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Nancy White
Services will be held today for Nancy June White. She died Sun., Sept. 19, 1999 in a Sacramento, Calif. hospital. She was 51.
Nancy was born in Duluth. She married Steve White in 1968 and they have lived in Amador County for the past 23 years. Nancy worked for the Amador County School District as a cook manager for the Pioneer Elementary School for 15 years. She was also active in the Christian Women’s Club.
She is survived by her husband Steve of Pioneer; children Stephen White, Jr. of Vacaville and Shannon Noel White of Roseville; her father Donald Nelson of Duluth; brothers Warren and Alan Nelson both of Proctor; and grandson Michael Robertson of Vacaville.
Memorial Contributions can be made in memory of Nancy White to the Sutter Amador Hospital Oncology Unit, 811 Court Street, Jackson, Calif. 95642.
Joseph Chicos
Services were held for Joseph L. Chicos. The former Vinland Street resident died, Sun., Sept. 19, 1999 in Lake Haven Manor at the age of 86.
He was born in Albert Lea, Minn. He lived in the Askov and Bruno area until moving to the area in the late 1940s. He was a tool maker for Diamond Tool and Horseshoe Co. for 22 years, retiring in 1969. After his retirement, he was a volunteer driver for St. Louis County.
Joe was a devoted Catholic and an active member of St. James Catholic Church, where he had served as an usher for many years. He was a member of the Senior Coalition and a former member of Proctor Moose Lodge. In his youth, Joe was involved in all types of sports and as an adult, he passed this enthusiasm on to another generation of youngsters by being a coach, an umpire and an adult leader in the Boy Scouts of America. He was an avid outdoorsman who loved to trap, hunt and fish, especially when accompanied by his boys.
He is survived by sons Robert (Diane Pearson) of Duluth, William (Patricia) of Proctor, Kenneth of Tomah, Wis., and Edward and Daniel (Laurie), both of Duluth, a daughter Ramona Linder of Cloquet, his former wife Evelyn Chicos of Superior, a sister Donna Varnes of Minnesota, and grandchildren Douglas, Nicole, Tyler and Ellie Chicos, Kevin Fry and Vanessa Linder.
Burial was in Bruno Cemetery.
Randall Coleman
Services were held last week for Randall J. “Randy” Coleman. He died Mon., Sept. 13, 1999 in his Saginaw home. He was 79.
He was born in Clarion, Iowa. He grew up in the Raleigh Street area and was an area resident for most of his life. Randy attended Duluth schools and served in the Navy during World War II, stationed at Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands. He had worked for Coolerator Co., U.S. Steel’s Duluth Works, for 20 years and as a farm equipment operator for St. Louis County Cook Home until retirement.
Survivors include a sister Helen Greeno of Duluth, a daughter Constance, grandchildren, and his adopted family Marleen, Tim, Jacob and Joshua Walczynski.
Burial was in Calvary Cemetery. Arrangements were made by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Earl Carlson
Earl Robert Carlson, who was raised in Proctor and graduated from its schools, died Wed., Sept. 15, 1999 in his King Manor home. He was 83.
He was born in Duluth and lived most of his life in the area. Earl had been an accountant with the DM&IR Railroad. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting and fishing. Earl passed on his love of the outdoors to his sons, teaching them to hunt and fish.
Earl is survived by his children Corrine M. (Tom) Gordon, Ronald E. (Lorraine) Carlson of Duluth and Neil P. (Michelle) Carlson of Red Wing, Minn., a sister Louise Hightower of Phoenix, grandchildren Jill, Sarah and Grace Carlson, and Geoff Rogge, and by all his friends at King Manor.
Interment was in Greenwood Cemetery, Superior.
Dale Bentz
Dale E. Bentz, who was born in Proctor, died Tues., Sept. 14, 1999 in a hospital in Kalamazoo, Mich. He was 68.
Dale retired from Dowagiac (Mich.) Union School System in 1986 following over 30 years of teaching. He coached football, basketball and golf until he retired from coaching in 1972. Dale served in the Marine Corp as a sergeant. He married JoAnn “Irish” Willesen on Nov. 29, 1952, in Proctor. They were married for 36 years, until her death on Oct. 25, 1988.
Dale is survived by a son James Bentz of South Bend, Ind., daughters Nance (Rick) Myers of Dowagiac, Lori (Dan) Cleveland of Sister Lakes, Mich. and Sandi Bentz of Kalamazoo, grandchildren Rebecca and Kelsey Cleveland and Jonathan Myers, all at home; a sister Shirley (Truman) Tie of Proctor, nephews Gary Bentz of Minnesota, Paul Provencher of Mesa, Ariz. and Mike and Tom Tie, both of Minnesota, and a niece Michele Rosenthal of Hudson, Mass.
Burial of cremated remains was in Riverside Cemetery, Dowagiac.
William Bester
Services were held last week for William Earl Bester. He died Mon., Sept. 13, 1999 in his Proctor home. He was 71.
He was born in Duluth and lived in the Proctor area his entire life. He graduated from Morgan Park High School and was a veteran of the Navy, where he was assigned to the USS Haven during World War II. He had been director of pension and insurance, treasurer and retired as general claims agent for the Duluth Missabe and Iron Range Railway Co., where he worked for 37 years and retired in 1987.
He served as treasurer and president of the Northern Minnesota Little League and had coached both hockey and Little League baseball for many years. He served on the Board of Directors of Blue Cross/ Blue Shield of Minnesota for nine years and was a member of the West Duluth American Legion Post 71.
Surviving are his wife Lois Houstman Bester, Children Bill (Cheryl) of Columbia, S.C., Daniel (Jan) of Esko, Bonnie (Jim) Castonguay and Jim (Darcy), both of Duluth, Mary Ellison of Cloquet and Jackie (Brad) Edgerton and Barbara (John) LeGarde, both of Hermantown, step-children Janet (Charlie) Wittwer of Island Lake, David and Robert Houstman and Karen (Jim) Jacka, all of Bloomington, Minn. and Dale Houstman of Custer, S.D., a sister Gloria Haaker of Duluth, 22 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and his best friend Bob Miller of Duluth.
Burial was in Oneota Cemetery. Arrangements were made by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Leona Gauthier
Leona “Leigh” J. Engstrom Gauthier, who had lived most of her life in Proctor, died Sat., Sept. 4, 1999 from injuries suffered in an automobile accident. She was 38.
She was born in Duluth and was an independent contractor working for JML Enterprises.
She was preceded in death by her father Russell Engstrom in 1990 and her mother Harriet Segal Engstrom in 1995.
She is survived by her husband Frederick C., sisters Christine (Tom) Kurttila of Worland, Wyo. and Gina (Frank) Socha of Duluth, a brother Daniel (Barbara Coffin) Engstrom of Stillwater, Minn. and seven nieces and nephews.
Burial was in Calvary Cemetery. Arrangements were made by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Bernard Johnson Sr.
Bernard W. “Bernie” Johnson Sr., 75, of North Central Avenue died Tues., Sept. 7, 1999 in his home.
He was born in Proctor and had been a Duluth resident most of his life. He retired in 1969 from the DM&IR Railway, where he was a machinist. He was a member of St. James Catholic Church, Proctor Moose 1302 and Proctor American Legion Post 106.
He is survived by his wife Evelyn, sons Bernard Jr. (Judith) of Round Lake Beach, Ill. and Ronald T. (Rochelle) of Duluth, a sister Janis Dillon of Seattle, six granddaughters, a grandson, two great-granddaughters and two great-grandsons.
Burial was in Oneota Cemetery. Arrangements were made by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Kevin McRae, Stephen McRae of Saginaw is saddened by the death of his brother Kevin Gerald McRae. He died Fri., Sept. 10, 1999 in his Duluth home. He was 34.
He was born in Wakefield, Mich. He graduated from Denfeld High School and Vo-Tech in Duluth. He was a former employee at WDSM Channel 6, working in the studio.
He was preceded in death by his wife Karen Rontti-McRae, and infant sister and brother, and his grandparents.
He is survived by a son Bruce, his parents, three sisters, and three other brothers.
Burial was in Calvary Cemetery.
Shirley McLevis
Patricia Hall of Proctor is saddened by the death of her sister, Shirley Mae McLevis. She died Mon., Sept. 20, 1999 in Lake Haven Manor. She was 67.
She was born in Goodland, Minn., and had been an area resident most of her life. She was a bookkeeper for Builders Construction and Trade Credit Union, a paralegal for Indian Legal and worked for other private firms.
She was a member of VFW Post 137, Moose Lodge 505 and Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Proctor, and was a former member of Trinity Lutheran Church.
She is also survived by four daughters, two brothers, 11 grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
Burial was in Oneota Cemetery. Arrangements were made by Bell Brothers Chapel.
Michael “Rocky” Blackmer
Michael “Rocky” Blackmer, who would have celebrated his 50th birthday on Halloween, died suddenly Sat., Sept. 25, 1999.
The Saginaw resident was a brother of the Vietnam Veteran’s Motorcycle Club, Minnesota North Star Chapter B. “Rocky J.” was the road captain and secretary/treasurer. He had been a biker for over 30 years. “We can never forget.”
Mike was the X-ray service engineer and supervisor for the Duluth office of NXC Imaging. He was a valuable asset to the company for over 24 years. He grew up in a military family, living in Germany for five years. His teenage years were lived in Spokane, Wash. His service years were in Vietnam and Holland. He and his wife began their life together and raised their children in Apple Valley, Minn.
He is survived by his wife Diane, a daughter Andrea Joy “AJ”, a son Justin Michael, his father Ward “Wormy”, siblings Kenny (Pat), Sandi (Joe) Grimm, Linda, Charles “Butch” (Sue), Cindy, Tami (Mark) McGruder and Kevin “Scott” (Jean), mother-in-law and father-in-law Grace and Art Saxum, brother-in-law Art (Dawn), sister-in-law Debbie (Stafford) Williams, 13 nieces and nephews, seven great-nieces and nephews, best friends Dave and Brenda, Mark and Linda, and Swede and Mona.
Interment was in Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
