Bierman Funeral Home

Lisa Marie Gieseke, 60, of Northfield, passed away on January 20, 2025 at Northfield Hospital. Lisa Marie Gieseke was born on July 3, 1964 to Lorenz & Evelyn (Roth) Gieseke at the Arlington MN hospital. She had emergency baptism that same day by Pastor Rosenau. Lisa attended the Sibley DAC from ages 6-13 and her beloved teacher was Mrs. Raiter. In November of 1977, Lisa started school at Laura Baker in Northfield. She loved her time in Northfield and all the staff loved her. Later she worked at EPIC putting components together. She was involved in Special Olympics and she earned awards in bowling, throwing softball and running. Lisa loved M & M's and when you visited her, she...

Royce Merlin Code, 70, of Claremont, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, January 19, 2025, at his home. Survived by his brother, Lyndon (Bonnie) Code of Northfield; niece, Lynn (Russell) Lemke; nephew, Jay (Grace) Code; great nieces, Brittney, Brandi, Bridgette, Stena; great nephews, Avery and Gaven; and cousins, Harvey (Jill) Degen, Myron Hanson and Beverly Acker. He was preceded in death by his parents, Aylmer and Janice (Cheney); and cousin, Dwight Degen. Funeral services will be held at 11 AM, Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at Little Prairie United Methodist Church, 2980 130th Street East 2980 130th Street East Dundas, MN 55019. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the...

Randy Toepper, age 71, of Northfield passed away at Three Links Care Center on 1/18/25 after an long struggle with dementia. Randy would prefer, however, to be remembered for his zest for life, shown thru his love of family, sports, and the great outdoors. Randy was born on June 16, 1953, to Orville and Delores (Heyer) Toepper, in St. Paul Minnesota. Randy met his wife, Pamela Bongers in 1991, when they joined their lives and enjoyed 34 years together. Randy graduated from St. Paul Johnson High School in 1972 And from St. Paul Vocational Technical School in 1974, as a Carpenter. He started his own business, Toepper Construction, and ran this business for many years. He went to work for the...

Judy Johnson, longtime resident of Maple Plain, passed away January 9 at age 82 at Three Links Care Center in Northfield, MN. Visitation with Judy's family will be on Saturday, March 8, at 10 am at Christ Lutheran Church in Maple Plain. A service celebrating Judy's life will start at 11:30 am, with a luncheon to follow. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association or the American Diabetes Association. Arrangements are with the Bierman, Benson, & Langehough Funeral Home of Northfield. www.northfieldfuneral.com

Rita Matlock, age 74, of Northfield, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at her home, surrounded by family. A memorial service will be held at 11 AM, Thursday, January 23, 2025, at Hosanna Lutheran Church in Dundas. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church and reception will follow the service at the Eagle's Club in Northfield. www.northfieldfuneral.com

John Allen Ferguson - better known as "Ferg" to his friends, students, and colleagues- died peacefully on January 5, 2025, at the Benedictine Living Community in Northfield, MN, from the effects of Lewy Body Dementia. An acclaimed organist, choral conductor, composer, and teacher, John was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 1963, and completed a Master's of Music at Kent State University in 1965. He was then hired by Kent State as a faculty member, and became the associate organist at Kent's United Church of Christ. He went on to complete a DMA at the Eastman School of Music between 1967 and 1976, while also teaching full time. ...

Diane Beumer, age 75 of Northfield, passed away peacefully, with her family by her side, on Sunday morning, January 5, 2025, at Three Links Care Center. Diane Cecilia Beumer was born May 6, 1949, in Faribault, Minnesota, to Leo and Lillian (Cyr) Barry. She was raised in Albert Lea, graduating from Albert Lea High School in 1967. Following her education she lived in the Twin Cities while working for NorthWest Bank, later transferring to Northfield. On September 4, 1971, Diane married Wayne Beumer at St Theodore Catholic Church in Albert Lea. Diane dedicated her early years to raising her children as a loving and devoted stay-at-home mom. During tax seasons, she worked at Reese, Winter, and...

Darlene Joyce (Heilman) Abdella, age 90, passed away peacefully on January 5, 2025. Darlene was born on September 20, 1934, in Freeport, Illinois, to Howard J. And Alinda G. (Kilker) Heilman. On June 14, 1958, Darlene was united in marriage to Wayne John Abdella. Together they made their home in and served congregations in South Haven, Bloomington, St. Paul/Maplewood and Crystal/Golden Valley, Minnesota, before retiring to Northfield. Darlene was a loving wife, beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, musician and teacher. She dedicated her life to Jesus Christ, her family, her students and the congregations she and Wayne served. Darlene's nurturing spirit and strong sense...

John Ferguson, age 83 of Northfield, died Sunday, January 5, 2025 at Benedictine Living Community. Pending arrangements by Bierman, Benson & Langehough Funeral Home & Crematory www.northfieldfuneral.com. (504) 645-4153.

Sue Collen, age 78, passed away unexpectedly with her family by her side on Thursday afternoon, January 2, 2025, at the Northfield Hospital. Sue Ellen (McCurdy) Collen was born March 3, 1946, in Bagley, Minnesota, to Robert W. and Lorraine (Furuseth) McCurdy. She was raised in Park Rapids and graduated from Park Rapids High School in 1964. Following her education she remained in Park Rapids until moving to Naperville, Illinois, in 1986. In Naperville, Sue worked at Mill Street Dental and Morgan Stanley. On July 13, 1996, Sue married Ronald C. Collen at Lake Belle Taine near Nevis, Minnesota. After marriage they made their home in Naperville until moving to Northfield in 2004. Sue was a...

Joan Halvorson, a longtime resident of Northfield, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on January 1, 2025. She was born on July 9, 1931, in Shakopee, Minnesota, to Emma Krueger and Ralph Warner. The family later moved to Saint Peter, where Joan graduated from high school. She continued her education at Gustavus Adolphus College, where she was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority and studied Music and English, laying the foundation for her future career in music education. In 1953, Joan married Dr. David Cecil Halvorson, the love of her life. Together, they raised their four children (Mark, Eric, Kari and Lisa) in Northfield, where Joan dedicated herself to both her family and her community. She...

Joan Halvorson, a longtime resident of Northfield, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on January 1, 2025. She was born on July 9, 1931, in Shakopee, Minnesota, to Emma Krueger and Ralph Warner. The family later moved to Saint Peter, where Joan graduated from high school. She continued her education at Gustavus Adolphus College, where she was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority and studied Music and English, laying the foundation for her future career in music education. In 1953, Joan married Dr. David Cecil Halvorson, the love of her life. Together, they raised their four children (Mark, Eric, Kari and Lisa) in Northfield, where Joan dedicated herself to both her family and her community. She...

James (Jim) Edward Mangan, age 71 of Northfield, had the audacity to leave us on December 31, 2024 after a short but courageous battle with cancer. Jim was born on July 21, 1953 to John and Joanelle (Wise) Mangan. He grew up outside of Chicago alongside his 3 beloved siblings - his older brother John, younger sister Jamie and younger brother Jerry. When he was in eighth grade, he met his future soulmate and wife Mara (Burke) Mangan at a classmate's graduation party. On December 31st, 1985, 39 years to the day of his passing, Jim and Mara crossed paths again in an alley while running errands. Jim asked Mara if they could get together in the New Year, and the rest is history. On June 13, 1987,...

Milton Dale Livingood, age 88, of Northfield, formerly of Rochester, had his faith turned to sight and went to his eternal home on Sunday, Dec. 29th, 2024. Milton was born to Kenneth and Mildred (Johnson) Livingood in Postville, IA on March 16th, 1936. He attended elementary school in Postville, IA and Lenora, MN and finished high school in Canton, MN. During those years, he played football, basketball and baseball. He graduated from Canton High School in 1954. He enlisted in the United States Army and spent most of his 2 years at Fort Benning, GA. In the fall of 1957, he attended Winona State and earned a B.S. Elementary Education degree in 1961. He got a teaching job with the Burnsville,...

Berit Anfinson, age 86, passed away with her family by her side on Sunday, December 29, 2024, at Three Links Care Center. Berit Liv Anfinson was born on December 2, 1938, to Sigmund Nordanger and Lillian (Oakland) in Oslo, Norway. As an infant, Berit moved with her mother to St. Paul, Minnesota, where she was raised. In 1956, she graduated from Wilson High School and began working for Minnesota Mutual Insurance Company as a secretary. On January 31, 1959, she married Robert James Anfinson at Jehovah Lutheran Church in St. Paul. After marriage, the couple farmed in Greenvale Township outside Northfield on the family farm, purchasing their own farm in 1964. Over the years Berit worked...

Milton Dale Livingood, age 88, of Northfield, formerly of Rochester, had his faith turned to sight and went to his eternal home on Sunday, Dec. 29th, 2024. Milton was born to Kenneth and Mildred (Johnson) Livingood in Postville, IA on March 16th, 1936. He attended elementary school in Postville, IA and Lenora, MN and finished high school in Canton, MN. During those years, he played football, basketball and baseball. He graduated from Canton High School in 1954. He enlisted in the United States Army and spent most of his 2 years at Fort Benning, GA. In the fall of 1957, he attended Winona State and earned a B.S. Elementary Education degree in 1961. He got a teaching job with the...

Berit Anfinson, age 86, of Northfield, passed away Sunday, December 29, 2024. vbCr Arrangements by Bierman, Beckstrand & Langehough Funeral Home, 507-645-4153. www.northfieldfuneral.com

Elaine Zobel, age 102, passed away peacefully, with her grandson Joel by her side, on Saturday morning, December 28, 2024, at the Northfield Hospital. Elaine Dora DePauw was born May 6, 1922, in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Howard and Alma (Dunst) DePauw. In 1940, she graduated from Washington High School and went on to attend Rasmussen Business College. Following her education, she worked as a secretary at West Publishing and Telex Communications. On Valentine's Day 1946, Elaine married Stanford Clyde Splettstoeszer and they made their home in Howard Lake. Elaine worked as the Howard Lake City Clerk, for the City Attorney and for an implement dealer before the family moved to Litchfield. ...

Joyce Fay Skaar, age 75, of Dundas, Minnesota, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, December 27, 2024, at her home. Born on November 23, 1949, in Blue Earth, Minnesota, to Gordon and Leona (Ehrich) Harpestad, Joyce brought warmth, kindness, and joy to everyone fortunate enough to know her. At the age of four, she and her family moved to Wells, Minnesota, where she spent her formative years. A graduate of Wells-Easton High School in 1967, Joyce's joyful spirit and compassion defined her journey through life. On October 16, 1971, she married her soulmate, Lee Skaar, in Wells. Their enduring partnership became the cornerstone of a family rooted in love and devotion. Together, they began their...