Obituaries from the week of June 19, 2013
Arlene Swanbeck Crawford, 91
Arlene was born on September 5, 1921 in Tracy, MN to Algott and
Anna Swanbeck and died on October 2, 2012.
She married Charles Crawford on February 21, 1967. At the age of 19 she went to work for
Northwestern Bell and worked there until her retirement in 1981.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.
Survivors include her brother and sister-in-law, David and Sheryl
Swanbeck of Enumclaw, WA; three nieces and one nephew along with many great and
grand nieces and nephews.
A memorial service was held at the River Towers Condomniums in
Minneapolis MN on October 30, 2012.
Lula Mariner, 85
Lula Isabelle Mariner age 85 of Garvin, MN died Sunday, June 16,
2013 at the Avera-Marshall Medical Center. Services will be 11:00 AM Thursday, June 20, 2013 at the Lake Sarah
Lutheran Church in Garvin. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church on
Thursday. A luncheon will be served
in the church social hall immediately following the service, after which the interment
service will take place at the Tracy City Cemetery. The Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy is
handling the arrangements.
Online condolences may be placed at www.almliefh.com
Blanche Swan, 95
Blanche Swan age 95 of Tracy, formerly of Balaton, passed away
Thursday, June 13, 2013 at home surrounded by her family. Funeral
services were held at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Sillerud Lutheran Church, rural
Balaton. Burial was in the church cemetery. Online condolences may
be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com.
Stephens Funeral Service - Tracy Area Funeral Home is assisting the family with
arrangements.
Blanche (Kadolph) Swan was born in Lowville Township on April 27,
1918, to Harry and Anna (Ost) Kadolph. She was baptized and confirmed in
the Lutheran faith and attended country school. Blanche was united in
marriage to Hilding B. Swan on March 31, 1943. They were married at her
brother, Elmer’s, home. They made their home on the Swan family farm
where they raised their two daughters, Betty Jean and Phyllis Kay.
Blanche cared for their children, their home, and served daily homemade meals
to many hired men and foreign exchange students whom resided with them.
Blanche and Hilding retired from farming in 1969 and moved to Balaton,
MN. They were the caretakers of Sillerud Lutheran Cemetery for many
years. They refinished furniture and enjoyed helping family and
friends. Blanche and Hilding drew large crowds having been known for
their barbecue pork roasts, feeding hundreds at a time. They also loved
to travel, taking trips to see all 50 of the United States and 24 foreign
countries. Blanche enjoyed gardening and quilting during
retirement.
In 2003, Blanche moved to Tracy after surviving a heart
attack. There she helped care for her husband who was on home hospice
care at their daughter, Phyllis’s home. She continued living with Phyllis
as her caregiver until June 13, 2013, when she passed away at the age
of 95.
Blanche is survived by her daughter, Phyllis (Gary) Hansen of
Tracy, MN; son-in-law: Don Westphal; four grandchildren: Lynn (Rick)
Miller of Garvin, MN, Todd Westphal and Scott Westphal of Brookings, SD, and
Heather (Kevin) vanKoeverden of Rochester, MN; four great-grandchildren: Ryan and Jessica Miller, Ana and Elsa
vanKoeverden.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Anna and Harry Kadolph;
her husband, Hilding; her daughter, Betty; her brothers Elmer and Alvin;
10 brother-in-laws and 12 sister-in-laws.
Marlene “Tiny” Torkelson, 72
Marlene “Tiny” Torkelson age 72 of Tracy, MN died Saturday, June 15,
2013 at the Prairie View Healthcare Center in Tracy. Services were held at 11:00 AM
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at Tracy Lutheran Church. Interment was in the Restland Memorial
Gardens Cemetery in Slayton, MN following a luncheon served, immediately after
the service, in the church social hall. The Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy is handling the arrangements.
Online condolences may be placed at www.almliefh.com
Marlene “Tiny” Olivia Torkelson was born October 28, 1940 to
Morris and Frances (Visker) Johnson in Tracy, MN. She was baptized at the Tracy Lutheran
Church and confirmed in the Zion Lutheran Church in Iona, MN. Marlene attended Tracy Public Schools,
graduating from Tracy High School in 1958.
On November 25, 1961, Marlene was united in marriage to Ray Ernest
Torkelson at the Tracy Lutheran Church. They made their home in Iona, before moving to Currie, MN in 1971. In 2006, they moved from the farm into
Tracy and shortly after her husband’s death in 2010, Marlene moved into Boulder
Estates in Marshall, MN.
In the past Marlene worked for Tony Down’s Produce in St. James,
MN, and later at Campbell’s Soup Company in Worthington, MN. Then after her marriage she became a
homemaker caring for her nine children. She returned to work in 1985 at the Prairie View Healthcare Center in
Tracy, as a dietary aide in the kitchen and later into the housekeeping
department, where she became director of the housekeeping department until her
health forced her to retire in 2001.
Marlene enjoyed being a homemaker. She loved cooking, gardening, and
watching and feeding birds. She
also liked doing crafts with the grandchildren and great grandchildren. It was the time spent with her family,
especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren that she truly loved the
most.
In 2012, Marlene became a resident of the Prairie View Healthcare
Center, where she died, surrounded by her loving family, on Saturday, June 15,
2013 at the age of 72.
Marlene is survived by her three sons, Greg (Lori) Torkelson of
Tracy, MN, Kenny Torkelson of Adrian, MN and Steve (Roxanne) Torkelson of
Olivia, MN; six daughters, Marie (Charlie) Bjorklund and Lynn (Dave) Petersen,
both of Tracy, MN, Lori Carlson of Jackson, MN, Shari Thomas of Currie, MN, Amy
Lamfers of Marshall, MN, and Kari Torkelson of Excelsior, MN; twenty five
grandchildren; eighteen great grandchildren; two brothers, Keith (Jackie)
Weinberg and Larry (Pam) Weinberg; eight sisters, Janice Dunk, Terie Johnson,
Clarice “Punky” (Dallas) Norstegard, Eunice (Rodney) Behrends, Kay (Clayton)
Paczkowski, Lauretta “Gretch” (Dale) Danielson, Debra (Greg) Daniels, and Karen
(Randy) Peterson; many nieces, nephews and friends.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Ray E. Torkelson, son,
John Charles Torkelson, great granddaughter, Madyson Stirn, her parents, Morris
Johnson and Frances Weinberg, step-father, Art Weinberg, two brothers, Robert
Johnson and Kenneth Weinberg, and two sisters, Dorothy McWhirter and Linda
Johnson.
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