Obituaries from the week of September 27, 2006

Lorraine Radke, 87

Lorraine Radke, 87, of Tracy, Minnesota, died peacefully surrounded by her family, September 19, 2006 at Park View Care Center in Buffalo, MN. Services were held at Tracy United Methodist Church, Saturday, September 23, in Tracy. Pastor Homer Dobson conducted the service. Organist was Eleanor Hewitt with Janice Radke as soloist. Eulogy was given by Michelle Lancaster. Special music by Meghan Peterson.

Casket bearers were Jeff Radke, Doug Radke, Mike Pytleski, Dan Pytleski, Randy Lancaster and Paul Meidl.

Honorary casket bearers were Richard Hyllested, John Glaser, Irene Meyer, Joyce Visker, Millie Horsman, Opal Horsman and Sherrie Cambronne.

Lorraine Evelyn Sweely was born April 18, 1919 to Emory and Josephine (Emerson) Sweely in Tracy, Minnesota. She was a lifelong member of the Tracy Church of Christ. She attended Tracy Public Schools.

On November 24, 1936 Lorraine married Walter Radke in Tracy. They resided in Tracy until the family moved to Chicago, IL in 1944. The family returned to Tracy in 1950 to work the Radke family farm north of Tracy. They moved to Tracy in 1956 when Walt started managing the Tracy American Legion Club.

Lorraine worked for Vince and Jim Ford at Ford Insurance and Realty from 1958 until Jim’s death in 1991. She was a licensed insurance agent and realtor. After Jim died Lorraine acquired her real estate broker’s license and operated the agency for several more years. In 1998 she began writing the Yesteryear column for the Tracy Headlight Herald. Writing was one of her greatest life experiences and she enjoyed researching and interviewing local residents for her stories. Yesteryear, Portraits of Tracy, published this year, is a compilation of many of her stories.

Lorraine was a life long member of the Tracy Church of Christ, and she was active in the Ladies Aid and Circle, as well as many other church activities. She was also a 56 year member of the Tracy American Legion Auxiliary, having served as president, secretary and chaplain. She was a member of Kiwanis and had served on the City Planning Commission. Lorraine was a passionate reader and loved the Tracy Library. She was an avid Tracy High School sports supporter and loved football and the Minnesota Vikings. Her friends and acquaintances remember spirited debate whether the Vikes were winning or not.

Lorraine’s children and grandchildren will miss her for countless reasons, especially her highly developed culinary skills – her scrumptious peach and lemon pies, fried chicken, and her homemade chicken noodle soup. Lorraine had cultivated an abiding Christmas tradition for her family distinguished by stacks of wrapped gifts placed under a tree that held many of her hand painted ceramics and eloquently crafted ornaments.

Lorraine is survived by her two sons, Ron (Lois) Radke, of Rochester, MN, and Gary (Janice) Radke of Baxter, MN, daughters Marilyn Roeder of New Ulm, MN, and Shirley Jo (Paul) Meidl of New Ulm, MN; 12 grandchildren, and 24 great grandchildren; one sister Muriel Kor of Tracy, one brother Donald of California, and one sister-in-law Silvia Radke of Tracy, MN; nieces, nephews and cousins.

Preceding her in death were her husband Walter, and her parents.

Interment was in Tracy City Cemetery with the Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy handling the arrangements.

Jack Holker, 1

Jack Dean Holker, age 1 of Otsego, passed away on Saturday September 23, 2006. Jack was born on June 18, 2005 in Monticello to Jennifer Hook and Mark Holker. Jack was an energetic little boy who brought light and laughter to all those around him.

Jack was preceded in death by his great grandparents Dean Knapper, Katherine Hook, Ralph Hook, Irene Roth, and Johanna Holker.

He is survived by his parents Jennifer Hook and Mark Holker; grandparents Kevin and Mary Hook, Dan and Kathleen Holker; great grandparents Gladys Knapper, Deacon Jerome Roth, William Holker, Lindy Haugen; and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday September 26, 2006 at St Henry Catholic Church of Monticello with Fr. Tim Rudolphi officiating. Interment was at St Henry’s Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were with the Peterson-Grimsmo Chapel of Monticello.

Betty Holland, 77

Funeral services were held today, Wednesday Sept. 27, 2006 at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Ulm for Betty Nelson Holland. Pastor Timothy Smith officiated.

Betty Jane Nelson was born on October 11, 1928 in Garvin to John Edwin and Ella (Lien) Nelson. She graduated from Tracy High School.

On January 5, 1949 she was united in marriage to Ronald Holland at the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tracy. In 1967 they moved to New Ulm and in 1985 they started the Ron Holland Air Conditioning and Heating Service, Inc. Betty enjoyed music, collecting cookbooks, growing tea roses, and taking care of her dogs and cats. She was a member of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Ulm.

Betty died Thursday, September 21, 2006 at the Abbott - Northwestern New Heart Hospital in Minneapolis at the age of 77 years.

Betty is survived by her daughter, Jean Holland of rural New Ulm; daughter and son-in-law, Sharon and Dennis Leppla of New Ulm; son, Warren Holland of rural New Ulm; sister and brother-in-law, Delpha and Melvin Koch of Garvin; nephews, Bruce Koch and his wife, Phyllis, Allan Koch and his wife, Jeanette all of Garvin; and four great nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ronald “Ron” Holland on July 11, 1998; and sisters, Lorraine Nelson and Amy Schweiso.

Burial was in St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery in New Ulm with the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home of New Ulm handling the arrangements.