Online Obituaries Saturday, Dec. 28, 2002 2002 obituaries    2001 obituaries 2000 obituaries    1999 obituaries The Journal Online   Experience New Ulm Click here for today's obituaries    Ruth May Bigot, 97, of Springfield, died Thursday, Dec. 26, 2002, at St. John Lutheran Home in Springfield.    Services will be 1 p.m. Monday, Dec. 30, at St. John Lutheran Home Chapel in Springfield, with burial in the Springfield City Cemetery. Visitation will be 12 - 1 p.m. Monday at the St. John Luthearn Home Chapel. Arrangements are with the Sturm Funeral Home in Springfield.    Ruth May Bigot was born Dec. 6, 1905, in Lakefied, to Levi and Carrie (Brown) Kephart.    Mary Ann Bierl, 96, of Wanda, died Thursday, Dec. 26, 2002, at Valley View Manor in Lamberton.    Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 30, at St. Mathias Catholic Church in Wanda, with burial in St. Mathias Catholic Cemetery in Wanda.    Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Sunday at St. Mathias Catholic Church, Wanda, and one hour prior to the service on Monday. There will be a rosary at 5:30 p.m. and a parish prayer service at 7 p.m., both Sunday at the church. Sturm Funeral Home of Lamberton is handling arrangements.    Mary is survived by her children, Joan Baumann of Walnut Grove, Lorena Jenniges of Wanda, Rollie Bierl of Wanda, Mark Bierl of Wanda, Carol Jones of Bloomington, Peter Bierl of Wanda, and Clarice Wielinski of Eagan; 29 grandchildren, 59 great grandchildren, and eight great great grandchildren.    She was born Oct. 9, 1906 in Seaforth to Paul and Mary (Rohlik) Borte.    Sarah Johnson, age 83, of Hector, passed away Thursday, Dec. 26, 2002, at the Abbott-Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.    Funeral service will be 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 30, 2002, at First Lutheran Church in Hector, with internment in the First Lutheran Cemetery in Glencoe. Visitation will be 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 - 9:30 p.m., with a 7:45 p.m. prayer service, Sunday at the Hughes Funeral Home in Hector. Visitation will continue one hour prior to service at the church on Monday.    Sarah Rose Johnson was born Jan. 24, 1919, in Sumter, the daughter of Rudolph and Christine (Arlt) Riewe. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. Sarah grew up on the family farm in Sumter, and attended rural school.    On April 7, 1940, Sarah was united in marriage to Kenneth Gilmore Johnson in Glencoe. The couple resided on the family farm until moving into the town of Glencoe. Sarah was employed at the Glencoe Hospital in the laundry department. After Kenneth passed away, Sarah moved to Hector, and helped at Hardware Hank by dusting and stocking freight. She was a member of the First Lutheran Church in Hector, and enjoyed Bingo and meals at the senior center. Sarah enjoyed her pet cats.    Sarah is survived by her son Larry Johnson and his wife Terry of Columbia, Md.; and their children, Lisa, Julie and Brian; her daughter Carol Bipes and her husband Gary of Hector; and their children, Michele and Julie; 11 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.    She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Kenneth; an infant brother; her twin sister Clara Lenz; and her sister Ruth Tuculet.