All Obituaries

Jo Anna Olson, age 84 of Ellendale, Minnesota, passed away Friday, January 17, 2020 at MercyOne North Iowa Hospice, Mason City, Iowa. A memorial gathering will be held from 1:00-3:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 25, 2020 at First Lutheran Church in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota. Interment was held in Geneva Cemetery, Geneva, Minnesota. Worlein Funeral Home in Blooming Prairie is assisting the family with arrangements.

Eugene Earl Burtch, 97, of Austin, Minnesota went to meet his Lord and Savior on January 17, 2020 at Good Samaritan Society in Albert Lea, Minnesota.    Services are pending with Worlein Funeral Home in Austin.  

Lanny Michael Callahan, age 63 of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, passed away peacefully surrounded by family, on Saturday, January 11, 2020 at Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, after suffering complications from a liver transplant in August. He was born on December 21, 1956 in Austin, Minnesota to Walter and Mary (Shatek) Callahan. He was born and raised in Austin, Minnesota and made his home in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota. Lanny was united in marriage to Tammy Shawback...

Brian J. Lestrud, age 47, of Hayward, Minnesota, passed away peacefully in his sleep Friday, January 10, 2020 at his home. Brian was born September 14, 1972, in Waseca, Minnesota, to Harvey and Linda Lestrud. Brian was a long-time resident of Southern Minnesota. He was an expert commercial roofer that worked for Merit, Allweather and for the last 9 years, Weitzel Roofing. Brian’s passion was fishing, his motorcycle, his lawnmower and loved spending time with his mother, Linda and dog,...

LeMar Arden Nelson, age 87 of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, passed away Thursday, January 9, 2020 at Masonic Homes in Bloomington. LeMar was born November 19, 1932 in Watertown, South Dakota to Arthur and Esther (Carlson) Nelson. He graduated from Strandburg, SD High School in 1950. He attended General Beadle State Teachers College in Madison, SD (thus the nickname “General”). He began teaching in Chester, SD in 1954 and began teaching in Blooming Prairie in 1957 where he taught,...

H. Philip (Phil) Lippert, 90, of Austin passed away peacefully at his home on January 8, 2020.  Phil was born in 1929 in the small town of Verona, North Dakota to Herman and Anna (Hansen) Lippert.  He was the eighth of nine children.  After graduating from Verona High School in 1947 as class Salutatorian, Phil enlisted in the Air Force where he worked as a radar operator.  He met his first wife Lorraine while stationed in northern Maine and they were married in...

Gwendolyn “Gwen” C. Christensen, age 92 of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, passed away Tuesday, January 7, 2020 at Prairie Manor Care Center in Blooming Prairie. Gwendolyn Carvel Olson was born March 11, 1927, in Freeborn County, Minnesota, to Gilford and Virginia (Miller) Olson. She attended school in Freeborn and graduated in 1945. On January 9, 1945, Gwen was united in marriage to John Christensen at her parents’ home. To this union three children were born. After...

  Michael S. (Fritz) Falch, age 70 of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Monday, January 6, 2020 at Good Samaritan Society in Albert Lea. Mike was born on May 20, 1949, to Stanley and Marion (Kruger) Falch in Hayfield. He was raised in Austin and graduated with the AHS class of 1967. When he was young, he enjoyed go karts, bicycles, and fishing. He worked at R&F Bike Shop, Hastings Shoe Store, Fordtown, and Southwest Sales and Service till retiring in 2014. He also enjoyed playing...

Sylvia Katherine Spartz was born April 19, 1926, near Dundas, Minnesota, in the rural farm house of her paternal grandparents. The second eldest daughter of Francis (Frank) Spartz and Etta (Andrews) Spartz. Her elder sister Delores, who was five, was present at her birth. Born two months prematurely and with no doctor in attendance, Sylvia’s survival was unlikely except for her grandmother’s instincts to swaddle the tiny baby in a cigar box and set her in front of the wood...

Marian (Mary) Siegfreid, age 94 of Austin, Minnesota, passed away at her home on Tuesday, December 17, 2019 after a 7 month battle with ovarian cancer. Mary was born September 12, 1925 on a farm in Big Grove Township in Benton Country, Iowa. She was the daughter of George and Elsie (Hanneman) Schueler. Mary was baptized into the faith of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod at her home on October 4, 1925. She was confirmed March 17, 1940 at St. Andrews Lutheran Church, LCMS in Van Horne...