Litchfield Independent Review

Mary Jane Angeline Arens passed away at Eastwood Senior Living in Mora, Minnesota on August 30th, 2022. She was 90 years old. Mary was born on her family farm near Kingston, Minnesota on June 7th, 1932, to Lydia and Edward Merila. She and her siblings went to school in Kingston. By third grade, Mary was encouraged to speak English instead of Finnish. She graduated from Litchfield High School in 1950. Mary Jane married Robert Arens in 1952. They spent time in Kansas while Bob was in the army and Mary worked in retail during that time. They also lived in Minneapolis for a short time before moving to a farm in Kingston where she was lucky to have spent 67 years. They raised two children,...

Richard D. "Dick" King, age 74, of New Ulm, died Wednesday, February 2, 2022 at the New Ulm Medical Center. Funeral Service will be 11 am on Friday, March 25, 2022 at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home - NORTH Chapel in New Ulm, with Pastor Timothy Anderson officiating. Burial with full military honors accorded by the New Ulm Area Comrades of Valor Honor Guard will follow in the New Ulm City Cemetery - Soldier's Rest Section. Visitation will be from 9:30 am until the time of service Friday at the funeral home. To leave an online condolence for the family, or to sign the guestbook, please visit: www.mvfh.org Richard Dale King was born on January 19, 1948 in Minneapolis to Ellsworth and...

Peter Bradley Ackerman, 42, passed away unexpectedly at home on Friday, October 29, 2021. Brad was born on August 5th, 1979, to Peter J. and Ruth (Snegosky) Ackerman. He attended Litchfield High School where he excelled at wrestling. He earned a scholarship and went on to wrestle at Moorhead State University. Upon his graduation in 2002, he went to work for Cold Spring Granite. In 2003 he and Mariah Parker were married and started a life together. On April 24th, 2005, their son Logan Peter Ackerman was born. They moved to Kasson, MN and Brad started working for Foldcraft where he was a Corporate Operations Manager. Mariah, the love of his life passed away in 2011. Brad was a hard-working...

Steven Rueben Kirsch, 64, loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, of complications following transplant surgery. During his life, Steve found his greatest joy spending time with family and friends, who enjoyed his quick wit and kind spirit. He faced life's many challenges with courage, faith, and strength. Steve was born July 30, 1956, to Rueben and Lorraine (Olson) Kirsch and grew up in Two Harbors, MN. He graduated from North Dakota State University and met his wife, Janelle, on the tri-college bus. The two married on September 12, 1981, and lived the past 30 years in Kasson, MN. Steve worked as a structural engineer for MnDOT in...

John W. Foss was born in Hutchinson, Minnesota on February 13, 1933. He grew up in a large family with nine siblings in Litchfield, Minnesota. He began his remarkable military career when he enlisted in the Minnesota National Guard's 136th Infantry Regiment in April 1950. He transferred to active duty as an infantryman in 1951, received an appointment to the United States Military Academy, and then was commissioned in the infantry in 1956. While at Ft. Benning for Infantry and Ranger training, he met his beloved wife Gloria, who preceded him in passing in 2016. They married in 1957 and shortly after, began their first of many overseas tours in Germany. There they had their first child,...

Joyce passed away peacefully on March 1, 2020 at the age of 96. She was born in Watkins, MN on October 6, 1923 and grew up on the family farm in Forest City, MN. Joyce is preceded in death by her parents, Albert Ewald and Lillian Shoutz Dollerschell and brother, Orville Dollerschell. She is survived by: sons, Earl (Nina Todd) Hanson and Eric Hanson; daughter, Susan Coleman; brothers, Dale (Floy) Dollerschell and Allen (Marcia) Dollerschell; grandchildren, Sean (Bridget) Walsh and Meredith (Jordan) Smith; great grandchildren, Schyler and Saylor Smith, as well as 16 nieces and nephews. Always industrious and hard working. Joyce worked as a secretary and administrative assistant, retiring...

Bonnie Mae Nelson, age 80 of Buffalo, Minnesota, passed away January 24, 2020. She was born on July 31, 1939 to Osborne and Beatrice (Shogren) Nelson and attended high school in Atwater. Following her graduation from Atwater, she moved to Minneapolis to begin her career at Prudential. Bonnie had an independent and adventurous spirit; she loved to travel and take on new experiences. After living in Minneapolis, she decided to move to Hawaii, then Seattle, and finally made her way to her favorite city, Denver. While exploring the world with friends and family, she would take pictures wherever she went. She worked as a photographer, and was known for taking photos at any opportunity she...

Shirley Marilyn Hanson, daughter of Granville and Esther (Turck) Risch, was born on March 27, 1935 in Greenleaf Township, Meeker County, Minnesota. She was baptized April 4, 1935 and confirmed June 12, 1949 at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Litchfield, Minnesota. She attended rural District 94 School through 8th grade and graduated from Litchfield High School in 1951. On August 11, 1956 Shirley was united in marriage to Merle Hanson, also of Litchfield. They lived in Litchfield until 1960 when they moved to Des Moines, Iowa. In 1963 when Merle returned to active duty in the U.S. Army, the family moved to Columbus, Georgia and then Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. For the...