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Obituaries from the week of January 19, 2000Headlight Herald - Serving Tracy, Minnesota, since 1880

Matthew Rustman, 85

Funeral services were held on Tuesday, January 18, 2000 for Matthew Rustman at the Church of Christ in Tracy, MN. Officiant was Rev. Homer Dobson with Betty Dobson as organist.
Honorary bearers were Dick Karbo, Ed DeGroat and all Matthew’s grandchildren.
Casket bearers were Marlan Buchert, Gene McChesney, Scott Benson, Don Tauvern, Merle Mickelson and Laris Sutherland.
Matthew Lawrence Rustman was born January 4, 1915 to Frank and Martha (Kruse) Rustman in Russell, Minnesota, Lyon County. He attended country school in the rural Russell area and farmed with his parents.
On June 12, 1937 Matthew married Eunice Scott in Brookings, SD. They made their home in Russell where Matt continued to farm with his parents and also worked on the Rudolph Arndt farm as a hired man. They moved to Tyler when Matt went to work for the Sorenson Construction Company as an apprenticed carpenter. After some time, Matt had his own construction company and continued with his family' s farm near Russell. They later moved back to Russell and in 1995, he and Eunice, moved to Currie, MN.
Matt was a past member of the Carpenters and Joiners Union and the SW Trailriders. He enjoyed woodworking, welding and crossword puzzles. Matt was a self-taught musician. Able to play most instruments that he picked up, he taught himself how to play the harmonica, accordion, and the fiddle, to name a few. Also, he collected guns and raised horses most of his life.
Matthew died at his home on Friday, January 14, 2000 at the age of 85.
He is survived by seven sons, James of Sioux Falls, SD, Thomas of Richmond, MN, Lester of Vernon Center, MN, Merril of Spicer, MN, Arvin of Lake Crystal, MN, Ronald of Glenwood, MN, and Matthew of Alexandria, MN; seven daughters, Joyce (Mrs. Larry) Harmon of Anoka, MN, Janice (Mrs. Jerry) Olin of Lynd, MN, Carol (Mrs. Keith) Lundberg of Grand Rapids, MN, Mary (Mrs. Francis) Lawson of Balaton, MN, Sharon (Mrs. Carl) Peterson of Pipestone, MN, Cindy Morin of Currie, MN, and Myrna Larsen of Champlin, MN; one sister, Mary Allen of Coon Rapids, MN; 42 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren.
His parents, wife, two sons, one daughter, two great-grandchildren, five brothers and three sisters preceded him in death.
Interment was at the Bethel Cemetery with Almlie Funeral Home handling arrangements.

Sister Maigread Conway, 78

Funeral services for Sister Maigread Conway, a former Principal at St. Mary's School in Tracy, were conducted in Rochester Nov. 13, 1999.

Sister Maigread (pronounced Ma-reed) died Nov. 10 in Rochester at the age of 78. Sister Maigread served as St. Mary's Principal from 1962 until 1966. Sometime prior to 1956, she also taught at the Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Currie.

"She was very strict and a very excellent teacher," remembers one St. Mary's parishioner. "She was an excellent disciplinarian who taught many students how to study."

She was also remembered as being "very caring, especially for the poorest. Her heart went out for them."

At a time when relationships between Protestants and Catholics were usually segregated and rigid, Sister Maigread is also remembered as being "very ecumenically minded. During her tenure, Supt. of Schools Bruce Govig, a Protestant, was invited to give the homily at a graduation Sunday service at St. Mary's. The sister is also credited with paving the way for sharing programs which allowed junior high St. Mary's students to take shop and home economics classes at the public school. St. Mary's was then a K-8 school.

After leaving Tracy, Sister Maigread devoted her life to service to the poor, first through Project Cabrini in Chicago, Illinois, and then tin Catholic Charities in Charleston, South Carolina. In Charleston, she often worked with poor inner-city youths and adults. She established and coordinated Echo House Inner City Center in Charleston and continued and coordinated activities as director of Neighborhood House.

In 1992, she was appointed pastoral administrator of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Charleston. Sister Maigread was also involved in the Kairos Ministry at a women's prison and assisted AIDS patients.

In 1997, she was awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontiface by Pope John Paul II. She celebrated the golden jubilee of her religious vows in 1992.

Ill health forced her to move to Assisi Heights in Rochester, the mother house for the Franciscan order of nuns, last year.

Msgr. Thomas Duffy of the Diocese of Charleston, S.C. officiated at her funeral.

A native of Waseca, born on the Fourth of July 1921, Helen Marian Conway made her profession of vows in 1942, entering the Franciscan Congregation from Sacred Heart Parish, Waseca. After starting her teaching ministry at St. Thomas Parish, Winona, she taught at Currie, Owatonna and Rochester before coming to Tracy.

Claude E. Brown

Funeral services are pending for Claude E. Brown of Dundas, MN (Little Prairie). Mr. Brown passed away on Tues., Jan. 18, 2000. Boldt Funeral Home of Faribault, MN is handling arrangements. Services will be held at the Immaculate Conception Church in Faribault, MN.

Mr. Brown is survived by his wife, Marie, children C. Patrick Brown, Dennis M. Brown, Thomas E. Brown, Dr. Kathleen Brown (Brockway), of Tracy and Dr. Richard Brown of Tracy.

A complete obituary will be published next week.

Ole Grinde

Services are pending at the Almlie Funeral Home in Tracy for Ole Grinde, 88, of Tracy, MN. Mr. Grinde passed away at his home on Tuesday morning, January 18, 2000.

Alvin B. Schwartz, 84

Funeral services were held on Monday, January 17, 2000 for Alvin B. Schwartz at the Zion Lutheran Church in Tracy, MN. Officiating was Rev. Norman B. Madson with Amanda Madson as organist.

Honorary casket bearers were Lila Kucera, Brian Raddtaz, Cammy Gould, Dawn Giese and Judith Scheider. Casket bearers were Burton Kucera, Harlan Raddatz, Dean Roiger, Lenis Roiger, Vince Lanoue and Ron Gilb.

Alvin Ben Schwartz was born February 12, 1916 to Ben and Sarah (Hoffman) Schwartz in Sundown Township, Redwood County. He attended country school in Sundown Township and farmed with his family. He was Baptized and Confirmed in the Lutheran faith at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Springfield, Minnesota.

On June 22, 1938, Alvin married Mildred Hoppe in Sanborn, Minnesota. They made their home on the family farm, continuing to farm along with his parents. In 1941, Alvin and Mildred moved to a farm near Milroy and lived there until Alvin entered the Tracy Nursing Home in December of 1999.

Alvin was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church in Tracy, Minnesota and enjoyed traveling and fishing. He also enjoyed music and was able to play both a guitar and a concertina.

Alvin is survived by his wife, Mildred; one sister, Verna Lueck of St. James, MN; on sister-in-law, June Hoppe of Brownton, MN; seven nieces; two nephews, cousins and many friends.

His parents, brother, Eldor and one nephew preceded him in death.

Interment was at the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Springfield, MN with Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy handling arrangements.

Dennis Urke, 71

Dennis W. Urke, age 71, of the rural Vesta-Milroy area died Sunday, January 16, 2000 at the Wood Dale Nursing Home in Redwood Falls. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m Thursday, January 20, from the Ashford Presbyterian Church in Milroy with burial in the Vesta Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4 until 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Sunset Funeral Home in Echo and will continue Thursday one hour prior to services at the church in Milroy.

Dennis Wayne Urke was born Monday, October 22, 1928 in Kintire Township, Redwood County, Minnesota to Carl and Lucy (Rust) Urke. He grew up in the Delhi, Wabasso, and Milroy areas attending school in a one room country school and then Milroy High School graduating in 1956. He then entered the U.S. Army serving for four years. On June 17, 1950 he was united in marriage to Marion Keyser in the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. They lived and farmed in Underwood Township, Redwood County since, Dennis retired from farming in 1995. He was a member of the Ashford Presbyterian Church in Milroy, was past president of the Vesta Lions and past president of the Vesta Elevator Board. For many years he enjoyed bowling in leagues, hunting and lapidary. He was an avid rock collector.

Dennis Urke died on Sunday, January 16, 2000 in the Wood Dale Nursing Home in Redwood Falls at the age of 71 years, 2 months and 24 days. He is survived by his three children, Christine Anderson and husband Dave of Fridley, MN, Kathleen Zwaschka and husband Jim of Milroy, David Urke and wife Brenda of Greenville, SC. Also surviving are nine grandchildren, Kelly Krause and husband Troy of Redwood Falls, Cora Zwaschka of Plymouth, Karl, Colin, Spencer, Kayne and Simon Zwaschka all of Milroy, and Jessica and Kirsten Urke of Greenville, SD; three great-grandchildren Naomi, Caleb and Miriam Krause of Redwood Falls; a brother Kenneth Urke of Redding, CA and two sisters Yvonne Little and husband Bill of Yankton, SD and Dianne Bell and husband Roger of Marshall, MN.

He was preceded in death by his wife Marion, his parents, and a sister Gladys Reinboldt.