Online Obituaries Sunday, January 24, 1999 2001 obituaries    2000 obituaries    1999 obituaries The Journal Online   Experience New Ulm Click here for today's obituaries    Agnes Hammerschmidt, 99, of Wabasso, died Friday, January 22, 1999 at the Wabasso Health Care Center.    Funeral Mass will be held Monday, 10:30 a.m. at St. Anne's Catholic church in Wabasso with burial in the church cemetery.    Visitation will be Sunday 4-8 p.m. with a prayer service at 7 p.m. all at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Wabasso. Visitation will continue on Monday, one hour prior to services. Kulow Funeral Service of Echo is in charge of arrangements.    Agnes is survived by sons and daughters-in-law Alvin and Lila Hammerschmidt of Wabasso, Leonard and Betty Hammerschmidt of Redwood Falls; daughter and son-in-law Joan and Wayne Wenholz of Suisun City, Calif; 10 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren.    She was preceded in death by husband John in 1998, brother Anton; sister Anna.    She was born Jan. 6, 1900 in Snyder, Neb. to Anton and Mary (Bohata) Havel. She grew up in Nebraska and attended school there. She married John George Hammerschmidt Sept. 16, 1924 in Dodge, Neb. The couple settledand farmed in Wabasso until they became residents of the Wabasso Healthcare Center in 1993. She was a member of the Catholic Aid Society for over 50 years, St. Anne's Catholic Church and the Catholic Council of Women.     Anthony Thomas Samstad, 20, of Wells, died Jan. 21, 1999 at Morton.    Services are 11 a.m. Monday at Sturm Funeral Home in Sleepy Eye with interment at the Home Cemetery, Sleepy Eye.    Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. on Sunday and 10-11 a.m. on Monday at the Sturm Funeral Home.    He is survived by his parents, Tim and Sherry Samstad of Sleepy Eye; sister Justina and fiance Tim Burges of Eagle Lake; brothers Joey and Jeremy Samstad, of Sleepy Eye and fiance Karla Olson, of Wells; paternal grandparents Red and Evelyn Samstad of Burnsville; aunts and uncles.    He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Beverly and Wilbert Schulz; aunt Marilyn Samstad.    Anthony was born on Feb. 28, 1978 in Shakopee the son of Timothy and Sherry Kay (Schulz) Samstad. Anthony graduated from United South Central High School in Wells. After graduating he worked as a laborer at Wells Truss in Wells. He was a member of Covenant Life Church in Wells and Covenant Life Youth Center.    Mildred Leske, 83, of Hector, died Tuesday, Jan. 19, 1999 at the Sunwood Care Center in Redwood Falls.    Service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Zion United Methodist Church in Buffalo Lake with burial in the Zion Evangelical Cemetery.    Visitation will be Sunday from 3-7 p.m. at the Hughes Funeral Home in Hector and will continue one hour prior to service on Monday.    Tom W. Halverson, 58, formerly of Lafayette died Friday, January 22, 1999 at the Hillcrest Health Care Center in Mankato.    A memorial service will be held in the spring at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home in New Ulm with burial in the Clear Lake Methodist Cemetery in rural Lafayette.    He is survived by sisters and brothers-in-law Carol and Robert Martens of Nicollet, Ruth and Warren Gluth of St. Petersburg, Fla; brother and sister-in-law Herbert and Jean Halverson of Rice Lake, Wis.; aunt Ella Halverson of St. Peter; and nieces, nephews, and cousins.    He was preceded in death by his parents.    He was born June 14, 1940 in St. Peter to Theodore and Myrtle (Olson) Halverson. He was a graduate of the New Ulm Public High Schools. He was a member of the Methodist Church in Lafayette. The family prefers memorials to the wildlife santuary at the Hillcrest Health Care Center in Mankato.    Clara A. Schrimpf, 93, of Lafayette, formerly of Sleepy Eye died Saturday, Jan. 23, 1999 at the New Ulm Medical Center.    Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye.    Visitation will be on Tuesday from 4-8 p.m. and Wednesday from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Sturm Funeral Home in Sleepy Eye with burial in St. John's Cemetery in Searles.     Ruth Blauert, 86 of 214 North Washington, New Ulm died Saturday, January 23, 1999 at the Queen of Peace Hospital in New Prague.    Funeral arrangements are pending with the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home in New Ulm.    Gerald "Gerry" Brand, 55, of 617 North Jefferson in New Ulm died Saturday, January 23, 1999 at his home.    Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm with burial in the Catholic Cemetery in New Ulm. Full Military Rites will be conducted at the cemetery by the New Ulm Veterans Organizations.    Visitation will be Monday 4 - 9 p.m. and Tuesday 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home in New Ulm. There will be a rosary by the St. Joseph's Catholic Aid Council at 6:30 p.m. and a parish prayer service at 7:30 p.m. both Monday evening at the funeral home.