Online Obituaries Sunday, January 31, 1999 2001 obituaries    2000 obituaries    1999 obituaries The Journal Online   Experience New Ulm Click here for today's obituaries    Wilbert Messerschmidt, 89, of Sleepy Eye, died Thursday, Jan. 28, 1999, At Immanuel-St. Joseph's Hospital, Mankato.    Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sleepy Eye with burial in Home Cemetery in Sleepy Eye.    Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. today and 7:30-8:30 a.m. Monday at the Sturm Funeral Home in Sleepy Eye and one hour prior to the service at the church.    He is survived by his wife Ruth of Sleepy Eye; daughters and son-in-law, Sondra and Bill Bertz of Springfield, Mo., and Nona Messerschmidt of Castro Valley, Calif.; a son Jan Messerschmidt of Pleasanton, Calif.; two grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; sisters Irene Petersen of Rochelle, Ill., Verna Messerschmidt of Minneapolis, cousins.    He was preceded in death by a sister, Viola Morgan.    He was born May 4, 1909 in Cobden to William and Pauline (Stage) Messerschmidt. He graduated from Sleepy Eye High School in 1928. He married Ruth Schauman on May 29, 1937 in Sleepy Eye where they made their home and where he owned and operated his own road maintenance business. He also worked for Brown County road maintenance until retiring in 1975. He was a charter member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sleepy Eye and was a charter member of the Sleepy Eye Drum and Bugle Corps.    Bernadette "Bunny" Janovsky, 77, of St. James, died on Friday, Jan. 29, at her home.    Mass of Christian burial is at 10:30 a.m. at St. James Catholic Church in St. James, with burial at Calvary Cemetery.    Visitation is 4-8 p.m. on Monay and 7:30-10 a.m. on Tuesday at Sturm Funeral Home is St. James. There will be a Christian Mothers Rosary at 4 p.m. on Monday and a parish prayer service at 7 p.m. on Monday atthe funeral home.    She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Mary and Joe Cornelius of Blaine; sons and daughters-in-law, Gary and Vickie of Reseda, Calif., Ken and Kellee of Windom, and David Janovsky and Sandy Illg of St. James; 12 grandchildren; brothers and sister-in-law, Bob and Esther Kizer of Winthrop and Hubert Kizer of Crawfordsville, Ore.; sister and brother-in-law, Marilyn and Hoot Malmgren of St. James; and sister-in-law, Lavonne Kizer, of Laverne, Calif.    She was preceded in death by her husband, John, in 1993; and brother Don.    She was born Dec.10, 1921, in Gilmore City, Iowa, to Albert and Thelma (Jordan) Kizer. She moved with her parents to a farm near Madelia as a child and graduated from Madelia High School. She married John W. Janovsky on May 9, 1942, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Madelia. They lived in California, returning to Madelia in the late 1940s. She worked at Tony Downs Foods, Friesen's Variety and the J.C. Penney Company Store for 18 years. After retirement she continued to clean homes for others.    She was a member of St. James Catholic Church, St. Lucy Circle, WCCW, Catholic Daughters, Christian Mothers Group and served meals to those who were alone during the holidays.    Olga Schultz, 90, of Fairfax, died on Saturday, Jan. 30, 1999 at the Firfax Community Home.    Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2, 1999, at Swedlanda Lutheran Church on Palmyra Township, Renville County, with burial at St. Juhn Lutheran Cemetery in Cairo Tonwnship, Renville County.    Visitation will be one hour prior to the time of services at the church.    Hauser-Hantge Funeral Chapel in Fairfax is handling the arrangements.    A complete obituary will appear in a later edition of The Journal.    Violet Sauer, 93, formerly of Route 3 New Ulm died Saturday, Jan. 30, 1999 at the Oak Hills Living Center in New Ulm.    Services will be 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Ulm with burial in the Lutheran Cemetery in New Ulm.    Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Tuesday and 7:30-10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home in New Ulm and for one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday.    A complete obituary will appear in Monday's edition of The Journal.    Selma Tietel, 85, of Realife Apartments, #102, 1224 5th North in New Ulm, died Saturday, Jan. 30, 1999 at the Oak Hills Living Center in New Ulm.    Arrangements are pending with the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home in New Ulm.