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Obituaries from the week of December 12, 2007

Iowen Alexander, 80
Funeral services were held on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 for Iowen Alexander at the Tyler Area Funeral Home, Tyler, MN. Rev. Dave Christenson officiated. Mary Jensen was the pianist. Honorary casket bearers were all her grandchildren.
Iowen  Emma Linetta Alexander was born October 9, 1927 in Kamsack, Saskatchewan, Canada, to Russell and Estelle (McCullough) Weaver.  She graduated from Balaton High School and completed two years of college education.
Iowen was united in marriage to Ivan Alexander in July of 1946 at First Presbyterian Church in Tracy.  Ivan passed away in 1982 and she later married Howard Alexander.  Iowen and Ivan operated Teepeotah Resort on Lake Shetek for three years and Jack’s Corner near Currie.  She was a member of the Eastern Star and the VFW Ladies Auxiliary.  Iowen was a musician, avid reader, card shark, enjoyed craft work, gardening, and baking.
Iowen Alexander passed away Saturday, December 8, 2007 at the Sunrise Manor Nursing Home/Tyler Healthcare Center in Tyler, Minnesota at the age of 80 years, 1 month and 11 days.
She is survived by her husband Howard Alexander; Children Toni (Brent) Maranell of Lake Preston, SD and Kelly (Mary) Hanson of Lake Preston, SD; grandchildren: Kent Maranell, Nikki (Mark) Hurd, Alexa (David) Soma, Bo Maranell and fiance Syrena Olson; Great grandchildren: Brandon, Sean, Tosh, Dayton, Steven, Ashton, Salem, Trace, and James; great-great grandson Kellen.
She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Ivan and brother Clarence.
Interment was in the Tracy City Cemetery, Tracy, MN with the Tyler Area Funeral Home handling the arrangements.


Evelyn Thoma, 91
Funeral services were held Thursday, November 29, 2007 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Tracy, MN for Evelyn Thoma.
Evelyn Rose Thoma was born January 17, 1916 to Edward and Margaret (Hutchinson) Corcoran on a farm near Seaforth, MN. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Seaforth and attended country school as a young girl. She then attended Wabasso and Redwood Falls public schools and worked on the family farm.
On January 5, 1943 Evelyn married Elston “Red” Thoma in Redwood Falls, MN and they made their home in Redwood Falls. In 1950 they moved to Tracy, MN, where Evelyn worked in the cafeteria for the St. Mary’s Catholic School for several years. She began cleaning homes in Tracy around 1970 and continued to do so until 2001, when she retired.
Evelyn was a member of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Tracy and was active in the church women’s groups and served as a Eucharistic minister for many years. She was also a member of the Westbrook VFW Auxiliary and enjoyed quilting and spending time with her children and their families.
In April of 2004 she became a resident of the Prairie View Healthcare Center in Tracy where she died Monday, November 26, 2007 at the age of 91.
Evelyn is survived by her two sons, Bruce (Ellen) Thoma of Walnut Grove, MN and Lynn Thoma of Tracy, MN; three daughters, Dianne Reck of Redwood Falls, MN, Gwen Thoma of Tracy, MN and Debbie (Thor) Kaardal of Redwood Falls, MN; eight grandchildren; four great grandchildren; one great great granddaughter; one sister-in-law, Evelyn Stephens of Redwood Falls, MN; nieces, nephews and cousins.
Her husband, Elston, parents, one great grandson, Nathan Whalen, two brothers, Edward and Ralph Corcoran, and one sister, Margaret Von Mosch preceded her in death.
Interment was at the Calvary Cemetery in Tracy. The Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy handled the arrangements.