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Lorene D. “Reenie” Olson
Lifelong Twig resident Lorene D. “Reenie” Olson succumbed to cancer following a 10-month battle Tues., June 5, 2001 in a Duluth hospital. She was 44.
She was born in Duluth. Reenie was a 1975 graduate of Proctor High School and a graduate of Duluth Academy of Hair Design. She was a former employee of Darlene’s Beauty Castle and enjoyed being hairdresser for family and friends. Reenie married Lowell T. Olson on June 25, 1994, in the yard of their home at Twig.
She was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Twig and was confirmed there in 1972. She was a foster care parent for many years. She bowled in leagues at Skyline Lanes and Country Lanes for many years and also enjoyed ceramics, crafts and caring for foster children.
Reenie was preceded in death by her first husband Steven C. Michaelson in 1990.
Survivors include her husband Lowell, children Craig Michaelson and Dillon, Sadie, Ellie, Kristina and Heather Olson, all at home, her parents Loren and Marilyn Oakland of Twig, her sisters and brother Cindy (Joe) Brown of Duluth, Craig (Rita) Oakland of Twig and Wendy (Jim) Anderson of Saginaw, her grandfather Alfred Oakland of Twig, a grandson Derek Matthew Olson, and nieces and nephews Rocky (Tonya) Carrie, Cody, Amy, Angie, Danielle, Mari, Sami and Carl.
Arrangements were made by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Joel David Parsons
Joel David Parsons, who graduated from Proctor High School in 1984, died suddenly Tues., June 5, 2001 in a Minneapolis hospital. He was 35.
He was born in Duluth. He attended the University of Minnesota Duluth. He worked for Marcus Dental in Minneapolis.
Joel was a gifted musician and played in bands in Duluth and Minneapolis, including Blues Allegations, The Kingpins, Aces and Eights, Doug Maynard and Willie Murphy.
Joel is survived by his parents David and Betty Parsons of Duluth, sisters Debra (Loren) Trolson of Superior and Cyndee Parsons of Duluth, nephews Ted and Thomas Trolson, a niece Inga Parsons, and special friend, Michelle Greene.
Burial was in Union Cemetery.
Bernice Rose (Kunkel) Nephew
Mary Beth Boynton, John Nephew and Paul Nephew, all of Proctor, are mourning the death of their mother. Bernice Rose (Kunkel) Nephew. She died Fri., June 8, 2001 at the age of 73 in her Duluth home.
She was born in Pearl Lake, Minn. She was raised on farms in and around the Pine City area until she was in high school, and then she moved to Duluth. She graduated from Cathedral High School in 1945, and went on to graduate from St. Mary’s School of Nursing in 1948. She retired in 1987. She married Richard “Dick” Nephew in 1948. Bernice was a former member of the Holy Cross Catholic Church and was active in the Christian Mother’s Association and the Sunday school program. She was currently a member of St. James Catholic Parish.
She is also survived by her husband Richard “Dick”, four other children, nine brothers and sisters, 16 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren
Burial was in Oneota Cemetery. Arrangements were made by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Avis Mae Anderson
Avis Mae Anderson, who graduated from Proctor High School in 1940, died Thurs., June 7, 2001 in a Duluth Hospital. She was 70.
Avis was born in Kensal, N.D., and lived in Duluth most of her life. She graduated from the Carey-Gaspard Business School in Duluth.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Roland J., and a sister Betty Berg.
Surviving are sons Larry of Cloquet and Roland C. (Linda) of Deerwood, Minn., a daughter Lynn Anderson of Minneapolis, sisters Garda (Ruben) Seline of Duluth, Claudia (Gary) Knight of Dansville, Mich. and Linda Keene of Fargo, N.D., and grandchildren Erik, Krista and Trent.
A private family service will be held. Arrangements were made by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Gertrude “Gertie” Ellen Johnston
Gertrude “Gertie” Ellen Johnston, who fed a generation of Proctor railroad and businessmen, died Thurs., June 14, 2001 in a Duluth hospital. She was 99.
She was born Oct. 2, 1901, to Jack and Ema Condon in Ironton, Iowa. In 1910, her family moved and homesteaded in Timberlake, S.D. She married Laverne Johnston in 1921 and moved to Proctor in 1927. Gertie was a homemaker and worked at many restaurants and grocery stores in Proctor. She retired in 1963 from St. Luke’s Hospital food service department. She was a long-time member of Forbes United Methodist Church where she was active in its church circles, and a member of AARP. Gertie enjoyed craft work, crochet, making jelly and traveling. She also was an excellent volleyball player in her youth. Gertie was an exemplary woman who truly enjoyed life. She lived independently until late 2000, and drove a car to age 98.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, two sons Leslie and Wayne, sisters Bessie Grohsman and Clara Blassigame, a brother Karl Condon, and grandsons Laverne Johnston and Donald Johnston.
She is survived by sons Carl (Margaret) of Bellville, Texas, Lyle (Armella) of Bella Vista, Ark., and Robert “Bob” of Proctor, a daughter Ella Bishir of Hilltop Lakes, Texas, a sister Minnie Long of Timberlake, S.D., 17 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, a great-great-grandchild, and many nieces and nephews.
Burial was in Oneota Cemetery. Arrangements were made by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Family prefers memorials be directed to the Memorial Fund of Forbes United Methodist Church.
Annamae Fairley
Janice Fleischauer of Saginaw is mourning the death of her mother Annamae Fairley. She died Mon., June 11, 2001 in a Duluth hospital. She was 84.
She was born in Duluth. A New Duluth and Morgan Park resident all her life, she was a graduate of Stowe, Morgan Park High School and the Duluth Junior College. She worked as an office manager for the Burns Lumber Co., as a legal secretary for Reliance Collection Agency and as a secretary/bookkeeper for Western Transit. She married James Robert Fairley on Feb. 17, 1940, in Boston.
She was a member of United Protestant Church, where she served as secretary for 12 years. She served on every church board, was a past president of the church council, deaconess, Sunday school and weekday Christian education teacher as well as Sunday school superintendent, church delegate at the state convention, Cub Scout den mother, DeMoLay mother, Morgan Park band parent and church camp councilor.
Survivors also include her husband James, two sons, seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and beloved auntie to 11 nieces and nephews.
Burial was in Sunrise Memorial Park Cemetery, Hermantown. Arrange-ments were made by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Martha J. Baker
Gladys Vittorio of Saginaw is saddened by the death of her sister Martha J. Baker. She died Wed., June 13, 2001 in a Duluth hospital at the age of 75.
She was born in Chisholm. She was a Duluth resident most of her life. She married Harry Baker on Nov. 5, 1946, in Ironwood, Mich. She was a member of St. James Catholic Church and a 20-year member of AA.
She is also survived by her husband Harry, three sons, a daughter, a half-sister, ten grandchildren, six step-grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Arrangements were made by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Joan Nelson Greene
Former Proctor resident Maradee Joan Nelson Greene died Sat., Nov. 11, 2000 in Seattle. She was 71.
She was born in Duluth. She married Robert Fredrick Greene of Morgan Park and moved to Alaska while it was still a frontier, before statehood. After her husband died, she moved back to Proctor with her daughters Stacy and Roberta Greene. She then remarried and started an Arabian horse farm in Fall Creek, Wis. She had her third child, Amy Gershgol.
She was preceded in death by sisters June Lois Seguin and Lorraine Louise Hartung; her parents Carl Oscar Nelson and Nell Martinson Nelson; and her husband Robert Fredrick Greene.
She is survived by three daughters, Stacy Ellen Greene of Brooklyn, N.Y., Roberta Lorraine Greene of Seattle and Amy Diane Gershgol Wuensch of Madison, Wis., her granddaughter Camille Lauren Wuensch, and son-in-law Martin Imbach. She is also survived by Suzzanne, Kevin, Heather and Michael Vegar; Ronald, Kim, Jenna and Katie Seguin; William, Ashley and Josh Seguin; Terry Lee Seguin and Lisa Wold, all of Duluth.
Francis R. “Fran” Gnotta
Francis R. “Fran” Gnotta, a lifelong Proctorite who graduated from Proctor High School in 1950 and was a brakeman on the DM&IR as well as a police officer for the Proctor Police Dept., died Mon., July 2, 2001 in his Fifth Street home. He was 69.
He was born Dec. 8, 1931 in Duluth to John and Anna (Stipka) Gnotta. He was a graduate of the Univ. of Minn., Duluth, receiving a degree in psychology.
He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War and had served in the Minnesota Air National Guard. He had been a brakeman for the Duluth Missabe and Iron Range Railway and then worked for St. Louis County Social Service Department for 25 years until he retired, as a supervisor, in 1992. He had also worked as a police officer for the Proctor Police Department. Fran was a member of St. Rose Catholic Church, Proctor American Legion Post No. 106, Proctor Moose Lodge No. 1302 and the Jack Meade Gun Club. He was an avid hunter and fisherman.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and brothers Ernest and Charles.
Survivors include a brother Robert of Terra Haute, Indiana, nieces Julie (Rick) Palmer, Diane Gnotta and Susan Anderson, and cousins.
Services were held last Saturday with Rev. Fr. James Bissonette officiating. Military honors were accorded by the Duluth V.F.W. Combined Honor Guard. Inurnment was at Oneota Cemetery. Memorials to the American Heart Association would be appreciated. Arrangements were made by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Gertrude Link Klippen
Gertrude Link Klippen, who taught in the Proctor school district until her retirement, died Sun., July 1, 2001 in a Duluth hospital following complications from surgery. She was 10 days short of her 93rd birthday.
She was born in Brainerd and graduated from Brainerd High School, Duluth Normal School and the University of Minnesota Duluth. She married Herbert C. Klippen in July 1939.
She was a member of St. Michael’s Church, Northland Country Club, and Kitchi Gammi Club.
She is survived by her sister Elaine (Howard) Haak of Proctor, two sisters-in-law, and many nieces and nephews.
Interment was in Park Hill Cemetery. Arrangements were made by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
