Obituaries from the week of May 15, 2002
Vincent Ehleringer, 90
Funeral services were held on Saturday, May 11, 2002 for Vincent A. Ehleringer at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Tracy, MN. Father Brian Mandel officiated. Organist was Richard Stelter with Carol Cooreman as soloist.
Casket bearers were Randy Ehleringer, Thomas Ehleringer, Ron Ehleringer, Gary Peterson, Vernon Peterson, Maynard Peterson and Dennis Peterson.
Vincent Arnold Ehleringer was born June 16, 1911 to John and Elizabeth (Schu) Ehleringer on the family farm in Currie, MN. He was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic faith. He attended Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in Currie. After his schooling he worked with his family on the farm.
On February 8, 1934 Vincent married Blanche Peterson at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Currie. They made their home in Currie and continued farming. In the 1960's the couple bought a farm in rural Tracy, MN where they farmed until their retirement in 1997, when they moved into Tracy.
Vincent was a member of the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Tracy. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and playing cards. He loved spending time with his family and especially the grandchildren.
He died Tuesday, May 7, 2002 at the Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD at the age of 90.
Vincent is survived by his wife, Blanche; two sons, Jerome (Dolores) of Fulda, MN and Lloyd (Judy) of Prior Lake, MN; five grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and friends.
His parents, four brothers and three sisters precede him in death.
Burial was in Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Tracy, MN with the Almlie Funeral Home handling arrangements.
Erna Illg, 90
Funeral services were held on Saturday, May 11, 2002 for Erna Marie Illg at St. Ann's Church in Slayton, MN. Fr. Mark McNea officiated. The organist was Mary Jean Buschena with song leader Rick Goedtke.
Pallbearers were Dean Lanners, Craig Gillette, Casey Gillette, Mark Vandromme, Larry Vandromme and Reed Peterson.
Erna Illg was born on March 31, 1912 on a farm in Nobles County, Minnesota to John and Mary Peterson Harder. She grew up on the family farm south of Fulda and attended country school.
On December 6, 1934 she and August Illg were married at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Avoca, MN. Following their marriage they farmed north of Lime Creek until 1953 when they moved to the Slayton area and farmed. In 1966 they moved into Slayton. August passed away on November 5, 1971. Erna continued living in Slayton and worked at Slayton Floral for many years, both in the shop and making deliveries.
On August 19, 2000, Erna became a resident of Slayton Manor and passed away there on may 89, 2002 at the age of 90. She was a member of St. Ann's Church in Slayton and was an honorary member of the W.C.C.W. and the church card club. She was also a member of the Slayton and Avoca Senior Citizens and Extension Club. Erna enjoyed bingo, playing cards, working with flowers, gardening, fishing and spending time with her family.
She is survived by her four daughters, Betty and Duane Cable of Two Harbors, MN, Eileen Vandromme of Tracy, MN, Patricia and Richard Lanners of Iona; and Bernadine Gillette of Slayton; 19 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her husband, sons-in-law Maurice Vandromme and Ron Gillette, grandson, Terry Vandromme, brother, Henry Harder and sisters Agnes Showalter and Amelia Kahle.
Interment was in St. Ann's Cemetery, Slayton, MN with Totzke Funeral Home handling arrangements.
Delbert Jensen, 76
Memorial services were held Sunday, April 28, 2002 for Delbert E. Jensen.
Mr. Jensen was born in Tracy, MN on August 24, 1925 to Henry Edward and Elizabeth Jensen. He graduated from Tracy High School in 1943, served in the Merchant Marine during WWII and operated a service station in Hollywood before entering the Army in 1954. After discharge he moved to Portland in 1957.
He married Doris Etzler in 1958. He did business as Del Jensen Truck Service from 1961 until his retirement in 1992. The family moved to Aloha in 1968.
He was Scouting Coordinator for Troop 240 for more than 25 years and received the Silver Beaver Award in 1998. After retiring he volunteered many hours with Willamette West Habitat for Humanity and HUMC Outreach. He enjoyed fishing, camping, Scout Camp work weekends, Scandinavian Hour, Lawrence Welk and Viennese music.
Delbert passed away at Maryville Nursing Home of Beaverton, OR on April 6, 2002 from Parkinson's Disease.
He is survived by his wife; sons Edward and Gary; daughter-in-law Karen; sisters Hazel Robinson of Tracy and Muriel of Edina and Ruth Rupp of Burnsville, MN.
Mary O'Brien, 89
Funeral services were held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Currie, MN on Tuesday, May 7, 2002, at 10:30 a.m. for Mary O'Brien. Monsignor Paul Evers officiated. The organist was Patty LeClaire. The song leader was Gene Dold with soloist Chuck Burns.
The pallbearers were all grandsons: Shawn LaPlante, Shane LaPlante, Brandon LaPlante, Rick O'Brien, Blaine O'Brien, Brad O'Brien and Sean O'Brien.
Mary O'Brien was born on August 19, 1912, on a farm in Cottonwood County, Minnesota near Westbrook to Michael and Anna Peschges Burns. Mary attended country school. Following her schooling, Mary worked at the Winona Seminary.
On February 19, 1935, she and Thomas O'Brien were married at IHM Church. Following their marriage, they farmed southeast of Currie and raised their six children.
Mary worked as a cook at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Westbrook from 1968-1974. Tom died on April 11, 1967. Mary continued living on the farm until 1997 when she moved to Currie. Due to failing health, she entered the Tracy Nursing Home in 2001 and passed away there on May 3, 2002, at the age of 89 years.
Mary was a member of IHM Church in Currie. She was also a member of the Catholic Daughters of America and past president of the WCCW. Mary enjoyed living on the farm and she was a great cook, baking bread and doughnuts were her specialties. Mary also enjoyed spending time with her family.
Survivors include her six children and their spouses: Richard and Kathie O'Brien, New Hope, MN; Kathleen and Gary LaPlante, Parker, CO; Francis and Eleanor O'Brien, Bloomington, MN; Patricia and Romane Dold, Currie, MN; Gary and Lois O'Brien, Bloomington, MN and Steven and Darla O'Brien, Rushmore, MN; 19 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; and four sisters and their spouses: Leona and John Patterson, Westbrook, MN; Helen Eichner, Westbrook, MN; Laurene and Walter Bloch, Windom and Dorothy and Dennis Leibfried, Ivanhoe, MN.
Her parents; husband Tom; two sisters: Marguerite Cronin and Alicia Burns and four brothers: Charles, Raymond, John and George Burns precede her in death.
Interment is at Calvary Cemetery Currie, MN.
Clifford Pack, 73
Funeral services were held Monday, May 13, 2002 for Clifford L. Pack at the Walnut Grove United Methodist Church in Walnut Grove, MN. Rev. Michael Smith officiated. Laurie Johnson was organist. The quartet of Arvid Ebling, Les Ebling, Dean Ebling and Kent Seetin sang “It is Well With My Soul”.
Pall bearers were George Sanderson, Rick Pack, Paul Rigstad, James Brass, Doug Carrow, Roger Towler and Duane Hutton.
Honorary Pall bearers were his grandchildren: Jason Jacobson, Ryan Jacobson, Scott Jacobson, Tory Monson, Molly Monson, Jesse Monson, Carmen Sowers, Christopher Pack, Nicholas Pack, Casey Pack, Colby Pack, Chelsea Pack, Taylor Pack and Kevin Sowers.
Cliff was born on March 27, 1929 the youngest of six children born to Lloyd L. and Grace E. (Wessling) Pack on the family farm northeast of Walnut Grove. He was baptized and confirmed in the Walnut Grove Methodist Church. He attended Rural District 57 country school and later Walnut Grove High School, graduating in 1947.
On July 2, 1948 he married Melba Faye Brass in Worthington. Following their marriage they lived on the family farm and continued to farm there until 1973, when they purchased and moved into a home in Walnut Grove.
In 1973, Cliff began driving livestock and grain trucks for Anderson Trucking and Tate Trucking. He continued his love of driving truck following his retirement in 1991, driving privately owned trucks in the area, as recently as last fall.
He drove school bus from 1963-1973 for the Walnut Grove school district and from 1960-1966 spent many hours in the township snowplow. In 1981, Cliff and Melba purchased a mobile home in Apache Junction, Arizona where they looked forward to spending every winter and renewing acquaintances with their many winter friends.
He was an active member of the United Methodist Church in Walnut Grove where he had served as a Sunday School superintendent and chairman of the church board. He belonged to the Walnut Grove Lions Club and looked forward each summer to helping with activities during the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant, including parking cars, working at the food stand and serving as cashier at the church dinners. They enjoyed opening their home during pageant weekends to overnight visitors. His love of working the land carried into the city, where he took great pride in his lawn and vegetable gardens each summer and loved to share his produce with friends and family. He was quite an athlete in his day, playing for the Walnut Grove Loggers and for many years played on area baseball teams. He enjoyed going to watch the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Gophers and attending his grandchildren's sporting events, who all inherited some of their grandfather's athletic abilities. He was extremely proud of his grandchildren and loved spending time with them. They were his crowning jewels.
He is lovingly remembered by his wife of 53 years, Melba; his four children, Cheryl and her husband James Jacobson of Pipestone, Candyce and her husband Bob Sowers of Benson, Bryce Pack and his wife Debra of Lamberton and Todd Pack and his wife Debi of Marshall; 12 grandchildren and two step-grandchildren; one great-granddaughter, Rachel Ann Pack, and two step-great-grandchildren, Emily Sykes and Andrew Sykes; two sisters, Lolita Gremmert of Duluth and Genevieve DeCourcy of Minneapolis; two sisters-in-law, Gloria Pack of Walnut Grove and LaVonne Brass of Marshall and his mother-in-law, Stena Brass of Lamberton.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Violet Koehler and Wendelena Sanderson, one brother, Warren Pack and one infant grandson, Michal Pack.
Memorials preferred to hospice.
Interment was in the Walnut Grove City Cemetery with Walnut Grove Funeral Home handling arrangements.