Obituaries 7/16/20
Wallace Barthel, 94
Wallace Peter Barthel, age 94, passed away peacefully on July 8, 2020 with his family by his side. He was born on October 25, 1925 in St. Michael, MN to Leo and Lillian (Schmitz) Barthel.
On June 16, 1948 he was joined in marriage to Jeanette Lenneman at St. Michael Catholic Church. Together, they raised five children on the family farm until Jeanette’s passing in 1994. He was a dairy farmer for 70 years.
Wally was a faithful member of St. Michael Catholic Church, and charter member of the Knights of Columbus Council 4174. He served one term as a Grand Knight. He also served for 12 years on the Centra Sota Coop Board of Directors.
After retiring from farming, he spent 15 years working at the Minneapolis Auto Auction. He was a loyal Twins fan, enjoyed gardening, hunting, fishing, listening to old-time music, and going to old-time dances—however, he enjoyed spending time with his family, most of all. In October of 1999, Wally was joined in marriage to Renee Dehmer at the St. Michael Catholic Church. They lived in St. Michael and then on October 23, 2014, they moved to the Engel Haus in Albertville. They enjoyed keeping active and doing everything together until Renee passed away on April 2, 2016.
Wally is survived by his children, Peter (Susie), of Buffalo, Gary (Linda), of St. Michael, Paul (Donna), of St. Michael, and Joel (Jean), of South Haven; grandchildren, Melissa (Ryan) Jensen, Natalie (Darren) Bjorklund, Vanessa (Geoff) Neumann, Ryan (Jamie) Barthel, Michael Barthel, Jolynn (Randy) Schmidt, Nick (Krissy) Barthel, Stephanie Barthel, Jeff Barthel, Ashley (Alex) McStott, and Trevor Barthel; great-grandchildren, Blake and Reid Jensen, Stella and Brody Bjorklund, Makhyla and Kinley Schmidt, Madison and Zach Barthel, Charlotte McStott, and baby Neumann expected in August. He is also survived by the Dehmer step-children, Michael (Judi), Rosanne (Ed) Jones, Doug (Michelle), Earl (Jeannie), Gordy (Cheryl), Terry (LeAnne), and Leo (Jean); sisters, Mildred (Wilbur) Aydt and Lavern Nieman, sisters-in-law, Irmina Mathis and Joanne Lenneman; and many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by wives, Jeanette Barthel and Renee Dehmer; daughter, Audrey Barthel; sister, Janet Berning; and his parents.
Due to Covid-19, a private Mass of Christian Burial will be held for immediate family only on Monday, July 27, 2020 at 11 a.m. with visitation one hour prior. Interment to follow at St. Michael Catholic Cemetery. The Mass will be livestreamed for the public by visiting: www.stmcatholicchurch.org.
Special thanks to the caring staff and friends at the Engel Haus in Albertville. We also appreciate the Guardian Angels Hospice staff for their care and kindness given to Dad.
www.thepetersonchapel.com, 763-682-1363
Barbara Dahlin, 69
Barbara Jean Dahlin, of Howard Lake, passed away on July 9, 2020 at Waconia Ridgeview Hospital.
Funeral Service was held 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 15, 2020 at St. James Lutheran Church of Howard Lake. Visitation was 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, at Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home of Howard Lake, and one hour prior to service at Church on Wednesday. Interment: St. James Cemetery.
Barb’s life started in Minneapolis, MN, March 5, 1951. She attended and graduated from North High School, class of 1969. In 1967, she met her best friend and loving husband, Bruce, and they married October 3, 1970.
In 1978, Barb and Bruce moved to Waverly, MN for a short while welcoming their first child, Shannon Marie, and moving to Howard Lake shortly thereafter. In 1980, they welcomed their son, Bruce Scott.
Barb and Bruce together spent their days nourishing loving and instilling values in their home and children. Barb welcomed and thrived on long conversations over coffee with friends. She never missed a sporting event and was a true Laker Fan! She spent countless hours reading and watching wrestling. She enjoyed the calmness and comforting sounds of watching the birds and squirrels (dang buggers) while tending to her flowers, the garden, the tomato plants, and the cherry tree.
Barb was blessed with one granddaughter, Kylie, and three grandsons, Jacob, Parker, and Braxton. She shared her love of reading with her grandchildren and days of watching wrestling. Barb loved people. Barb worked in the kitchen for HLWW school district for over 20 years. Barb was known as mom by many. After retirement, Barb spent her time caring for her grandchildren and eventually Bruce joined her in retirement. Barb never sat still throughout the years.
She took many bus trips with friends and never passed up the opportunity for an afternoon of Bingo! Barb could be found each morning holding up the a.m. work rush at local gas stations for her scratch off’s and what a lucky hand she had; she’d also grab a coffee, too!
Barb loved life, laughter, family, and friends. We will miss her tremendously and cherish the energy and memories we all have received as a gift from her.
Barb is survived by her loving husband of 49 years, Bruce; daughter, Shannon Johnson; and son, Bruce; grandchildren, Jacob and Parker, Kylie and Braxton; her brother, Larry (Diane) Merchant; brother-in-law, Allen Jenner; and a host of nieces, nephews and god-children.
Garlen Gruenhagen, 71
Garlen Michael Gruenhagen was born at Hutchinson, Minnesota on June 15, 1949 to Kenneth and Helen (Uecker) Gruenhagen. He grew up in Howard Lake, Minnesota, was baptized and confirmed and attended school at St. James Lutheran. He graduated from Howard Lake High school in 1967.
After high school, Garlen joined the United States Marine Corps. He spent part of his tour of duty in Viet Nam and was a recipient of the Purple Heart medal.
Following his time in the service, Garlen came home and worked first at Advanced Machine in Minneapolis then took a job as a letter carrier for the United States Post Office.
On September 20, 1986, Garlen married Kim Trittabaugh at St. Mark Lutheran Church in New Germany. They lived in Howard Lake prior to moving to Clear Lake in 1989. Kim passed away on May 6, 2013.
Garlen enjoyed the outdoors; hunting, fishing, four-wheeling, and spending time at his cabin. He was a member of the Sauk Rapids VFW and the American Rifle Association.
Garlen passed away in St. Cloud Minnesota at the Veterans Administration Health Care Facility on July 4, 2020. He had reached the age of 71 years and 19 days.
Survivors include: sisters, Noreen (Donnie) Horsch, Jane (Tom) Boeson; cousin Gerald (Budda) and Connie Gruenhagen; uncle, Ron (Joyce) Uecker; aunt, Ruth Uecker; many cousins, nieces, nephews, other family members, and friends.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Kim; brother, Russell; and parents, Kenny and Helen.
Memorial Service will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 18, 2020, at St. James Lutheran Church. Visitation one hour prior to service. Interment at Ft. Ripley Cemetery, Little Falls, Minnesota.
Honorary gun salute, flag presentation and luncheon following service at the Howard Lake Legion.
William Lieb Sr., 82
William ‘Bill’ Lieb Sr., age 82, born April 21, 1938 in Faribault, MN to Helen and Louis Lieb. He passed away peacefully at home on July 6, 2020.
Bill graduated high school from Concordia Academy in 1956, earned his associate’s degree from Concordia College in 1960 and his BA in Elementary Education from the University of MN in 1965. He taught at St. Peter’s Lutheran School 1960-1964 and St. Paul Public Schools 1965-1996. Bill served one term as President of City of St. Paul Education Association (CSPEA), two years on the MN Education Association (MEA) Board of Directors and four terms as Supervisor for Corinna Township, Wright County, MN.
Bill was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend and TEACHER! Outside of the classroom he ‘taught’ as a dad/mentor to all his children/granddaughter and their friends, a foster parent, a football coach, chairperson of the Lake Improvement District (LID), chairperson of the Water Management Task Force through Wright Soil and Water Conservation District, volunteer for the Lake Assessment Program (LAP), volunteer at Pioneer Park, a youth leader and other leadership positions at his church, Corinna Township Fire Warden, and the resident substitute teacher at Phoenix Learning Center. He was a science teacher in the classroom, and he used the same scientific method in his life: question, ponder, plan, research, experiment, calmly observe, evaluate, communicate. His greatest teaching assignment was living his life as an example for others.
Bill’s other passions include: his faith, his dogs, birds, nature, classical music, trains, football/baseball, American history, reading, poetry, and observing the beauty of the world from his porch with a cup of coffee, smoking his pipe.
He is survived by his wife, Pearl, of 62 years; his children, Gretchen, Dan (Mary), Bill Jr. (Kim); grandchildren, Cassie (Aaron), Mark, Nate; and great-grandchildren, Aubrey and Levi.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Helen and Louis Lieb; and sister, Lorraine Siewert.
An outdoor Celebration of Life is scheduled for Sunday August 2, 2020 1:00 p.m. at Bethlehem United Church of Christ, 400 County Rd. 37 NW, Maple Lake, MN 55358 with a gathering one hour before the service and a reception following. If inclement weather, the celebration will be moved to the fellowship hall inside the church.
Please RSVP to the family or the church at maplelakechurch@gmail.com, as we will be providing a box lunch from Jimmy Johns.
Face coverings are required; thank you for your understanding.
Please write a personal memory you have of Bill and bring to the celebration or send to the family.
Irene Shovelain, 90
Irene Elizabeth Shovelain, age 90, of Monticello, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 12, 2020 at CentraCare Health in Monticello. She was born May 5, 1930 in Biscay, MN, the oldest of ten children to William and Frances (Podrasky) Kostecka. The Kostecka family made their home in Glencoe in 1935.
Irene began her career as a phone operator in Glencoe, and then became a nurse’s aide at Lowry Rest Home and Monticello/Big Lake Hospital throughout her career. She also was a homemaker and house cleaner.
On August 23, 1949, Irene Kostecka and Elroy Shovelain were joined in holy marriage at St. George Catholic Church in Glencoe. God blessed their marriage with five children.
Irene was very proud of her five children: James, Janice, Judy, Jerome and Jeanne. She always tried to make everyone feel good about themselves by giving encouraging words and making things positive in a negative situation. She always put everyone on a pedestal, especially her children. She truly was the meaning of love!
She was always caring and giving, always leaving her friends and family with a little treat. Irene was a dedicated caregiver to her mother-in-law for many years. On December 8, 2009, Irene suffered a heart attack. Irene’s family wanted her to be at home after this, so daughter, Janice, cared for Irene for 17 years at home. Irene’s love for her children extended to her sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, whom she treated like her own children. Irene was the person to talk to when having a bad day.
Irene loved seeing her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She also enjoyed playing cards, listening to Janice play the accordion, word search puzzles, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. She was extremely proud of her Bohemian heritage!
She is preceded in death by her husband, Elroy; parents, William and Frances Kostecka; siblings, Beatrice, William, Ray; son-in-law, Colin Fehn; great-grandson, Donovan; and great-granddaughter, Tiffany.
Irene is survived by her children, James (Marie) Shovelain, Jerome (Kathleen) Shovelain, Janice (Jerry) Shovelain, Judy (Tino) Cortez, Jeanne Fehn; 13 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; siblings, Donald, JoAnn Victorian, Doris Ruffcorn, David, Charles, Roger; and many other relatives and friends.
Irene made God’s unconditional love well known to all around her. She had a strong faith, which brought peace to all around her.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, July 17, 2020 at 3:00 p.m., with visitation one hour prior at Church of St. Henry in Monticello with her Godson and Grandson, Father Paul Shovelain, as Celebrant. Burial will follow at St. Henry’s Cemetery in Monticello.
A special thank you to CentraCare Health in Monticello for the wonderful care Irene received.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Church of St. Henry in Monticello.
Serving the family is The Peterson Chapel St. Michael-Albertville Funeral Home. 763-497-5362. www.thepetersonchapel.com.
“Thanks for calling, I love to hear your voice. Call me again tomorrow!
Thomas Wurst, 43
Thomas M. Wurst, 43, was peacefully born into eternal life on July 1, 2020, surrounded by his loving family.
Tom is survived by his parents, Thomas Wurst and Barbara Wurst (Forrest Atkinson); his wife, Paula Wurst (Wheatcraft); his sons, Carter and Tyler; his brother, Brian Wurst (Todd Trigg); his sister Angela Ross (Chris Ross); father- and mother-in-law, Paul and Ann Wheatcraft; brothers-in-law; and sisters-in-law, Todd and Lori Wheatcraft; Aaron and Amy Wheatcraft; nieces, Riley and Ella; nephews, Ian and Sam; grandmother, Marie Bieniek; many uncles, aunts and cousins. Tom’s loving grandparents, Donald and Jane Wurst and Blase Bieniek, preceded him in passing.
Tom was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in February 1977 to Thomas Wurst and Barbara Wurst. From the age of five through college and beyond he spent summers working and fishing (of course) at his grandparents’ Big Island Campsite where he developed a very close relationship with Grandpa Blase and Grandma Marie. Tommy loved his time there with family; the campground was a very special place of his. He attended St. Francis High School and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2000 with a degree in Wood and Paper Science.
Tom worked in inside sales at Midwest Hardwoods Corporation since college. He married his perfect life partner, Paula Wheatcraft, on July 13, 2002 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church. They welcomed their beautiful sons, first Carter and then a few years later, Tyler; his sons were his focus and the most important part of his life. Tom built his family life with his wife, Paula, in St. Michael, MN; he and his family are members at St. Michael Catholic Church.
Tom was most of all a devoted husband and father. He enjoyed just about anything as long as it was outdoors and with family; hunting, fishing, camping, boating, skiing, hiking; and watching many stunning sunsets from their back deck. A favorite was preparing for and going to the annual deer hunting trips at Uncle Mike and Aunt Terri’s home. Many great memories with his dad, uncles and cousins including Carter’s introduction to this hunting tradition - a dream come true to hunt with his son, and lots of laughs as Carter witnessed all the fun that took place in the evenings! He always looked forward to the annual boat-in trip to Voyagers with his family and cousin Josh and boys and more recent years the fly-in fishing trips to Canada with his brothers-in-law, Todd and Aaron, and boys - these were especially meaningful times.
Nearly two years ago, Tom began planning a once-in-a-lifetime vacation to Hawaii with his family; mom, dad, brother, sister and partners. Thankfully, the trip happened in the first week of March! He was so thrilled to show his sons how to boogie board and enjoyed watching them hone their skills for hours. He commented many times how important it was to spend time with Angie and Chris. We all cherish those days, all of us together.
Throughout his life, Tom especially loved going to the Wurst Family Cabin, where he enjoyed opening fishing weekends and made several trips there this spring/early summer. Wonderful memories of Tom baiting hooks, fishing, and watching his sons take the boat out and fish together on their own. This filled his heart with joy! He was so proud to see Tyler, a fisherman at heart, clean fish with skill as good or “better than me!,” Tom commented. One evening, Tom insisted we all go out on the dock after dark; We went with him out there. He wanted us to see the stars hanging so vividly from the heavens - what an awe-inspiring sight! Many wonderful memories to be cherished by his family. Tommy was his dad’s fishing and hunting buddy and his mom’s close confidant. He so loved his brother, Brian, and sister, Angela; he will be sorely missed by them and his entire family. Tommy was a very special person to so many which became more and more evident in the messages transmitted to him in the last days. Each was read and were very important to him; this was also a gift to his boys, as it gave them a glimpse of what dad meant to others.
Tom and his family were held close through this difficult journey by neighbors, co-workers, his employer, Paula’s colleagues, church friends and many others in the St. Michael community, in addition to all the family and friends of family – people he knew and loved and people he didn’t even know. Cancer is a journey that takes a great deal of strength, support and faith. He once commented that he didn’t know how people faced this road without faith. He appreciatively and lovingly referred to his wife, Paula, as his angel. She so lovingly and adventurously shared life with Tom, a partnership to admire. With a great deal of selflessness, compassion and love, Paula walked beside her husband through this journey. Tom fought courageously with everything he had for one more minute with his boys. His deepest concern was always his wife and sons. He was grateful for every single prayer and act of kindness shown to him and his family. On July 1, 2020 at approximately 8:15 p.m., a glorious sunset developed in the sky, witnessed from the back deck of their home. Until we meet again, dear Tommy.
Due to COVID, a small private funeral service was scheduled at St. Michael’s Catholic Church. For those not included in the service, the mass was via live-stream on Wednesday, July 15 at 11:00 a.m.(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLOJPQOoFc4). A further “Celebration of Life” gathering is tentatively planned for July 1, 2021. Please save the date! Confirmation and details to be announced at a date closer to the event.
In lieu of flowers memorials can be directed to The Peterson Chapel, P.O. Box 397, St. Michael, MN 55376. The memorials will all be forwarded to the family, so please specify if they should to be used towards finding a cure for cancer or a fund being set up for Tom’s boys future education.
Serving the family is The Peterson Chapel of St. Michael, MN.
Milton Zumbrunnen, 72
Milton “Milt” Curtis Zumbrunnen, age 72, of Buffalo died peacefully in his sleep on Friday, July 10, 2020 in his home after a long illness.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, July 20, 2020 at the Faith Family Life Center in Rogers. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Due to COVID, funeral services are limited to immediate family and close friends.
He is survived by his loving wife of 37 years, Kristen “Kris”; sons, Jeremy, Chad (Kari), and Nick; daughters, Heather (Shawn) and Tiffany; brother, Stan (Louise); sisters, Cindy, Kathy and Wendy (Roger); and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was the proud grandfather of Zachary, Tyler, Alicia (James), Alyssa, Ryan (Honor-Ra), Elijah, Cassandra, Halli, Emily, Dominic, Tate, Kyla, and Kenna; and great-grandfather of Bentley, Aynsley and Hudson.
Milt was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Donald, Larry and Dwight “Steve”; and great-granddaughter, Paisley.
Milt was born to Robert and Wanda Zumbrunnen on August 26, 1947 in Brainerd, MN. He was married to Kris on January 14, 1983 in the presence of their five children. They lived in Buffalo and dedicated their lives to faith and family. Milt was an umpire for various levels of baseball games, including ones where he ‘erroneously’ called his children out. He also spent much time gardening, hunting, camping, golfing and fishing. After Milt retired from his “real job” at Rio Plastics, he continued working hard at things like scrapping or maintaining the golf course. He enjoyed spending time with friends and family, casino trips, all of the grandkids’ sports and activities, traveling and, especially, his trips to Cancun.
