Online Obituaries
Saturday, April 15, 2000
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The Journal Online Experience New Ulm!
Karen Wihlm, 56, died Thursday, April 13, 2000 at her home in Madelia following a long battle with leukemia.
A memorial service will be held 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 17, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Madelia. There will be no visitation. A memorial scholarship will be established in her name. The Pilgrim Funeral Home, Madelia, is handling arrangements.
She is survived by her husband, Daniel; daughters, Traci Henry and husband Jon of Madelia, and Terri Olson and husband Jeff of Omaha, Neb., sons, Troy of Elk River, Todd and wife Stacy and Tony, all of Madelia; seven grandchildren, Joshua, Justin, Jordan, Brandon, Kelsey, Katelyn and Carter; mother, Velva, of Glenwood; sister Kaye Nelson and husband Bruce of Glenwood and their children Jodi, Bradley and Gregory.
Karen was preceded in death by her father in 1990.
She was born Feb. 1, 1944, in Madelia, to Marland and Velva "Val" Haugen. She grew up in Madelia and graduated from Madelia high School in 1961. She attended Mankato State Teachers College, graduating with a Degree in Education in 1965. She taught school in Freeborn. Charles City, Iowa and for 17 years at St. Mary's Catholic School, Madelia, She married Daniel Whilm on December 14, 1968, at Green, Iowa and they lived in rural Madelia since 1970. She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, the MCCW Craft Circle, the VFW Auxiliary, Watonwan County Extension group, and served on the Madelia Alumni Association Board. She enjoyed flower gardening and made dozens of mission quilts and many baby quilts for the Madelia Community Hospital.
Laura (Mrs. Wayne) Luepke, 55, of 116 Stony Point Road, Courtland, died Thursday, April 13, 2000 at her home.
Services will be 11 a.m. Monday at the Redeemer Lutheran Church in New Ulm, with burial in the City Cemetery in New Ulm.
Visitation will be 3-9 p.m. Sunday and 7:30-8:30 a.m. Monday at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home, New Ulm, and one hour prior services at the church.
She is survived by her husband, Wayne, of Courtland; sons and daughters-in-law, Brian and Jody of Courtland, Arlen and Jennifer of St. Cloud, and Warren and Jenny of St. Joseph; parents, Ervel and Lorna Bode of Courtland; mother-in-law, Leone Klossner of New Ulm; sisters and brothers-in-law, Ruth Ann and Dennis Wills of Nicollet, and LaVonne and Ronald Dahltorp of Lake Crystal; a brother and sister-in-law, Reuben and Judy Bode of Courtland; and four grandchildren, Nicholas, Matthew, Zachary, William, and an anticipated arrival in December.
She was preceded in death by her father-in-law, Wilbert Luepke.
She was born Dec. 13, 1944 in New Ulm, to Ervel and Lorna (Stolt) Bode. She graduated in 1962 from the Nicollet High School, Nicollet. She married Wayne Luepke on Jan. 18, 1964, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in rural Courtland. After marriage she worked as a bank teller for many years and for the last five and a half years she had worked at Alliance Bank in New Ulm. She was a member of the Redeemer Lutheran Church, New Ulm, a member of the church choir, and a the first woman member of the Courtland Lions Club. She was just recently elected to the office of First Vice President of the Courtland Lions Club. She was also a member of the Stitch and Bitch (S & B Club) of Courtland for many years.
In lieu of flowers the family prefers memorials to the Redeemer Lutheran Church in New Ulm or to the American Cancer Society.
Michael B. Smith, 67, of St. Peter, died Tuesday, April 11, 2000, at St. Peter Community Hospital.
Services are 10 a.m. today at First Lutheran Catholic Church, St. Peter. There is no visitation. St. Peter Funeral Home, St. Peter is handling arrangements.
He is survived by his wife, Carol (Green) Smith, formerly of New Ulm; sons, Tim and wife Mary Beth of St. Peter and Mike and his fiancee Mary Ofstead of Tacomna, Wash.; daughters, Patricia Smith of Plymouth, Ann and her husband Tom Conlon of St. Peter, and Susan and her husband Tom Fort of Plymouth; two brothers, two sisters, and nieces and nephews.
He is also survived by brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Carl 'Red' and Mary Wyczawski, Tom and Kaye Green, and Bill and Elizabeth Green, all of New Ulm.
He was born Feb. 1, 1933, in Mason City, Iowa to Leo and Mary (Barrett) Smith. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict, and married Carol Green on Oct. 15, 1955, in Dubuque, Iowa, after graduating from Mankato State University. They farmed for several years until moving to St. Peter. He worked as an employment counselor for the state and helped develop the Work Incentive Program. He later worked as a final finish productoin supervisor at Alumacraft Boat Co. in St. Peter for 17 years until his retirement. He was a member of St. Peter Catholic Church, the VFW and the American Legion.
Janice Schmitt, 73, died Thursday, April 13, 2000, at Sleepy Eye Municipal Hospital.
Services will be 11 a.m. Monday at Nora Unitarian Universalist Church, Hanska, with burial at Mount Pisquah Cemetery, Hanska.
Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. Sunday and 10-11 a.m. Monday at Sturm Funeral Home Chapel, Comfrey, and one hour prior to the service at the church Monday.
She is survived by her husband Robert Schmitt of Comfrey, sons Lee and Lynn Schmitt of Comfrey; John and Julie of Comfrey; daughters Susan and Richard Evers of Comfrey; Joy and Gerard Rathman of Comfrey; and Julie and Dominic Sellner of Sleepy Eye; 11 grandchildren, one great granddaughter, brothers-in-law Philip Ahlness and Clayton Olson of Hanska; and an aunt, Selma Korslund of Northfield.
She was preceded in death by her parents, sisters Eleanor Ahlness and Ethel Olson and a brother, Oswald Haugen.
She was born Sept. 18, 1926, in Lake Hanska township to Olaf and Olga (Korslund) Haugen. She graduated from Hanska High School in 1945 and graduated from Nurses Training at Union Hospital in New Ulm. She married Robert L. Schmitt on Nov. 7, 1952, in Hanska. They lived in the Comfrey and Hanska area. She worked as a nurses' aid at Comfrey Community Hospital for 23 years and was a lifetime member of Nora Unitarian Universalist Church in Hanska. She enjoyed reading, needlework, horses and camping.