Obituaries from the week of March 5, 2003

Laura Erickson, 81

Laura Lavonne (Lange) Erickson was born in Avoca, Minnesota to Ed and Etta Lange on September 17, 1921, the third of five children. She moved with her family to the Ruthton area at the age of four. She went to country school at District #103, and graduated from Pipestone High School in 1938. She attended Mankato Teachers School for one year, then graduated from Mankato Beauty School in 1940.

Lavonne was married to Ronnie Erickson on July 10, 1941 at the Skandia Evangelical Free Church parsonage. Three children were born to them, Connie, Dick and Keith. They farmed in Murray County, first living on the Erickson home place, then on the Ed Lange farm, then back on the Erickson farm.

Lavonne was a capable farm wife, with many abilities. She loved flowers and had many in her garden, as well as a large vegetable garden. She used her training as a beautician, giving haircuts and permanents to many friends and relatives. She baked and decorated cakes for many birthday parties. She was an accomplished seamstress.

Lavonne went home to be with the Lord on March 3, 2003, having been a resident of Colonial Manor in Balaton since February 1998.

She is survived by daughter Connie and husband Vern, son Keith and wife Patti, four grandchildren, Holly (Lee), Jim (Gail), Cameron and Brennan, and three great-grandchildren, Ellen, Laura and Simon, as well as two sisters, Elva Kubera and Mildred Spring.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Ronnie, son, Rich, parents, Ed and Etta, one sister, Inez, and one brother, Don. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, March 6, at the Skandia Evangelical Free Church, Balaton, MN, with reviewal 1-1/2 hours before the service.

Arrangements are being handled by the Almlie Funeral Home, Balaton.

Joseph Garvin, 84

Funeral services were held for Joseph Garvin at Tracy Area Funeral Home, Tracy, MN on Saturday, March 1, 2003.

Joseph `Barney' Leonard Garvin was born January 25, 1919 in Waterbury, NE to Michael and Mary Jane (Murray) Garvin. He attended school in Nebraska.

Joseph entered the Army in January of 1941 in the Army Medical Corp and was discharged on November of 1945. He worked for 30 years in Minneapolis for Minnegasco.

He married Henrietta Arnt on November 27, 1985. They moved to Tracy and resided there until his death.

Joseph Garvin passed away on February 25, 2003 at the Tracy Nursing Home at the age of 84 years, 1 month.

He is survived by his wife Henrietta Arnt of Tracy; daughter Mary (Wade) Tanner of Mesa, AZ; eight stepchildren; three grandchildren; 23 step-grandchildren; siblings LeRoyce (Pat) Jepsen of Machesney Park, IL, Eilene (Henry) Johnson of Minneapolis, Leona “Boots” (Jim) McVicker of Cherry Valley, CA and Keven (Harriet) Garvin of Minneapolis, Peg (Henry) Nett of Mankato.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Gerald and two step-children.

Interment was in Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Tracy, Mn with the Tracy Area Funeral Home handling arrangements.

Joseph Jackson, 76

Funeral services were held on Monday, March 3, 2003 for Joseph Jackson at First Lutheran Church in Marshall, MN. Rev. Robert Dahl officiated. Organist was Lois Dahl with Marjorie Sorenson as soloist.

Casket bearers were Bryan Hillger, Travis Varpness, Jeff Stelter, Rockie Jackson, Tom Nelson and Ben Jahn.

Joseph Edward Jackson was born June 13, 1926 to Charles and Hertha (Henkel) Jackson in Tracy, MN. He was baptized in the Lutheran faith and attended country school outside Garvin, MN. As a young boy he worked along side his family on the farm. He farmed until 1949 when he moved into Tracy and began working on the Tracy Police Department.

On September 18, 1957 Joe married Neva E. Stineheart in Brookings, SD and they made their home in Tracy. In 1958 he started a garbage route service in Tracy and in 1963 he moved to Marshall, MN where he worked for Central By-Products. From 1970 until 1971 Joe worked for Southwest State University in building maintenance. In 1972 he began working for the Minnesota Cafe', in Marshall, until 1987 when he retired. Joe moved back to Tracy in his later years and became a resident of Prairie View Healthcare Center in Tracy in 1998.

Joe was a member of the First Lutheran Church in Marshall and enjoyed music, especially Gospel and Country. He also enjoyed collecting model cars, Old West history, telling ghost stories and was an avid dog lover. Joe will be remembered for being the proudest of having spent time as a Police Officer in Tracy during his life.

On Thursday, February 27, 2003 Joe was taken to the Tracy Area Medical Services where he died at the age of 76.

He is survived by his one son, Rockie Jackson of Taunton, MN; four daughters, Roxanne (Robert) Jahn of Marshall, MN, Rhonda (Butch) Hasbrook of Clara City, MN, Robin (Joe) Negrete of Worthington, MN and Roseann (Lawrence) Varpness of Marshall, MN; 15 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews and cousins.

His parents, one son Randy, and one granddaughter, Stacey Nelson preceded him in death.

Interment was in Bethel Cemetery, Custer Township. The Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy handled arrangements.

Janet Kremer, 67

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, March 6, 2003 at 12:30 p.m. for Janet L. Kremer of Springfield, MN at St. John Lutheran Home Chapel in Springfield. Visitation will be on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the St. John Lutheran Home Chapel in Springfield. Chaplain Mary Pauluk will officiate. Casket bearers will be Matt Taylor, Adam Westerlund, Bill Ostreich, Chris Weidenhamer, Josh Kremer, Shawn Kremer, Kyle Kremer and Jacob Ostreich.

Janet L. (Meyer) Kremer, age 67, died Monday, March 3, 2003, at St. John Lutheran Home in Springfield, MN.

Jan was born April 24, 1936 to Barton and Leona (Meyer) Pederson in Springfield, MN.

On October 27, 1956 she married Richard Kremer. She valued her family most and enjoyed teaching her grandchildren how to make crafts with plastic canvas. Jan was known to many in the CB Radio world as Goofy's sidekick Butterfly. She enjoyed working on craft projects and working on crossword puzzles. Jan was a member of the Fridley Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. The family is grateful to the staff at St. John Lutheran Home for making her final years as comfortable as possible.

She is survived by her sons Paul Kremer of Sauk Rapids, MN and Greg and wife Theresa Kremer of Sartell, MN; her daughters - Michelle and husband Robert Osgood, Amery, WI, Theresa and husband Charles Weidenhamer of Blaine, MN, Patricia and husband Scott Maahs of Coon Rapids, MN and Jacqueline and husband William Ostreich of Belle Plaine, MN; 14 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; sisters, Sandy and husband Roger Radel of Spicer, MN and Carolyn King of Sanborn, MN; a brother-in-law Gerry Kieper of Sanborn, MN and many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Richard; and a sister Barb Kieper.

Interment will be held at Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Tracy, MN with the Sturm Funeral Home of Springfield handling arrangements.

Loren Rea, 81

Loren N. Rea was born April 24, 1921 in Tracy, MN to Noel Bates and Luella (Larson) Rea.

He married Geraldine Jorgensen in 1942 in Florida. He was a pilot and captain with Pan American Airways for 30 years, from the pioneering days of commercial aviation, until his retirement in 1972. During his time with Pan Am, he flew with the ATC Group of the Army Air Corps, during World War II; navigated on the original flying boats; and was involved with the engineering of the first generation of jet liners. He piloted and captained international jet liners. He received his bachelors degree in 1956 from Adelphi College, Garden City, New York and received his master's degree in 1960 from the same institution. Following his retirement from Pan Am, he worked as a real estate developer in Boonton Township. Loren served on the Boonton Township Planning Board and was active in environmental affairs in the Township. He was a member of the Sheep Hill Astronomical Society in Boonton and was a member and longtime secretary of the Boonton Rotary Club.

Loren N. Rea passed away Sunday, February 23, 2003 at Sarah Frances Nursing Home, Boonton Township, New Jersey, following a long illness at the age of 81 years.

He is survived by his children Susan R. Jones of Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, Lorna R. Gallanter of Tyler, Minnesota and Allen B. Rea of Boonton Township, New Jersey; one sister June Sandell of Katy, Texas and his two cherished grandchildren Christopher and Larissa Rea.

He is preceded in death by his parents, wife Geraldine, who died in 1965 and a brother Russell who died in 1996.

Funeral Services were held Saturday 11:00 a.m. at the Tyler Area Funeral Home. Burial in Danebod Lutheran Cemetery.

Winnifred Thomas, 87

Winnifred Thomas, 87, of Tracy, MN, died Monday, March 3, 2003 at the Tracy Area Medical Service, Tracy, MN. A graveside service will be held 9 a.m. Thursday, March 6, 2003 at the Bethel Cemetery, rural Tracy. Arrangements are being handled by the Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy.

Winnifred Thomas was born January 3, 1916 to Jabis and Winnifred (Phillips) Thomas on a farm in rural Tracy, MN, Lyon County. She was baptized and confirmed in the Christian faith and attended country school and graduated from Tracy High School. After high school she went to Minneapolis, MN where she worked in a accounting office and took night classes that included accounting. Following her retirement she worked as a nurses' aid in a hospital nursery. She also did volunteer work in her church caring for shut-ins. She later volunteered at Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.

Winnie was a past member of Tracy United Methodist church and a current member of First Baptist Church in downtown Minneapolis where she was involved in many church activities and an avid worker within her Guild in the church. She always had a deep concern for people, that was present in her many years of volunteer work within both her job and her church. Winnie made her home in Portland, OR for a short time. Winnifred returned to Minneapolis until 1998 when she moved back to Tracy where she became a resident of the Tracy Nursing Home.

Winnifred is survived by one sister, Elizabeth Thomas of Tracy, MN; nieces, nephews, cousins and their families.

She is preceded in death by her parents, four brothers and two sister-in-laws.

Audrey Thompson, 68

Funeral services were held on Thurs., Feb. 27, 2003 at Colman Lutheran Church, Colman, SD for Audrey N. Thompson of Sioux Falls, SD.

Audrey VanMeveren Thompson was born on May 11, 1934, at Balaton, MN, to Guy and Nellie (Nelson) VanMeveren. She attended Tracy High School and was married to Jim Thompson on December 31, 1950, at Tracy, MN. She graduated from St. Cloud Beauty School in 1959 and then opeated a beauty shop in Colman from 1961-1967. She moved to Sioux Falls, SD in 1981.

Audrey passed away on Monday, Feb. 24, 2003 at Avera McKennan Hospital, Sioux Falls, SD.

She is survived by five sons: Jim (Susan) of Flandrau, SD, Daniel of Egan, SD, William (Darlene), St. Charles, MO, David and Chris, both of Sioux Falls, SD; 11 grandcildren and one great-granddaughter; a brother, Al (Myrna) VanMeveren, Coleman, SD and one sister, Lula Mariner, Garvin, MN.

She was preceded in death by an infant son, Bradley; her parents; one brother and one sister.

Burial was at Midway Lutheran Cemetery in Colman, SD, with arrangements being handled by the Skorch Funeral Chapel, Colman, SD.