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Obituaries from the week of Aug. 17, 2011

Florence Berndt, 89

Florence W. Berndt, age 89 of Janesville, MN, died on Monday, August 8, 2011 at the Janesville Nursing Home.  Funeral services were held on Friday, August 12, 2011 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Janesville.  Interment was in the St. John’s-Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Iosco Township, Waseca County. 

Florence Wilma was born May 20, 1922 in Iosco Township, Waseca County, Minnesota to Henry and Ethel (Warner) Bosacker. She was baptized on March 30, 1926 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at German Lake, and confirmed on June 6, 1937 at English Lutheran Church in Marshall. 

Florence was united in marriage to Oscar F. Berndt at Trinity Lutheran Church in Waterville on February 19 1949. Florence and Oscar resided in Janesville their entire married life.  Over the years Florence worked at various jobs including, E.F. Johnson Co. in Waseca, and also owned and operated a grocery story & gas station. She retired after working 13 years as head cook at Janesville Public School. Florence was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Janesville and its Ladies Aide for over 60 years, and sang in the church choir for many years. At the center of her life was her devotion to her family.

She is survived by her five sons, Bill Berndt of Elysian, MN, Jerry Berndt of Spirit Lake, IA, Duane (Tammy) Berndt of Warren, OH, Doug (Bette) Berndt of Janesville, MN, and Mark (Sheila) Berndt of Mukilteo, WA; by her daughter Julia (Bill) Schuneman of Crystal, MN; by 15 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren; by her brother Jay Bosacker of Tracy, MN, and her sisters Martha Lanoue of Marshall, MN, Lola Schumacher of Waseca, MN, Katie Tegals of Oak Forest, IL, and Ruth (Tony) Sybilrud of Waseca, MN; by many nieces and nephews and other relatives. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, and her husband Oscar; by her three sisters Alice (Edgar) Heilman, Margaret (Victor) Born, and Crystal (Jim) Rohl, and her three brothers Victor, Hugh, and Ralph Bosacker.

 

 

Elvera Bisbee, 88

Elvera B. Bisbee age 88 of Tracy, MN died Friday, August 12, 2011 at the Sanford-Tracy Area Medical Center.  Services for Elvera B. Bisbee, age 88 of Tracy, were held  today, Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at Tracy Lutheran Church.     Interment was in the Hoiland Cemetery, rural Tracy, following a luncheon in the church social hall.  The Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy handled the arrangements.

Elvera Bernice Bisbee was born September 3, 1922 to Oluf and Ida (Ellefsdatter) Anderson in Tracy, MN, Lyon County.  She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith and attended Tracy Public Schools, graduating from Tracy High School in 1940.

As a young woman she worked in Bill Johnson’s Grocery in Tracy.  On February 22, 1942 Elvera married Russell Bisbee in Tracy.  Over the years Elvera worked for K&K Clothing, Tracy Bottling Company, Tracy Hospital and Northwestern Bell Telephone Company in Tracy.  She also operated her own business out of her home called, “Bisbee Butikk”.

Elvera was a member of Tracy Lutheran Church and a past member of Hoiland Lutheran Church.  She was active through the years in the church ladies groups, Circle and served on various committees.  She was also a member of the Sons of Norway.  Her heritage was very important to her and she studied Norwegian heritage and folklore.  She also was a gifted painter and specialized in Scandinavian Rosemaling.  Many of her paintings were displayed in Tracy Lutheran church and others places in Southwestern Minnesota over the years.

On November 13, 2008 Elvera became a resident of Prairie View Healthcare Center in Tracy, where she died, surrounded by her loving family, Friday, August 12, 2011 at the age of 88.

Elvera is survived by her one daughter Sindie (Lee) Holmberg of Vesta, MN; two sons, Charles Bisbee of Worthington, MN and John (Michele) Bisbee of Fairmont, MN; seven grandchildren; twelve great grandchildren; nine great great grandchildren; special niece, Doris Galstad of Sioux Falls, SD; nieces, nephews and many friends.

Her parents, one sister, Ruth Galstad, and two brothers, Oscar and Ted Anderson preceded her in death.

Online condolences may be placed at www.almliefh.com

 

Lourdes Nuese, 93

Mass of Christian Burial for Lourdes Nuese, 93, of Marshall, will be at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, August 19, 2011, at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Marshall.  Visitation will be Thursday from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. with a CCW Rosary at 4:00 p.m. and a Parish Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m.  at Rehkamp – Horvath Funeral Home in Marshall.  Visitation will continue from 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Friday at the funeral home.  Interment will follow the service at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Marshall.  Military honors provided by U.S. American Legion Post 113 in Marshall.

He died on Friday, August 12, 2011, at the Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center in Marshall.

 

William Van Klei, 84

William “Ike” Van Klei age 84 of Garvin, MN died Sunday, August 14, 2011 at Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Balaton, MN. Services will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday, August 18, 2011 at Victory Christian Church in Balaton. Visitation will be from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 17, 2011, with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m., at the Almlie Funeral Home in Tracy. Interment will be in the Tracy City Cemetery following a luncheon at the church on Thursday. The Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy is handling the arrangements.

William “Ike” A. Van Klei was born March 24, 1927 to William L. and Vivian (Johnson) Van Klei in Worthington, MN, Nobles County.  He was baptized in the Christian faith and attended Country School in District #66 near Hadley, MN.  He attended Slayton Public School for a year.  As a young man he went to work for several area farmers as a farm hand.

He then moved to Chicago, IL and began working in the defense factories to support the war effort during WWII.  He then entered the US Army and served his country in the United States at the close of the war.  After his honorable discharge he lived in New Mexico for a year before returning to the Tracy area.  Ike made his home in Garvin, MN and went to work for the Balaton Creamery as a truck driver picking up cream from local farmers.  He then worked again as a hired man on many area farms and as a general laborer in the area.

He enjoyed fishing, hunting and baseball, giving much of his time to coaching the Garvin Little league program for 23 years.  As a coach he did more then just train his players, he also, took them to Minnesota Twins games, designed and made a pitching machine to make them better hitters and in general gave many boys a chance to play organized baseball in a small town.  He was a very avid Twins fan, and would talk baseball anytime.

Ike developed Multiple Sclerosis and became a resident of the Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Balaton, MN, in December of 1992, where he died Sunday, August 14, 2011 at the age of 84.

Ike is survived by his two sisters, Jean Waage of Marshall, MN and Hazel (Cy) Molitor of Lynd, MN; one brother, Jesse “Pete” (Pat) Van Klei of Friendship, WI; nieces, nephews and many friends.

His parents, two sisters, Mathilda Kubica and Zelma Benson and one brother, John “Jack” Van Klei preceded him in death.