Arlene Mae Ebbinga, 81

Arlene Ebbinga was born on January 11, 1931 on a farm near Iona, Minnesota to Bernard and Mary Dixon Rieman.  She grew up on the family farm and graduated from St. Columba School in 1948.  She then attended Mankato Commercial College in Mankato graduating in 1949.  Arlene then worked as Deputy Registrar for Murray County until 1958.  On August 10, 1957 she and Donald Ebbinga were married at St. Columba Church in Iona, MN.  Following their marriage they made their home in Iona.  Arlene worked as secretary and bookkeeper for Ebbinga Construction and later as bookkeeper for Lyon County Coop. In 1986 they moved to a home on Lake Shetek.  She and Don both retired in 1998. 

Arlene passed away on Monday, October 29, 2012 at the Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD at the age of 81. 

She was a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Currie, MN.  She also was a member of the Iona Catholic Daughters of America and the Sunshine Girls Club in Casa Grande, AZ.  Arlene enjoyed genealogy, quilting, sewing, bread baking, gardening, ballroom and line dancing, bowling, golf and bingo.

Survivors include her husband Donald Ebbinga of Slayton, MN, six children and their spouses, Kim and Doug Hagemeyer of Blaine, MN, Julie and John ”Skinny” Luedeman of Sibley, IA, Mary and Jim Mortland of Marshall, MN, Diane and Troy Diedrich of North Mankato, MN, Karen and Dave Wagley of Brandon, SD, and Alan and Kristi Ebbinga of North Mankato, MN, 17 grandchildren, Scott (Laura) Hagemeyer, Ryan Hagemeyer, Ashley (Brad) Fischer, Chelsea (Michael) Hodapp, Jenna Luedeman, James Mortland, Jenny (Royce) Tuffs, Malia Mortland, Zach Mortland, Courtney Diedrich, Grant Diedrich, Andrew Diedrich, Jordan Wagley, Nicholas Wagley, Natalie Wagley, Allyson Ebbinga, and Kyle Ebbinga, two great-grandchildren, Cooper Fischer and Camden Hodapp. 

She is preceded in death by her parents, one brother, Francis “Claire” Rieman and one sister, Lorraine Rieman. 

Funeral Services were held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Currie, MN on Friday, November 2, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. with Fr. Andrew Vogel officiating.  The organist was Patty LeClaire.  The song leader was Linnea Surprenant.  The pallbearers were her grandchildren.  The honorary pallbearers were her great-grandchildren.  Interment was at Calvary Cemetery Currie, MN.

To send condolences visit totzkefuneralhome.com.  In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the Lake Shetek Area First Responders or the Murray County Ambulance Assn.  Totzke Funeral Home of Slayton is entrusted with arrangements.  

 

Doris Leonard, 90

Doris C. Leonard age 90 of Tracy, formerly of Minneapolis, passed away Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at Sanford Tracy Medical Center as the result of a stroke.  A celebration of life service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 11 at Prairie View Health Care Center.  Burial will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at a later date.  Online condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com.  Stephens Funeral Service - Tracy Area Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Doris C. Leonard was born June 9, 1922 in Minneapolis, MN to Arnie and Selma (Johnson) Ostby.  Doris worked after college in New York and Washington DC. 

In 1945 she met and married Joseph Leonard in New York.  After their marriage they returned to Minneapolis where she continued working and raising a family.  Doris moved to Tracy in 2007 to be close to her daughter and grandchildren.  In the fall of 2011 she moved into Prairie View Healthcare Center where she made many friends, including residents and staff.  The staff gave her the nickname “Giggles”.  Doris enjoyed needlework, spending time with her family, and her cat “Mitsy”.

Doris is survived by her daughter Linda (Dennis) Fultz of Tracy; daughter-in-law Mary Leonard of Brooklyn Park; grandchildren Jay (Sheila) Fultz and Jennifer (Jason) Kainz, both of Tracy; great grandchildren: Nathan and Elizabeth Fultz, and Addison Kainz; brother Bernard (Sylvia) Ostby of Texas; and many other relatives and friends.  She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Joseph, and son Steve Leonard. 

 

William Phelan, 90

William “Bill” E. Phelan age 90 of Currie, MN died Friday, November 2, 2012 at the Prairie View Healthcare Center in Tracy, MN.  Services will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday, November 9, 2012 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Currie.  Visitation will be from 5:00 until 7:00 PM Thursday, November 8, 2012 at the church in Currie, with a rosary at 5:00 PM and a prayer service at 7:00 PM.  Visitation will continue from 9:00 AM until the time of service at the church on Friday morning.  Interment will be in the Calvary Cemetery in Currie, with a luncheon served in the church social hall immediately following the burial.  The Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy is handling the arrangements.

Online condolences may be placed at www.almliefh.com

William “Bill” Edward Phelan was born December 21, 1921 to Francis J. and Brida M. (Kavanaugh) Phelan in Currie, MN, Murray County.  He was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic faith and attended Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in Currie.  After a lengthy bout with Inflammatory Rheumatism that kept him out of school while his mother cared for him, he graduated from I.H.M. High School in June of 1943.  The youngest of five children, he grew up in the concrete block house, built from the Phelan owned Des Moines Cement & Tile Works, across the street from the church.  During his childhood he worked in the theatre in Currie as an usher and later he worked for two grocery stores in town, delivering groceries in his wagon.

Bill moved to the Phelan farm and farmed along with his brother Vincent, and Uncles, William J., Jr. and James his whole life.  In his later years of farming he worked as a hired man for several neighbors.  He retired from farming in 1991, but remained on the farm until the fall of 2006, when he became a resident of Prairie View Healthcare Center in Tracy.

He was a member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Currie and his faith was very important to him.  He unselfishly donated to the missions, following the example set by his mother in doing the same.  Bill enjoyed playing softball in his younger years, and enjoyed fishing, music, local high school sports, watching town team baseball, listening to the Minnesota Twins and watching Vikings Football.  He loved to play the accordion, of which he owned several over the years, and enjoyed playing for family and friends.  Bill also liked to travel, and made many trips with his brother, Vincent to visit their family in other states, as well as, traveling to places such as New Orleans, Colorado, and Thunder Bay, Ontario in Canada.

On Friday, November 2, 2012 Bill died at the Prairie View Healthcare Center at the age of 90, surrounded by friends and family.

Bill is survived by his many nieces, nephews and their families, who cared about him for many years, and many friends. 

His parents, his three brothers, Joseph (Florence) Phelan, Gerald (Flossie) Phelan and Vincent (Alicia) Phelan and one sister, Marie (Loren) Anderson and their spouses preceded him in death.

Blessed be his memory.