Obituaries 12/04/25
Les Dalman, 94
Les Eugene Dalman passed away peacefully at home on November 28, 2025, surrounded by his family.
Les was born in Hasty, MN, on July 14, 1931, to Martin and Agnes (Gjein) Dalman. The family moved to Maple Lake where they ran a chicken hatchery business, which supplied eggs to various businesses, including the St. Cloud Hospital.
He graduated from Maple Lake High School in 1949 as Valedictorian of his class. While in school, he played basketball, the trumpet, including taps for memorial services, had roles in school plays and took pictures of school events and sold them.
He worked many jobs during high school, including some that no longer exist. He was a soda jerk at Ertel’s Drug Store, set pins at the bowling alley, and ran the film projector at the theater. He was an Eagle Scout and was always up for an adventure, such as hopping trains, without a ticket, to the Boy Scout Jamboree in Texas.
Les met Marilyn Aretz at his brother’s wedding. They danced at the wedding and started dating. They danced their way through many local dance halls and also at the Marigold Ballroom in Minneapolis. He was drafted into the United States Army on February 13, 1952, and served as a surveyor, making maps of Germany. While in the service, he was able to visit his ancestral homestead in Norway, skied the Swiss Alps, and saw the Eiffel Tower. This started his love of traveling, which he and Marilyn continued as they toured every state and almost every National Park. He was discharged on January 23, 1954. They were married on August 2, 1954, at St. Timothy’s Church in Maple Lake and lived in Minneapolis.
Les found a job as a cabinet maker at Skaret Cabinetry in Spring Lake Park. They moved back to Maple Lake and then built a home in Buffalo. They carried every board and hammered every nail. Here, they raised three daughters - Anita, Joni, and Terri. Les started his own business, Dalman Cabinets, and was very successful. He enjoyed pointing out houses and businesses where he had installed cabinets. He was especially proud to have worked with a metro architect, and his cabinets were featured in an architecture magazine.
Les and Marilyn were married for 62 years before she passed away on December 28, 2016.
Les was blessed to find a new love with Marge Pavlik. Together, they also enjoyed dancing, going out to eat, and especially reminiscing about friends, family, and the good old days in Maple Lake. They especially enjoyed watching Molly B and Daniel O’Donnell on TV on Saturday evenings.
Les was a member of the Buffalo Lions, a Charter member of the St. Francis Xavier Knights of Columbus, and a proud member of Buffalo American Legion Post 270 where he served as Commander and a member of the Honor Guard.
He is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Marilyn (Aretz) Dalman; siblings and their spouses, Hazel (Dalman) Schut, Sylvia Dalman, Millie Philbin (Tommy), Vernon Dalman (Phyllis), Harvey Dalman (Elsie), and Kenny Dalman (Lu); and sister-in-law, Nora Dalman.
He is survived by Marge Pavlik; his daughters, Anita (Kevin) Underberg, Joni, and Terri (Kenny) Klingelhoets; his grandchildren, Jackie (Toby) Heinz, April Kiernan, Mindi Lloyd (fiancé, Nick Schimming), Katie (Derrick) Hetzler, and John Klingelhoets; and great-grandchildren, Payton, Kayla, Evelyn, Alexa, Scarlett, Jack, Blake, Ethan, Becka, Maisie, Maxwell, Madeline, Magnolia; and brother, Harold Dalman; and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held at Peterson Chapel, Buffalo, MN, on Monday, December 15, starting at 4 p.m. with praying of the rosary at 7 p.m. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, December 16, at 11 a.m. with visitation beginning one hour prior at St. Francis Xavier Church, 300 1st Avenue NW, Buffalo, MN. Interment will be held at St. Francis Xavier Cemetery.
The Peterson Chapel in Buffalo is serving the family. Online condolences may be made to www.thepetersonchapel.com.
Zachary Ernesti 39
Zachary J. Ernesti, Baudette, MN, formerly of Buffalo
August 7, 1986 – November 29, 2025
Zachary Ernesti passed away on November 29, 2025, in Baudette, MN. Zachary was born in Minneapolis, MN, on August 7, 1986; he arrived home to Randy and Colleen Ernesti on October 27, what was always called “Gotcha Day.” A day to celebrate!
He graduated from Buffalo High School in 2005 and went on to Ridgewater College. He had a gift of building computers, working on equipment, and fixing just about anything Zach-style. He moved up to Warroad, MN, to be by his best friend, Kyle Bakke. He fell in love with the slower lifestyle and decided to make a permanent move to Baudette.
He is survived by his mother, Colleen Ernesti; and sister, Jessica (Jesse) Helgeson; nephews, Royalty, Izaiah, Quartez (Jr.), and Cameron; many cousins, uncles, aunts, his Baudette family, and friends.
Preceded in death by his father, Randy Ernesti; grandparents, Kenneth and Rozella Ernesti, Joseph and Helen Ryan; uncles and aunts.
Private family gathering at a later date.
Rev. Norman Hanan, 85
Rev. Norman A. Hanan, age 85, of Annandale, died November 28, 2025, at the Annandale Care Center. He now joins his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and all the saints in heaven, including his grandson, Payton, whom he baptized.
Funeral Services were held 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Kimball with Rev. Brian Thorson and Rev. James Gimbel officiating. Burial followed at Grace Southside Cemetery in Southside Township. Visitation was from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday at the church, with a prayer service at 6:30 p.m. Visitation continued one hour prior to the service on Wednesday. Memorials are preferred to Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Middleville Township, Annandale.
Harold and Ida (Lindberg) Hanan were blessed with the gift of a son in the person of Norman Arthur Hanan on August 14, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois. He was received into the family of God through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism on December 22, 1940, at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, where he confirmed that baptismal faith on March 29, 1953. His chosen Bible verse: Isaiah 43:1b “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”
Norman received his education at Ella Flag Young Elementary School and Luther North High School in Chicago, graduating with the Class of 1957. He completed undergraduate and graduate studies which culminated in the Bachelor of Arts in Education, and a Master of Arts in Education from Concordia College, River Forest, now Concordia University, Chicago. He served our Lord and Savior as teacher and coach at St. John’s Lutheran School in LaGrange, Illinois, Luther High School North, and Luther South High School in Chicago, Illinois.
On June 30, 1968, he and Mary Wedekind were married at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chicago, where both had been members. Their marriage was abundantly and richly blessed with the gifts of six sons, Joshua, Marcus, Matthew, Paul, Seth and Jonathan.
In the fall of 1980, he enrolled at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana. He served his vicarage at Bethel Lutheran Church, Westmont, IL, and was certified for the pastoral ministry on November 30, 1982, receiving the Master of Art in Religious Studies. He was ordained and installed at Our Saviour Lutheran church in Chicago, IL, on January 9, 1983, where he served for nearly five years. Norman was called to Concordia Lutheran Church in Fair Haven, Minnesota, and was installed on October 4, 1987, serving for 16 years until his retirement on December 30, 2003. During his active years in the ministry, he served on various Northern Illinois and Minnesota North District Boards and Committees.
In the fall of 2004, Norman began working for River Rider Transportation, assisting people with disabilities. He “retired” from River Rider in 2014. In thankfulness to God for health and strength and all the blessings of this life, he volunteered at State Communication Center for the Blind, reading and recording college textbooks. Norman contributed time and energy at the Annandale Food Shelf. He was also a faithful and proud blood donor, contributing over 15 gallons of AB+ over the years.
Pastor Hanan continued to preach and lead worship for pastors who were on vacation or sick. He served as vacancy pastor at Hosanna Lutheran Church in Buffalo and at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Silver Creek. He also served as Visitation Pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Buffalo.
Norman will be remembered for his faith in God, care and support of others, and his love for his family.
He is survived by his wife, Mary; sons, Joshua (Kim), of New Ulm, Marcus (Eva), of Milaca, Matthew (Tiffany), of New Brighton, Paul (Tracy), of Kimball, Seth, of Watkins, and Jonathan, of Kimball; 16 grandchildren, Tyler, Haley, Justine, Isaac, Erin, Breanna, Jordan, Kaiden, Collin, Calvin, Madalyn, Ashton, Caleb, Amelia, Zain, and Levi; 11 great-grandchildren; brother, Russel; and many other family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Ida; grandson, Payton; and sister, Linnea McKenzie.
Norman’s six sons served as casket bearers. Music for the service was provided by Jennifer Thorson and Luke Reznecheck. Arrangements were entrusted with Dingmann Funeral Care Burial and Cremation Services of Annandale.
Obituary, Guestbook, Video Tribute, and Funeral Webcast online at www.dingmannfuneral.com.
Gene Kuhlman, 86
Gene Richard Kuhlman, age 86, of Buffalo, formerly of Maple Lake, passed away on Thursday, November 27, 2025, at his residence.
He was born in Buffalo on May 22, 1939, the son of Richard and Ruby (Bonk) Kuhlman.
Gene honorably served his Country in the United States Air Force as a young man and was joined in holy marriage to Janice Scanlon on January 27, 1962. God blessed their marriage with four children.
Gene was remembered by all that knew him as a very kindhearted and caring person. He was a loving husband and father who loved making people laugh. In his spare time, Gene loved the outdoors, spending time with his grandchildren and watching their sporting events. He also loved watching and feeding the birds and sharing some of the many photos he had on his phone with a story to go with it.
Back in the day, Gene was employed as a Redimax truck driver and spent countless hours volunteering at the Maple Lake local outdoor ice rink so that many could enjoy it.
Gene will be dearly missed.
He is survived by his loving wife, Jan of sixty-three years; four children, Dawn Kuhlman, of Maple Grove, John (Kelly) Kuhlman, of Rogers, Bill (Jenny) Kuhlman, of Richmond, and Joe Kuhlman, of Buffalo; grandchildren, Nic (Emily) Frost, Molly (Mark) Isaacson, Emily (Brian) Schaefer, Jack Kuhlman, Abby Kuhlman, Nathan (Brooke) Kuhlman, Zach Kuhlman, Jasmine Johnson, Joey Kuhlman, Jake Kuhlman; great-grandchildren, Amelia, Sadie, and William Frost; Luke, Henry, James, and Avery Isaacson; a brother, Bob (Sue) Kuhlmann; sisters, Kay Cruikshank and Janet Munstenteiger; many other relatives and friends.
Preceded in death by his parents and brothers-in-law, Bill Cruikshank and Larry Munstenteiger.
Cremation rites for Gene R. Kuhlman have been accorded.
Condolences may be sent to Mrs. Jan Kuhlman at 913 6th Avenue NE, #102, Buffalo, Minnesota 55313.
The Peterson Chapel in Buffalo served the family.
Audrey Mathews, 94
Audrey S. Mathews, age 94, of St. Louis, MO, passed away on November 29, 2025, in St. Louis, MO, after complications associated with a number of chronic conditions. Audrey was born on May 6, 1931, in Maple Lake, MN.
Audrey was preceded in death by her parents, George Sykora and Doris (Garman) Sykora; and by her brother, George “Burt” Sykora.
She is survived by her husband, Scott; half-sister, Diane Clark; daughters, Laura and Allison Mathews and their spouses; and son, Adam Mathews. She is also survived by three grandchildren, Sylvia, Gabriel, and David; and a large and varied network of friends extending from St. Louis, across the country, and to locations overseas.
Audrey and her family are grateful to the people who provided excellent care over the years, to include her family physician, Dr. Stanley Vriezelaar, and personal care managers, Bethany, Sami, Zahra, and Monda.
According to her wishes, Audrey will be cremated. A celebration of life will be held next May in St. Louis. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to a charity of choice or to the St. Louis Herb Society.
May memories of Audrey be a Blessing.
Lawrence Pattee, 90
Lawrence Lee Pattee, 90, passed away at home on November 2, 2025, in the presence of his family. He was born on August 13, 1935, on a farm outside of Avoca, Iowa, the youngest and last surviving child of William and Alma (Rock) Pattee’s seven children.
Lawrence grew up on a farm, which instilled a love of nature, an appreciation for hard work, and a strong sense of community, faith, and family.
He graduated from Avoca High School in 1953. Lawrence went to Tarkio College, in Tarkio, Missouri, where he met his wife of 68 years, Lavina (McKee) Pattee. Larry played football, basketball, and ran track, earning 11 letters in college and was named Man of the Year for his graduating class. Larry and Lavina graduated from college in the morning and were married in the afternoon in the same building on May 21, 1957.
Larry was an educator—a teacher, coach, and school administrator—his whole life. He got a master’s degree from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. from the University of Oregon.
After serving in the Army, Larry lived in Tarkio, Missouri; Dubuque, Iowa; and Alexandria, Egypt, before retiring to Big Lake, Minnesota. He and Lavina welcomed family visits, fishing in Big Lake, and were active in the Buffalo Presbyterian Church.
Larry is survived by Lavina; their children, Jeff, Randy (Val Ruttenberg), Linda (Jerry Gilfoyle), and Sharon (Terry Kibby); and grandchildren, Jack (Sophie), Emmett, and Cy Pattee, Emily (Connor), and Erin Kibby, and Catherine and Garrett Gilfoyle.
He was preceded in death by siblings, Laverne, Edward, Arlene, William, Wallace, Donald; and by his son, Keith.
Larry was a citizen of the world. He was happiest when traveling—whether behind the wheel of the car exploring all 50 United States or while visiting and living in over 30 countries. Dr. Pattee loved his family, the morning newspaper, shoveling snow, and sitting outside by the fire. Services will be held at Buffalo Presbyterian Church.
“It wasn’t about the miles; it was about the people.”
James Shackelton, 70
James “Jim” Allen Shackelton, age 70, passed away on November 20, 2025, surrounded by family.
He was born on August 18, 1955 to Walter and Charlotte (Voss) Shackelton.
He lived his life in Minnesota, spending his childhood in Crystal, then moved to Buffalo and married Deb (Ramthun) Shackelton on September 24, 1976, where they raised their two children, Jason and Jaime. He was a proud papa to his six grandchildren and enjoyed going to their events and spending quality time with each of them. In 2007, he moved to Monticello with Deb where they enjoyed spending time with family and friends.
He loved working with his hands and owned his own construction company. When he was done working, he continued to help family and friends with various handy-man work. He enjoyed spending time at the RV campground, taking road trips, fishing, and woodworking where he created beautiful birdhouses.
Survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Deb Shackelton; children, Jason (Kelly) Shackelton and Jaime (Adam) Buscher; grandchildren, Rileigh (Jonas), Nathan, Sophia, Mayzie and Stella; great-granddaughter, Dillon; siblings, Deb (Jack) Draper, Chuck (Mary) Shackelton, Tom (Vanessa) Shackelton; in-laws, Connie (Dave) Guillet, Mary Bentley, Rob Ramthun, and Gail James, along with many nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.
Proceeded in death by his parents; his father and mother-in-law, Lawrence and Dorothy Ramthun; in-law, Kelly Ramthun; granddaughter, Katelyn Buscher; niece, Angie; and nephew, Nathaniel.
A Celebration of Life honoring Jim will take place on Saturday, December 13, at the Buffalo Legion. Gathering of family and friends will be from 4:00-8:00 p.m., with a remembrance service at 5:00 p.m.
Darven Vollrath, 78
Darven James Vollrath, age 78, of Hanover, MN, passed away on November 30, 2025.
He is survived by his son, Shane; grandchildren, Everett and Anna; his brother, Jerry Vollrath and wife, Peggy; as well as many extended family members and friends who cherished him.
Darven was preceded in death by his parents, Lorenz and Lorena; stepdad, Jerome; and his brother, Ronald.
Darven will be remembered for his warm humor, generous spirit, and the love he shared so freely with those around him. Leaving behind a legacy of laughter, kindness, and love.
A visitation will be held at The Peterson Chapel in St. Michael on December 6 from 5-8 p.m.
Funeral services for Darven Vollrath will be held at Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Greenfield on December 7 at 3 p.m. with an additional visitation beginning at 2:00 p.m.
The Peterson Chapel St. Michael-Albertville Funeral Home is serving the family. Online condolences may be made to www.thepetersonchapel.com.
