Obituaries from the week of October 16, 2013
Howard Enderson, 91
Howard Enderson age 91 of
Tracy, MN died Tuesday, October 15, 2013 at the Sanford-Sioux Valley Medical
Center in Sioux Falls, SD. Services
are pending at this time. The Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy is handling the
arrangements. Please direct
inquiries to the funeral home.
Online condolences may be placed at www.almliefh.com.
Al
Al Greenfield age 87 of Tracy passed away surrounded
by his family on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux
Falls. Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 12 at
Tracy Lutheran Church. Interment was in Tracy Cemetery. Online
condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com. Stephens Funeral Service - Tracy Area Funeral
Home assisted the family with arrangements.
Al Greenfield was born March 7, 1926 near Balaton,
Minnesota to Albert and Fannie (Sonius) Greenfield. He was baptized and
confirmed in the Christian faith. He received his education in country
school. Al served his country in the US Army; he enlisted on December 11,
1944 and received his honorable discharge on March 13, 1947. During his
service, he received the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Philippine Liberation
Ribbon, Word War II Victory Medal, and the Army of Occupation Medal.
On April 18, 1946 Al married Blanche Walden and to
this union 5 children were born: Lenny, Lilia, Loren, Linda, and Larry.
Al later married JoAnn Popp on February 12, 1966 at Tracy Lutheran
Church. Together they had 3 children: Mychael, Jason, and Denis. Al
worked as an auto mechanic first at Tri-County Coop, and then out of his own
garage in his later years. He owned, collected, and loved working on
Corvairs – cars were his passion. Al had pride and self-confidence
in fixing vehicles. He was a member of the Tracy VFW, Cooties (a
VFW service branch), and Tracy Lutheran Church. Al was a faithful Red
Cross blood donor having donated 17 gallons. He enjoyed gardening and
doing lawn work, fishing, going to casinos and gambling, and watching the
Minnesota Twins. Al loved all kitties, especially Sparky. He had a
special talent with children; he loved them all and they loved him. Al
was a chocoholic and always had candy. He loved visiting with family and
friends over coffee, cookies, and a game of cribbage.
Al is survived by his wife JoAnn Greenfield of Tracy; children: Lenny (Marv) Becker of Garvin, Lilia (Lonnie) Horner of Tracy, Loren (Marilyn) of Galesburg, IL, Linda (Paul) Collins of Las Vegas, NV, Larry (Cathy) of Fonda, IA, Mychael (Shirley) of Marshall, Jason (Jennifer Luettel) of Lake Crystal, and Denis (Theresa) of Webster City, IA. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; 4 great-great-grandchildren; sister Helen Towne of Garvin; and many other relatives and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, sisters Edna Henkel and Joyce Popowski, brothers Norman and Wally Greenfield, and granddaughters Erin and Lindsey Greenfield.
Kenneth
Kenneth S. Knutson age 92 of Tracy, MN died Tuesday,
October 8, 2013 at the Prairie View Healthcare Center in Tracy. A
memorial service will be held 11:00 AM Saturday, October 19, 2013 at Tracy
Lutheran Church. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the
church on the day of service. A luncheon will be served immediately
following the service. Interment will be held at a later date. The Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy is handling the
arrangements.
Online condolences may be placed at www.almliefh.com
Kenneth Sigurd Knutson was
born December 21, 1920 to Casper and Sarah (Hogan) Knutson in La Crosse, WI.
His father died when he was two years old and his mother married his
father’s brother, Melvin Knutson. He was baptized and confirmed in the
Christian faith and attended La Crosse High School, graduating in 1938.
He then enrolled in Luther College in Decorah, IA and was there for two
years before he entered into military service in 1941. Ken served in the
U.S. Airforce as a tailgunner in a bomber during WWII, serving over seas in Italy, until his honorable
discharge in 1943.
After his time in service, Ken returned to Minnesota
and played semi-pro baseball in International Falls, MN and worked in the paper
mill there. He then returned to college at Gustavus Adolphus in St. Peter, MN, where he graduated in 1950
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education. On March 3, 1951 Ken married
Joanne Tillman in Minneapolis, MN. He got his first teaching job in
Baudette, MN and they made their home their until 1955, when they moved to
Tracy, MN.
He taught mostly geography and history in the Tracy
High School for 29 years before retiring. During his years of teaching
Ken also coached football and baseball at Tracy High School. He enjoyed
playing town team baseball and was a pitcher both in Baudette and with the
Tracy Engineers. He once pitched a perfect game for the Baudette team.
Ken also enjoyed watching other sports, keeping up on news around the
world, and pheasant hunting.
In March of 2013 Ken became a resident of the Prairie
View Healthcare Center in Tracy, where he died Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at the
age of 92. Upon his death, Ken had willed his body to the Mayo Hospital
in Rochester, MN for what he hoped would further more education.
Kenneth is survived by his wife, Joanne Knutson of
Tracy, MN; one son, Kim Knutson of St. Paul, MN; two daughters, Jodi (Pat)
Lynch of Denver, CO and Leslie (Mike) Downing of West Palm Beach, FL; ten
grandchildren, Cole, Sara, Jean and Anna Knutson, Nate Halverson, Lauren,
Christopher, and Meghan Lynch, Justin Haverkate, and
Marisa Bateman; one great grandson, Kenneth Haverkate;
nieces, nephews and friends.
His son, Joseph Knutson, his parents, and one brother, Raymond Knutson preceded him in death.
Doris
Doris J. Lessman age 78 of Tracy, MN died Thursday,
October 10, 2013 at the Prairie View Healthcare Center in Tracy. Services were held at 2:00 p.m. Monday,
October 14, 2013 at the Tracy United Methodist Church. Interment
was in the Bethel Cemetery, rural Garvin, MN, with a luncheon served
immediately following the graveside service, in the church social hall. The Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy handled
the arrangements.
Doris Jane Lessman was born September 13, 1935 to Cleo
and Martha (Bott) Willhite on the family farm in Holly Township, near Walnut
Grove, MN, Redwood County. She was
baptized and confirmed in the Walnut Grove United Methodist Church and attended
Walnut Grove Public Schools, graduating from Walnut Grove High School in 1954. As a young woman, Doris worked for Tracy
Hospital and began her nursing training while she worked there.
On August 13, 1960, Doris married Warner “Fritz”
Lessman at the Walnut Grove United Methodist Church and they made their home in
Tracy, MN. She continued her
training as she worked at Tracy Hospital, and then attended Mankato State
College where she received her Licensed Practical Nursing degree. She then continued working at Tracy
Hospital, until the new hospital was built and the old hospital became Tracy
Nursing Home, she then worked there until she retired in 1992 after nearly
forty years of nursing within the community of Tracy.
Doris was a past member of the Walnut Grove United
Methodist Church and a current member of the Tracy United Methodist
Church. She was a dedicated member
of the Tracy VFW and Tracy American Legion Auxiliaries, holding many state and
local office positions. She was
also was a member of the Degree Of Honor Lodge for over fifty years. She enjoyed and was a long standing
supporter of Scrapper/Panther athletics, playing games with her children and
grandchildren, especially, the “Sorry” marble game and Kings-In-The Corner card
game, and was an avid Twins and Vikings fan.
In 2003, Doris moved into the O’Brien Court Apartments
in Tracy. In 2012, she became a
resident of the Prairie View Healthcare Center in Tracy, where she died
Thursday, October 10, 2013 at the age of 78.
Doris is survived by her one daughter, Jeri (Keith)
Schons of Tracy, MN; two sons, Jeff (Karla) Lessman of Omaha, NE and Thad
(LuAnn) Lessman of Tracy, MN; eight grandchildren, Josh( Heather), James,
Kylie, and Jadyn Lessman, Nick, and Tori Schons, Kristi (Kyle) Spears, and
Kaitlyn (Jay) Bergmann; four great grandchildren, Ben, Naomi, Isaac and Lilly;
two brothers, Gary (Lynn) Willhite of Crookston, MN and Greg (Rita) Willhite of
Hanover, MN; nieces, nephews and friends.
Her husband, Warner “Fritz” Lessman, her parents, Cleo and Martha Willhite, two sisters, Donna Lovejoy and Betty Willhite preceded her in death. |