Obituaries 4/21/22
Ruth Bjorklund, 88
Ruth L. Bjorklund, age 88, of Yuma, Arizona, and formerly of Buffalo, passed away on Wednesday, April 6, 2022.
On July 27, 1933, Ruth was born, the youngest of twelve children to Arthur and Mathilda (Michaelis) Bjorklund on the family farm, south of Buffalo. She graduated from Buffalo High School in 1950. Ruth worked as a mail carrier for a short time. She was a former member of the “Wagon Wheelers.”
Ruth made her home in Yuma, Arizona, in 1994, until her death. In her earlier days in Yuma, she would get together with friends and have music jam sessions. She had many good and caring friends and neighbors and will be missed by all, especially Shirley Marina as they looked out for each other every day. Loves of her life were her dogs over the years, Butch, Tippy, Buttons, Shorty, and currently Buddy.
She is survived by a sister-in-law, Priscilla Bjorklund, of Buffalo; many nieces and nephews.
Ruth was preceded in death by her parents; brothers and sisters, Clinton Bjorklund, Edmere Allums, Marvin Bjorklund, Willard “Bob” Bjorklund, Helen Fadden, Clara Penticoff, Esther Bruce, Myrtle Fadden, Harold Bjorklund, Paul Bjorklund, and Clarence Bjorklund; and by her former husband, Arnie Wannebo; and partner, Dean Swanson.
A graveside funeral service for Ruth Bjorklund will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2022, at 12 noon at Swedish Mission Cemetery in Buffalo.
The Peterson Chapel in Buffalo served the family. Online condolences may be made to www.thepetersonchapel.com.
Nina Cottrell
In memory of Nina Cottrell (1938-2022) who passed away in the fifth year of her battle with metastatic bone cancer.
She is survived by her wonderful friends and her sister, Gail Kinemond.
June Docherty, 82
June Vesper (Ballhagen) Docherty, of Buffalo, passed away on April 17, 2022, at the age of 82. She was born June 30, 1939, to Vesper and Frank Ballhagen on a farmhouse near Browns Valley, Minnesota.
She attended school in Beardsley and Browns Valley and graduated from Browns Valley High School. Nearly 65 years ago, she was married to Neil Docherty and moved to Buffalo, Minnesota. She was blessed with a daughter, Patsy Warner (husband Tim) and son, Keith Docherty (wife Georgia), both of Champlin, Minnesota.
June worked at the Buffalo Courthouse as the deputy register of deeds and at the credit bureau. She was also bookkeeper at their own local business, Doc’s TV & Appliance. She was a housewife and gardener, but also enjoyed her own hobbies. June sang in the Methodist choir, playing organ and accordion, fishing, motorcycling, and snowmobiling. In later years, her passion for sending cards and letters were a blessing for all that received them. She loved her family and especially going to family reunions.
June was a giving person, always there to help someone if she could. She was generous, having made hundreds of afghans, sweatshirts, and stuffed animals that people enjoyed. While she never owned a horse, she always dreamed of buying one. Her love of horses expanded to other animals as well.
June was preceded in death by her parents, Vesper and Frank; siblings, Ivan, Melvin, Orville, Ada, Lamoine, Lloyd.
She is survived by her husband, Neil; sibling, Jay (Susie); children, Patsy (Tim) and Keith (Georgia); her grandchildren, Andy (Dustina), Aaron, Derek, Logan, and Mara; and by her great-grandchildren, Kyra, Petra and Tennyson.
A celebration of June’s life will be held Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at 1:00 p.m., with visitation one hour prior, at Buffalo United Methodist Church in Buffalo. Burial will follow Swedish Mission Cemetery in Buffalo.
The Peterson Chapel, Buffalo Funeral Home assisted the family with funeral arrangements. On-line condolences can be made at www.thepetersonchapel.com. Family is requesting no flowers or money, but cards would be appreciated.
Tristan Eddy, 23
Tristan Donald Eddy, age 23, of Buffalo, MN, passed away on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. He was born June 9, 1998, the son of Jacqueline and William Eddy.
Tristan graduated from St. Michael High School in 2016, he worked as a shift manager/assistant manager at the Arby’s in Rogers. Tristan loved spending time with his friends and family. Playing games with his siblings was one of his favorite things to do. Tristan enjoyed staying up all night just to see the sun rise. Tristan was very artistic and loved to write (Nobody could have written this better than him). He loved acting and being a part of the theater group. Tristan taught others that it was okay to dream, no matter how big or small that dream was.
Tristan beared many crosses in his young life, and all those who knew him know how big of a heart he had. Tristan’s capacity for love and compassion were unmatched. He cared for everyone he met, and he was drawn to those who needed help.
Tristan was preceded in death by his great-grandparents; grandpa, Donald Eddy; uncle, Scott Dockter; and his brother, Liam Eddy.
Tristan is survived by his parents, William and Jacqueline Eddy; siblings, Dylan, Wesley, Elianna, Johnny, and Nathan; grandparents, John and Sharon Hendricks, and Donna Eddy; aunts, Lisa Bowman, Diana Dockter, and Belinda (Mike) Carlson; cousins, Jimilyn (James, Jemma, Jax), Arianna, Adrian, Natalie; and many extended family.
Visitation was held Tuesday, April 19, 2022, from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M., with a time of sharing at 6:30 P.M., and Knights of Columbus Rosary at 7:00 P.M., at The Peterson Chapel, 300 Main St. N, St. Michael, MN. A Concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial was held Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at 11:00 A.M., with visitation which began at 10:00 A.M., at St. Michael Catholic Church, 11300 Frankfort Pkwy., St. Michael, MN. Burial will be held Thursday, April 21, 2022, at 12:00 P.M. at Hope Cemetery, 418 N State St., Chippewa Falls, WI.
Serving the family is The Peterson Chapel St. Michael-Albertville Funeral Home, 763-497-5362, www.thepetersonchapel.com.
Caroline Laugtug, 97
Caroline Laugtug, 97, of Buffalo, MN, passed away April 8, 2022. She was born in Glencoe on June 7, 1924, to Louis and Emma Schalcht.
She was always proud of her father who was known as a good well-driller. She graduated in 1942 from Glencoe High School. She was then employed in St. Paul until she married Louis Longhenry and lived near Glencoe.
When Louis returned from the Army, they moved to Northeast Minneapolis until a tornado damaged their home. Then, they moved into a new house in Crystal, MN. They had four children, LuAnn, Louis, Darlene, and David.
Louis (Sr.) worked at Mpls. Moline until his accidental death in 1952. Caroline worked for a bakery until she married Nils Laugtug in 1959. They had one daughter, Marian, and moved to Hopkins where the three oldest kids graduated from Hopkins HS. They moved several times, including Lester Prairie and Arkansas and ended up in Buffalo.
She played in the hand bell choir at both Zion Lutheran in Hopkins and at St John’s Lutheran in Buffalo. She belonged to the PEP group at church and enjoyed her coffee group. While at Zion Lutheran, Caroline belonged to the Braille club, which she really enjoyed. Both she and Nils were lifetime members of the VFW (and auxiliary) in Hopkins. Nils retired from a career with Western Electric (Bell Telephone).
Caroline lived in her home and at the age of 95 still drove her 4x4 Ford pickup. She enjoyed traveling. One of her favorites was touring the foreign, tall sailing ships that came into the port of Duluth. As her health declined, she recently stayed with Marian until her death.
She is survived by her children, LuAnn Currie, of St. Louis Park, Louis (Peg) Longhenry, of Carver, and Marian (Robert) House, of Stanley WI; 10 grandchildren; and 25 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Louis Longhenry (1952); daughter, Darlene, and son-in-law, Leonard Mathews (both died in a car-train accident in Glencoe (1968); husband, Nils Laugtug (2007); and son, David, a Viet Nam veteran with related health issues (2018).
A memorial service will be held April 23, at 11:00 a.m., at St John’s Lutheran Church in Buffalo. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. A luncheon will follow the memorial service.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial can be made to Lutheran Hour Ministries or the donor’s choice. Interment will be at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery at a later date for the immediate family.
Bonnie Madison, 54
Bonnie J. Madison, age 54, of Monticello, passed away unexpectedly on April 15, 2022.
Bonnie was preceded by father, David Sorum; and daughter, Jennifer.
She is survived by mother, Erika Sorum; husband, Michael; daughter, Stephanie (David); grandchildren, Eli, Beau, Avery, Ashton, and Alexander; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Bonnie liked to go camping, spend time with her grandkids and family, and enjoyed her Friday lunches with her girlfriends. She and Michael would attend Gopher football games annually and enjoyed barbecuing. Bonnie had a friendly and outgoing personality. She could easily draw you in with her ability to make conversation. Bonnie was kind but spoke outwardly, and you always knew where you stood with her. She will be greatly missed.
A celebration of Bonnie’s life will be held at a later date.
Harlan Meyer, 89
Harlan “Mike” Meyer, age 89, of Maple Lake, died Saturday, April 16, 2022, at Park View Care Center in Buffalo.
Funeral Service will be held 11:00 a.m., Friday, April 22, 2022, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Annandale. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, April 21, at Dingmann Funeral Care Chapel in Annandale and one hour to the service on Friday at the church. A prayer service will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral chapel. The funeral will be livestreamed on the funeral home website. Memorials are preferred to St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery, Annandale.
Harlan Edward Meyer was born January 24, 1933, in Hamburg, Minnesota, to August and Lenora (Klanke) Meyer. He grew up in Hamburg. In order to help support the family, he worked the farm at a young age after his father died.
At the age of 17, he enlisted with the U.S. Navy, serving in the Korean War. On November 16, 1957, Mike was united in marriage to Arlene Ann Bandemer. They lived in Minneapolis and Bloomington before moving to Cedar Lake near Maple Lake in 1973 and to Albion Township in 1980.
He worked as a tool and die maker for Dana Corp. in Plymouth for 22 years. Harlan was a member of the Maple Lake American Legion Post 131 and St. John’s Lutheran Church in Annandale. He enjoyed old-time music, fishing, gardening, snowmobiling, traveling to Vegas, and socializing with his neighbors and Legion buddies. He had a love for his faith, church, and family, especially his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
He is survived by his four children, Machelle Borell, of Montrose, Mark Sr. (Sue) Meyer, of Clearwater, Melissa Varner, of Buffalo, and Marsha (Samuel) Rassat, of Rogers; seven grandchildren, Kristin, John, Bradley, Mark, Jr., Jason, Zackary, and Taylor; six great-grandchildren, June, Clara, Devin, Hailey, Sophie, and Henry; and many other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, August and Lenora Meyer; wife, Arlene Meyer; grandson, Nathaniel Davids; brothers, August and Venes Meyer; and sisters, Violet Meyer, Deloris Ahline, Arlene Howe, Eunice Smith, and Jenola Panning.
The casket bearers will be Jason Klinzman, Taylor and Zackary Varner, Mark Meyer, Jr., John, Randy and Kristin Borell, and Samuel Rassat. The Maple Lake American Legion Honor Guard will provide military honors at the cemetery.
Arrangements are entrusted with Dingmann Funeral Care Burial & Cremation Services of Annandale.
Obituary, Tribute Wall, Video Tribute and Funeral Webcast online at www.dingmannfuneral.com.
Paul Nylin, 74
Paul Henry Nylin was born to Emil and Elaine (Kantola) Nylin on September 6, 1947, in St. Cloud, MN. Paul, also known as “Skipper,” was the oldest of four boys.
In 1965, Paul graduated from Annandale High School where he lettered in football and wrestling. Upon graduation, he attended St. Paul Bible College (Crown College).
Paul then joined the United States Navy in 1966. Before leaving for his first submarine tour, Paul married the love of his life, Bonnie Thompson, of Cokato, MN, on June 9, 1967. They were married at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in French Lake, MN. They spent the first few years living between Connecticut and Minnesota.
In 1968, their first child, Yana Marie, was born in Litchfield, MN. In 1970, he was honorably discharged, and they began their civilian life in the Annandale area where their son, Aaron Paul, was born in 1972. For many years, Paul followed in his father’s footsteps as a skilled home builder. In 1975, their youngest daughter, Amanda Kay, was born. In 1978, Paul and his family attended Christ for the Nation Institute in Dallas, Texas. Through many adventures and business opportunities, his family enjoyed life in Dallas, South Texas, Mississippi, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. These places provided them with beautiful friendships, fun adventures, and an opportunity to experience God’s faithfulness.
Most recently, they have been spending winters in Texas and summers in the home Paul built for them in beautiful Crosslake, MN. Paul’s love and commitment always focused on his relationship with the Father, his love for his family, and building friendships and relationships along the way. He loved fiercely, and he is loved dearly.
He is survived by wife, Bonnie Nylin, of 54 years; Yana (Kevin) White, Aaron (Katie) Nylin, Amanda Nylin; and 15 grandchildren; as well as his three brothers, Michael (Joyce) Nylin, Wayne (Nancy) Nylin, Joel (Dawn) Nylin; sister, Adeline Maurer; mother-in-law, Lorraine Thompson, sister-in-law, Trudi (Gene) Westberg; brothers-in-law, Ron Thompson and Rodney Erickson; and many nieces and nephews.
Preceded in death by his parents, Emil and Elaine Nylin; infant daughter, Rebekah Jo; father-in-law, Harold Thompson; sisters-in-law, Holly Thompson and Lanette Erickson; brothers, William “Bill” (Margie) Nylin, Donald (Connie) Nylin, Rosella (Herb) Trettavik; brother-in-law, Doug Maurer.
A celebration of Paul’s life was held at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, April 16, 2022, at the Cokato Events Center (405 Broadway Ave. N, Cokato, MN 55321) with visitation one hour prior to services.
Arrangements by Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cokato & Howard Lake, MN, 320-286-2534, www.swansonpeterson.com.
Ann Vars, 53
January 27, 1969 –
April 7, 2022
Ann Margaret Vars, 53, died unexpectedly but peacefully in her sleep at home on April 7, 2022, in Buffalo, Minnesota. Ann was born to Arthur and Sheila (nee Selz) Speltz on January 27, 1969, in Crookston, Minnesota.
Ann spent her childhood in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and later in Shoreview, Minnesota. She graduated from Mounds View High School. After her studies at Rasmussen University, Ann pursued a successful career as legal administrative assistant that spanned more than three decades. She genuinely enjoyed working with her colleagues over the past 11 years at the Minneapolis law firm of Arthur, Chapman, Kettering, Smetak & Pikala. Ann married Keith Vars on December 28, 1996. Together, they raised two children, Alex, born in 1999, and Elizabeth, born in 2003.
An energetic “take charge” kind of woman, Ann managed a challenging career while also engaging in many civic, charitable, and creative activities. First and foremost, though, she was a supportive wife and devoted mother, as well as a faithful daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, friend, and colleague.
Ann was steadfast about staying in touch with family and friends. She will be remembered for her kindness and always taking the time to reach out with a comment on Facebook, call, text, email, or card to comfort or celebrate friends and family.
Ann took great pride in her Buffalo community and was engaged in many civic activities. She served on the Buffalo Planning and Zoning Commission since 2019 and volunteered for numerous community events. For seven years, she chaired the Wright County chapter of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, helping raise thousands of dollars.
Ann was well known for her enthusiasm and expertise in creating greeting cards and scrapbooks. Everyone in her wide circle appreciated her talents, unique messages, and personalized gifts.
Ann is survived by Keith, her husband of 25 years; son, Alexander (Alex); and daughter, Elizabeth (Izzy), of Buffalo, MN; mother, Sheila Speltz, of New Brighton, MN; brothers, Bob Speltz (Dwight Adkins), of Portland, OR, Mike Speltz (Stacy), of Coon Rapids, MN, and Mark Speltz (Kari), of Lafayette, CA; nieces, Annamaria and Marie; nephews, Nick and Liam. She leaves behind many beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, co-workers, and neighbors.
Ann was predeceased by her father, Arthur Speltz; grandparents, Herman and Lillian Selz and Stanley and Angela Speltz; cousin, Justine Ringberg; aunt, Kitty Selz; and godfather, Ray Keating.
A celebration of Ann’s life will be held on Thursday, April 21 at The Peterson Funeral Chapel in St. Michael, MN. Visitation will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Celebration of Life will begin at 12 p.m.
Memorials can benefit the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation (PKDcure.org/give) or Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (Save.org). An education savings account has been established for Elizabeth Vars at Wells Fargo Bank. Contribute by making your check payable to Keith Vars and designate Elizabeth Vars Education Savings Account in the memo line. Mail your gift to: Keith Vars, 837 Fox Trail, Buffalo, MN 55313.
Otelia Weight, 86
Otelia “Toodie” Weight, age 86, of Buffalo, passed away Saturday, March 19, 2022.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Erma Weight; three brothers, Leon, Donald, and Gilbert; four sisters, Leona, Verna, Edna, and Nona.
She is survived by three nieces, five nephews, great-nieces and nephews; also close friends, Fran Zajac, Barb Peterson, and many other friends.
A graveside service will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2022, at 2:00 P.M. at Lakeview Cemetery in Buffalo.
The Peterson Chapel in Buffalo is serving the family.
Online condolences may be made to www.thepetersonchaple.com.
CELEBRATION OF LIFE
Eileen Johnson
We invite family and friends to join us as we celebrate Eileen (Robeck) Johnson’s life. Please visit the link below to register for the event (RSVP) so we can plan accordingly.
Eileen was a beloved wife (Pete), mother (Stacy, Kelly, Andrea, and Victor), grandmother (Sydney, Madison, and Carson), sister (Pearl, Jeanette, and Shirley), and friend to so many. To know Eileen was to love her.
Mom loved a good party and always loved to meet new people, so even if you didn’t have the chance to meet her…you knew her by knowing us...come give us and her some loveª; we would love to see you all at this celebration!!
Snacks and drinks will be served, and a memory jar will be set up so that people can share their favorite memories of her for our family to enjoy for years to come.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eileen-robeck-johnsons-celebration-of-life-...
