Fredrick "Fred" J. Festler, 84 year old resident of Little Falls, passed away Feb. 22, 2021 at his home with family near him. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021 at St. Mary's Catholic Church at 10:30 a.m., with Father Mark Botzet officiating. A visitation will take place from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church prior to the mass. Burial will take place at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery north of Little Falls. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the family. Fred was born on a small family farm in 1936 and grew up in the Northfield area, until his parents bought a resort business in the Park Rapids and later Walker area in northern Minnesota....

Vernon A. Heinen, age 85, of Sartell, passed away on Sunday, February 14, 2021 at Wealshire of Medina from complications due to Covid-19. To keep others safe and healthy a private immediate family service celebrating Vernon's life will take place at the Assumption Cemetery Mausoleum in St. Cloud on Thursday, February 18, 2021. Father Ron Weyrens will officiate. Vernon was born on October 17, 1935 in Clear Lake, Minnesota to Henry and Emma (Imholte) Heinen. He attended Clear Lake Country School and graduated from Technical High School in 1953. After high school he completed his electrical degree at Dunwoody Institute of Technology in Minneapolis. Vernon married LaVonne P. Peterson on...

Dotha (Dotty) Swan passed away Feb. 10, 2021 in Ft. Myers, Florida, from complications of pancreatic cancer. During her 18-month illness, and through the transition to a new life, she lived with remarkable faith, grace and peace. She was especially grateful for the abundant prayers and outreach by so many friends during this period. Her life is celebrated with thankfulness by her surviving family, including husband, Lee, and their five children: Kevin, David, Sarah (Swan-McDonald), Stephen, and Ellyn (Koenig), along with 11 grandchildren. Dotty was born in Madison Wisconsin on Oct. 4, 1938. Raised as a single child with loving parents, Walter and Esther Kalsow, she attended Verona,...

Teresa R. Pittman, 56, of Kilkenny passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 9 2021 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital surrounded by her loving family. Teresa (Redfield) was born Nov. 22, 1964 in Faribault to David and Betty (Helgeson) Redfield. Teresa graduated from Faribault High School in 1983. She then married Norman Amiot and started her caretaking career at the state hospital, which later moved to a group home and she had two children (Alyssa and Tyler). She later divorced Norman and switched careers to a custodian at Carleton College, where she has been working since. On May 20, 2004, she married Mark Pittman and started building a new life for herself. Teresa was so proud of her well maintained...

Sharon Lee Meschke Buscho, 81, was born on March 31, 1939 to Chester (Chet) & Evelyne Meschke in Faribault, MN. She was raised on the family farm half a mile east of Morristown, MN along with her brother. She asked Jesus into her heart as a teenager and lived a life that honored the Lord. She graduated in 1957 from Morristown High School. She attended Mankato Commercial College for a 6 month stenographer course. She married her high school sweetheart, James (Jim) Buscho on December 20, 1957 at First Baptist Church in Morristown. They moved to El Paso, TX right after marrying, where Jim was stationed for 2 years in the US Army. She worked at Center Transportation as a receptionist on...

Reiny, 79, passed away peacefully on Feb. 4, 2021 in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Reiny was born in Chicago, Illinois on Sept. 18, 1941 to Reinhold and Annamarie (Stavenhagen) Schmidt. He was preceded in death by both of his parents, infant brother Rudolph, sisters Helene "Dolly" Mack-Groh and Lydia Meredith. He leaves behind three children, David Schmidt, Christine Pape (Schmidt) with Stanley Nixon, and Derek Schmidt with Angela Ngo. He also leaves five grandchildren, Anna, Benjamin, Katarina, Julianna, and Jacob, and niece Deanna Brightwell (Mack) with Bill and nephew Art Mack with Karen. He will be missed by so many he befriended, so many who befriended him, and a multitude of adopted...

Donald F. Johnson, age 78, of Woodbury, passed away from complications of Lewy Body Dementia on February 3, 2021. Donald was an Honorary Member of the Apostle Island Yacht Club, Past Member of the 3M Car Club and Guardian Angels Church Mens' Club. Donald was also 30 + year employee of 3M, IT Division. He is preceded in death by his parents, Donald and Edna Mae Johnson. Donald is survived by his Wife, Judith; Children, Michael Johnson, Richard Johnson, Donald (Isabel) Friedges, Laura (Steve Rositzki) Friedges, and Robert (Jen) Friedges; Grandchildren, Abigail, Natasha, Nicholas and Jacob Friedges; Sister, Darlene Bridley; Brothers, James (Linda) Johnson and Gerald (Arlene) Johnson; and...

Evelyn Kletschka Catanese from Ellenton, FL passed away on February 3, 2021. Evelyn was born on May 13, 1925 to Roy and Viola Leslie. She married Kenny Kletschka in 1944 until his death in 1978. She married Dominic Catanese on September 24, 1987. Evelyn is survived by three sons, Robert(Laura), Rex, Paul, and one daughter,Susie, step children Sam(Lisa), Kathleen (Chuck), 25 grandchildren, sister Alta(Lloyd) Holling, sister Ruth Mueller and brother Jimmy Leslie. She is preceded in death by her husbands Kenny Kletschka and Dominic Catanese, sons Randy and Ricky Kletschka, grandson Jordan Kletschka and daughter-in-laws Donna Kletschka and Denise Kletschka, 2 brothers and 2 sister. There will be...

Thomas J Jeffrey, 78, formerly of St Peter, Minnesota, died peacefully of cancer at his home in Charter House Retirement Living, Rochester, Minnesota on February 2, 2021. Tom was born in Windom, Minnesota, stationed in Italy and with the Minnesota National Guard for his military service, and received degrees from Worthington Junior Collage and Mankato State College where he taught industrial arts at the experimental Wilson Campus School. Tom, Sally and Sam lived in St Peter for many years where they served as a foster family and where Tom worked as assistant manager with Standard Lumber Company. Tom returned to education later in life when the family relocated to Virginia and Tom...

Betty Jean (Tollefson) Malling age 76 of Pfugerville, Texas died suddenly and unexpectedly Sunday January 31, 2021. Betty was born January 7, 1945 in Waseca, Minnesota to Arvid and Adalyne Tollefson. Betty was raised in Waseca where she attended Sacred Heart Catholic School, graduating with the class of 1963. While in High School she was very involved with all school activities and was mostly remembered as a High School Cheerleader. Following High School Betty furthered her education through college and graduated first with a nurse's degree, followed by earning a master's in administration. For the next five decades Betty worked in some capacity as a nurse or as a nurse's administrator....

Dick's life journey ended peacefully on January 29th, 2021 in his home surrounded by his family. He was preceded in death by his wife Jean. Born August 1, 1935 in Minneapolis, Dick was the eldest of 6 children, Tom, Harry (Darlene), Henrietta O'Keefe, Joe, and Rita (Kip) Fellon. As a young man, he worked as a plumber with his father before heading off to college at the University of Minnesota to become an engineer. He met Jean Marie Bailey in Owatonna, MN and after college they married and spent 57 years together. Dick was proud of his many years at 3M where he built a successful career and cultivated lifelong friendships. His 3M career took him, and his family, around the world and helped...

Dorothy Caroline Kleeberger Simpson was born at home on Aug. 28, 1937 in Northfield. She was born to Caroline Alma (Sandmann) and Levern Frances Kleeberger. She graduated from Northfield High School and holds a BA from the University of Montana in Missoula. She was preceded in death by her brothers Robert and; Donald and her sister Ruth Juan Crane, 3 nephews Jerry Kleeberger, John Crane, Richard Crane and; niece Teresa Avery. Also, her husband Russell Simpson and their son Jerry Simpson. She is survived by her daughter Susan Wortman, and her favorite son in law Richard Wortman, and her dear friend Gary Barker. She also leaves behind her cat Trouble. She looks forward to greeting the many...

Boyd passed away from natural causes of old age and complications from Parkinson's Disease. He was born in Albion, Maine and enlisted in the U.S. Navy after high school graduation, serving two years during WWII. He then earned a degree in poultry science and agricultural education from the University of Maine, Orono and a master's degree in farm management from the University of Minnesota. He moved to MN in 1950 to establish a G.I. on-the-farm training program for Waseca area veterans. He often said he learned more from the farmers than they learned from him. He went on to teach at the Southern School of Agriculture in Waseca and agribusiness courses at the University of MN Waseca until...