Obituaries from the week of February 25, 2004

Theola Bisbee, 88

Services for Theola Bisbee, 88, of Marshall were held on Tuesday, February 24, 2004 at First Lutheran Church in Marshall.

Theola Borghild Bisbee was born to Theofred and Anne Louise (Bjorneberg) Torgrimson on July 6, 1915, in Hanska, MN. She was baptized at the Lake Hanska Lutheran Church and later confirmed at the Blue Mound Lutheran Church, in Luverne, MN. She attended school in Kenneth, MN, Luverne, MN, and Minneapolis, graduating in 1934, from the Luverne High School. After her graduation, she attended Farm School at the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus, graduating in 1937.

On September 6, 1939, she was united in marriage to Lyall Herschell Bisbee, in Tracy, MN. After the couple's marriage, they resided in Tracy, and moved to Marshall in 1940.

Theola passed away on Monday, February 16, 2004 at the Prairie View Healthcare Center in Tracy. She had reached the age of 88 years, 7 months and 10 days.

She is survived by her daughter, Eunice Johnson, of Minneapolis; two sons, Glenn (Ann) Bisbee, of Memphis, TN, and Dale (Debbie) Bisbee, of Corcoran, MN; and one grandson, Ted Allen Bisbee, of Plymouth.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.

Theola's enjoyments in life were gardening; traveling on tour groups (and collecting T-shirts and sweatshirts from her travels with Lyall); sewing clothing, curtains and household linens; and keeping in touch with her extended family, and attending many reunions of the Hendrickson, Bjorneberg and Torgrimson families.

She had been an active member of the First Lutheran Church and the E.L.C.W. in Marshall.

Memorials to the First Lutheran Foundation, the Omsrud-Torgrimson Log Cabin Fund, or the donor's choice.

Burial was in the Tracy City Cemetery with the Hamilton Funeral Home of Marshall handling the arrangements.

Olaf Oie Jr., 82

Funeral services were held at First Baptist Church in Glenwood on Tuesday, February 24, 2004 for Olaf C. Oie Jr., formerly of Walnut Grove, MN. Pastor Charles Horsager officiated.

Olaf was born December 3, 1915 in Boyd, MN to Olaf and Petra (Quall) Oie. He was baptized and confirmed the Lutheran Faith. Olaf graduated from Montevideo High School in 1933 as Salutatorian. He went on to complete teacher's training also in Montevideo.

He entered active duty with the US Navy in 1941 and served on a training ship on Lake Michigan.

Olaf and Jeanette Carlson were united in marriage on November 27, 1943 at Emerald Avenue Baptist Church in Chicago, IL. After his discharge they moved to Evergreen Park, IL where he worked at the local hardware store.

In 1952, they purchased a Gambles Hardware Store in Walnut Grove, which they operated for 25 years. In 1997 they moved to a condo at Central Square in Glenwood.

Olaf is survived by his wife, Jeanette of Glenwood; daughter Ghlee and husband Bob Hanson of Shoreview; son, Paul and wife Denise of White Bear Lake; six grandchildren; three sisters, Olga Nelson of Willmar, Connie Johnson of St. Cloud, and Beatrice Lofthus of Montevideo; two brothers, Peter (Miriam) of Granite Falls and Arnold (Agnes) of Glencoe; nieces and nephews.

Olaf is preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Alma Oie, Pauline Jerve; nice and nephew.

Kathryn Stapleton, 97

Kathryn (Shoeman) Stapleton passed away February 14, 2004 at the Southview on Main in Revere, MN.

She was born June 22, 1907 in Waukee, IA. She moved to Walnut Grove, MN with her parents in 1919. She moved to Tracy with her parents in 1925. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Shoeman who were long time residents of Tracy.

She graduated from Tracy High School. After graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN she went on to get her Master's Degree from the University of Minnesota. She married her college class mate George A. Stapleton in 1934. They had no children.

She is preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and one brother Lawrence.

She is survived by two brothers John and Leo of Tracy, MN.

Kathryn will be remembered by her family and many nieces and nephews as an intelligent, fun-loving, generous person.

A family memorial service will be held at a later date.

Henry Zajic, 74

Funeral services for Henry Zajic, 74 of rural Tyler were held today, Wednesday, February 25, 2004 at St. Genevieve Catholic Church in Lake Benton. Fr. Harry Behan officiated. Casket bearers were Jerry Terhark, Curt Madsen, Alan Richardson, Ed Sweetman, Jesse Weber and J.T. Weber.

Henry Joseph Zajic Jr., one of eight children, was born November 14, 1929, to Henry and Mary Zajic Sr in Granite Rock Township, near Lucan, MN. The family lived on a farm, and as a young boy he went with his father and did electrical work and telephone repair work. He attended country school until the eighth grade and then worked with his sister-in-law's father at Anoka as a veterinarian helper. He also did farm work in Courtney, North Dakota and then returned to the Milroy-Lucan area, where he worked for Anton Soupir for several years. Henry was drafted into the U.S. Army in September, 1951. He trained in the states and was then sent overseas for the Korean War from April 1, 1952 to April 1, 1953, when he was honorably discharged.

Henry was united in marriage to Lillian Mildred Arne on August 18, 1953 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Tracy. He worked as a hired farm hand for Hanley Richardson south of Tracy and later for John Sweetman near Currie. The family moved to Tyler in September 1975, when Henry was offered a job at the Tyler Lumber Company. They lived on a farm site south of Tyler for two years and then moved to a building site north and west of Tyler, where he has lived since. After his retirement Henry was active in the Tyler American Legion, he worked as the groundskeeper at the Lincoln County Fairground, and helped with many farm and neighborhood jobs. He had a Handyman workshop that he loved to spend time in. Henry made cedar chests for each of his children and other items for friends. Henry was a good husband and father.

Henry Joseph Zajic Jr. passed away suddenly on Sunday, February 22, 2004 at his home in rural Tyler, MN at the age of 74 years, 3 months and 8 days.

He is survived by his wife Lillian of Tyler; daughters Pat Wenniger of Walnut Grove and Mildred (Patrick) Thielges of Marshall; son John (Sandy) Zajic of Brookings, SD; nine grandchildren; four great grandchildren; two brothers, two sisters; one sister-in-law, one bother-in-law, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents, two sons Paul and Victor and two brothers, one sister, one sister-in-law, two nephews, two nieces, one aunt and uncle and some cousins, his paternal and maternal grandparents.

Interment was in Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Tracy. Tyler Area Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.