Obituaries from the week of June 16, 2004

Mildred Cohrs, 87

Funeral services were held Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at Grace Lutheran Church in Westbrook, MN for Mildred Cohrs. Rev. Melba Smith officiated. The organist was Betty Rupp.

Pallbearers were Fred Knutson, Jerry Johnson, Darren Peschges, Scott Peschges, Alan Zens and Bruce Jorgenson.

Mildred Louise Cohrs was born on April 30, 1917 in Plattsmouth, NE to James and Louisa Muenchau Smith. She grew up on the family farm and attended schools in Plattsmouth, Alvo and Eagle, NE and Slayton, MN.

In 1925, the family moved to a farm in Pipestone County, MN.

Before marriage, Mildred worked as a housekeeper in Minneapolis and then in Pipestone. Later she worked at the Slayton Hotel.

On February 6, 1943 she and Walter Cohrs were married at Westbrook, MN. Their first year of marriage was spent in Granby, MO and then Mildred lived in Slayton until Walter returned from his service in WWII.

They began farming in Dovray Township and raised their four children. Mildred worked at Westbrook Poultry and Egg Plant for 30 years. They farmed until Walter's death on August 26, 1984. Mildred moved into Dovray in 1989. Due to failing health, she entered the Good Samaritan Center on March 16, 2004 and passed away there on June 11, 2004 at the Westbrook Good Samaritan Center at the age of 87.

She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Westbrook and was active in Ladies Aid. She belonged to the Dovray American Legion Auxiliary, sewing club and card club. Mildred enjoyed all types of sports including, Twins baseball, golf, rodeo, and car racing. Other favorite pasttimes were cooking, baking, fishing, knitting, crocheting and spending time with her family and friends.

Survivors include her two sons, one daughter and their spouses: Edward and Roxanna Cohrs of Sanborn, MN, Rosann Schmidt of Tracy, MN and Paul Cohrs and his fiancee, Kim Pound of Dovray, MN; seven grandchildren: Darren and Scott Peschges, Barry Cohrs, Dawn Davis, Danielle Taylor, and Bridgette Vogel, Gabrielle Cohrs and Laura Schmidt; three sisters: Lois Knutson of Slayton, MN, Eleanore Bunker of Currie, MN and Beverly Saling of Bay Point, OK; and a sister-in-law, Ida Smith of Eaton, CO.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Walter, daughter, Linda Peschges, sons-in-law, Ron Schmidt and Toby Peschges, and brothers, Chester, Hilliard, Everett and Harvey Smith.

Erma Burgess, 101

A graveside memorial service will be Sunday, June 20, 2004, at the Tracy City Cemetery at 3 p.m. for Erma Burgess.

Erma J. Burgess was born December 21, 101 to George E. and Jeanette (Strom) Burgess at Peaceful Valley Ranch, Medora, ND. She attended school in Medora, ND, Irving Public School and Central High School in St. Paul, before finishing her last two years of high school at Pillsbury Academy in Owatonna, MN. Her education continued at Carleton College in Northfield for two years and then she attended Hillcrest Surgical Hospital and received a Registered Nursing degree in 1924. She was a practicing nurse in Minnesota, California and Montana. In 1936 Erma received her Bachelors Degree in Public Health Nursing from the University of Minnesota. She was a School Nurse in Anoka and Rochester, MN.

In 1941 Erma accepted a position as Resident Nurse at Kamehameha School for Boys in Honolulu, Hawaii. ON December 7, when Pearl Harbor was attacked, the school was used as an infirmary, where she assisted in the care of wounded Servicemen.

Burgess returned to Minnesota in 1951 and worked at the Sanitarium in Cannon Falls and Benton County as a Public Health Nurse.

From 1960 to 1970, she worked for the United States Public Health Service, serving Native Americans in New Mexico, North Dakota and Nebraska.

Following retirement in 1970, Erma made her home in Tracy and Minneapolis until July 15, 1996 at which time she became a resident of Tracy Nursing Home. She died on November 11, 2003 at the age of 101.

Erma is survived by niece, Jean Heller and Helen Johnson of St. Paul, MN, Ruth Anne Doud of Mercer, WI and nephews Dr. Donald B. Hicks and David Hicks of Tracy, MN and Timothy Donovan of Fairfax, VA.

She was preceded in death by her parents, an infant sister, Rachel, an infant brother Theodore and sisters, Ethel B. Hicks of Tracy and Helen B. Donovan of Fairfax, VA.