Current Obituaries - (Obituaries are posted for one week)

 

Douglas George Lithun, age 78, passed away on Sunday December 16th, 2012, in Mesa, AZ after a long battle with heart disease. He was born to George and Dena (Block) Lithun in Harvey, ND on April 30, 1934. He graduated from Harvey High School in 1952 and joined the US Navy in 1953. He served in Adak, Alaska and Puerto Rico as a communications technician. He was united in marriage to Lois Ann Lyall on June 10, 1956 in Harvey, ND. Doug enrolled at the University of North Dakota after his service commitment and received his B.S. and M.S. Degrees in Physical Education. In 1961, he accepted a position teaching elementary physical education in Crookston, MN. He retired from this position in 1991. Doug's creative abilities enabled him to implement many programs that were beneficial to both his students and the community. He received the Partners of Education Award from the Crookston Chamber of Commerce in 1993. After retirement, Doug and Lois wintered in Mesa, AZ. Since 2003, they have summered at Travelers County Club on the Mississippi near Clear Lake, MN. Doug was an avid sportsman. Hunting, fishing, racquetball, pool and golf were a few of the many activities he enjoyed. In the early 1960's, he was a member of the Crookston Flying Club. He was a high school football and basketball referee, and coached golf for several years. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Crookston. After retiring, he developed a talent for matting and framing various works of art. But what he enjoyed most was spending time with family and friends. Doug is survived by his wife, Lois; sons Mark Lithun of Middle River, MN, Kirk Lithun and daughter-in-law, Lara of Plymouth, MN, granddaughter Mallory Lithun, grandson Benjamin Lithun of Plymouth, MN, sister Esther J. Pritchard and brother-in-law Richard D. Pritchard of Houston, TX, as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his sister June Beireis of Grand Forks, ND. A memorial service will be held Sunday, June 23rd, 2:00 pm, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Crookston.

 

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Jane Robinson Hutchins, age 77, of Colorado Springs, CO, died June 5, 2013. She was born at Fairfax, OK on September 15, 1935, the daughter of Jack and Alice Robinson. She graduated as valedictorian of her high school class at Guthrie (OK) High School and went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts from the University of Oklahoma. While employed at Foley’s Department Store in Houston, TX she met her husband to be, Crookston, Minnesota native Earl C. Hutchins, a chemist for the Shell Chemical Company. They both moved to New Orleans and were later united in marriage on December 30, 1958 at Norman, OK. After living in Union, NJ for a few years, Earl was accepted to the Tulane University Medical School, which meant a move back to New Orleans. While there, Jane was employed as an executive secretary at American Can Company and a legal secretary for a large New Orleans law firm. The couple and their children eventually settled in the Colorado communities of Greely and Colorado Springs. Jane was a devoted member of the Catholic parishes in both cities, and was very active in the scouting programs of her children. She enjoyed collecting perfume bottles, quilting, basket weaving, and had a love for antiques, founding Questers organizations in Greeley and Colorado Springs. She and Earl enjoyed traveling and had visited all seven continents. May God richly bless the memory of Jane Robinson Hutchins. 
She is survived by her beloved husband of fifty-four years, Dr. Earl C. Hutchins of Colorado Springs, CO; a daughter, Kimberleigh "Kim" Hutchins of Los Angeles, CA; three sons: Brian Hutchins of San Diego, CA, Todd (Marissa) Hutchins of Eaton, CO, and Matt (Maruta) Hutchins of Seattle, WA; four grandchildren: Jack, Sam, Mary, and Ieva; and a brother, James Robinson of Oklahoma City, OK. She was preceded in death by her parents; two infant sons, Gregory and Bradley; and a sister, Sally Robinson. 
A graveside service for Jane Robinson Hutchins will be held at 11:00 am, Wednesday, June 19, 2013, at the Calvary Cemetery in Crookston, MN, with The Rev. Mario Prada, presiding.

 

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Tom Smith, age 70, of Oklee, MN, died peacefully on Friday June 14, 2013 at his residence in Oklee, MN. Thomas Russell Smith was born on June 6, 1943 in St. James, MN the first of three children born to Russell James and Jean Isabell (Frauenholtz) Smith. He was baptized and confirmed into the catholic faith. Tom attended country school near St. James and graduated from St. James High School in 1961. On June 1, 1961, Tom entered into service with the Army National Guard of Minnesota and was stationed at Fort Sill, OK. On December 2, 1961, he was called up to serve in the United States Army and was Honorably Discharged on December 31, 1968. While serving in the Army National Guard, Tom worked at Scherr-Tumico in St. James. On January 22, 1966, Tom was united in marriage to Kathleen Louise Rettke at the Catholic Church in St. James, MN. To this union five children were born, Michelle, Patricia, Christine, Jon, and Matthew. In 1968, they made their home on the Smith family farm near Butterfield, MN. They operated a farm and raised geese, pigs and cattle until 1979. That year, the family moved to a farm south of Oklee, MN in Lambert Township where they continued farming crops and livestock. Tom then received his Auctioneering License after attending school in Southeast Minnesota. He also attended Thief River Falls Technical Institute where he earned a diploma in Aviation Maintenance Technology on June 30, 1988. After graduation, Tom drove his 1966 Plymouth Fury to Georgia where he began his job with Eastern Airlines. Since the early 1990’s, Tom has worked various jobs including helping out Paradis Inc. working with some of his favorite people and friends; working for Midwest Technology throughout the upper Midwest; working with his good friend, Joe McMullen; and most recently worked for the City of Oklee. Tom was a smart man who could figure out or fix most anything; he loved to visit and was knowledgeable on just about every subject. A trait which he passed along to his sons, Jon and Matthew. If his neighbors or friends needed help, Tom was willing to help. He was a "jack of all trades." Tom made his own hog roasters and enjoyed cooking for people. He was also a friend to everyone and never judged anyone. Tom was a member of the Plummer American Legion for the past 22 years.
Survivors include his five children, Michelle (Mark) Tenney of St. James, MN, Patricia Lundeen of Wishek, ND, Christine (Bill) Braadland of Polk City, IA, Jon (Sue) Smith of Oklee, MN, and Matthew (Vicki) Smith of Deer River, MN; 19 grandchildren, Jessica (Ryan Stotts) Kalbakdalen, Ashley (Jesse) Stratton, Maisie Januszewski, Patrick, Jackson, Mason and Wilson Lundeen, Dylan Sorg, Corbin and Olivia Flower, Stephanie, Sami, Megan and Molly Smith, Haylee, Jessica, Bobby, Theodore and Ernie Smith; 5 great-grandchildren, Carsyn Stotts, Rease, Rylie, Everett, and SunniMae Stratton; mother, Jean Smith of St. James, MN; sister, Linda (Bill) Voss of Slayton, MN; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and friends. He is preceded in death by his father, Russell; grandparents; brother, James; and great-granddaughter, Clara. 
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at Johnson Funeral Service in Oklee, MN with Father Chuck Huck presiding. Burial will be held at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at Calvary Cemetery in St. James, MN. Military honors will be provided by the Plummer American Legion Honor Guard. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the funeral at Johnson Funeral Service. Condolences may be sent at www.johnsonfuneralservice.com

 

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Duane C. Wentzel, age 73, of Leesburg, FL, and formerly of Fisher and Crookston, MN, died Thursday, June 13, 2013, at Waterman Villages in Mount Dora, FL, under the care of hospice. A memorial graveside service for Duane C. Wentzel will be held at the Oakdale Cemetery in Crookston this coming fall. A full obituary including time and date of the service will be released closer to that time. The Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

 

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Lawrence Leroy Audette, 76, of Red Lake Falls, MN died on Sunday June 9, 2013 at Hillcrest Senior Living surrounded by his loving family. Mass of Christian burial will be held on Thursday, June 13, 2013 at 10:30 AM at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Red Lake Falls, MN with Father Chuck Huck Officiating. Burial will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery near Red Lake Falls. Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 5 – 8 PM with a 7:00 PM prayer service at St. Joseph Church and also one hour prior to services at the church on Thursday.
Lawrence Leroy Audette was born December 4, 1936 in Red Lake County, son of the late Lawrence and Noella (Lasha) Audette. He was baptized December 8, 1936 and confirmed June 19, 1949 at St. Dorothy Catholic Church in Dorothy. He attended grade school at Harding Country School in Louisville Township and graduated from Lafayette High School in 1954. Leroy entered the US Navy in 1956 by traveling down to Norman, OK for check-in.  From there he attended basic training in San Diego, CA and Aviation Photography School in Pensacola, FL. He was stationed at NAS Atsugi, Japan and attained the rank of Aviation Photographer’s Mate Second Class. He was honorably discharged in 1960.
On August 4, 1962 he was united in marriage to Carol Johanneck at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Red Lake Falls, MN. Leroy and Carol lived on the north side of Red Lake Falls until 1976.  In 1976 they purchased 80 acres of land east of Red Lake Falls where they built their current homestead.  Leroy worked at Alma Trailer Company in addition to running several of his own businesses, including, Lee’s Photography Studio and Lee’s Camper Sales. He started Rafdors Inc. in 1970 where he manufactured rafters, doors and room additions for the mobile home industry. He retired in the late 90's to focus his time on more enjoyable activities. 
Leroy enjoyed flying, fishing (especially with the grandkids), hunting, rebuilding airplanes and delivering cars for Thibert Chevrolet. He designed and built a foot-bridge and a log cabin on their rural property. Leroy was great to volunteer and help with construction projects, especially enjoying the ones with his children and at his church. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, the American Legion in Red Lake Falls, the Red Lake Falls Flying Club and the Red Lake Falls Sportsman’s Club.
Leroy is survived by his wife of 50 years Carol of Red Lake Falls, MN; children Becky Audette of Red Lake Falls, MN, Dan (Teresa) Audette of Thief River Falls, MN, Stephen (Julie) Audette of Brooklyn Park, MN and Diana (Garret) Boykin of Chandler, AZ: grandchildren Branden Audette, Tyler Audette, Kristen Audette, Sommer Audette and Noah Audette. Sisters LouAnn Rode of Coos Bay, OR, Judy (Hugh) Morrison of Selkirk, MB, Laurie (Larry) Filipinski of Lake in the Hills, IL, Terry (Gary) Weiss of Red Lake Falls, MN, and Mary Jo Audette of Anchorage, AK;  Aunt Sister Laurian Lasha of Crookston, MN along with many nieces, nephews and cousins. He is preceded in death by his son David Lawrence Audette, his parents, and long-time hunting buddies Joe Armstrong and Don Audette.
Condolences may be sent at www.johnsonfuneralservice.com

 

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Richard Hallebrot, 74, of Crookston, MN died on Thursday, June 6, 2013 at Riverview Memory Care Center.Richard Emil Paul Hallebrot was born April 4, 1939 at home on a farm North of Erskine, MN son of Leonard and Marie (Amberson) Hallebrot. He grew up on the farm, helping with some of the farm work. He was the oldest of the family of five. He attended a one room country school about one and three fourths miles from his home. Everyone in his family spoke Norwegian at home so when he started he couldn’t speak English. He and his sister Lorraine walked to school most of the time and occasionally their father would bring them or pick them up in a horse drawn sleigh. The children would place food items, such as potato, on top of a potbellied stove and the food would be ready to eat by noon. When the school closed, Richard attended the school in Erskine. Richard worked on different farms in the area until he left home. He had various jobs throughout life, which included driving cab, owning and operating a janitorial service, managing a café, along with many others. He also took flying lessons at one time. Richard met Virginia (Virgie) Hines in Erskine. They married on August 28, 1965 in Sisseton, South Dakota. They had no children together but Virgie had two grown daughters Francine and Ellen. Richard and Virgie traveled to numerous places and lived in a number of places in Minnesota. Many years were spent in the state of Washington and a short while in California. In 1993 they returned to Minnesota to Virgie’s hometown of Barnesville. After her death in 2000 he continued to live in Barnesville until moving to Fair Meadow May 8, 2009 and Riverview Memory Care Center on April 1, 2013. Richard’s pastime enjoyments include listening to music, playing musical instruments – piano, accordion, guitar and fiddle. He enjoyed drawing, spending time researching the Titanic, reading and studying the Bible.
Richard is survived by sisters Lorraine Keeler of Red Lake Falls, MN and Margaret (Dennis) Lee of Red Lake Falls, MN; two step daughters Francine Hoffman of Barnesville, MN and Ellen (Fred) Heille of Worthington, MN; several step grandchildren and step great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and cousins.
He is preceded in death by his wife Virginia, parents, infant brother Warren Hallebrot and sister Irene Larson.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 14, 2013 at 2:00 PM at Bethany Lutheran Church in Red Lake Falls, MN with Reverend Gary Graff Officiating, guest speaker Evelyn Glass. Burial will be held at the Sorum Cemetery rural Erskine, MN. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the church on Friday.

 

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Mary Ann Pahlen,  age 89, Crookston, MN, and former longtime Euclid, MN resident, died Wednesday morning, June 5, 2013 at Riverview Health in Crookston with her loving family at her side.  Mary was born on January 4, 1924 to Frank and Emma (Klos) Stroot in Belgium Township, where she also was raised and attended school. Mary was united in marriage with Jacob Pahlen on Nov. 14, 1945 and dedicated her life to raising their eleven children on their farm near Euclid.   Jake died on April 24, 1971.  Mary continued living on the farm until she moved to Crookston in 1992. 
Mary enjoyed sewing, embroidery, cross stitch, quilting and making lap robes for veterans and the nursing home.  She was a volunteer at the Riverview Nursing Home and for the Sisters of St. Benedict.  She was a member of the Birthday Club, St. Mary’s Church Altar Society, Catholic Daughters and the American Legion Auxiliary.  She enjoyed spending time with her family playing cards, especially Smear and Double Solitaire.  Mary was known for baking and sharing her homemade bread and other goodies. 
She is survived by her children: Bill (Lois) Pahlen of Euclid, Joyce (Walt) Christensen of Crookston, Kathy (Skip) Cormican of Battle Ground, WA, Lois (Jim) Chandler of Crookston, Carol (Neil) Parkin of Euclid, Dan (Judy) Pahlen of Warren, Margaret (Chuck) Huston of Crookston, Jerry (Julie) Pahlen of Roseau, Mary Kay (Chris) Plante of Crookston, and Mark (Maria) Pahlen of Roseau; a daughter-in-law: Les Pahlen of Grand Forks; 26 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and 15 great great-grandchildren; two brothers: Bernard of Crookston and Bob of St. Michael; a sister: Clarice Ellingson of St. Michael; a number of in-laws, nieces, nephews and other relatives.
She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters: Irene Fitzsimmons and Dorothy Westphal; brothers: David, Leo, Walter, Jerome, Joe, Francis, and Bill; her husband: Jacob Pahlen; a son: Ken in 2008; grandchildren: Lisa Weiland and Jamie Mercier; great-grandchildren: Marik Peterson and Hannah Chandler.
Mary’s funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM, Monday, June 10, 2013 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Euclid, MN.  Visitation will be at the Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home in Crookston on Sunday from 5-7 PM, with a 7 PM prayer service, and also at the church for one hour prior to the funeral.  Burial will be at Prairie View Cemetery, Euclid. Online registry: www.stenshoelhouske.com

 

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Wayne T. Walden, 68, Borup, MN, died at Twin Valley Living Center, Twin Valley, MN, on Saturday, June 1, 2013, following a brief illness. A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00AM Thursday, June 6, 2013, at Winchester Lutheran Church, Borup, MN. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church. Arrangements are with Fredrikson Funeral Home Ada, Minnesota, www.fredriksonfh.com

 

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Vivian Loretta Forseth, 87, a longtime Fisher, MN resident, died peacefully Sunday morning, June 2, 2013, at the Hillcrest Nursing Home in Red Lake Falls, MN. Vivian was born at St. Paul, MN on April 4, 1926, and was the daughter of Mike and Clara (Johnson) Forseth. Her childhood years were spent in Fisher, MN, attending public school and confirming her faith at Fisher Lutheran Church. She later moved with her family to Barnesville, MN, where she graduated from high school in 1944. Vivian went on to attend St. Joseph’s School of Nursing in Grand Forks, ND, receiving her R.N. degree in 1948. The following year she worked as a nurse at the Veterans Administration Hospital in St. Cloud, MN. She then attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Socio-Psychology and Biology in 1951. In 1950 she had moved to Fisher to make her home, working in Crookston as a nursing instructor at the Bethesda Hospital School of Nursing and the Crookston School of Practical Nursing and in Grand Forks, ND as a staff nurse at Valley Memorial Homes. Vivian retired in 1978 and in 2010 moved from Fisher to the Nimens –Espegaard Apartments in Crookston, and a year later to Crookston’s RiverView Nursing Home. In October of 2012 she became a resident of the Hillcrest Nursing Home in Red Lake Falls. Vivian was a member of the Fisher Lutheran Church, and the American Nurses Association. She also held membership in Crookston’s Morgensol Chapter of the Sons of Norway, and was especially proud of her Norwegian heritage. In her younger years Vivian traveled to several European countries, and was able to visit Norway twice. She will be very lovingly remembered and sadly missed. 
Vivian is survived by brothers LeRoy Larson of Lakeland Shores, MN and David Larson of Randolph, NJ., several cousins and many wonderful friends in the Fisher area. She was preceded in death by her parents. May God richly bless her memory.
The funeral service for Vivian Loretta Forseth will be held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, June 10, 2013, at the Fisher Lutheran Church in Fisher, with The Rev. Karen Young Trenne, officiating. Visitation will be at the church for one hour prior to the funeral service. Interment will be in the Fisher Lutheran Cemetery. The Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home is assisting with funeral arrangements. www.stenshoelhouske.com

 

 

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Margaret Luella Kehn, Plummer, MN, 68, died Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at Sanford Hospital, Fargo, ND. Margaret Luella Kehn was born November 19, 1944 at Crookston, MN daughter of Louis and Luella (Meyer) Hagl. She was raised in the Red Lake Falls area attending rural Grade School and Graduated from Lafayette High School in 1963. On February 17, 1965 she was united in marriage to Harold Kehn in Fertile, MN. They lived near Terrebonne, MN for a few years and then moved to Red Lake Falls, MN where they have continued to make their home. To this union four children were born, Michael, Allen, Monica and Jeanne. Margaret worked at Hillcrest Nursing Home and Glenmore Recovery Center, she loved her job at Anderson Fabric in Crookston. She enjoyed gardening, playing games on the computer and spending time at the casino but most of all she enjoyed the time spent with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was lovingly known as "Granny" "Grandma" "Muggy" "Maggie" and "Grandmouse". She loved her dog "Chiquita". 
Survivors include her children, Michael (Jennifer) Kehn of Plummer, MN, Allen (Demetrius) Kehn of Grand Forks, ND, Monica (Michael) Januszewski of Beltrami, MN, and Jeanne (Shannon) Monkman of Fargo, ND; 11 grandchildren; and 3 great-grandchildren; brothers Harvey Hagl, of Red Lake Falls, MN, Leonard Hagl of Red Lake Falls, MN, Joseph (Patsy) Hagl of Red Lake Falls, MN and sister Elizabeth (Jim) Sauve of Red Lake Falls, MN; several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Harold, sisters Josephine DeHaan, Theresa Cardinal, brother Fred Hagl and Jim Vickery. The funeral service will be held at 10:30 am Friday, June 7th at Johnson Funeral Service in Red Lake Falls, MN with Father Chuck Huck Officiating. Burial will follow at St. Anthony Cemetery in Terrebonne, MN. Visitation will be 9:30 – 10:30 AM prior to the service Friday.

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Rita Desrosier, age 72, of Crookston, MN, died early Friday morning, May 31, 2013, at the Altru Hospital in Grand Forks. Rita was the daughter of Harvey and Florence (Audette)Normandin, and was born at Red Lake Falls, MN on October 15, 1940. She grew up near Huot in Red Lake County and was baptized and confirmed at St. Dorothy’s Catholic Church. Rita attended country school through the 8th grade and graduated from Lafayette High School in Red Lake Falls in 1959. Her first employment after high school was as bookkeeper for Saul Motors in Crookston. She later began working as a bookkeeper for Polk County Social Services. On April 29, 1972 Rita was united in marriage to Donald Desrosier at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Crookston.  The couple made their home in Crookston all their married lives and together raised two children, Marie and Joseph. Rita continued her employment with Social Services until retirement in 1998. In semi-retirement she spent 9 years working at the Crookston McDonald’s, and for the last 6 years, to the present time, had been cheerfully greeting arriving customers at the local Walmart. Rita enjoyed the opportunity of seeing and visiting with people she had known all her life, and was always making new friends.
She was a longtime parishioner of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and a member of the Funeral Guild. She and Don were very active in AFRAN, sponsor of a festival held every fall in Huot Park and celebrating the French culture.  She enjoyed embroidering and making dish towels. Don and Rita were devoted to one another, and it wasn’t very often away from work that you would see one without the other. She took great joy in helping family, friends and neighbors, and was a very special person who will be very lovingly missed by all whose lives she touched.
Rita leaves her beloved husband of 41 years, Don; her daughter and son-in-law, Marie and Jeff Travis of San Antonio, TX; her son, Joseph “Joe” Desrosier of Crookston, MN; two grandsons,Kody and Kaiden Desrosier of Crookston; a sister, Yvonne Stitch of O Fallon, MO; several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Gloria Elmer of Chippewa Falls, WI, Elaine Sylvester, Bonnie (Jim) Sullivan, Lucia (Dennis) Swenson, and Linda (Ron) Lanctot of Crookston, Linus (Cathy) Desrosier of Red Lake Falls, MN, Rose (Ken) Rustad and Anna (Bryan) Viddenof Fargo, ND, Carol (Roy) Schatschneider of West Fargo, ND, Charlotte Mohs of Virginia, MN, and Stanley (Dee) Desrosier of Roosevelt, MN; together with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her parents; and 4 brothers-in-law: Adolph Stitch, Harold Elmer, Dale Sylvester, and Richard Mohs. May God bless the memory of Rita Marie Desrosier.
The Mass of Christian Burial for Rita Desrosier will be held at 2:00 pm, Wednesday, June 5, 2013, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Crookston, with Msgr. RogerGrundhaus, presiding, and Deacon Dennis Bivens, homilist.  Visitation will at the Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home on Tuesday from 5-7:00 pm, with a 7:00 pm prayer service, and at the church for one hour prior to the funeral. Interment will be in the Calvary Cemetery, Crookston.
www.stenshoelhouske.com

 

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Maurice Derosier of Red Lake Falls, MN age 88, died on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at HealthEast St. Johns Hospital in Maplewood, MN. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 AM, Tuesday, June 4, 2013 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Red Lake Falls, MN with Father Chuck Huck presiding. Burial will be held at St. Anthony's Cemetery in Terrebonne, MN. Military honors will be provided by the Red Lake Falls American Legion Post. Maurice Joseph Derosier was born Nov. 12, 1924 on a farm near Terrebonne, the son of Ferment and Evelyn (Paradis) Derosier. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Terrebonne. He attended Beaugerlot School through eighth grade and attended Lafayette High School in Red Lake Falls in 1940 until enlisting in the US Navy in 1944. He was stationed in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. He was honorably discharged in 1946 and returned to work as an apprentice electrician at R&D Electric in Red Lake Falls. He later moved to Fargo and did electrical work at NDSU. Maurice married Sybil St. Ives on June 16, 1949, in Terrebonne. In 1952 the couple moved from Fargo to a farm they purchased near Red Lake Falls where Maurice began dairy farming and they raised their six children. In addition to farming, Maurice was a licensed IBEW member electrician and worked on many construction projects in the region as well as maintenance at American Crystal Sugar Plant in Crookston. In 1983 Maurice and Sybil moved to Chicago to help their son Mike, start a fireplace factory. This was followed by a move to the Twin Cities in 1986 and a return to the Lake Pleasant Township farm in 1989. Later years were spent living and working at Sunview Center in Red Lake Falls. Maurice was a devoted husband as demonstrated by his faithful care of Sybil. As a father he provided a loving example for his six children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was a member of the American Legion, Knights of Columbus, Cursillo Movement and St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Red Lake Falls. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and outdoor sports, but most of all he loved doing field work on the tractor. 
Survivors include: two sisters; Madonna Balmer, of Tacoma, WA; Lucille Biever, of Spanaway, WA; and six children, Mike and wife Linda Derosier, of Lincoln, CA; Larry and wife Jeanette Derosier, of Roy, WA; Susan and husband Chuck Kaufman, of Shoreview, MN; Lucy and husband Massimo Mazzoni, of Porto San Giorgio, Italy; John and wife Janet Derosier, of White Bear Township, MN; Janet and husband Michael Etten, of Shoreview, MN; 15 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Also, sisters-in-law; Ella Mae (Ernest) Derosier, JoAnn (George) Derosier and many nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his wife Sybil, both parents and four brothers, Louis, Paul, Ernest and George. 
Visitation will be 5 - 8 PM, Monday, June 3, 2013 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Red Lake Falls with a 7 PM wake service with Deacon John Bruggeman presiding. Visitation will also be held for one hour prior to the service on Tuesday. Arrangements are with the Johnson Funeral Service, Red Lake Falls. 

 

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Richard "Dick" Casmey, 73, Cleveland, TN, passed away on Wednesday morning, April 10, 2013, with his family at his side. Memorial services for Dick will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, June 6, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Crookston, MN, with Pastor Jo Gast officiating. Visitation with the family will be for one hour prior to the service. Richard Pearson, son of James and Donna (Coss) Casmey, was born on April 24, 1939 at Crookston, MN. Following his graduation from high school in 1957 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served four years on the Navy Destroyer, U.S.S. Fechteler. Following his honorable discharge, Dick returned to Crookston and was soon reacquainted with a classmate, Jo Ann Pederson. They were married in 1962 and spent the next 50+ years as companions and best friends, enjoying many hours together working on the several homes they built, and sharing their love of travel. As a mechanical engineer, Dick spent his entire career in the computer industry beginning with IBM in Rochester, MN. Following a transfer to San Jose, CA, he was employed by several companies and spent many airline hours traveling to Thailand, Singapore, Japan, India, and Europe where those companies had suppliers. As a member of the California F100 Club, Dick lovingly restored a 1953 Ford Pickup, and drove in many of the club’s truck runs. In 2003 Dick & Jo Ann retired to Tennessee where he joined the Chattanooga Coin Club. He spent much time researching, identifying, and cataloging coins he found interesting. Dick also enjoyed many hours doing woodworking projects in his shop and exploring the historical significance of the area. 
Dick is survived by his wife of 50 years, Jo Ann; daughter, Kirsten (Joe) Robinson, Chattanooga, TN; two granddaughters: Joy (Philip) Lewis, Cleveland, TN, and Jessica (Chad) Hedgcock, Dallastown, PA; great-granddaughter, Victoria Hedgcock; sister, Mary Oehlke, Devils Lake, ND; brother-in-law, William (Gloria) Pederson, Thief River Falls, MN, and several nieces and nephews. 
Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Friends may sign the online guest book at www.stenshoel-houske .com

 

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