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Saturday, March 6, 1999
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Edna M. Podratz, 87, formerly of Gibbon died Wednesday, March 3, 1999 at the Arlington Municipal Hospital in Arlington.
Services will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Gibbon with burial in the church cemetery.
Visitation will be 4 - 8 p.m. Friday at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home in Gibbon and one hour prior to the service at the church.
She is survived by son and daughter-in-law William and Orda Podratz of Albert Lea; daughters and sons-in-law Delores and Ervin Lund of Fairfax, Luella and Lester Draeger of rural Winthrop and Renee and Al Schmit of rural New Ulm; 17 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; three step-great-granchildren; five great-great grandchildren; one step-great great grandchild; sisters and brothers in law, Esther Sell of Glencoe, Malinda Sell of Hutchinson, Lydia Buerkle of Gibbon, Ruth and Wayne Olson of Vancouver, Wash., Dorothy Kaatz of Buffalo Lake, Melva and Jim Peterson of rural Sleepy Eye.
She was preceeded in death by her husband Henry A. Podratz in 1967; brother Arthur Niebuhr; a grandson in infancy; a great-grand daughter in infancy; daughter, Burnell Gorr; five brothers-in-law.
She was born on Feb. 19, 1912 in Moltke Township, Sibley County to William and Sophie (Jahnke) Niebuhr. She attended country school in rural Gibbon. She married Henry A. Podratz Dec. 7, 1929 at the Immanuel Lutheran Church Parsonage in Gibbon. After their marriage they moved to Glencoe and worked as farm hands for a number of years before moving back to the Gibbon area to farm. They moved into Gibbon in 1966 after retiring from farming. She was a member of the Senior Citizens in Gibbon and was also a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Gibbon.
Paul Vorwerk, 81, of 1021 North Garden Street in New Ulm died Thursday, March 4, 1999 at the Whitewater Health Care Center in St. Charles.
Funeral service will be 11 a.m. Monday at the St. John"s Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Ulm with burial in the Lutheran Cemetery in New Ulm.
Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Sunday and 7:30-8:30 a.m. Monday at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home in New Ulm and one hour prior the service at the church.
He is survived by daughter and son-in-law Paulette and Harald McCready of St. Charles; grandchildren Scott McCready and his wife Ann of St. Charles, Marcia Schultz and her husband Tim of Altura; four great-grandchildren; sister Leona Cordes of New Ulm; brother and sister-in-law Wilmer and Eunice Vorwerk of New Ulm; sister-in-law Martha Vorwerk.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Elaine in 1993; a grandson in infancy; brother Eugene Vorwerk; brother-in-aw Albert Cordes.
He was born July 4, 1917 in Gibbon to Paul, Sr. and Dora (Niebuhr) Vorwerk. He attended St. Paul's Lutheran Grade School and graduated from New Ulm Public High School. He married Elaine Shellum Feb. 19, 1941 in Madelia. After marriage they lived in New Ulm where he worked at the New Ulm Post Office, working his way to assistant postmaster by 1970. From 1970 until his retirement in the mid 1970's he was Postmaster of the New Ulm Post Office. He was an avid softball player playing as a pitcher in the New Ulm area for thirty years. He was a past member of the Sleepy Eye Drum and Bugles Corps and the New Ulm City Band. He was active in the founding of Concordia Lanes in New Ulm and was inducted into the New Ulm Bowling Hall of Fame in 1982. He was a member of the St. John"s Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Ulm, a member of the New Ulm Country Club, and Turner Hall in New Ulm.
Ambrose Mathiowetz, 92 of Hastings formerly of Franklin died on March 4, 1999 in Hastings.
Mass of Christian Funeral will be 11 a.m. Monday at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Franklin with burial at a later date.
Visitation will be 10-11a.m. Monday at the church. Nelson Funeral Home of Redwood Falls handled arrangements.
He is survived by his wife Ruth of Hastings; children, Dean Mathiowetz and wife Cindy of Gardena, Calif., Gary Mathiowetz of Blaine, Thomas Mathiowetz of Littleton, Colo. and Richard and wife Donna of Hastings; 11 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; brothers Anton Mathiowetz and wife Phyllis of St. Cloud, Ethelbert Mathiowetz and wife Agnes of Sleepy Eye, Art Mathiowetz and wife Winifred of Comfrey; sisters Teresa Nachriner of Springfield and Marie Cook of Sleepy Eye.
He was preceded in death by a grandson Timm Mathiowetz; foster grandchild Oleg Kostyuk; brothers Raymond, Leo, Wendolyn, Alfred and Joseph and two in infancy.
He was born April 4, 1906, in Mulligan Township, Brown County, to Bartel and Theresa (Reminger) Mathiowetz. He grew up on a farm near Comfrey and attended country schools. He married Ruth Walden Sept. 15, 1936 at the Church of the Japanese Martyrs in Leavenworth. They farmed until 1944 when they moved into Franklin where he was employed for NSP and in 1946 became the manager at the Franklin Coop Creamery until retiring in 1971. He then moved with his wife to Hastings in 1988. He was a resident at Augustana Homes in Hastings for the last two years and died in Hospice Care at his son's home in Hastings after a short illness. Ambrose was a member of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Franklin and served as there custodian for several years. He was a volunteer fireman for 15 years in Franklin.
George Peter Nielsen, 88 of Chisago City died Wednesday, March 3, 1999.
Services are today the Chisago Lake Lutheran Church in Center City with burial in the Hillside Cemetery.
He is survived by wife Vi; daughters and son-in-law Mary Allan of Pleasant Hill, Calif., Karen Pike of St. Paul, Marvel and Gary King of Minneapolis; four grandsons; three step-grandchildren; two great-grandsons; brothers Albert and Palmer; sisters Alice Tidemann and Margurite Gugisberg.
He was preceded in death by 10 brothers and sisters; a daughter; sons-in-law Ron Pike and Tom Tallman.
He was born Dec. 16, 1910 in Golden Valley to Peter and Anna Nielsen. He attended the Sunny Hollow School in Golden Valley. He married Vinola Carlson of Gibbon in 1940 and they rented a dairy farm in Lindstrom. In 1943 they purchased the Cornish Township dairy farm of Charlie Carlson which he operated until 1983 when they moved to a lake home in the Lindstrom-Chisago City area. He was a lifelong member of the Clear Lake Lutheran Church and served as president of the ECLA-Minnesota Synod Churchmen in the 1970s.
Allegra A. Hjelmer, 88, of Mankato, died Friday, March 5, 1999, at Immanuel-St. Joseph Hospital, Mankato.
Services will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Mankato Mortuary with burial will be in Glenwood Cemetery.
Visitation is one hour before services on Sunday.
She is survived by son Cliff H. Hjelmer of St. James; granddaughters, Kari and her husband Kim Hanson, Kathy Hjelmer; four great-grandchildren; brother Vernon Burghardi and his wife Jeannea of Hermiston, Ore., nephews, nieces, and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband,
She was born March 18, 1910 in New Ulm to Harry and Anna (Wieland) Burghardi She moved to Mankato in 1930 and in 1931 received her nursing education from Immanuel School of Nursing. On June 14, 1931, she married Clifford Hjelmer in Minneapolis. Mr. Hjelmcr died on Oct. 8, 1983 in Mankato. Allegra was a charter member of Christ the King Lutheran Church. She was a volunteer at Oaklawn Health Care Center.