Online Obituaries Friday, March 12, 1999 March obits by date  March obits by name February obits by date  February obits by name Click here for today's obituaries    Charles Hahn, 74 ,of Darwin died Monday, March 8, 1999, at his home in Ellsworth Township.    Services are 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Peter's Church in Ellsworth Township.    Visitation is 5-9 p.m. today and 8-10 a.m. Saturday at Dobratz-Hantge Chapel in Hutchinson and one hour before services at the church. Burial will be in Mountville Cemetery in Dryden Township, Sibley County.    He is survived by wife, Dorothy of Darwin; daughter, Kathy Horner of New Ulm and fiance' Bud Bruhjell of Arlington; grandchildren, Dan Horner of New Ulm, Mandy Voges and her husband, Roger of Courtland; brother, Gordon Hahn and wife Ordella of Gaylord; brother-in-law LeRoy Polzin and wife Lois of Brownton; many nieces and nephews.    He was born July 17, 1924, in Dryden Township, Sibley County, to Charles Sr. and Ernstine (Woller) Hahn. He married Dorothy Polzin on Dec. 22, 1946, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Brownton. The family farmed in Transit Township, Sibley County. He worked for the City of Arlington until his retirement. After retirement he was employed at Hands Incorporated.    Esther E. Gareis, 91, of Country View Estates in Fairfax, formerly of New Ulm, died Thursday March 11, 1999 at Fairfax Community Home.    Funeral service is 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Ulm with burial in the Current Cemetery in Home Township, Brown County.    Visitation is 5-7 p.m. today at Minnesota Valley Funeral Home in New Ulm and will continue one hour before the service at the church on Saturday.    She is survived by her husband, Harry Gareis of Fairfax; stepdaughter, Jane Bode of New Ulm; stepson, John Gareis and his wife Erika of Germany; two grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; niece, Carol Kramer and her husband Eugene of Hector.    She was preceded in death by her first husband, Floyd Traver in 1965; and her twin brother Lester Current in 1991.    She was born March 18, 1907 in Home Township, Brown County to Scott and Clara (Runck) Current. She attended Home Township Country School. She married Floyd Traver on June 11, 1931. They lived in New Ulm, and she worked for Woolworths for 25 years. They moved to Essig where she was the postmaster. She married Harry Gareis on April 12, 1969. They lived in rural Essig. They retired in the mid 1970s and moved to New Ulm. They moved to the Country View Estates in Fairfax in 1996. She was a member of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Ulm and its Ladies Aid.    Blance Rucker, 89, of Springfield died March 11, 1999, at St. John Lutheran Home in Springfield.     Services are 11 a.m. Saturday at St. John Lutheran Home Chapel in Springfield, with burial in Springfield City Cemetery.    Visitation is 10-11 a.m. Saturday at St. John Funeral Home Chapel in Springfield. Sturm Funeral Home, Springfield handled arrangements.    She is survived by sons, Dale and wife Judy of Manassas, Va., Robert and wife Katherine of Eden Prairie; grandchildren, Ryan, Adam, Laura, Michael, Jason and Joel; sister, Leona Michels of California.    She was preceded in death by husband, Walter in 1992; brothers, Kermit, Harvey, Aaron and Eli; and sisters, Esther, Viola and Lillian.    She was born Oct. 30, 1909 in Nicollet County, to John and Clara (Black) Michels. She attended country school near Nicollet and was a graduate of Morgan High School. She took normal training at Mankato State College, and she taught school in Montana and Storden, Minn. In 1935 she married Walter Rucker. They lived in Mountain Lake, and moved to Springfield in 1945 after purchasing the Springfield Dairy. She worked with her husband in the dairy until its sale in 1964. In 1974 they left Springfield to live in Vacaville, Calif., and then moved to Manassas, Va. in 1989. She became a resident at St. John Lutheran Home in Springfield in 1998. She was a former member of the Springfield United Methodist Church where she had taught Sunday school.    Lawrence J. (Larry) Ochs, 83, of Shakopee, of formerly of Springfield, died Tuesday, March 9, 1999, at St. Gertrude's Health Center in Shakopee.    Final arrangements of services are pending due to family coming from out of state. Sturm Funeral Home, Springfield is handling arrangements.