Obituaries

Mary Ann Betlach

Aug 15, 2021

Mary Ann Betlach, age 91, of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, passed away on Sunday, August 15, 2021, at Prairie Manor Care Center in Blooming Prairie. Mary Ann Prokopec was born March 21, 1930, in Owatonna, Minnesota, the daughter of Bernard and Ethel (Lynard) Prokopec. She enjoyed growing up on the family farm near Blooming Prairie and...

Sherry Wells

Aug 15, 2021

Sherry A. Wells, age 74, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Sunday, August 15, 2021, at St. Mark’s Independent Living in Austin. Sherry Ann Baxter was born to Gaylord and Constance (Brooks) Baxter on May 11, 1947, in Austin, Minnesota. She attended Austin High School. In 1968, Sherry married Otto Wells, Jr. in Wichita, Kansas...

Ruth Zawadzki

Aug 15, 2021

Ruth Ann Zawadzki died Sunday, August 15, 2021 at Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Mary’s campus in Rochester, MN.  Ruth was born December 1, 1946 in Austin MN to Frank and Mayme (Pinkava) Tittlus.

Ruth outlived her three husbands’, Danny, Roger and Zdzislaw (ZZ). Outside of her husbands, Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, her...

James Krejci

Aug 14, 2021

James Edward Krejci, age 65, of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, passed away Saturday, August 14, 2021 at his home in Blooming Prairie. James was born on December 9, 1955 in Owatonna, Minnesota to Victor and Elvera (Linse) Krejci. He grew up in Blooming Prairie and graduated with the class of 1974 from Blooming Prairie High School....

Edward "Red" Stark

Aug 11, 2021

Edward “Red” Julius Stark, age 84, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Wednesday, August 11, 2021, at Sacred Heart Care Center in Austin. Red was born on November 23, 1936 in St. Charles, Iowa to Charles and Sylvia (Freese) Stark. He grew up in Austin and graduated with the class of 1955 from Austin High...

Randall Hartley

Aug 11, 2021

Randall Dean Hartley age 59 of Austin, MN died Tuesday, August 11, 2021 at his home.

Randy was born January 4, 1962 the son of Kenneth “Dean” and Alice (Sipple) Hartley in Austin, MN.

He graduated from Austin High School and the Austin Vo-Tech with a degree in welding.  Randy worked as...

Samuel Bennett

Aug 10, 2021

Samuel Miles Bennett, age 78, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at Mayo Clinic Health System Austin. Samuel was born October 26, 1942, in Springfield, Illinois, to Samuel and Alice (Harrison) Bennett. He was a certified executive chef and over the years worked for Aramark Dining Services, Service America, Sage Dining,...

Vernon Barry

Aug 10, 2021

Vernon Garret Barry age 95 of Austin, Minnesota, died Tuesday, August 10, 2021 at Faribault Senior Living.

Vern was born on July 3, 1926 in Austin, Minnesota to Adelbert and Mae Barry.  He grew up in Austin and graduated from St. Augustine/Pacelli High School and from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota.

...

LeRoy "Lee" Bonorden

Aug 10, 2021

LeRoy “Lee” Bonorden, age 77, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester, Saint Marys Campus, surrounded by God and his family.

Lee was born February 14, 1944, in Tripoli, Iowa, to Otto and Ina (Sauerbrei) Bonorden. He grew up in Tripoli and graduated...

Irene Yocom

Aug 9, 2021

Irene E. Yocom, age 87, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Monday, August 9, 2021, at her home in Austin. Irene Elizabeth was born September 13, 1933, in Bismarck, North Dakota. She was a member of Crane Community Chapel. On November 11, 1951, she married Robert E. “Red” Yocom and together they raised their family...

John Donahue

Aug 7, 2021

John Gary Donahue, age 78, of Austin, MN passed away on Saturday, August 7th 2021 while vacationing with his family in Hayward Wisconsin. John was born April 28, 1943 in Minneapolis MN to Bernard and Marguerite (Uetz) Donahue. He attended Bloomington High School and Minneapolis School of Associated Arts "where he got all A’s." He enlisted...

Michael "Mike" Bell

Aug 5, 2021

Michael “Mike” William Bell, age 77, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Thursday, August 5, 2021, at St. Mark’s Living in Austin. Mike was born April 12, 1944, in Austin, Minnesota, to Ernest and Mary (Cowan) Bell. He graduated with the class of 1962 from Austin High School. In 1963, Mike enlisted into the United...

James "Jim" Wegner

Aug 4, 2021

James “Jim” Noel Wegner, age 91, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away Wednesday, August 4, 2021, at St. Mark’s Living in Austin. James was born in Paynesville, Minnesota, to Raymond and Marvel (Grover) Wegner on July 25, 1930. He attended school in Paynesville and graduated in 1948. Jim went on to attend the University of Minnesota...

Steven Carlson

Aug 3, 2021

Steven Allen Carlson age 69 of Austin, formerly of White Bear Lake, MN passed away Tuesday, August 3, 2021 at Methodist Hospital in Rochester, MN.

Steve was born on June 18, 1952 the son of Howard and Betty (Omvig) Carlson in St. Paul, MN.

Steve was married to Cheryl Larson, together they had...

Rose Marie Groh

Aug 3, 2021

Rose Marie Groh, age 83, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, at her home in Austin with her husband, Gary by her side. Rose Marie Schultz was born June 24, 1938, in Ridgeway, Iowa, the daughter of Edward and Dorothy (Sjobakken) Schultz. When Rose was three years old her family moved...

Russell Vaale

Aug 2, 2021

Russell Elsworth Vaale, age 95, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Monday, August 2, 2021, at Shakopee Friendship Manor in Shakopee, Minnesota. Russell was born in Lake Mills, Iowa to Edwin and Emma (Otto) Vaale on June 5, 1926. He attended country school Bristol School District #3 and graduated from Lake Mills High School in...

Margaret Voss

Aug 2, 2021

Margret Mary Voss, age 67, of Austin, died peacefully at St. John’s Lutheran Community on Fountain Lake in Albert Lea, Minnesota on Monday, August 2, 2021.

Margy was born in Austin, Minnesota on June 12, 1954, the second daughter of Don and Katie Voss.  Margy attended school in Austin and graduated from Pacelli High School.  Born to...

Donald Barnett

Aug 2, 2021

Donald “Don” Eugene Barnett, age 85, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Monday, August 2, 2021, at his home surrounded by his loving family. Don was born March 8, 1936, in Austin to Oscar and Cetha (Wyant) Barnett. He graduated from Austin High School in 1954. Don grew up chasing the love of his life,...

Russell Blaser

Aug 2, 2021

Russell Anthony Blaser, age 55, of Osage, Iowa, passed away on Monday, August 2, 2021, at Osage Rehabilitation and Health Care Center. Russell was born on October 8, 1965, in Osage, Iowa to Gervis and Lucina (Freund) Blaser. The term gentle soul described Russell. Sometimes we look for notable achievements to mark someone’s life, however...

Henry "Hank" Freese

Jul 30, 2021

Henry “Hank” Herman Freese, age 81, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Friday, July 30, 2021, at his home. Hank was born June 16, 1940, at home in Red Rock Township, Minnesota, to Herman and Marie (Bos) Freese. He attended Minnercka country school and graduated from Lyle High School in 1958. On June 9, 1962,...