Obituaries from the week of March 10, 2004

JoAnn Gempler, 75

JoAnn Gempler 75, of Boise Idaho passed away on Tuesday, March 2, 2004 at her home. Memorial services were held on Saturday, March 7 at Cloverdale Funeral Home in Boise. Services were under the direction of Cloverdal Funeral Home.

JoAnn was born on January 10, 1929 in St. Paul, MN to C.R. and Marguerite Brown. She was raised in Minnesota and graduated from Tracy High School in 1947.

On August 9, 1948 she married Lyle J. Gempler in Tracy, MN, where they lived for several years. During this time JoAnn worked at John's Rx Drug. They moved to Idaho in 1969. JoAnn worked at NIFC and at several restaurants as a waitress. In her later years she enjoyed teaching dance aerobics.

She enjoyed crafts, dancing, music, singing. She was a member of the Lyricas, a signing group.

JoAnn is servived by three sons: Steve (Karen), James (June), and Jon (Rose) and a daughter, Patricia (Jim) Fenlon; brother, Ralph (Jan) Brown and sister, Barb (Bill) Remsing; six grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Lyle and her parents Russell and Marguerite Brown.

Richard Lucking, 72

Richard S. Lucking, 72 of Cromwell passed away in his home on Thursday, February 12, 2004. after a lengthy hospital stay.

Rich was born on October 25, 1931 in Richville, MN to Alfred and Pearl Lucking, being the 4th of six children. He was a graduate of Rosemount High School in the class of 1950. Following graduation he worked for some time for the railroad and then Armours in So. St. Paul. In 1951 and in 1952 he worked for Walt Strese at the Pure Oil Station. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army from 1952-1954 where he took part in the Korean Conflict.

Richard was proud to have served his country but did not like to talk about it. After the service he returned to work at the Pure Oil Station.

January 1956 Rich started plumbing at Genz-Ryan Plumbing in Rosemount. He went to five years of night school at Macalester College in St. Paul, to get his Journeyman's plumbing license. August 11, 1956 Elouise Filkins and Richard were married in St. Joseph's Church in Rosemount. Rich was a plumber for 21-1/2 years and when his back gave out became Mechanical Inspector for the City of Inver Grove Heights. After 19-1/2 years he retired in 1995.

The family has had a cabin on Eagle Lake since 1965. Rich enjoyed the water, boating, and fishing. It has been a place where all cares faded away.

Over the years Rich greatly loved and enjoyed his nieces and nephews and the his own grandchildren. In the summer of 2000 Rich and Elouise built their home where the cabin had stood. They enjoyed their retirement home very much.

Richard is survived by his wife Elouise of 47-1/2 years, children Brett and wife Clara, Cory and fiancée Jeannie McGath and Carrie and husband John Foley, grandchildren Milo Cliff, Channing, Jessica and Joshua Lucking; step-children Katie, Stephen and Jon Croy.

Richard had a special gift of humor and was a great communicator. We will all miss him dearly.

Memorial services were held at the Rosemount United Methodist Church on February 18 and Cromwell United Methodist church on Feb. 19. A military honor guard was present at both services. Richard was given a 21-gun salute following the service at the Cromwell church. Interment will be at Fort Snelling in late spring.

Evelyn Smith, 82

Evelyn D. Smith age 82 of Sioux Falls, formerly of Tracy and Amiret, passed away on Sunday, March 7, 2004 at the Good Samaritan Village Nursing Home in Sioux Falls. Mass of Christian Burial was held today, Wednesday, March 10, 2004 at the Tracy Area Funeral Home.

Evelyn Doris Smith was born February 6, 1922, in Tracy, MN to Albert and Josephine (Kapolcznski) Zeltz. She attended school in Tracy.

On May 8, 1947, Evelyn was united in marriage to Leonard Smith at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Tracy. Together the couple lived in Amiret. Evelyn later moved to Tracy. She was an active member at St. Mary's Catholic Church, serving on the Altar Guild. She was also an active member of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary. Evelyn enjoyed fishing and bird watching. She also loved flowers and drives in the country. Evelyn was also fondly remembered by family and friends as an excellent breadmaker.

Evelyn Doris Smith is survived by her children: Jane Smith of Tracy, Judy Hanson and husband Don of Tracy, Leonard Smith of Marshall, Steve Smith and wife Audrey of Slayton, and Diann Hohler and husband Gary of Albert Lea; 13 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; 22 great-great-grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Leonard, daughter Josephine Bruss; four sisters: Martha Greenman, Helen Goltz, Agnes Alf, and Mary Wilkes; three brothers: Tony, Steve and Philiph Zeltz; and a grandson Tony Grogen.

The Tracy Area Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Harvey E. Towne, 81

Memorial services were held at Dingman Funeral Home in Worthington on Monday, March 8, 2004 for Harvey Towne.

Harvey E. Towne, 81, Worthington, formerly of Hampton, VA, died Thursday, March 4, 2004, at South Shore Care Center.

Born February 1, 1923, he was the son of Willis and Bertha Erlandson Towne. He married E. Vernette Johnson on June 17, 1942.

He lived and farmed with his family near Balaton, MN. After graduation from Balaton High School in 1941, he went to work for the Telephone Company in California. He enlisted in the Army Air Corp in 1942 and fought in World War II as a B17 pilot completing 31 missions. He remained in the Air Force for 21 years, including eight years in weather reconnaissance, until his retirement in 1963. After completion of his military career, he worked for New York Life Insurance Company for 21 years and earned his CLU, retiring in 1984. He and his wife moved to Worthington in 1990. He was a member of the Air Force Association, the American Legion, the Air Weather Association and the American Air Museum in Britain. To all who knew and loved him, he was known as "Mr. Fixit". He was a genius at repairing anything. If he couldn't get a part he needed for the repair, he made one.

Harvey is survived by his wife, two sons, Keith (Linda) Towne, Worthington, and William Towne (Vancouver, WA), three grandchildren, Brian (Michelle) Towne, Jennifer (Doug) Brands, and Justin Towne, one great-grandson, Kalen Brands, and one sister-in-law, Hazel Towne, Torrance, CA, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother.

Jeremiah Trei, 22

Jeremiah Jon Trei, age 22 of Mankato, died Friday, February 27, 2004 at his home.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, March 3, 2004 at Evangelical Covenant Church in North Mankato, with Pastor Mark Einan officiating. Memorials may be sent to the family at: Jeremiah Trei Memorial, c/o Michelle (Trei) Schmidt, PO Box 4276, Mankato, MN 56002.

He is survived by his mother, Michelle Schmidt and her husband, Randy of Mankato; two sisters, Nichole and Kelli Jo; three step-sisters, Jessica, Alisha and Amanda; maternal grandparents, Sandra Knapp and special friend, Steve Johnson of Lake Crystal, Allen Prouty and his wife, Tammy of Avoca, MN; paternal grandparents, Wendell and Eileen Trei of Colorado Springs, CO; two maternal great-grandmothers, Ruth Prouty of Tracy, MN and Elaine Phipps of Belle Plain, MN; paternal great-grandmother, Ethel DeBlieck of Kasson, MN; one niece, Hailey; many aunts, uncles and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his father, Jon; uncle, Shawn Prouty; and an aunt, Dianne Lindberg.