Online Obituaries Saturday, Nov. 2, 2002 2002 obituaries    2001 obituaries 2000 obituaries    1999 obituaries The Journal Online   Experience New Ulm Click here for today's obituaries    Diana J. Sorheim, 85, of New Ulm died Wednesday, October 30, 2002 at the Madelia Community Hospital in Madelia. 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 - 7 p.m. Sunday and will continue from 7:30 until 8:30 a.m. on Monday at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home in New Ulm and then for one hour prior to time of service at the church on Monday.    Diana is survived by a daughter-in-law, Sandy Sorheim of Jacksonville, Florida; granddaughters, Lisa Averill and her husband, Gil, stationed with the U.S. Navy in Sicily, Italy and Nancy Smith and her husband, Jeff, of Nashville, Tennessee; great grandchildren, Cory and Eric Averill and Jeremiah and Megan Smith. Also surviving are many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Alphie H. Sorheim, Sr.; a son, Alphie H. Sorheim, Jr.; a brother, Joey Olstad; and sisters, Pearl Shelley and Ella Kjelshus.    Diana was born on March 13, 1917 in Hanska to John and Dora Olstad. She was united in marriage to Alphie H. Sorheim on June 11, 1937 in Hanska. After marriage they farmed near Hanska until moving to New Ulm in the early 1940's. She had worked at Montgomery Wards in New Ulm for several years before becoming employed by Brown County as the Deputy County Auditor. She retired in the early 1980's. Diana had lived at Real Life Apartments in New Ulm for many years before becoming a resident at the Oak Hills Assisted Living Center in New Ulm and later a resident of the Luther Memorial Home in Madelia.    The family prefers memorials to either the St. John's Lutheran Church, the Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School, or to the Talking Books for the Blind.    Orpha Steffen, 76, of 1134 Adams Avenue in Gibbon died Wednesday, October 30, 2002 at the Immanuel - St. Joseph Hospital in Mankato.    Services will be 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Gibbon with burial in the church cemetery.    Visitation will be 3-7 p.m. Sunday at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home in Gibbon and will continue for one hour prior to the time of service at the church on Monday.     Orpha is survived by her daughter, Linda Anderson of Playa del Rey, California; sons and daughters-in-law, Gary and Cherry Schwartz of Owatonna, Steven and Rachel Schwartz of Fairfax Station, Virginia; grandsons, Jason Schwartz and Jonathan Schwarts both of Owatonna; brother and sister-in-law, Martin and Viola Grewe of Gibbon; sister-in-law, Verna Grewe of Gibbon; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; first husband, Martin Schwartz; second husband, Norbert "Butch" Steffen; a brother, Melvin Grewe; sisters, Ruth Kiecker, Dorothy Buboltz, and Helen Schwartz.    She was born on January 18, 1926 in Moltke Township, Sibley County to Otto and Emma (Bentz) Grewe. On November 26, 1946 she married Martin Schwartz at the St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Fernando. After marriage they farmed in Grafton Township, Sibley County until the late 1960's. They moved to Gibbon in 1969. After Martin's death she married Norbert Steffen on December 2, 1972 at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Ulm. After marraige they farmed in West Newton Township, Nicollet County. In 1995 she moved to Gibbon. She was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Gibbon, the Gibbon American Legion Auxiliary and the Gibbon Senior Citizens Quilting Group.    Emily Weiske, 92, of Hanska died Thursday, October 31, 2002 at the Luther Memorial Home in Madelia.    Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in St. James with burial to follow in Mount Hope Cemetery, St. James.    Visitation will be 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Schmucker Funeral Service in Hanska, and one hour prior to services at the church.    Emily Isabel Crousore, the daughter of Charles and Ida (Fenton) Crousore, was born May 29, 1910 in Bancroft, Iowa. The family lived in Fairmont, where she spent her youth and graduated from Fairmont High School in 1928. She was united in marriage to Elmer Weiske on September 11, 1932 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Fairmont. Together they made their home and farmed in Fairmont Township for several years, as well as the Northrop area for a time. They moved their family to rural Hanska in 1956. The couple farmed for another twenty years before retiring and moving into Hanska.    She became a resident of the Luther Memorial Home in Madelia in June 2002. The couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this September.    She was a member of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. James and was active in ladies aid. She was a member of the Watonwan and Brown County Extension Clubs; she loved to bowl and served as secretary of the association for ten years. Emily was a 4-H leader and loved to garden and sew for family. She enjoyed cooking and entertaining and being with loved ones. She loved playing canasta with family and church friends.    Survivors include her husband Elmer of Hanska; sons, Don Weiske and his wife Barbara of Spicer, Kenneth Weiske and his wife Marge of Baldwin, WI, Norm Weiske and his wife Gayle of New Ulm; eleven grandchildren; twenty great grandchildren; sister, Lydia Tonne of Granada; brother-in-law, Clarence Weiske and his wife Verda of Morristown; sister-in-law, Lois Blint of Fairmont; and many nieces and nephews. Emily was preceded in death by an infant son, Richard; grandson, Brett Weiske; and two great granddaughters, Ashley Weiske and Ana Nelson.    Leona A. Bussler, 96, of Stillwater, formerly of Winthrop, died Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2002, at the Good Samaritan Home in Stillwater.    Services will be 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, at First Lutheran Church in Winthrop with burial in the Winthrop Cemetery.    Visitation will be one hour prior to the time of services at the church on Sunday.    Dalin-Hantge Funeral Chapel of Winthrop is handling the arrangements.    She is survived by her daughters, Ruby Erickson of North St. Paul, and Marlys Schaumburg of Oakdale; a son, Lowell Bussler of Long Beach, Miss.; six grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren, and sisters, Esther Gehrke of Winthrop, and Alpha Stresemann of Winthrop.    Leona Anna (Mahnke) Bussler was born Oct.13, 1906, in Transit Township, Sibley County, to William and Anna (Bauermeister) Mahnke.    Donald R. Konz, 45 of Welcome, formerly of Sleepy Eye, died Friday, Nov. 1, 2002 at Sleepy Eye Municipal Hospital.    Services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2002 at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Sleepy Eye with burial in the church cemetery.    Visitation will be 9-11 a.m. Tuesday at the church.    The Kramer Family Funeral Home of Welcome is handling arrangements.