Obituaries from the week of April 7, 2004
Virginia Sabinske, 87
Mass of Christian Burial for Virginia A. Sabinske will be held on Monday, April 12, 2004 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Tracy, MN at 10:30 a.m. Visitation will be held on Sunday at the Tracy Area Funeral Home.
The Tracy Area Funeral Home of Tracy is handling the arrangements. A complete obituary will be published next week.
Enriquita "Tita" Welu Pasac, 78
Mass of Christian Burial was held on Monday, April 5, 2004 for Enriquita "Tita" Welu Pasac at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Tracy, MN. Father Brian Mandel officiated. Organist was Shannon Benson with Carla VanDeWiele as cantor. Readers were Mary Reiners and Kay Wilson. Sandy Redding gave the eulogy.
Casket bearers were Mike Verdick, Nick Welu, Ron Sticha, Pat Redding, Jon Blank and Sam Blank.
Enriquita “Tita” Welu Pasac was born October 8, 1925 to Isibro and Meligia (Legia) Pasac in Binmaley, Pangasinan Island in the Philippines. She attended school in Binmaley and graduated from high school there.
On July 14, 1946 Tita married Ollie Welu in Binmaley, P.I. and they returned to the United States. They stayed a short time with her sister-in-law on a farm near Marshall, MN, where Ollie worked as a hired hand. In the early 1950's they moved into Milroy, MN where Tita owned and operated the Milroy Cafe' until 1965. That year they moved to Tracy, MN and Tita opened Welu's Palace Cafe' on Highway 14 in Tracy. Tita moved to Sioux Falls, SD in 1970 and opened Tita's Boutique, a woman's fine clothing store. In the early 1980's she moved back to Tracy and opened Tita's Boutique in downtown Tracy. She closed her store and retired in May of 2003.
Tita was a past member of the St. Michael's Catholic Church in Milroy, and a current member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Tracy where she had been active in both the church's choir and ladies groups. She enjoyed gardening, both flower and vegetables, collecting Hummel's, knitting, crocheting and playing bridge. Tita also enjoyed music, besides singing in the choir, she also played the piano and the violin.
On Thursday, April 1, 2004 Tita died at the Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD at the age of 78.
Tita is survived by one daughter, Nancy (Patrick) Trebesch of Aubrey, TX; two grandchildren, Jennifer Johnson of Miami, FL and Jessica (Jeff) Juncewski of St. Cloud, MN; two great-grandchildren, Austin and Braxton; one brother, M. John Pasac of Binmaley, P.I.; four sisters-in-laws, Marie Verdick of Marshall, MN, Louise Welu Haag of Marshall, MN, Lillian Welu of Wabasso, MN and Betty Welu Lidholm of Baxter, MN; many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Her parents, infant daughter, Mercedes and one sister preceded her in death.
Interment was in St. Michael's Cemetery, Milroy, MN with the Almlie Funeral Home handling arrangements.
Howard Loeck, 74
Howard Loeck of Balaton, MN died Thursday, April 1, 2004 at the Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD at the age of 74. There will be a Memorial Service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 14, 2004 at the Tracy Eagles Club in Tracy, MN. Arrangements are being handled by the Almlie Funeral Home of Balaton.
Eileen Joosten, 83
Funeral services were held on Sunday, April 4, 2004 for Eileen Joosten at Zion Lutheran Church in Tracy, MN. Reverend Kurt Kluge officiated. Organist was Valerie Hayes.
Casket bearers were Wade Anderson, Aaron Moore, Ryan Joosten, James Joosten, John Joosten III and Larry Joosten.
Honorary casket bearer was Darrel Larson.
Eileen (Schentzel) Joosten was born December 25, 1920 to Frank and Martha (Wendland) Schentzel in Balaton, MN. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. Eileen attended school in Balaton, graduating from the Balaton High School in 1938. After graduating she was employed at the Red Owl grocery store in Balaton.
In 1943 Eileen married Henry Joosten and the couple made their home on a farm southeast of Balaton.
She was a past member of St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Balaton and a current member of Zion Lutheran Church of Tracy where she also served on the Ladies Aide Committee. Eileen enjoyed playing cards, gardening and doing volunteer work. She also had a pet bird “Honey” that she loved. To those who knew and loved her she was known as the “Queen of Kindness and Sweetness.”
Eileen died Wednesday, March 31, 2004 in the Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Balaton at the age of 83.
She is survived by her son, Alan (JoAnn) of St. Peter, MN and her daughter, June (John) DecQuir of Beaumont, TX; four grandchildren, Wade (Sandy), Aaron (Catherine), Ryan and James (Lisa); four great-grandchildren, Nicholas, Caleb, Erica and Jonathan.
Her parents and husband, Henry preceded her in death.
Burial was in St. Peter's Lutheran Cemetery, Balaton, MN, with the Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy handling the arrangements.