Patricia “Pat” Buzzell, 78

 

Patricia Claire “Pat” Buzzell, age 78, of St. Cloud died on Thursday, January 10, 2013 at the St. Cloud Hospital surrounded by her loving family.

Pat was born on March 4, 1934 in Michigan Township, Nelson County, North Dakota to John and Emma (Holtz) Reineke. She graduated from high school in Michigan Township in 1952. She was united in marriage to Donald E. Buzzell on June 27, 1953 at St. Olaf’s Catholic Church in Minneapolis. Pat worked as a waitress and cashier for many years and was employed at Burger King at the time of her retirement. She was a very religious and caring person during her days on earth. She was a faithful and active member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church. She was also active with the St. Cloud Bishop Zardetti Knights of Columbus Council #5548 Ladies Auxiliary and with the American Legion Auxiliary where she was past president in Tracy, Minnesota. Pat was a past member and president of the Catholic Daughters of America and a dearly loved regular attendee of the Whitney Senior Center.

She is survived by her husband of almost 60 years, Donald; son, Michael John of Brooklyn Park; daughters, Debra (Tom) Greenfield of Tracy, Dr. Dawn Marie Buzzell (John Mealey III) of McLean, Virginia, Reina A. (Robert) Olson of Brooklyn Park; five grandchildren, Kimberly (Greg) Seaton, Kandi (Emmanuel) Aguinaga, Rebecca Olson, John Donald and Michael Benjamin Mealey; five great grandchildren, Taylor, Tristan and Tucker Varpness, Emmanuel Aguinaga, Liam Patrick Kragness; two great-great grandchildren, Wyatt and Avery Varpness; future grandson, Christopher Kragness; future great granddaughter, Amanda Labat; three sisters, Tracy Miller, Josephine Hankel and Margaret Berdahl; and many nieces, nephews and good friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, William, John Jr., James; sisters, Helen, Agnes, Mary; and infant brothers and sister, Alois, unnamed brother and Patricia Claire.

Services are not planned at this time. A Memorial Mass in Pat’s honor will be held at St. Peter’s Catholic Church later in the summer. Private burial will take place at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis. Pat loved the sisters of Poor Clares Monastery for their prayers. Memorials in memory of Pat should be directed to the Poor Clares at 421 4th Street South, Sauk Rapids, MN 56379.

 

Wayne Fry, 90

 

Wayne L. Fry, age 90 of Tracy, MN, formerly of San Francisco, CA, died Friday, January 11, 2013 at the Prairie View Healthcare Center in Tracy, MN.   A funeral service was held Monday, January 14, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.  Interment was held in the Richland Township Cemetery near Inwood, IA at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 15, 2013.  The Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy handled the arrangements.

Online condolences may be placed at www.almliefh.com

Wayne Lyle Fry was born October 6, 1922 to Alvin and Irene (Helgerson)  Fry in Inwood, IA, Lyon County.  He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith and attended country school near Inwood.  He then attended Washington High School in Sioux Falls, SD.  Wayne graduated from George High School, in George, IA as Valedictorian of the class of 1940. 

He then attended St. Olaf College before enlisting for military service.  He served in the U.S. Army from 1943 until 1945 in the military police at Fort Worth, TX.  Upon receiving his honorable discharge Wayne returned to college at the University of Minnesota and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Botany in 1945.  He went on to receive his PH. D. at Cornell University in New York in 1952.  During those years he was part of the Cornell-Glasgow Exchange Fellowship from 1951 through 1952 in Glasgow, Scotland.  After he got his PH. D. Wayne became a professor of Biology and Paleobotany at the University of California-Berkeley, where he remained until his retirement in 1989.  Over the years he took part in the Ottawa Geological Survey in Ottawa, Canada from1953-1957, was a delegate to the International Geological Conference in New Delhi, India in 1963, and was part of the National Science Foundation from 1967-1969, as its coordinator for foreign activities and education, which took him to India, Japan and Turkey.  He was a visiting professor in Johannesburg, South Africa, at Cornell University and Harvard University and took part in geological survey fieldwork in British Columbia, Canada and at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.

Wayne was a member of the Church of the Advent of Christ the King in San Francisco, CA, where he lived for 54 years.  He enjoyed stamp collecting, cobalt glassware, motorcycles, the opera, wining and dining, and traveling the world. 

As his health failed him, he became a resident of the Prairie Home Hospice in Marshall, MN, so as to be near his remaining family.   In October of 2011, he moved to the Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Balaton, MN, where he died on Friday, January 11, 2013 at the age of 90.

Wayne is survived by his sister, Lois Staufacker of Tracy, MN; two nephews, Steven (Pauline) Staufacker of Rapid City, SD and Craig (Mary) Staufacker of Garvin, MN; three nieces, Kristi (Ron) Krause of Lake Benton, MN, Janine (Steve Albrecht) Staufacker of Maplewood, MN and Kerry (Chris) Harrelson of Columbia, SC and their families; Jim Mullay and Curt Chandler of Henderson, NV, all his Twin Peaks friends in San Francisco, CA and the many friends within the Church of the Advent Community.

His parents, brother-in-law, Glennis Staufacker and many dear friends preceded him in death.