Obituaries

Peter John Allen

Peter John Allen

May 13, 2025

Peter John Allen, age 54, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at his home in Austin. Pete was born on May 11, 1971, in Austin, Minnesota to Roger and Jacqueline (Fodness) Allen. In 1989, he graduated from Austin High School. Following school, he worked various jobs including painting homes and barns. In 2003, Pete started working at...

Marne Elizabeth Schauer

Marne Elizabeth Schauer

May 11, 2025

Marne Elizabeth Schauer (Dearmin), age 87, formerly of Austin Minnesota, passed away peacefully at Wildwood Grove in LeRoy, Minnesota, on Sunday, May 11, 2025. Marne grew up on a farm near Oakland, MN with her two brothers and graduated from Austin High School in 1957. She worked various jobs until her son Harvey was born. Marne cherished family time, sharing...

Erleen Ann Nelson

Erleen Ann Nelson

May 5, 2025

Erleen Ann Nelson, age 65, passed away on May 5, 2025, at The Cedars of Austin after a battle with a rare form of early onset Alzheimer’s. Erleen Ann Runquist was born August 18, 1959, in Austin, Minnesota to Erling and Alyce Runquist. Erleen was raised as an only child by her mother after her father’s death at the age of...

Jody Lynn Maricle

Jody Lynn Maricle

May 4, 2025

Jody L. Maricle, age 65, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at her home in Austin surrounded by her family. Jody Lynn Anderson was born on October 8, 1959, in Austin, Minnesota to Gordon "Gordy" and Dellene (Waldron) Anderson. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Olaf Lutheran Church. Jody graduated from Austin High School. On April...

Gary Thomas Collette

Gary Thomas Collette

May 4, 2025

Gary Thomas Collette, age 67, of Shakopee, Minnesota, and formerly of Austin passed away on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. Gary was born on June 22, 1957, in Austin, Minnesota, to Elvy and Germaine (Kramer) Collette. He graduated from Austin High School. Gary was a lumper for many years alongside his brother-in-law, Mike Rasmussen. It...

Ruby Gwendolyn Miller

Ruby Gwendolyn Miller

Apr 29, 2025

Ruby G. Miller, age 95, of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, passed away at her home on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Ruby Gwendolyn Thompson was born on September 1, 1929, in rural Goodhue County, Minnesota, to Pearlner and Borghild (Gunderson) Thompson. She graduated from Wanamingo High School and attended the Minnesota School of Business, graduating with a two-year degree. She was a long-time...

Arlene Joyce Heimer

Arlene Joyce Heimer

Apr 29, 2025

Arlene Joyce Heimer, age 83, of Austin, MN, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 29, surrounded by family at Mayo Clinic Health System Austin.

Arlene was born on November 17, 1941, in Austin, MN, to Urban and Alyce Klapperick. She graduated from Pacelli High School in 1959. She was married to Myron Heimer, they later divorced. Arlene lived in Rochester, MN,...

Bruce Roger Berndt

Bruce Roger Berndt

Apr 28, 2025

Bruce Roger Berndt, 85, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Monday, April 28, 2025, at St. Mark’s Living in Austin.

Bruce was born on August 5, 1939, in Austin, Minnesota, to Chester and Vera (Berg) Berndt. Bruce grew up in Austin, attended Shaw Elementary School, and graduated from Austin High School. He proudly served in the United States Army. After his two...

Eugene "Gene" Vanderhoof Francis

Eugene "Gene" Vanderhoof Francis

Apr 26, 2025

Gene V. Francis (The Farmer) - In life, we all assume a persona. A best version of ourselves that we want to present to the world. For Gene, that persona was the farmer, the steward, the guy on the line fence. He believed that every human must find their “place”, strive for their “family”, be a part of a “community”....

Kellee Renae Jochumsen

Kellee Renae Jochumsen

Apr 26, 2025

Kellee Renae Jochumsen, age 65, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Colony Court Senior Living Solutions in Adams, Minnesota. She was born April 20, 1960, in Austin, Minnesota to Robert and LaRayne (Lomholt) Jochumsen. She graduated from Austin High School. She later attended Austin Community College for a Childhood Education Certificate. She had 4 children,...

Jose Peña Jr.

Jose Peña Jr.

Apr 25, 2025

Jose Peña, Jr., age 67, of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, died Friday, April 25, 2025, at his home in Faribault, Minnesota. He was born on December 9, 1957, in Plainview, Texas, to Jose Peña, Sr. and Natividad (Garza) Peña. Jose worked for many years as the field project supervisor in the welding departments at JBT and Ashworth, where he ultimately retired. He...

Dennis Howard Underdahl

Dennis Howard Underdahl

Apr 22, 2025

Dennis H. Underdahl, age 64, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester, Saint Marys Campus. Dennis was born on June 7, 1960, in Austin, Minnesota, to Donald and Patricia (Rasmussen) Underdahl. He graduated from Austin High School. Following graduation, he worked for 28 years at Crenlo in Rochester as a certified welder....

Daniel Herman Schmidt

Daniel Herman Schmidt

Apr 22, 2025

Daniel “Dan” H. Schmidt, 94, of Austin, MN, died at Good Samaritan Society in Albert Lea, MN, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. 

Daniel Herman Schmidt was born on March 11, 1931, on the family farm near Racine, MN, to Herman and Amanda (Poeschel) Schmidt. After the family moved to another farm near the village of Washington in 1938, Dan finished his...

Charleen Louise Reed

Charleen Louise Reed

Apr 21, 2025

Charleen Louise Reed, age 84, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Monday, April 21, 2025, at Mayo Clinic Health System Austin. Charleen was born on December 21, 1940, the daughter of Harold and Edith (Cox) Pike in Austin, Minnesota. She graduated from Austin High School. Charleen was united in marriage to Richard Reed in Bellfouche, South Dakota, on September 20, 1982....

Gloria Dawn Fedson

Gloria Dawn Fedson

Apr 21, 2025

Gloria Fedson, age 92, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away peacefully at St. Mark’s Assisted Living on Monday, April 21, 2025.

Gloria Dawn Reuter was born on November 20, 1932, in Nevada Township, Minnesota, to Raymond and Jeanette (Nelson) Reuter. Gloria attended country grade school and graduated from Lyle High School in 1950. On September 2, 1950, she married her high school sweetheart,...

Marlene Marie Belden

Marlene Marie Belden

Apr 20, 2025

Marlene Marie Belden, age 83, of Austin, MN, passed away at her home peacefully on Sunday, April 20, 2025.

Marlene Marie Belden was born on October 4, 1941, in Austin, Minnesota, to Edna and Marvin Ronquist of Austin. She attended school in Austin, graduating with the class of 1960, from Pacelli High School.

Marlene was united in marriage to Robert Belden on...

Nancy Ellyn Bauer

Nancy Ellyn Bauer

Apr 18, 2025

Nancy Ellyn Bauer, age 78, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Friday, April 18, 2025, at Mayo Clinic Health Systems – Austin. Nancy was born on January 14, 1947, to Floyd and Glen Ellyn (Thompson) Tobar in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She graduated from Austin High School in 1965. Nancy attended some paralegal courses at Austin Community College in Austin. On September...

Phyllis Claudine Waldron

Phyllis Claudine Waldron

Apr 18, 2025

Phyllis Claudine (Peters) Waldron, age 95, of Rosemount, Minnesota, and formerly of Austin, died Friday, April 18, 2025, at Rosemount Senior Living.

Phyllis was born May 18, 1929, in Clear Lake, Iowa, to Hugo and Tina (Johnson) Peters. She attended Washington Elementary, Roosevelt Elementary, and Monroe Jr High, all in Mason City, Iowa. She started at Austin High School in 9th grade,...

Margaret Lorene Arndorfer

Margaret Lorene Arndorfer

Apr 18, 2025

Margaret Lorene Arndorfer, age 88, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Friday, April 18, 2025, at Stacyville Community Nursing Home in Stacyville, Iowa. Margaret was born on January 8, 1937, in Clarion, Iowa, to Anthony and Christina (Nelson) Mallinger. In 1956, she graduated from Barnum High School and went on to get a degree from the St. Joseph School of...

Mayuleen "Maye" Malarme Benjamin

Mayuleen "Maye" Malarme Benjamin

Apr 15, 2025

Mayuleen Malarme Benjamin, age 45, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester, Methodist Campus. Mayuleen was born January 7, 1980, in Micronesia, to Felix and Kesusa (Ardos) Koike. She spent her early years in Micronesia, where she attended school, eventually moving to Texas, then Iowa, and ultimately finding her home in Austin,...