All Obituaries

   ELEANORE ROSE GRETILLAT, age 88, of Luverne, died Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center in Luverne.  She was born 7th of 11 children to Phillip and Mary (Owens) Kleindl on a farm west of Blue Earth, MN on June 19, 1934.  She went to country school through the 8th grade, then to Blue Earth High.  She was the first in the family to have a high school education.      She was united in marriage to Edward Gretillat in Blue...

   JAMES F. SLATER, age 93, of Worthington, died Saturday, March 11, 2023, at the Sunset Hospice Cottage in Worthington. He was born November 30, 1929, in Wilmont, to Henry and Lena (Balster) Slater. He was raised on the family farm, homesteaded by his grandfather and lived there all of his active farming years. Jim attended Our Lady of Good Counsel School, in Wilmont, where he played basketball. As a young boy, he participated in Boy Scouts and attended summer camp at Lake Shetek...

   Thomas Edwin Penning, 69 of Wilmont, MN passed away March 8, 2023, after a courageous battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He was born on April 10, 1953, to Clarence and Harriet (Hoffman) Penning in Adrian, MN. After Tom graduated from Worthington High School in 1971, he continued farming with his dad and brothers.    In 1974, Tom met Sandy Kellen at a Wilmont VFW Hall dance, decided he couldn’t live without her and married her on September 4, 1976, at St. Adrian...

   JAMES ELGIN LARSON was born October 25, 1967 in Rock Rapids, IA. He was raised on a farm near Bigelow, MN. Jim was the son of Elgin and Lavonne (Strenge) Larson. Jim graduated from Worthington High School in 1986. Then, he attended Alexandria Votech for machining.    Jim married Rhonda Tennessen on January 16, 1988, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Sibley, IA. The couple lived in various communities before settling on their farm near Rushmore. They were blessed with...

   JEAN MARIE ROSENBOOM was born on June 24, 1959 to Elmer and Rita Scheffler and was raised in Worthington Minnesota.    She graduated from Worthington High School and took art classes at Worthington College. Jean was creative, artistic and enjoyed the art of design. She liked architecture and the beauty of buildings. She was a graphic artist & liked interior design.    She married Paul Rosenboom on May 2, 1981 in Worthington MN. Jean & Paul worked on...

   Leon Joseph Pick, 78, passed away on February 23, 2023, at the Lyons Care Facility in Rock Rapids, IA.   Leon was born to Leonard and Arlene (Fath) Pick on June 4, 1944, in Lismore, MN.  He attended St. Anthony’s Grade School and Adrian High School.  As a young man, Leon played baseball and softball for Lismore, while working on the family farm.  He was active in the Lismore 4H Club for ten years and was a junior leader.  Leon won several...

   Joyce Floraine Burk, age 93, Worthington, formerly of Rushmore, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at the Sunset Hospice Cottage in Worthington.    She was born on November 29, 1929 in Wilmont, Minnesota to Louis and Minnie (Elsing) Ebeling. She was baptized in the Christian faith on May 11, 1930 at East Friesland Church in Rushmore.    She attended country school (District 94) north east of Rushmore until 1939 when her family moved to...

   JEROME HENRY ERPELDING, age 93, of Adrian, died Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at the Parkview Manor Nursing Home in Ellsworth. He was born August 27, 1929, in Lismore, to Nicholas and Clara (Scheitler) Erpelding. He was their seventh son. Jerome’s education took him through the eighth grade before he was needed on the family farm.    Jerome married Frances Boltjes on April 19, 1949, in Lismore. The couple moved to Woodstock where they farmed for twenty eight...

   GERTRUDE “GERT” DENA WILLEMSSEN, age 95, of Leota, died Monday, February 20, 2023, at the Sanford Luverne Medical Center. She was born December 26, 1927, in Sibley, IA, to Hugo and Dena (Schrik) Haken. She was baptized at the First Reformed Church in Little Rock, IA. Gert attended grade school and later graduated from the Samuel School of Cosmetology in Sioux City, IA, which led to her owning and operating ‘The Artistic Beauty Shop’ in George, IA....

   LESTER R. BAUSTIAN, age 92, of Luverne, died at the Bethany Home in Brandon, SD. He was born May 13, 1930, in Luverne, to Walter Sr. and Frances (Brandenberg) Baustian on the farm in Denver township near Hardwick. He attended school at the Springwater Township School. In 4th grade, the family moved to a farm near Trosky for three years. Then they moved to a farm southwest of Luverne, and the children attended school in Luverne. Later they moved northwest of Luverne. After...