LeRoy Johnson

LeRoy Johnson resident of Onamia, MN passed away at the age of 70 on Wednesday, May 1, 2013.  A memorial service was held at 3:00 PM on Sunday, May 5, 2013 at the Alliance Church in Onamia.  Pastor David Prosser officiated the service.  A visitation with friends and family was held from 2:00-3:00 PM at the church.
LeRoy Evald Johnson was born on April 1, 1943 in Milaca, MN to Raymond and Adelia (Lind) Johnson.  He was united in marriage to Mary Leander on June 22, 1963 in Milaca, MN.  The couple lived in several places in Minnesota before making Onamia their permanent residence in 1978.  Lee was a self employed carpenter by trade but was passionate about helping others. He was a hard working spiritual giant with a kind heart.   He cherished his family and will always be remembered for his positive attitude and never ending “bear hugs”.
Lee is survived by his loving wife Mary of Onamia, MN; sons, Scott (Susan) Johnson of New Brighton, MN, Steve (Amy) Johnson of Wauconda, IL; daughter, Sara (Steve) Plucinak of Elk River, MN; siblings, Delores (David) Huanca, Beatrice Kiel, Waldo (Judy) Johnson, and Harvey Johnson; sister-in-law, Ruth Larson; brother-in-law, John (Marilyn) Leander; and 10 grandchildren, Erik, Matthew, Lindsay, Taylor, Kali, Lexie, Mackenzie, Jackson, Jada, and Rex.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Adelia (Lind) Johnson; and children, Ronald and Kristin Johnson.
Lee was loved by all and will be greatly missed.

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Jean Meixell

Jean Kathleen (Frye) Meixell age 93 of Princeton died Thursday, May 30, 2013 at the Princeton Elim Home.  Jean was born November 24, 1919 in Lewisville, MN, the daughter of David Alfred and Ida May (Leigh) Frye. She grew up in Blue Earth, Watonwan and Martin Counties in Minnesota. On December 24, 1937 she married Leonard Joseph Meixell in Algona, IA.

Leonard and Jean farmed near Granada, MN until 1947 when they purchased a farm in Spencer Brook and Baldwin Townships near Princeton, MN. Leonard preceded her in death on December 25, 1987. Together they raised seven children.

Jean was very active as a band and choir mother and was a regular fan at football and basketball games and wrestling matches from the mid-1950’s to the mid-1960’s. She also served one term as President of the Princeton PTA. In addition, she was a 4-H leader in both Sherburne and Isanti Counties. For many years she was an active quilter at the Princeton United Methodist Church. She worked with Spencer Brook historical group and put together a historical record for the community. She is also a life member of the Minnesota Territorial Pioneers. In 1999 she received an honorary high school diploma from Granada-Huntley-East Chain having been recognized by the school board for her life work achievements.

Jean was an avid gardener and for many years was well known in the area for her Iris garden. In addition, she sewed and took great pleasure in making Christmas gifts for her grandchildren and many of her great grandchildren.

Jean is survived by her seven children, Mavis Holter of Milaca, Clarice (Darald) Harman of Princeton, Gary (Carol) Meixell of Milaca, Lenice (Larry) Daudt of San Antonio, TX, Cedric (Donna Comtois) Meixell of Swan River, Glenda Meixell of Coon Rapids and Steven (Sandy) Meixell of Milaca. She is also survived by 20 grandchildren, 45 great grandchildren and 12 great-great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Leonard; and all six of her brothers and sisters, Frank, Edward, Alfred, Mary Meyers, Blanch Spencer and Ida Swartz.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, July 1, 2013 at Freshwaters United Methodist Church- River Campus in Princeton with visitation one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.  Rev. Loren Ferch will officiate and interment will be in Baldwin Cemetery.

Arrangements entrusted to the Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home, Princeton, MN.

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Sally Lang

Funeral services for Sally Lang, age 92, of Milaca, will be held Monday, June 10, 2013 at 11 AM at the First Baptist Church in Milaca with Pastor Adrian Bolt and Pastor Tom Sahlstrom officiating.  Interment will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 1-3 PM Sunday, June 9th at the Peterson-Johnson Funeral Home in Milaca and one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.  Casketbearers will be Gary Eggen, Joey Freese, Butch Hastings, David Lang, Donald Kinghorn and Dan Lang.   Music will be provided by Sharma Kiesner.  In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the First Baptist Church of Milaca.  Arrangements by Peterson-Johnson Funeral Home of Milaca.

Sally Lang was born on October 15, 1920 in Raymond, MN to John and Grace (Doorenbos) Freese.  She was the third child of eleven brothers and sisters. As a baby, she moved with her parents and two older sisters by train to Pease, MN.   Sally grew up in Pease and Page Township and attended a country school. After school, she lived in Minneapolis for 12 years.  Sally was united in marriage to Harold Lang on May 31, 1946. Shortly after they were married, they moved to Milaca to a farm they had purchased and they lived there for 50 years. They farmed together and Harold also worked for General Mills in Minneapolis. In 1996, they both retired and moved to the town of Milaca. Sally passed away on Saturday, June 1, 2013 at the Milaca Elim Home.

Sally (and Harold) enjoyed gardening when they were on the farm and they had one of the largest gardens in the neighborhood which many neighbors and friends from Milaca partook of. In the 60s and 70s, Sally enjoyed floating down the Rum River in her rubber raft and driving her pink Scorpion Stingerette in the winter. She also enjoyed sewing, knitting, spending time with her grandchildren and reading her Bible. Sally was a devoted member of the First Baptist Church for over 60 years.

Sally is survived by her children, Sheri (Jerry) Kiesner of St. Francis, MN and Jerry (Ingrid) Lang of Sauk Rapids, MN; three grandchildren, Linnea Lang of St. Cloud, MN, Erika (Bas) Kuis of Milwaukee, WI, and Sharma Kiesner of Bloomington, MN; one great grandchild, Lucia Linnea Kuis;  sisters Tillie Girard, Dorothy (Ted) Poorker, Carol (Virgil) Deuel and Judy (Gary) Eggen.

Sally was preceded in death by her husband Harold;  parents John and Grace;  one sister Winnie and five brothers, Johnny, Delmar, Alvin, Lester and Walden.

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Rhonda Carroll

Memorial Mass for Rhonda E. Carroll, age 49, of Bock, will be held Friday, May 31, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Milaca with Father Charlie Kunkel OSC and Deacon Tom Pinataro officiating.  Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the church.  Interment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery.  Arr. Peterson-Johnson Funeral Home of Milaca.

Rhonda E. Carroll was born November 19, 1963 in Milaca, Minnesota to Henry and Arlene (Novak) Carroll.  She resided near Bock.  She graduated from Milaca High School in 1982.  She graduated from Saint Cloud Technical College in 1984.  She was currently working at Precision Inc. in Saint Cloud.

She was a member of Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Milaca.  She enjoyed outdoor activities, loved her pets, and was a very caring and compassionate person.  Rhonda was a loving caregiver for her mother.

Rhonda passed away Sunday, May 26, 2013 at her residence near Bock.

She is survived by her mother, Arlene Carroll of Milaca and sister, Sharon (Mike) Roeschlein of Mora; other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her father, Henry.

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Margaret Hansen

Funeral services for Margaret L. Hansen, age 89, of Milaca, will be held Thursday, May 30, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at the Peterson-Johnson Funeral Home in Milaca with Rev. Tom Sahlstrom officiating.  Visitation will be one hour prior to services.  Interment will be held at Borgholm Cemetery near Bock.  Arr. Peterson-Johnson Funeral Home of Milaca.

Margaret Lucille Hansen was born December 22, 1923 to William and Louisa (Schaefer) Manthie in Maynard, Iowa.  She was the first of twelve children.  She was raised in Maynard from 1923-1925.

In following years, the family moved to Leonard, North Dakota and Farm Island, near Aitkin, Minnesota.  In the 1930’s, the family settled on a farm northwest of Ogilvie, Minnesota.  There, her mother and father operated a small dairy farm and sawmill.

She attended the North Fork Country School District 1166 through eighth grade.  She graduated in June, 1939.  She was confirmed at the Bock Lutheran Church.  In her late teens, she moved to Minneapolis and worked at the Minneapolis Woolen Mills for a short time.

On February 28, 1945, she married John Henry Hansen in Hopkins, Minnesota.   In 1946, they had a small dairy farm just north of her home place.   In 1956, they bought a farm south of her parent’s farm.  This is where along with her husband, John, they raised eight children:  Mary Ann, Richard, Roger, Albert, Jeffery, Connie, Rae, and Robin.  In the 1970’s, they retired from dairy farming.  Margaret went to work at the Sportsman’s Café and Freddie’s in Mora for the next 17 years.  John and Margaret were inseparable until his death in 1999, after 54 years of marriage.

In her later years, she resided with her son, Richard, until his passing in 2009.  From there, she moved into the Princeton Elim Home and then resided at the Milaca Elim Home before her death.

She passed away Saturday, May 25, 2013 at the age of 89 years, 5 months, and 3 days at the Fairview Northland Regional Hospital in Princeton.

One of her favorite pastimes was to feed and watch the abundant wildlife while living with her son near Ogilvie.

She is survived by her children, Mary Ann of Barstow, CA, Roger of Ogilvie, Albert of Barron, WI, Jeffery of Milaca, Connie of Ogilvie, Rae of Ogilvie, and Robin (Wes) Nelson of Bock; sisters, Lucille Hallin of Bock and Luella Nelson of Mora; brothers, Albert (Grace) Manthie and Eugene Manthie of Ogilvie; 13 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, John; son, Richard; siblings, Frances, Betty, William, Henry, Edward, George and Gordon.

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John Kiel

Funeral services for John Alvin Kiel, age 86, of Wahkon, MN, formerly of Falcon Heights, MN, will be held on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at 11 AM at Milaca Evangelical Free Church with Rev. Perry Johnson and Rev. John Merritt officiating.  Interment will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery in Milaca.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday.  Music will be provided by Darwin Bruesewitz and Donna Sahlstrom.  Casketbearers will include Aaron Merritt, Garrit Kiel, Nathan Merritt, Julia Merritt, Brandon Kiel, Kelsey Berg and John Kidd.  Arr. Peterson-Johnson Funeral Home of Milaca.

John Kiel was born December 18, 1926 in Pease, Minnesota to Garrit and Grace (Schutte) Kiel.  He married Stella Wessman, of Milaca, on April 16, 1949 at the Alliance Church in Milaca.  To this union three children were born, Richard, Debra and Michael.   They made their home in St. Paul where John worked for Northern States Power Company for 40 years in a variety of positions including, lineman, foreman, instructor and safety control.

John was a faithful member of Rose Hill Alliance Church while living in Falcon Heights. He loved working on not only church projects but also construction and development of Camp Big Sandy in McGregor, MN.  John loved the Lord and it’s a blessing knowing that he is in his presence.

As retirees, Stella and John were snow birds and spent their winters in Arizona (Superstition Sunrise, Apache Junction).  There he was a master at shuffleboard.

He loved working with his hands (building 3 homes), woodworking, problem solving, and golfing.

John loved the outdoors, camping, fishing and hunting, so it only made sense for him to retire on his favorite lake, Mille Lacs.  Stella and John have lived here for 25 years.  During that time, he did volunteer driving and other community work. He was also President of Mille Lacs Lake Shore Association.

John loved his family and his family loved him.  He will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his wife, Stella Kiel of Wahkon;  children, Richard (Carole) Kiel of Milaca, Debra (John) Merritt of Danville, CA, Michael (Kristin) Kiel of Maple Grove;  grandchildren, Garrit Kiel, Jessica (John) Kidd, David Kiel, Aaron (Gretchen) Merritt, Nathan (Jennifer) Merritt, Julia Merritt, Brandon (Kathryn) Kiel and Kelsey (Dale) Berg;  great-grandchildren, Abigail Merritt, Brady Merritt, Logan Merritt and Reese Merritt;  brothers, Harry (Lorna) Kiel of Fergus Falls and Lester (Marge) Kiel of Princeton;  sisters-in-law, Lorraine Kiel and Loree Vanman;  also by many nieces and nephews, relatives and good friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and three brothers, Steve Kiel, Dick Kiel, and Kenneth Kiel.

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Alvina Swanson

Alvina Irene Swanson (Maitland) of Milaca, Minnesota passed away on May

Alvina Swanson

19th at the Elim Home in Milaca at the age of 91 years, 11 months and 17 days.

She was born at home on June 2, 1921 on her grandparent’s farm in Rossberg, Aitkin County, MN to James and Ella (Beiries) Maitland.

Her parents farmed in Glen, Minnesota where Alvina attended grade school.  The family moved near Isle, MN in Eastside Township. She graduated from Isle High School in 1940.   She married Andree (Andy) Swanson on January 31, 1942.  During World War II while Andy was in the army, Alvina moved with her daughter, Aloha and parents to Van Port, OR to work in the shipyards.

After the war, Alvina, Andy and Aloha returned to Minnesota and purchased the Swanson Family farm in Page Township (Tibbetts Brook) where they farmed many years and had 5 more children, Alan, Ann, Arlene, Alyce, and Aimee.  Alvina also worked for Fingerhut Mfg. for more than 20 years.

Alvina enjoyed her family, gardening, canning, sewing, baking, music, dancing, and children, especially babies.  She loved visiting family and friends and after she and Andy retired, they spent time in their RV camping.  Alvina remained on the farm after Andy passed away in 1989 and in 2005 she moved to the Milaca Park Apartments.

She was preceded in death by her husband Andy in 1989, her children Alan in 1952 and Aloha in 2012, 2 grandchildren, her parents, her sister Viola, and many other relatives and friends.

Survivors include her daughters and sons-in-law, DuWayne Johnson, Land O’Lakes, FL, Ann and Tiit Raid, Fall Creek, WI, Arlene Kreller of Milaca, Alyce and Dean Sanderson of Milaca, and Aimee and Kenny Struffert of Foreston.

She is also survived by her eight grandchildren and sixteen great grandchildren: Brian (Angela) Johnson, Emma and Becca; Kari (Brian) Burns, Andrew; Aaron (Shannah) Kreller, Keagon, Grace, Lillian and Jennah; Jennifer (Dewey) Schramm, Jake, Amber and Cody;  Adam (Jennifer) Sanderson, Jaxson;  Joseph (Erin) Sanderson, Ella;  Patricia  (Eric) Gramentz,  Brooke and Brynn;  and Andrew (Krista) Struffert, Brianna and Lee,  her brother Harold (Sally) Maitland of Isle, Minnesota and nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

The Swanson family would like to thank the Elim Home, The Guardian Angels, and the residents of the 4th floor of the Milaca Park Apartments for all of the wonderful care and friendship they provided our mother.

Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, July 13, 2012 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Milaca.  Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.  Interment at Forest Hill Cemetery following the service.  In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Milaca Scholarship Foundation.  Arr. Peterson-Johnson Funeral Home of Milaca.

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Connie Pedersen

Connie Fay Pedersen, age 66, of Milaca, died peacefully in her home surrounded by her family Tuesday, May 21. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, May 28 at 4 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Milaca with Rev Tim Bauer officiating. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. on Monday, May 27 at Trinity Lutheran Church of Milaca and 1 hour prior to the service at the church on Tuesday. Interment will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery in Milaca.  In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Rum River Community Foundation Youth Mentoring, Trinity Lutheran Youth Ministries, and Special Olympics Minnesota. Arr. Peterson-Johnson Funeral Home of Milaca.

Connie Pedersen was born to the late Ernest and Mildred Quickstad, June 26, 1946, in Waseca, MN. Connie graduated from Waseca High School in 1964. She was married to Harold “Pete” Pedersen in 1971, and they moved to Milaca in 1975. Connie worked as the manager of the local golf course, as well as Broberg’s Country Store and local floral businesses. She was passionate about her grandchildren and the youth of the community and church. Connie was active in the Trinity Lutheran Church as a council member and in the quilting club, as well as a member of the Milaca Jaycees and Legion Auxiliary.  She loved to travel with her family, taking many vacations with her grandchildren and visiting more than 20 baseball stadiums over the past few years. She was also an avid card player, playing in her bridge club.

Connie is survived by husband, Pete of Milaca;  son, Cory and his wife Denise, and their two sons, Bailey and Brodey of Milaca; son, Jeremy “Jay” of Minneapolis; daughter, Nicole “Nikki” Hartung and her children, Ellie and Mason of Milaca; brothers, Dennis Quickstad of Van Wert, OH and Terry Quickstad of Waseca and sister, Judy Swanson of Milaca.

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