Obituaries from the week of January 9, 2002 Headlight Herald - Serving Tracy, Minnesota, since 1880

Marvin Wendorff, 90

Funeral services were held on Friday, Jan. 4, 2001 at the Tracy Lutheran Church for Marvin J. Wendorf. Reverends Stephen Olson and Marlene Elmstrom officiated. Soloist was Julie Erickson with Richard Stelter as organist.

Casket bearers were Gary Hanson, Robert Hanson, Terry Sorbel, Rob Sorbel, Bob Saxton, Raymond Moeller, Bob Domina and Bill Baumgartner. Honorary casket bearers were his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Marvin Joseph Wendorf was born February 2, 1911 to George and Bessie (Zenn) Wendorf in Murray County, Slayton, MN. He attended country school and was baptized and confirmed in the Christian Faith. As a young man Marv worked on various farms in the Walnut Grove area.

On January 5, 1938 he married Lucille Saxton in Walnut Grove, MN during this time he worked on a farm in Milroy for 28 years. Marvin was also employed by the City of Tracy as a cemetery and park caretaker and various other cemeteries in the area. He also worked independently mowing lawns, shoveling snow and tilling gardens for others in the Tracy community.

Marv was a member of Tracy Lutheran Church. He enjoyed flower and vegetable gardening and at one time had a grape arbor and raised raspberries and strawberries. He also liked his coffee breaks at the Red Rooster.

He died January 1, 2002 at Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Balaton, MN at the age of 90.

Marvin is survived by his daughter, June (Arnie) Terhark of Balaton, MN; four granddaughters, Kathy (Dennis) Mitchell of Garvin, MN, Debbie (Kevin) Stibbe of Balaton, MN, Becky Johnson of Balaton, MN, Sherry (Mike) Carter of Marshall, MN; great-grandchildren, Nicholas Mitchell, Kyle and Chad Stibbe, Justin and Jordan Johnson, Josh and Katie Carter.

His parents, wife, Lucille, daughter Ruth Ann, son, Ronald Fred, two brothers and three sisters precede him in death.

Interment was at the Bethel (Custer) Cemetery with the Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy handling arrangements.

Loretta Larsen, 95

Services for Loretta Larsen, 95, of Redwood Falls and formerly of Walnut Grove will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 10, 2002 at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Walnut Grove.

Burial will be in the Lucan Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3-7 p.m. Wednesday at Jacobson Funeral Home in Walnut Grove, with a 6:30 p.m. prayer service. Visitation will continue Thursday at the church one hour prior to services.

She died Monday, Jan. 7, 2002, at the Redwood Falls Hospital.

She was born April 28, 1906, in Vesta to John and Anna (Ludwig) Jaros. Loretta received her formal education in Vesta.

She was united in marriage to Louis Larsen in Vesta and they made their home in Lucan and ran a restaurant there for a few years and then the couple moved to Walnut Grove. Mr. Larsen passed away in 1977 and she continued to make her home in Walnut Grove until 2000 when she moved to the Sunwood Nursing Home in Redwood Falls and then moved to Johnson Park Place in Redwood Falls in 2001.

She was a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church in Walnut Grove. She was very talented with embroidery and gardening and especially enjoyed growing and eating raspberries.

Survivors include three sisters, Viola Kruger of Morgan and Lucille Vavra and Mrs. Julia Johnson of Minneapolis; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her huband and four brothers and four sisters.

Mabel Severson, 90

Funeral services were held on Monday, January 7, 2002 at Trinity Lutheran Church at Walnut Grove, MN for Mabel Severson of Walnut Grove, MN. Pastor Terri Skildum and Pastor Lee Harder officiated. Pall bearers were Michael Anderson, Roland Gertjejansen, Jan Nelson, Curtis Swenson, Robert Syverson and Marlow Wigen.

Mabel Kathryn Anderson, daughter of Abel and Amanda (Jernell) Anderson was born March 20, 1911, near Walnut Grove, MN. She attended school in the Walnut Grove area.

Mabel was united in marriage to Elmer Nelson in 1927. They spent their married life on a farm north of Walnut Grove. Elmer died in 1955. She married Leonard Severson in 1961 and they lived in Walnut Grove. She was employed by the Walnut Grove School District as a playground attendant. She worked for many years at the Gamble Store until they retired to Maple Lake near Alexandria, MN in 1972. They resided there until Leonard's death in 1984. She then moved to Alexandria where she lived until entering Valley View Manor Nursing Home in Lamberton in October of 2001.

Mabel was a member of First Lutheran Church in Alexandria, MN. She loved to cook and do needlework. She made many afghans for her family. The coffee pot was always on for the many friends to stop by.

Mabel is survived by three children, Wallace Nelson and his wife, Arlene, Lamberton, MN; Shirley Schafer and her husband, Curtis, Sioux Falls, SD; and Gary Nelson and his wife, June of Palm Desert, CA; three step-children, Larry Severson and his wife Maureen of Roseau, MN; Ronald Severson and his wife Ruth of Homosasa, FL and Russell Severson and his wife Doris of Crookston, MN; six grandchildren, Thomas Nelson, Kathryn Hund, Laurie Schafer Hill, Lisa Schafer, Kristen Nelson and Barbara Nelson; seven step-grandchildren, Royce Severson, Kent Severson, Laureen Byron, Heidi Hernandez, Jackie Severson, Jody Anderson, Mike Anderson and Sandi Blee; 17 great-grandchildren; a sister Vivian Gertjejansen of Alexandria, MN and a host of other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husbands Elmer and Leonard, her parents, eight brothers and sisters and a granddaughter, Susan Schafer Winklepleck.

Interment was held at the Walnut Grove City Cemetery.

A memorial service was held at the First Lutheran Church in Alexandria on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2002 with Pastor Rollen Halvorson officiating.

The Jacobson Funeral Home of Walnut Grove handled arrangements.

Norine Steffen, 78

Norine Elizabeth Steffen, 78, of Owatonna, MN died Sunday, December 30, 2001 at St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester, MN.

Funeral services were held on Thurs., Jan. 3, 2002 at the United Methodist Church in Owatonna. She was born July 10, 1923 in Tracy, MN the daughter of Paul and Clara (Stahn) Imme. Due to her mother's death during Norine's early childhood, she grew up in relatives homes in the Tracy area and graduated from Tracy High School in 1941. She then entered the 3 year St. Lucas nursing program in Faribault, MN graduating in 1946.

Norine married Lloyd Steffen on June 30, 1947 and the couple was later divorced. The family lived in the Faribault area before moving to Owatonna in the late 1960's. Norine worked as a nurse for 50 years. She worked at the Swedish Hospital in the Twin Cities, St. Lucas Hospital, District One Hospital in Faribault, Owatonna Hospital, Cedarview Nursing Home, 3 years with the American Red Cross Blood Unit, and the Owatonna Area Hospice Program.

Norine enjoyed fishing, gardening, cooking and her family. She was also an avid sports fan.

She is survived by her daughter Catherine and Michael Busho of Rosemount, MN; sons Allen and Claudia Steffen of Bemidji, MN and Scott and Lisa Steffen of Lake Elmo, MN; brother Norman and Irene Imme of Willmar, MN; five grandchildren; one great-grandchild; one niece and one nephew.

Norine was preceded in death by her parents and one brother.

Burial was in the Forest Hill Cemetery in Owatonna. Michaelson Funeral Homes of Owatonna handled arrangements.

Thomas C. Leonard, 82

Funeral services for Thomas Leonard of Morris, MN will be held on Friday, January 11, 2002 at 10:30 a.m. at Assumption Catholic Church in Morris. Father Andy Marthaler and Deacon Stan Hennen will be officiating. Visitation will be held Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. with a parish rosary at 7 p.m. and prayer service at 7:30 at Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris and for one hour prior to services at the church on Friday. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in Morris. Morris American Legion Post #29, Morris VFW Post #5039 and Morris AmVets Post $290 will be providing Military Rites. Serving as pallbearers for the service all are of Thomas' grandchildren. Josh Fischer will serve as pianist and song leader for the service. Pedersen Funeral Home of Morris is in charge of the arrangements.

Thomas Charles Leonard, son of Thomas and Susan Mary (Biren) Leonard was born April 5, 1919 in Currie, MN. He served six years in the US Army and is a World War II veteran. In 1946, he married Lorraine R. Menk and they took over the family farm. In 1966 they moved from the farm to reside in the Glenwood and Farwell area. In 1986 Thomas and Lorraine moved to Morris, MN.

Thomas was a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters, VFW and the American Legion. He was also a member of the Assumption Catholic Church in Morris. He loved spending time with his family. He enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing and especially loved being at the hunting lodge in Northern Minnesota with his family and friends.

Thomas passed away on Monday, January 7, 2002 at the Stevens Community Medical Center in Morris, having lived to reach the age of 82 years.

He is survived by his wife, Lorraine Leonard of Morris; seven sons, Charles (Nancy) Leonard of Kimball, Gerald (Mary) Leonard of Cold Spring, William (Loretta) Leonard of Morris, Harold (Lynda) Leonard of Hamel, Jerome Leonard of Kimball, Paul (Barb) Leonard of Cyrus, Timothy (Amy) Leonard of Norwood-Young America; two daughters Susan (Craig) Tyrdik of Alexandria and Carol (Darwin) Whaley of St. Michael; 28 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; and three sisters, Ann Donahue of Westbrook, Gertrude Donahue of New Ulm and Mary Hansen of Currie.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, John and great-granddaughter, Angelica.