September 2011 Death Notices - Paynesville Press, Paynesville, Minnesota
Return to Paynesville Area


Death Notices
Complete obituaries can be found in the Paynesville Press each week.

September 2011


Johnson Funeral Home


August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010

Obituary Archives

Wayne Lens, 62, Montevideo
Wayne Lens, 62, of Montevideo died on Monday, Sept. 26, at the Chippewa County-Montevideo Hospital.

Funeral services were held on Thursday, Sept. 29, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Montevideo.

Wayne Joseph Lens was born on Oct. 8, 1948, in Cottage Grove. He was baptized at the Cathedral in St. Paul and confirmed at St. Eloi Catholic Church in Ghent.

Wayne was raised in the Ghent area and lived with his parents, Charles and Mary. He attended school in Marshall, graduating from Marshall High School.

He worked with his father at Marshall Sand and Gravel before starting his own independent career in landscaping.

On Dec. 21, 1974, Wayne married Rose Knutson in Marshall. Two sons were born to this union. Wayne and Rose raised their family in Montevideo as Wayne worked in the landscaping business.

In 1993, along with his two sons, Chad and Matt, Wayne started Lens Landscaping and continued to work in the family business until the time of his death.

Wayne is survived by his wife, Rose of Montevideo; sons, Chad (Abril) Lens of Lansing, Ill., and Matt (RaLonda) Lens of Montevideo; three grandchildren; and other countless family, friends, and neighbors.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Mary Lens.


Elmer Schleper, 87, Farming
Elmer Schleper, 87, of Farming died on Sunday, Sept. 25, at his home as a result of cancer.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, Oct. 1, at St. Martin Catholic Church. Burial was in the St. Catherine Cemetery in Farming.

Elmer Schleper was born on Nov. 10, 1923, to Herman and Mary (Dingmann) Schleper in Farming.

He graduated from Albany High School in 1943 and played baseball, football, basketball, and boxed in high school. He served as a baseball player/coach his senior year at Albany. He was an avid supporter of Albany High School athletics until his death.

On Sept. 17, 1951, Elmer married Marcelline Weidner in St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Regal.

Elmer was a farmer his entire life; he and Marcelline took over the family farm west of Farming.

Elmer is survived by his children, Ramona (Jim) Myott of Minneapolis, Anna Marie (Ron) Jonas of Jacobs Prairie, Janice (Don) Lokken of Ramsey, Theresa Gillespie of Fort Worth, Texas, Patricia (Bruce) Bechtold of St. Joseph, Michael (Assia) of Farming, Stephen (Barb) of Colorado Springs, Colo., Beverly of Champlin, Suzanne of St. Cloud, Peter (Heide) of Avon, and Jacquelyn (Tom) Humphrey of Elk River; sister, Hildegard Mehr of Farming; and 22 grandchildren.

Elmer was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Marcelline; a son-in-law; sister, Leona Schaefer; and brothers, Raymond, Albert, Urban, Paul, Edmund, and Joseph.

Memorials are preferred.


Arthur Hukriede, 79, Richmond
Arthur M. Hukriede, 79, of Richmond died on Sunday, Sept. 18, at the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center in St. Cloud.

A funeral service was held on Saturday, Sept. 24, at Assumption Catholic Church in Eden Valley. Inurnment was held in the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls on Monday, Sept. 26.

Arthur M. Hukriede was born on Aug. 15, 1932, to Otto and Alma (Luedkte) Hukriede in Eden Valley.

Art served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict from 1952 to 1954.

On July 16, 1955, Art married Mary H. Schommer at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Watkins. They resided in Crystal for many years, where Art was employed as a court clerk for Hennepin County.

In 1988, he retired, and they moved to Browns Lake.

Art is survived by his wife, Mary of Richmond; children, Cindy Hukriede of Paynesville, Dan (Chrystal) Hukriede of Paynesville, and Missy (Todd) Cole of Chippewa Falls, Wis; a daughter-in-law; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; siblings, Vernon Hukriede of Richmond, Adeline Neumann of Apache Junction, Ariz., Russell Hukriede of Grand Rapids, Ronald Hukriede of Annandale, and Wayne Hukriede of Minneapolis; and nieces and nephews.

Art was preceded in death by his parents; son, Tim Hukriede; an infant son; a granddaughter; brother, Gordon Hukriede; and sister, Viola Pratt.

Memorials are preferred.


Art and Val Anderson, Paynesville
Valeria Anderson, 93, of Paynesville died on Sunday, July 10, at the Koronis Manor in Paynesville. Her husband, Art Anderson, 92, of Paynesville, died on Friday, Aug. 26, at the Koronis Manor.

In life, as in death, Arthur and Valeria Anderson were virtually inseparable. Appropriately, a joint funeral service will be held for the couple on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 11 a.m. at St Louis Catholic Church. Burial will follow in the St. Louis Parish Cemetery.

A visitation will begin at 10 a.m. at the church and a luncheon will be served in the parish hall following the ceremony.

Valeria Anderson was born on Dec. 4, 1917, to Mathias and Dorothy (Loehr) Fuchs in Lake Henry. Arthur was born on Jan. 31, 1919, to P.M. (Peter) and Olga (Ammondson) Anderson in Belgrade.

Art and Val were high school sweethearts and graduating members of the Belgrade High School Class of 1940. That same year, Art began his college education, attending Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, on a basketball scholarship, while Valeria enrolled in beauty college in Minneapolis.

During World War II, Art served in the Air Force as an airplane mechanic in the South Pacific and Valeria opened her first beauty parlor in Paynesville.

They were married on June 17, 1944. After the war, they moved to Minneapolis, where Art completed his college degree in mortuary science at the University of Minnesota and then interned at the Albin Funeral Chapel under the mentorship of Paul Albinson.

In 1952, Art and Val left Minneapolis and returned to Paynesville, where they opened two new businesses: the Anderson Mortuary and ValÕs Beauty Shop, both located at 115 East James Street, where the mortuary, purchased in 1997 by Daniel Funeral Home and Cremation Services of St. Cloud, is still located and known today as the Daniel-Anderson Funeral Home.

In 1956, Art, who will best be remembered for his love of hard work, opened a furniture store on West James Street in Paynesville and also started the Paynesville Ambulance Service, which he maintained with the support of local physicians and the Paynesville Community Hospital, until the municipality took responsibility for local EMT services many years later. During this period, Art also began a professional association with Al Ertl of Watkins, providing the embalming services for the Ertl Funeral Home in Watkins for over 30 years.

After purchasing and remodeling a building at 207 Washburne Avenue in the 1960s, Art relocated his furniture business. He was assisted by Aurelia (Rae) Fuchs, Val's older sister, who worked in the furniture store as bookkeeper, secretary and salesclerk until her retirement. Eventually retiring from the furniture business himself, Art sold the building in the 1990s to Patrick Flanders, who renovated and converted the site into his realty office and other commercial rental space.

During these busy years, Valeria not only helped her husband in the funeral home, but operated Val's Beauty Shop for nearly 25 years. Starting her beauticianÕs day at 7 a.m. (for those who had to get to work early) and ending at 6 p.m. (or until the last customer was satisfied), Val will best be remembered as inexhaustible, energetic, and outspoken.

Known for her sharp sense of humor, clever and sometimes caustic one-liners, Val also had an uncompromising love of sports, an interest in theatre and movies, and a splendid alto voice. Throughout her life, she remained a loyal member of the St. Louis Catholic Church choir. Her devotion to senior "hair care" at Washburne Court (formerly the Good Samaritan Home) is still remembered by those who worked with her. In an era when hair-dos were switching from pin curls to rollers and nobody had yet heard the term "blow dry," Val prided herself on her customers' satisfaction knowing that her "wash, set, dry and comb-out" lasted all week and her perm for months.

Besides assuming additional responsibilities in the funeral home and furniture store after her sister, RaeÕs retirement, Val also supported ArtÕs final business endeavor: farming. Purchasing a 200- acre Lake Henry property owned by the Koehler Brothers, a farm which had lain dormant for years, Art and Val worked side-by-side, restoring the land, planting and harvesting the fields and caring for a lavish vegetable garden. Because they did not invest in livestock, Valeria often and humorously complained that she was not able to utilize her most valuable farming skill: milking cows Š a talent she claimed to have acquired as a child because of her strong hands and innate love of animals. After maintaining the farm for many years, Art and Val eventually sold it to Dale and Mary Lenzmeier of Lake Henry.

They are survived by one daughter, Deborah of California; two grandsons; a son-in-law; and many nieces and nephews.

Art and Val were preceded in death by their parents, P.M. and Olga Anderson and Matt and Dora Fuchs; a granddaughter; and siblings, Othmar Fochs of California, Orlando Fuchs of Wisconsin, Aurelia Fuchs of Paynesville, Esther Anderson of Willmar, Agnes Olson of Minneapolis, Mabel Struxness of Minot and Willmar, Bernice Sjostrom of St. Peter, Pearl Helgeson of Minneapolis and Willmar, and Walter Anderson of Cambridge.


Bernard Ludwig, 80, Richmond
Bernard Ludwig, 80, of Richmond died on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the St. Cloud Hospital.

Funeral services were held on Monday, Sept. 26, at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Roscoe. Burial was in the St. Agnes Parish Cemetery.

Bernard Ludwig was born on Aug. 20, 1931, to Joseph P. and Mary (Gertken) Ludwig in Farming.

He married Geraldine Moser on Oct. 20, 1954, at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Cold Spring.

Bernard and Geraldine farmed south of Roscoe until 1994, when they retired and moved to Richmond.

Bernard is survived by his wife, Geraldine; children, Diann (Bob) Bellmont of Cold Spring, Darleen (Roger) Utsch of Paynesville, Doris (Tom) Wendlandt of Paynesville, Donna (Dale) Mackedanz of Roscoe, Dennis (Kathy) Ludwig of St. Augusta, Daniel (Connie) Ludwig of Paynesville, Duane (Cheri) Ludwig of Paynesville, Della (Reid) Bellig of Royalton, and Darren (Jessica) Ludwig of St. Cloud; brothers and sisters, Lorraine Wenner, Richard Ludwig, Mildred Schreifels, Sylvester Ludwig, Lavern Ludwig, Agnes Lutgen, Marilyn Henry, and Ralph Ludwig; 34 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; children, David Ludwig, Denae Ludwig, and Denise Vogt; and brothers and sisters, Hildegard Ludwig, Julitta Schackmann, and Joseph B. Ludwig.


Vern Frank, 82, Paynesville
Vern V. Frank, 82, of Paynesville died on Friday, Sept. 16, at the Koronis Manor in Paynesville.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 11 a.m. at Grace United Methodist Church in Paynesville. There will be a private burial.

A visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the Johnson Funeral Home in Paynesville and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church.

Vern Victor Frank was born on March 10, 1929, to Victor and Ellen (Fell) Frank in Redwood County.

On Sept. 22, 1950, he married Marcella Herzberg at the Grace United Methodist Church parsonage in Paynesville. This union was blessed with three girls and a son. They shared 60 years of marriage.

The family made their home in rural Paynesville, where Vern worked as a foreman for Paynesville Produce.

Vern is survived by his wife, Marcella Frank; children, Janet (Chuck) Lauer of Cold Spring, Karen (Bob) Scheierl of Grand Rapids, Arlene (Joe) Neuman of Eden Valley, and Allan (Pam) Frank of Brighton, Colo.; 12 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and siblings, Joyce Moore of Flandreau, S.D., Lois Snyder of Eagle Bend, Ruby Snyder of Paynesville, and Roy Frank of Paynesville.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Glenn Frank; and sister, Jean Beier.


Ruby O'Hair, 92, Paynesville
Ruby O'Hair, 92, of Paynesville died on Thursday, Sept. 1, at the Koronis Manor in Paynesville.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the Daniel-Anderson Funeral Home in Paynesville. Burial was in the Paynesville Cemetery.

Ruby O'Hair was born on Aug. 12, 1919, to Milton and Alice (Nelson) Nehring in Paynesville.

She married Grant O'Hair of Atwater on Dec. 15, 1939. They had two children who passed away in infancy.

They lived in many places in Minnesota and Utah. After Grant passed away in 1988, Ruby moved back to Paynesville.

Ruby is survived by her sister, Joyce (Archie) Magnuson of Atwater; two nephews; a niece; and extended relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Grant; infant son, James; infant daughter, Darlene; and brothers, Lloyd and Cliff Nehring.


Mary Petronilla Lieser, 81, Idaho
Sister Mary Petronilla Lieser, OSB, 81, died on Wednesday, Sept. 7.

A vigil service will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m., and a mass service will be held at the monastery of St. Gertrude in Cottonwood, Idaho, on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 1:30 p.m.

Sister Mary Petronilla was born Cecelia Margaret Lieser on April 1, 1920, to Theresia Hemmesch and Joseph Lieser in Zion Township in Paynesville.

She was one of three girls from her family to enter St. Gertrude's. She made her First Profession on June 29, 1940.

From then until 1984, she worked in the kitchen and laundry at Our Lady of Consolation Hospital, as school cook at St. Paul's School in Nampa, at St. Gertrude's Academy in Cottonwood, and as head of the dietary department at St. Mary's Hospital in Cottonwood. When she left the academy, the students dedicated the 1965 annual to her.

In 1984, Sister Petronilla was missioned to serve in parish ministry: first at St. Rita's Parish in Kellogg, Idaho, and then at St. TheresaÕs Parish in Orofino, Idaho. In both parishes she was able to express her creativity and love of people through outreach for Habitat for Humanity, St. Vincent de Paul, and home and prison ministries.

A near-fatal stroke in 1994 barely slowed her down. After retiring to the Monastery in Cottonwood, she ministered to inmates at the North Idaho Correctional Institution.

Sister Petronilla is survived by the Benedictine Sisters of the Monastery of St. Gertrude, her sister, Sister Bernard Lieser; brother, Bernard Lieser; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers and sisters, Katie Mandernach, Molly Stang, Berthold Lieser, Alfred Lieser, Sister Josephine Lieser, Roman Lieser, and Frances Worms.


Marion Peters, 92, Litchfield
Marion Peters, 92, of Litchfield died on Sunday, Sept. 4, at Ecumen of Litchfield.

Funeral services were held on Friday, Sept. 9, at the Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield. Burial was in the Forest City Cemetery.

Marion Peters was born on Dec. 18, 1918, to Emil and Hannah (Olson) Mortenson in Litchfield.

She grew up and received her education in Litchfield, graduating from Litchfield High School.

On Jan. 25, 1942, she married Boynton Peters in Litchfield. Together they engaged in farming near Forest City.

Marion is survived by her children, William (Nancy) Peters of Sheldon, Iowa, Stephen (Vicki) Peters of Litchfield, Sharon (Terry) Kivioja of Coon Rapids, Susan (Don) Christofferson of Kimball, and Rebecca (Jeff) Thompson of Paynesville; 14 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; a brother-in-law; and a sister-in-law.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Boynton; brothers, Carl and Art Mortenson; and sisters, Charlotte Pederson, Lylias Hendrickson, and Ruth Steinberg.


Return to TopReturn to Paynesville Area

Obituary Archives