Obituaries from the week of May 19, 2004

Les Ravers, 93

Les Ravers age 93 formerly of Tracy, MN died February 1, 2004 at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Minneapolis, MN. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 25, 2004 at the Almlie Funeral Home in Tracy. Interment will take place at the Tracy City cemetery at 10:30 a.m. with full military honors.

The Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy is handling the arrangements.

Patricia Knuth, 82

Mass of Christian Burial was held on Thursday, May 13, 2004 for Patricia M. Knuth at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Tracy, MN. Father Brian Mandel officiated. Soloist was Kathy Jo Johns with Shannon Benson as organist.

Casket bearers were her grandsons: Andy Moon, Justin Pihl, Andy Knuth, J.T. Moon, Jamie Koehler, Christopher Velasco and Jeremy Velasco.

Patricia Margaret Knuth was born June 27, 1921 to Fred and Julia (Boyle) West in Slayton, Murray County, MN. She was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic faith at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Slayton. Pat grew up on a farm near Slayton and attended Slayton Public School, where she graduated from Slayton High School. She then attended Beauty School in Mankato, MN for one year after which she moved to Pipestone, MN where she was employed as a beautician until 1946.

On November 19, 1942 Patricia married John Knuth in Pipestone where they made their home until 1957. That year they moved to Tracy, MN where Pat worked in several retail businesses.

Pat was a past member of St. Ann's Catholic Church in Slayton and a current member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Tracy, where she was active in the church women's groups and also served as a lector. She enjoyed sewing, crossword puzzles, reading and playing cards, but her passion was family and her faith.

In recent years Pat had moved into her own apartment and in April of 2004 she became a resident of Prairie View Healthcare Center. On Monday, May 10, 2004 Pat died at the age of 82.

Pat is survived by five daughters, Jerri (David) Hubel of Montevideo, MN, Katy Koehler of St. Paul, MN, JoEllen (Loren) Pihl of Gary, SD, Sue (Jeff) Ackerman of Maple Grove, MN and LuLu (Jose) Velasco of Brainerd, MN; three sons, Doug of Fairmont, MN, John (Rose) of Brooklyn Park, MN and Jeff of Marshall, MN; 21 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; six sisters, Mary (Glen) Curtis, Carmel Brouillet and Alice (Ed) Miller all of Slayton, MN, Joan Walters of Tracy, MN, Jerry (Ray) Milewski of Minneapolis, MN and Teresa (Ed) Tomsche of Melrose, MN; one sister-in-law, Arlene West of Tracy, MN; many nephews, nieces and cousins.

Her parents, her husband, John, one son, James, one sister, Betty West and one brother, Joe West preceded her in death.

Burial was in Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Tracy, MN with the Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy handling the arrangements.