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Floyd P. “Swede” Ralph
Floyd P. “Swede” Ralph of Proctor passed away Mon., Apr. 8, in St. Mary’s Medical Center. He was 75.
He was born in 1926 in Duluth. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Korean Conflict. He was employed at Universal Atlas Cement Co. for 30 years. He also worked for the Duluth School Board. He was a member of St. James Catholic Church, VFW Post 137, American Legion Post 71, Disabled American Veterans, and Union Local #28. He received the Boy Scout of America Silver Scout Award. and was on the financial committee at Unatco Credit Union.
He is survived by his wife AnneMarie, three sons, a daughter, two brothers, two sisters, and two grandchildren.
Visitation continuing today (Thurs.) from 10 a.m. to the 11 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial in St. James Catholic Church. Rev. Fr. Charles Flynn officiating. Military honors will be accorded by the Duluth Combined Honor Guard.
Kenneth Byron Ruhnke
Kenneth Byron Ruhnke, 48, of Proctor, died Tues., Apr. 9 in Miller Dwan Medical Center.
Service is tentatively scheduled for Fri., Apr. 12.
Arrangements by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Barbara (Lind) Swenson, Barbara (Lind) Swenson, who was born in Proctor and graduated from Proctor High School in 1955, passed away Tues., Apr. 2, 2002. She was 64.
The Anoka, Minn. resident was a dedicated employee of the Anoka-Hennepin Credit Union and was active in the high school band.
She is survived by her husband Duane (1951 PHS graduate), three sons, two daughters and 11 grandchildren.
Interment was in Ft. Snelling National Cemetery.
Janet E. Gunderson
Janet Tobolaski of Proctor is mourning the loss of her mother, Janet E. Gunderson. She died Mon., Apr. 8, 2002 in Park Point Nursing Home. She was 73.
She was born in 1929 in Duluth, and was a 1948 graduate of Central High School and a graduate of Duluth Business College. She married Rolf Gunderson in 1949. Janet was a sales representative for Periodical Publishers a branch of the Hearst Corp. She attended Westminster Presbyterian Church and was a member of AARP.
She is also survived by three other daughters, a son, seven grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Fri., Apr. 12 in Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Michael Alan Levens
Michael Alan Levens, who attended Proctor schools, died Tues., Apr. 16, 2002 in his Duluth home. He was 33.
He was born in Duluth to LeRoy and Janice Rae (Lee) Levens. He graduated from Cloquet High School in 1986. Michael was a master electrician, working at Potlatch for the past 12 years. He was a member of Local Union 63C, the NRA, and the National Arbor Day Foundation.
He is survived by his parents LeRoy and Janice Levens of Cloquet, his daughter Kaytlin Engen of Duluth, sister Brenda (Brian) Nelson of Cloquet, paternal grandfather Floyd (Bett) Levens of Stuart, Fla., nephews Jake and Nick Nelson, his best friend Karen Olson of Duluth, and several aunts and uncles.
Joyce E. Isaacson
Gerald Isaacson of Pike Lake is mourning the death of his mother Joyce E. Isaacson. She died Mon., Apr. 15, 2002 in Chris Jensen Nursing Home. She was 86.
She was born in Duluth. Joyce was a lifelong Duluth resident and married Russell in 1945 in Duluth and celebrated 50 years of marriage in 1995. She worked for Chun King, R.J. Reynolds and Diamond Tool.
She is also survived by three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
Burial was in Oneota Cemetery. Arrangements were made by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Hazel S. Gotland Mansergh
Helen Kaake of Pike Lake is mourning the death of her twin sister, Hazel S. Gotland Mansergh. She died Tues., Apr. 16, 2002 in Duluth. She was 78.
The Canyon, Minn. resident was born in Duluth and was a 1942 graduate of Denfeld High School and attended Duluth Business College. She married Walter Mansergh in 1950 in Duluth. During World War II, she worked at the Romulus Air Force Base in Detroit, Mich., She was a Secretary for the U.S. Steel-Duluth Works, Fuel Engineering Dept. until 1952. She was a member of St. Andrew’s By-The-Lake Episcopal Church, Pike Lake Pikers, and the Park Point Garden Club.
She is also survived by her husband Walter, a daughter, two grandchildren, another sister, and several loving nieces and nephews.
Burial was in Oneota Cemetery. Arrangements were made by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Jessie M. Bourgoyne
Jessie M. Bourgoyne, formerly of Riverside and Faith Haven Apts., died Wed., Apr. 3, 2002 in St. Luke’s Hospital. She was 98.
She was born in 1904 in Eveleth. She was a 1923 graduate of Esko High School and had been a Duluth resident since 1924. She was a 1926 graduate of the St. Luke’s School of Nursing, receiving her Registered Nurse license, and was an employee of St. Luke’s Hospital for many years. She married Albert J. Bourgoyne in 1929. She was a member of Our Savior’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and its Mary Ruth Circle, was a former member of St. Luke’s Alumni Assn. and was a former secretary of the Riverside Garden Club.
Survivors include daughter Jeanie (Bill) Ferguson of Apple Valley, son-in-law George Vanneste of Proctor, daughter-in-law Betty Bourgoyne of Duluth, sister Ella Schilla of Aitkin, 12 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Burial was in Sunrise Memorial Park. Arrangements were made by Bell Brothers Funeral Directors.
Horace L. Withrow, Jr.
Horace L. Withrow, Jr., who was born in Duluth in 1926 and later lived in Proctor, died Sun., Apr. 28, 2002 in a hospital in Newberg, Oregon. He was 75.
Horace was the youngest of seven children and grew up in Duluth. He joined the U.S. Army in 1946. Following his discharge in 1949, he returned to Duluth and worked for the DM&IR Railroad. In 1953 he married Evelyn Schultz of Brainerd and they lived in Proctor. In 1958 he worked as a mail carrier for the Post Office until retiring in 1982. He was a long time member of Bethany Baptist Church and Emmanuel Baptist Church in Duluth. In 2001, they moved to Newberg, Oregon to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife of 48 years Evelyn and daughter Eloise (Steve) Hockett, both of Newberg, son Sheldon (Lisa) of Fridley, Minn., grandchildren Janine and Samuel Hockett of Newberg, a sister Vickie Laughlin of Kentucky, and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held Fri., May 3, 2002, in the Newberg Friends Church. A private graveside service will be held at Newberg Friends Cemetery.
Irene Rose (Clemans) Johnson
A memorial mass will be held Sat., May 4, 2002 at 1 p.m. at St. Rose Catholic Church, Proctor, for Irene Rose (Clemans) Johnson. She died Mon., Apr. 22, 2002 at the age of 85.
Irene was born in Thief River Falls, Minn. in 1916. She was a homemaker and Proctor resident for most of her life. She was a graduate of the Proctor Class of 1934.
She was preceded in death by her husband Arthur E. in 1972, a son Walter A. in 2000, and a sister Helen Carle in 1985.
Survivors include her daughter Susan Tuomi of Scandia, Minn., granddaughter Trish (Kevin) Olson of Wyoming, Minn., grandson Roy D. of Scandia, Minn., and many friends and relatives.
Private interment will be held at Calvary Cemetery.
David R. Claveau
David R. Claveau, who owned Northern Lights Log Home Builders in Pike Lake, died unexpectedly in his Saginaw home on Sat., Apr. 27, 2002. He was 45.
He was born in Duluth, Minn. to Bob and Ginnie Claveau. He was employed as a heavy equipment operator with Union Local #49 and was the owner operator of an over the road tractor working for Halvor Lines for most of the 22 years in the business. In 1985 Dave was awarded the Good Year Highway Hero award. The award is presented to a trucker for achievements, qualities, acts of courage and willingness to help others. He earned the award for his acts of courage following a car accident he came upon in Wisc., where he helped to save the lives of two people. Dave loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing and spending time with his friends. He also loved to spend time with his two dogs “Rowdy” and “Buddy”.
Survivors include his fiancee Colleen Murray and her son Jesse of Saginaw, parents Bob and Ginnie Claveau of French River, Minn., a brother Bruce (Deneen Wilkins) Claveau of Braidwood, Ill., a sister Linda (Jim) Leindecker of Green Bay, Wisc., and a nephew Darren Leindecker.
Interment will be in Lakeview Palmers Cemetery at a later date.
James “Jim” Melde
Last year former members of Robert James “Jim” Melde, Sr. Proctor High School choir got together for a reunion. Yesterday about 40 of his former glee club members honored their teacher at his funeral with a song by Bach.
Mr. Melde died Fri., May 3, 2002 at a Duluth Hospice after a valiant battle with cancer. He was 77.
Melde last performed publicly in Proctor in January with “Big Band” as part of the REA3D (Rail Endowment for Academic, Art, and Athletic Development) Foundation fundraiser concert.
He was born in Duluth to Harold and Jenny Blom Melde. He was a graduate of Denfeld High School and Winona State Teachers College, with Masters classes at Bemidji, UMD and the Fred Waring Institute in Penn. His teaching career began in Canton, Minn. before moving to Proctor where he was director of Choral Music and Bands for 32 years. An Army veteran of WW II, Jim served in the Army Coast Artillery in the Pacific, mainly in New Guinea and the Philippines. Jim was a member of the Association of American Choral Directors, Choir Director at Wesley Methodist Church, Lutheran Church of The Holy Trinity, Endion Methodist Church, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church and soloist at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. He also sang with the Duluth Light Opera Company, Duluth Civic Opera, Duluth Symphony Chorus and was a member of the Loyal Order of Buckhorns. He was also a soloist for many weddings and funerals in the area.
Jim was raised in Masonry in Winona, Minn. and was Past Master of Trinity Masonic Lodge in Duluth, Scottish Rite Bodies, Valley of Duluth and the Aad Temple Shrine, where he played in the band. He was a life member of VFW Post 137, Duluth, AARP, former member of the Elks and member of the Board of Directors at Faith Haven and secretary of the Old Neighborhood Group. He was a longtime member of the Duluth Lions Club, Charter President of the Proctor Lions and Past District Governor of 5M10 Lions.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, infant son Thomas Lee and brother Howard.
He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years Betty, children Robert (Donna) Melde, Barbara Bourman, Douglas (Candy) Melde and Mary Melde, all of Duluth, sister Astrid Doyle of Sauk Rapids, Minn., ten grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
Entombment was at Sunrise Cemetery.
