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Obituaries from the week of January 15, 2003

Leona Frances Patterson, 86

Leona Frances Patterson, 86, of Westbrook, died Sunday, Jan. 12, 2003, at Good Samaritan Center, Westbrook. The service will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, 2003 at St. Anthony's Catholic Church, Westbrook, with the Rev. Paul Evers officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Leona was born June 5, 1916, in Dovray Township, Murray County, she was the daughter of Michael and Anna Peschges Burns. She married John Patterson Jan. 8, 1940, at the church parsonage, Currie.

She graduated from the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic High School, Currie. After graduation, she worked in Westbrook at Steven's Café. After marriage, she raised her family and returned to work part-time at the school after the children left home. She was a member of St. Anthony's Altar Society, card clubs and the Legion Auxiliary. She supported the Pope's Store House and contributed to St. Agnes in St. Paul.

Surviving are her husband; four sons, Charles (Stephanie) Patterson, San Marino, Calif., Thomas (Lorie Conway) Patterson, Brookline, Mass., Bill (Bonnie) Patterson, Westbrook, and Jim Patterson, Westbrook; four daughters, Sharon Trent, St. Paul, Dianne (Robert) Walsh, Stockholm, Wis., Mary (Michael Kaine) Patterson, Prescott, Ariz., and Laurie (Philip Furia) Patterson, Wilmington, N.C.; three sisters, Helen Eichner, Westbrook, Laurene (Walter) Bloch, Windom, and Dorothy (Dennis) Leibfried, Ivanhoe; 13 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Mary Ann Carlson, 73

Mary Ann Carlson, 73, of Slayton, died Sunday, Jan. 12, 2003, at her home. The service will be 2 p.m. Wednesday, January 15, 2002 at United Methodist Church, Slayton, with the Rev. Gwen Bohlke officiating.

Mary Ann was born March 23, 1929, in rural Murray County, to Oliver and Marie Klucking Harbo. She married Russell Carlson Dec. 14, 1947, in Tracy.

She grew up and attended country school in rural Murray County. After marriage, they farmed near Currie until 1954 and then moved to a farm near Goodwin, S.D. In 1976, they moved to a farm near Avoca. They farmed there until 1985 before moving to Slayton. She provided daycare services in her home for several years. She attended United Methodist Church in Slayton, and was a member of Slayton American Legion Auxiliary.

Surviving are her husband; three sons, Alan (Jerrilyn) Carlson, San Diego, Calif., Ron (Lisa) Carlson, Crooks, S.D., Rob Carlson, Slayton; four daughters, Dianne (Dave) Pettis, St. Paul, Debbie (Tom) Hawley, Lake Madison, S.D., Julie (Ron) Hardy, Phoenix, Ariz., Sandy (Jerry) Westman, Mankato; one brother, Robert (Joyclyn) Harbo, Fairmont; five sisters, Betty (Keye) Foster, Tracy; Alyce Ozmun, Omaha, Neb., Beverly (Jim) Donner, Tracy, Elsie Zimmerman, Redwood Falls, Joan (Rod) Byers, Revere; 20 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Totzke Funeral Home, Slayton, is in charge of arrangements.

Clarence Moen, 100

Clarence E. Moen, age 100 of Mankato and formerly of Pipestone, MN died Saturday, January 4, 2003 at Laurel's Edge Assisted Living in Mankato.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, January 20, 2003 at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Mankato with Rev. John Petersen officiating. Interment will be in the Tracy City Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour before services at the church on Monday. Memorials may be given to the donor's choice. Mankato Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Clarence E. Moen was born September 27, 1902 to Ivar O. and Klara (Eriksrud) Moen in Tracy, MN. He was united in marriage to Naomie Banford on March 7, 1929 in Tracy. Clarence was employed by the Northwestern Bell Co. as a manager for 43 years. He was a member of First Lutheran Church in Pipestone, the Masonic Lodge of Pipestone, 32 degree Scottish Rite of Rochester and Grand Lodge of Minnesota.

His interests included hunting, fishing and golf.

Mr. Moen is survived by his daughter, Shirley Wilson and her husband Burdette of Mankato; three grandchildren, David Wilson of Fairfield, IA, Deborah Wilson of Mankato, MN, Ruth Ann Wilson of Scottsdale, AZ; nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Naomi on January 11, 1990, three brothers, and four sisters.

Grace Nordstrom, 86

Grace Irene Nordstrom of Walnut Grove, MN passed away Thursday, January 9, 2003 in Tracy, MN. Funeral services were held on Monday, January 13, 2003 at the Walnut Grove United Methodist Church. Interment was in the Walnut Grove Cemetery with the Walnut Grove Funeral Home handling arrangements.

Grace was born November 21, 1916 in Walnut Grove to Samuel and Bertha (Klucking) Nelson. She graduated from Walnut Grove High School in 1934. In June of 1939, Grace was united in marriage to Victor Nordstrom in Minneapolis. Together the couple lived on a farm outside of Walnut Grove for 32 years. After raising a family, Grace attended Mankato State University where she graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education. She taught in Walnut Grove for approximately 17 years. Grace moved into town after Victor passed away in 1971.

Grace was a lifetime member of the Walnut Grove United Methodist Church. She enjoyed reading, writing poetry, and visiting with her family and friends.

Grace is survived by her children: William Roy Nordstrom and wife Janet of Edina and Karen Diane O'Byrne of Northfield; three grandchildren: Tera Nordstrom, Kassandra Cruit-Salzberg and husband Jeremiah and Kyle Cruit and wife Sarah; three great-grandchildren: Connor, Jacob and Finn Cruit; sisters Wilma Herder of Walnut Grove and Eleanor Kuehl of South St. Paul and many other relatives and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Victor and son Bruce.

Benjamin Robbins, 88

Benjamin “Ben” Robbins of Milltown, WI, died Dec. 22, 2002, at the United Hospital in St. Paul, MN. He was 88 years old.

He was born March 12, 1914, to Edwin and Isabelle Robbins. He married Eunice Moon on January 12, 1936 in Tracy, MN. They farmed in Lyon County, MN until 1953, when they moved to the Milltown area. He worked at the Milltown Co-op Feed Mill for 23 years in addition to farming. He loved horses and raised 90 of them during his lifetime. In recent years he enjoyed giving new life to old tractors by cleaning and painting them.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Eunice, in March of 1988; his parents, two brothers and two sisters.

He is survived by his children, Patty Young (Art) of Balsam Lake, Bonnie Schultz (Gerald) of Frederic, Gary of Amery, Sherry Ditsch (Robert) of Luck, and Kevin (Denise) of Luck; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; one sister, Hazel Keith of Fairfield, CA.

Private family services were held at the Rowe Funeral Home in Luck, with Pastor Eugene Wekander. Interment was at the North Valley Cemetery.

The Rowe Funeral Home of Luck assisted the family with arrangements.