Obituaries

Esther Bratlien

Esther Bratlien

Apr 4, 2010

Esther Gladys Bratlien, 97, a resident of Fergus Falls, died Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010, at Lake Region Hospital in Fergus Falls surrounded by her entire family. She was a current resident of the Pioneer Retirement Community. Esther was born November 18, 1912, at home in Oscar Township of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, the daughter of Fred and Bertha (Grunewald)...

Thomas Hallisey

Thomas Hallisey

Mar 30, 2010

Thomas “Tom” G.  Hallisey, 67, a resident of Fergus Falls, passed away Tuesday, March 30, 2010. He was born April 26, 1942, in New London, Connecticut, the son of John J. and Myrtlene (Gesner) Hallisey. He grew up in Connecticut, graduating from Norwich Free Academy in Norwich. Following high school he attended the University of Connecticut College of Agriculture at...

Mary Schoening

Mary Schoening

Mar 30, 2010

Mary Elizabeth Schoening, 91, a resident of rural Fergus Falls, died Tuesday, March 30, 2010, at the Broen Memorial Home in Fergus Falls. She was born March 12, 1919, in Breckenridge, Minnesota, the daughter of Ernest and Minnie (Thymian) Hugli. She grew up in Wilkin County on her parent’s farm. She graduated in 1937 from Fergus Falls High School. Following...

Anthony Kjaglien

Anthony Kjaglien

Mar 26, 2010

Anthony “Tony” Peter Kjaglien, 39, a resident of Fergus Falls, passed away March 26, 2010, in Hubbard County, Minnesota. He was born September 19, 1970, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Peter and Judith (Irish) Kjaglien. He attended elementary school at Jefferson Elementary in Fergus Falls, and the Fergus Falls Senior High School, graduating in 1989. Following high school he...

Laurie Barsdate

Laurie Barsdate

Mar 25, 2010

Laurie (Lovelace) Barsdate, 88, of Fergus Falls, died March 25th, in the company of family members and her "hospice family" at the Lakeland Hospice House, Anna Laurie Pearson was born April 29th 1921, in Hecla, SD to Sven Albert and Gladys Aurien (Cooper) Pearson. There she grew up on the family farm and went to school with her seven brothers...

LaVonne Lemke

LaVonne Lemke

Mar 25, 2010

LaVonne Joyce Lemke, 68, a resident of Erhard, died Thursday, March 25, 2010, under the loving care of Lakeland Hospice House in Fergus Falls.  She was born August 10, 1941, in Breckenridge, Minnesota, the daughter of Lawson and Lucille (Johnson) Oliphant. She was baptized and confirmed at Foxhome Methodist Church. She attended school in Foxhome through the 8th grade, and...

William Nagatomo

William Nagatomo

Mar 23, 2010

William “Bill” Masakuni Nagatomo, 83, a resident of Fergus Falls, died Tuesday, March 23, 2010, at his home under the care of Lakeland Hospice. He was born October 19, 1926, in Minot, North Dakota, the son of George and Masuo (Oshikawa) Nagatomo. He grew up and attended school there, graduating from Minot High School in 1944. He was inducted into...

Elsie Crawford

Elsie Crawford

Mar 21, 2010

Elsie Crawford, 101, a resident of Fergus Falls, died Sunday, March 21, 2010 at the Pioneer Retirement Community in Fergus Falls. Elsie was born on October 25, 1908 in Oriska, North Dakota, the daughter of Fred and Anna (Rostock) Lange. She grew up in North Dakota and eventually married Roy Crawford. She lived many places during her life, as she...

Sally Spitsberg

Sally Spitsberg

Mar 16, 2010

Selma “Sally” Olinda Spitsberg, 92, formerly of Dalton, died Tuesday, March 16, 2010, at the Evansville Care Center in Evansville.  She was born February 16, 1918, in Dalton, Minnesota, the daughter of Carl and Inga (Estvold) Sonmor. She attended school at District 8 in Dalton and at Fergus Falls High School. On December 14, 1935 she married Anton Spitsberg at...

Arnold Pergande

Arnold Pergande

Mar 15, 2010

Arnold William Pergande, 86, a resident of Fergus Falls, died Monday, March 15, 2010, at his home under the care of Lakeland Hospice. He was born September 21, 1923, in Williston, North Dakota, the son of Ferdinand and Bertha (Tomhave) Pergande. He moved with his family to Minnesota at the age of nine, to the family farm near Carlisle, homesteaded...

Claire Orpen

Claire Orpen

Mar 14, 2010

Claire Orpen - Beloved Mom, Grandma, and GiGi age 79, of South Saint Paul, passed away surrounded by family on Sunday, March 14th. Preceded in death by her parents, Erwin and Florence Johnson of Fergus Falls; her husband, Donald James Orpen (July 2008); one brother, Stanley Johnson (August 2008); and son, Christopher Knight Orpen (March 2009). Survived by daughters Cheryl...

Lucille Tommerdahl

Lucille Tommerdahl

Mar 13, 2010

Lucille (Mrs. Merle) Tommerdahl, 86, a resident of Fergus Falls, died Saturday March 13, 2010, of congestive heart failure, at her home, with hospice care and family by her side. She was born in Fergus Falls on August 20, 1923, to William and Ida (Meyer) Degner. She was baptized and also confirmed at what is now First United Church of...

Loretta Bogen

Loretta Bogen

Mar 13, 2010

Loretta Bogen, 94, a resident of Fergus Falls, died Saturday, March 13, 2010, at Lake Region Hospital in Fergus Falls.  She was born December 14, 1915, in Dalton, Minnesota, the oldest of five children born to Ole L. and Selma (Berg) Nelson. When she started first grade in Dalton she spoke only Norwegian. She attended grade school in several towns...

Charles Johnson

Charles Johnson

Mar 9, 2010

Charles L. “Chuck” Johnson, 65, of Fergus Falls, died Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Fergus Falls.  Chuck was born January 7, 1945, in Breckenridge, Minnesota, the youngest child of Chester and Marjorie (Landstad) Johnson. He attended grade school and high school in Campbell, Minnesota, and graduated from Campbell High School in 1963. Chuck continued his...

Andy Leitch

Andy Leitch

Mar 9, 2010

Andy C. Leitch, age 86, of Underwood, died Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at the Pioneer Retirement Community in Fergus Falls. He was born November 9, 1923, in Sverdrup Township of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, the son of Andrew “Doc” and Ada (Andrus) Leitch. He graduated from Underwood High School in 1941, and enlisted in the Navy where he served during...

Ann Iverson

Ann Iverson

Mar 7, 2010

Anna M. “Ann” Iverson, 96, or “Mom” as she was fondly known to her family, died Sunday, March 7, 2010 at Midwest Home Health in Fergus Falls.  She was born February 16, 1914, in Hensler, North Dakota, in Oliver County, the daughter of Harry and Bertha (Perschke) Ellis. She attended school at Fort Clark, North Dakota. On January 15, 1934,...

Melba Neuman

Melba Neuman

Mar 2, 2010

Melba Louise Neuman, 91, of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, died Tuesday, March 2, 2010, at the Pioneer Memorial Home in Fergus Falls, where she resided for the last two years.  She was born the fourth of nine children to Frank and Ada (Kelsey) Richards on October 26, 1918, in Granville, North Dakota, where she lived, was baptized and attended school. After...

Alvin Anderson

Alvin Anderson

Mar 2, 2010

Alvin Curtis “Pat” Anderson, 91, a resident of Fergus Falls, died Tuesday, March 2, 2010, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Fergus Falls. He was born October 9, 1918, at home in Western Township rural Fergus Falls, the son of August and Emily (Sundberg) Anderson. He grew up on the family farm, attending rural school at District #252 in Orwell...

Irene Bethel

Irene Bethel

Feb 27, 2010

Irene Bethel, 79, of Fergus Falls, died Saturday, February 27, 2010, at the Pioneer Retirement Community in Fergus Falls.  Irene Elmina (Olson) Bethel was born June 21, 1930, in Runeberg Township of Becker County, Minnesota, the daughter of William Charles and Vivian Mary (Parvi) Olson. Irene attended a rural school which was located less than a mile from her home. ...

Elaine Grotte

Elaine Grotte

Feb 26, 2010

Elaine Violet Grotte, 81, of Fergus Falls, died, Friday, February 26, 2010, at the Broen Memorial Home. She was born June 11, 1928, in St. Paul, the daughter of Albert and Mabel (Armbrust) Freitag. While she was a young girl, she moved with her family to Federal Dam, MN,  where her father owned a logging business. Later they moved to...