick
Clifton G. Nygaard, 84 of Hawick died on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at Glen Oaks Care Center in New London.

A celebration of life was held on Saturday, Nov. 16, at Nordland Lutheran Church rural Paynesville.

Clifton was born on Nov. 29, 1928, to Arthur and Gudrun (Swedberg) Nygaard in rural Hawick.

He lived on the family farm in rural Hawick. He was baptized and later confirmed at Nordland Lutheran Church.

He attended District 92 and graduated from New London High School in 1946.

He worked for New London Gravel and as a mechanic at both Nelson Auto and Wicklund Garage in Willmar.

On Nov. 12, 1949, he married Doris Lindstrand. They made their home in Willmar until March 1951, when they moved back to the family farm, where they were blessed with five children.

They farmed for a number of years and then built a mechanic shop and started his business, Nygaard Repair.

Clifton is survived by his wife, Doris; children, Kathy (Wayne) Steffensen of Hawick, Jim Nygaard of Spicer, Sheree (Ron) Rentz of Buffalo, Jerome (Lori) Nygaard of Hawick, and Jeff (Annette) Nygaard of Carlisle, Pa.; eight grandsons; five granddaughters; 13 great-granddaughters; 10 great-grandsons; three sisters, Eileen Brede, Audrey Stulen, and LinNea Ornberg; brother, Gene Nygaard; and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother-in-law.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.


Bertha Zniewski, 91, Paynesville
Bertha L. Zniewski, 91, died on Friday, Nov. 15, at the Koronis Manor, Paynesville.

Ê Bertha was born on June 21, 1922, to Dahlia Melinda (Lewerenz) Robbin and Agur Robbin Sr. in Paynesville.

Bertha grew up in St. Cloud and attended Roosevelt Grade School and Technical High School, graduating in 1940.

In 1944, she graduated from St. Cloud State Teacher's College with a bachlor of science in art and physical education.

As a freshman, she met Frederic Zniewski, her future husband, whom she married on Jan. 13, 1946. They were married 52 years and had four children (Zachary, Timothy, Dana, and Mary) before his death in 1998.

Ê During their marriage, they lived in Chicago, Ill., and Northfield, where she taught art and physical education.

She and Frederic moved to Paynesville in 1948. During their time in Paynesville, they owned and operated FredericÕs Studio in Paynesville and in Eden Valley.

Bertha was a founding member of Paynesville Lutheran Church and the Paynesville Historical Society.Ê She was the president of the historical society for many years and had a great passion for preserving the history of our area.Ê She always called it her life's work.Ê

Bertha was also a member of the Stearns County Historical Society, the Minnesota State Historical Society, and the Minnesota Territorial Pioneers.Ê

Bertha is survived by her sons, Zachary (ex-wife Carolyn) of Marathon, Texas/Minneapolis, Timothy (Jerie Johnson) of Paynesville, and Dana (Jason Wacker) of Minneapolis; daughter, Mary (Wayne) Prokott of Grand Blanc, Mich.; five grandchildren; one great-grandson; and many extended family members of the Robbin, Manz, Lewerenz, and Zniewski families.

She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; and brothers: Duane, William, and Agur Jr.

Memorials are preferred to the family.


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