Obituaries
Chasper Melvin Ruhter
Feb 2, 2026
Chasper Melvin Ruhter, age 93, formerly of Waltham, Minnesota, passed away Monday, February 2, 2026, at Field Crest Care Center in Hayfield, Minnesota. Chasper was born on January 14, 1933, in Waltham, Minnesota, to Henry and Magdalena (Prochnow) Ruhter. He attended country school until the age of 14. He then helped on the family farm until he was 20. It...
Donald Frederick Konken
May 11, 2026
Donald Frederick Konken, age 78, of Brownsdale, Minnesota, passed away on Monday, May 11, 2026, at St. Mark’s Living in Austin, Minnesota.
A funeral service for Donald will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Brownsdale, Minnesota. The visitation will take place from 9:00-11:00 a.m. prior to the service. Interment will be...
Gloria Eva Chapman
May 11, 2026
Gloria Eva Chapman, age 87, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away Monday, May 11, 2026, at Good Samaritan Society in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Gloria was born on July 16, 1938, in Atlantic, Iowa, to Donald and Bernice (Crist) Eddy. She graduated from Calmar High School in 1957. On May 31, 1958, she married the love of her life, Beauford Chapman at...
Dawn Marie (Ledeboer) Sheward
May 10, 2026
Dawn Marie (Ledeboer) Sheward was born May 29, 1966, the fifth child of Delroy and Freida (Groen) Ledeboer and the third daughter to be born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She lived her entire life with the disease and lived to the remarkable age of 59 years old 11 months. Despite the challenges posed by her condition, Dawn's spirit and faith...
Doris Eileen Esplan
May 8, 2026
Doris Esplan, age 97, of Blooming Prairie, passed away on May 8, 2026, at Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin.
Doris Eileen Nordine was born on August 26, 1928, in Cokato, Minnesota, to Ernest and Violet Nordine. She married Sylvester Esplan in 1945. Together they shared 64 years of marriage and built a life centered on faith and family.
Doris and Sy...
David John Lokker
May 7, 2026
David John Lokker, age 70, of Albert Lea, Minnesota, and formerly of Austin, passed away on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at his home. David was born on May 11, 1955, in Brainerd, Minnesota. At the age of five, he was adopted by Kenneth and Lillian (Kindler) Lokker. He graduated from Slayton High School in 1973. Following graduation, he enlisted in the...
Richard Ray Borg
Apr 30, 2026
Richard Ray Borg, age 84, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away Thursday, April 30, 2026, at St. Mark’s Living in Austin.
Worlein-Hoff Funeral Homes of Austin are assisting the family with arrangements.
Rex Dean Machacek
Apr 30, 2026
Rex D. Machacek, age 87, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away at home with family in the quiet early hours of April 30, 2026. He was born on November 19, 1938, to Irving and Helen (Schroeder) Machacek. Rex grew up in a neighborhood surrounded by his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. He developed his passion for cars and work ethic by...
Sheila Marie Donnelly
Apr 21, 2026
Sheila Donnelly died on April 21, 2026, at home in Ellendale, Minnesota, surrounded by her children. She was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota on January 28,1956 to Robert and Mary Ellen (Callahan) O’Leary the eighth of eleven children. Sheila attended St. Theodore’s Elementary School and Albert Lea High School, graduating with the class of 1974. She had many adventures that...
Kent Stump
Apr 20, 2026
Kent Stump, 72, of Rapid City, SD, formerly of Dunnell and Jackson, MN, passed away peacefully the afternoon of April 20, 2026, in Austin, MN, with family by his side.
The son of Earl and Patricia (Lockard) Stump, Kent was born in Estherville, IA, and raised on a farm in rural Dunnell, MN, with his 4 sisters and 1 brother. The...
Jacob Robert Carlson
Apr 20, 2026
Jacob Robert Carlson, age 18, of Hayward, Minnesota, passed away on Monday, April 20, 2026, after a six-month battle with schizophrenia. Jacob was born on September 22, 2007, in Austin, Minnesota, to Chad and Dawn (Schewe) Carlson. He was currently a senior at Austin High School.
Jacob had a remarkable curiosity and a deep knowledge of the most obscure subjects. At eight,...
Samantha Jane Aguilar
Apr 18, 2026
Samantha Jane Aguilar, age 38, sister and Aunt Sam Sam as her family called her, passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 18, 2026, with her mother by her side. Sammey was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Known to many as Sammey, she attended Lake Harriet Community School and later Southwest High School, where she formed...
Judith "Judy" Ann (Scheffel) Stark
Apr 17, 2026
Judith “Judy” Ann (Scheffel) Stark, age 80 of Austin, Minnesota, formerly of Atwater, Minnesota passed away peacefully at the Cedars of Austin on April 17, 2026
Judy was born on September 16, 1945, at St. Olaf Hospital in Austin, Minnesota to Minnie (Helle) and Richard Scheffel. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. She grew up with her parents and...
Thomas "Tom" William Butler
Apr 17, 2026
Thomas William Butler, 78, of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota died on April 17, 2026, surrounded by family at Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester, Saint Marys Campus, due to injuries from a car accident west of Waltham, Minnesota. He passed just as planting season, his favorite, was on the horizon.
Thomas "Tom" William Butler was born on July 12, 1947, in Owatonna, Minnesota, to...
Kathryn Jane Wohlfeil
Apr 13, 2026
Kathryn “Kathy” Jane Wohlfeil, 75, of Austin, passed away on Monday, April 13, 2026, at Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester, Saint Marys Campus.
Kathy was born on July 3, 1950, in Waverly, Iowa, to David and Georgia Fangmeier. She was the oldest of five children. Kathy graduated from Osage High School and Hamilton Business College. Kathy was hired by Hormel in 1970, retiring...
Judy Dawn Reinke
Apr 10, 2026
Judy D. Reinke, age 81, of Austin, Minnesota, and formerly of Brownsdale, passed away on Friday, April 10, 2026, at the Cedars of Austin. Judy Dawn George was born on May 13, 1944, in Waterloo, Iowa, to Sylvan and Ruth (Runtzel) George. She graduated from Charles City High School. After graduation, she attended Mankato State University, studying Business Accounting. She...
Jane Elizabeth Hoshal
Apr 8, 2026
We are sad to report that our sister and good friend, Jane Elizabeth (Morton) Hoshal, passed away on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Jane was the daughter of Ward and Lucille Morton and was born September 2, 1939. She was a 1958 graduate of Blooming Prairie High School, where she was active in singing groups and also the Baptist Church Choir....
Albino Almanza Aguirre
Apr 5, 2026
Albino Almanza Aguirre, age 91, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Sunday, April 5, 2026, at the Cedars of Austin. Albino was born on December 16, 1934, in Guanajuato, Mexico, to Alfonso Almanza and Aurelia Almanza de Aguirre. Albino lived in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and Laredo, Texas, for many years before setting his family roots in Minnesota. Albino was united...
Robert "Woody" Gerald Wood
Apr 4, 2026
Robert “Woody” Gerald Wood, age 60, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Austin. Woody was born on June 30, 1965, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Gerald and Jackie Wood. He graduated from Austin High School in 1983. Woody enjoyed being outside, driving around with his dogs and the wind blowing in his hair. He loved being with...
Steve Edward Stoltenberg
Apr 4, 2026
Steve Edward Stoltenberg, age 79, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away Saturday, April 4, 2026, at the Cedars of Austin. He was born April 26, 1946, in Fairmont, Minnesota, to Edwin and Adelia (Rave) Stoltenberg. Steve graduated from Welcome High School in 1964 and went on to earn an associate’s degree in accounting from Jackson Vo-Tech. He began his career at Hormel...
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