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Melvin Christensen
Melvin Christensen, CWO U.S. Army Retired Criminal Investigator, died August 15, 1997, at his home in Columbia, SC.
Melvin was born April 29, 1917, in Grand Rapids, MN. He graduated in 1936 from Little Falls High School. He was a veteran of WWII, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam War. He was the holder of two Bronze Stars, Combat Infantry Badge, numerous other awards and commendations. He was a member of the VFW, American Legion, Masons and numerous law enforcement associations.
Survivors include his sons, George E. Christensen and wife Evelyn, Robert L. Christensen and wife Judith, Terry L. Christensen and wife Nancy; sister, Iris Dauphin; brothers, Norman Christenson and George Brock; grandchildren, great-grandchildren, a niece, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his father, Jack Christenson; mother, Ella (Jones) Brock; brothers, Norman Brock, Kenneth Brock, Robert Christenson and former wife, Erna (Wise) Ghinter.
Interment was in the Randall, MN cemetery.
Doug Frisk
Doug Frisk, age 68, a resident of Motley, MN, died August 21, 1997, at the Greater Staples Hospital.
Funeral services were held August 25 at the United Methodist Church in Motley, with Pastor Larry Hager officiating. Burial was at the Motley Public Cemetery in Motley. Military rites were performed by the Motley American Legion. Doug Frisk was born on May 27, 1929, in Randall, MN, to Clarence and Helen Frisk. He moved to the Motley area with his parents at an early age. He attended and graduated from Motley High School. He was united in marriage to Patricia Galligher on January 10, 1951, in Motley. He joined the Army National Guard, was activated during the Korean Conflict, and returned to reserve status for several years until his honorable discharge. He was employed by the Northern Pacific and Burlington Northern Railroads for 33 years as a carman. He was then associated with Tri County Livestock of Motley and the Brenny Funeral Home of Staples for many years. He was a member of the Motley Methodist Church where he was a member of the Men’s Club and various committees of the church. He was also a member of the American Legion Post of Motley; he was the Master of Ceremony for the Memorial Day services; he served on the Motley Volunteer Fire Department for 24 years; he was on the Motley School Board for 18 years; and he was a Boy Scout leader. He enjoyed hunting with his sons, hobby farming, gardening, and visiting with people.
Survivors include his wife, Pat; sons, (Greg ) Sherry Frisk of Byron, IL, Randy (Norma) Frisk of Bemidji, MN, Marlin (Sharon) Frisk of Motley, and Mark (Diane) Frisk of Motley; 11 grandchildren, a sister, Doris Cole of Motley; and brothers, Waldo Frisk and Donald Frisk, both of Motley. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Michael Loehlein
Michael S. Loehlein, age 36, of Freeport, MN, died August 24, 1997, from injuries received in an automobile accident.
Funeral services were August 27 at St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church in Holdingford, MN, with the Rev. Gerald Mischke officiating. Burial was in the parish cemetery.
Michael was born February 16, 1961, in St. Cloud to Sidney and Armella (Kern) Loehlein. He was a member of St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church in Holdingford. He worked for Stomes Construction in Waite Park, MN, as a foreman for a gravel crushing plant for the past 10 years. He also worked for Scepaniak Construc-tion in Holdingford for eight years.
Survivors include his father, Sidney of Holdingford; brothers and sisters, Michelle Wampler of Lake Forest, CA; Margaret (Maggie) Olson of Avon, MN, Steve of St. Cloud, MN, Mary Loehlein-Thies of Eden Prairie, MN, Maretta Johannes of Sauk Rapids, MN, Melissa Peckscamp of Richmond, MN, and Luann Ebnet of Royalton; a stepbrother, Duane Shabel of Holdingford and grandparents, Peter and Vicki Loehlein of Lakewood, CA. He was preceded in death by his mother.
Pallbearers were Paul and Jim Czajkowski, Dave Lane, Josh Opatz, Tony Wandersee and Dave Voss.
Stephen LaFond
Stephen Roderick LaFond, age 77, a resident of Little Falls, MN, died August 27, 1997, at St. Otto’s Care Center in Little Falls. A Mass of Christian Burial was held August 30 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Little Falls with the Rev. Nick Landsberger officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in Little Falls on September 1 at 10:30 a.m. Military rites were conducted by Little Falls American Legion Post #46 and Little Falls V.F.W. Post #1112.
Stephen was born February 26, 1920, in Little Falls, Morrison County, MN, to the late Louis G. and Ida Marie (LeMieur) LaFond. He attended St. Aloysius School where he served as an alter boy and usher, and attended Little Falls High School, graduating from the Class of 1938. In 1944 he join the United States Navy, earning the rank of Petty Officer First Class. He received an honorable discharge on January 12, 1946. During his two years with the Navy, he served as a radar operator and mine sweeper on a ship in the Aleutian Islands. He was united in marriage to Elizabeth “Betty” J. Trudeau on December 6, 1940, in Manly, IA. Following his service years, Steve returned to Little Falls where he worked for the Standard Oil Company. In addition, he was a school bus driver for many years and also worked as a district manager for the Woodman Accident and Life Insurance Company. In later years he served the company as a senior service representative. Steve was very active in the Little Falls American Legion Post #46, where he served as a past commander, past sixth district commander, the first vice commander for the State of Minnesota, member of the Executive Board for the National Legion, a member of the State Public Relations Committee, the Vice President of the Legionville Camp and the Fourty & Eight—the honor society of the American Legion. He was a life member of the Little Falls V.F.W. Post #1112 serving as a past commander and with the Cooties. He served as the Junior Chamber of Commerce President, was on the State Executive Board and received the Distinguished Service Award for the Junior Chamber of Commerce in l949. He was an active member of the Little Falls Fire Department for 35 years, eight of which he served as chief and the remaining as assistant chief. While with the fire department and because of the rescues he made, he was given an honorary life membership with the Minnesota State Fire Association. He was also a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Little Falls, the Knights of Columbus of which he was a fourth degree, a member of the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery Committee, past chairman for the Catholic Charities Housing Board for the Chi Rho community, past member of the Board of Directors of the Little Falls Senior Center and spent many hours volunteering at St. Gabriel’s Hospital and St. Otto’s Care Center.
Survivors include daughters, Sandra Opatz and husband Ronald of Little Falls, Karen Wojciechowski and husband Donald of Anoka, MN, and Lois Bieganek and husband Ronald of Little Falls; brother, LeRoy LaFond and wife Irma of Cushing, MN; sister, Margaret Pappenfus and husband Gene of Little Falls; eight grandchildren and eight great-grand children.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty on October 7, 1994; parents; sisters, Gladys Ethen and Doris Russell and grandson Thomas Optaz.
Casketbearers were Fred Tabbatt, Herman Trebiatowski, Ken Reinhart, George Newman, Jack Ring, Ron Trafas and Thor Lindquist.
Cora Thielen
Cora M. Thielen, age 89, a resident of Pierz, MN, for 72 years, died August 26, 1997, at St. Gabriel’s Hospital in Little Falls, MN.
Funeral services were August 27 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Pierz, with Father Ken Brenny officiating. Burial was in the parish cemetery.
Cora was born on May 22, 1908, in Albertville, MN, daughter to the late Nicholas and Stephania (Zachman) Eull. She married Philip J. Thielen on September 7, 1925. She was co-owner with her husband of Thielen’s Store and Pierz Funhouse. She was an active member of St. Joseph’s Church and the Christian Mother’s organization. Cora was well-known as a delicious cook and baker of exceptional pies and breads. It was a common sight to see her delivering her “treats” about town as a special welcome to newcomers or comfort in times of loss.
Survivors include her sons, Norman and Arden (Chuck) of Sun City, AZ, and Gregory of Shoreview, MN; daughters, Joyce Thielen of Roseville, MN, Mary Gwen Miller of Little Falls, Stefanie Carney of Edina, MN, and Beth Lammer of St. Cloud, MN; a brother, Ervin Eull of Elk River, MN; 26 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; spouse, Philip; son, Lerald (Junior); grandchildren, Ann and Paul Miller; sisters, Clara Kreiger and Alvina Bush and brothers, Vanard and Ray Eull.
Casketbearers were grandsons, Keith, Paul and John Thielen, Tom and Bob Miller, Paul Carney, Chris Squires and great-grandson, Andy Thielen. Honorary pallbearers were granddaughters, Lynn Miller, Michelle Fieldman, Grace Squires, Cherise Thielen and Dawn Thielen.
Melvin Christensen
Melvin Christensen, CWO U.S. Army Retired Criminal Investi-gator, died August 15, 1997, at his home in Columbia, SC.
Melvin was born April 29, 1917, in Grand Rapids, MN. He graduated in 1936 from Little Falls High School. He was a veteran of WWII, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam War. He was the holder of two Bronze Stars, Combat Infantry Badge, numerous other awards and commendations. He was a member of the VFW, American Legion, Masons and numerous law enforcement associations.
Survivors include his sons, George E. Christensen and wife Evelyan, Robert L. Christensen and wife Judith, Terry L. Christensen and wife Nancy; sister, Iris Dauphin; brothers, Norman Christenson and George Brock; grandchildren, great-grandchildren, a niece, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his father, Jack Christenson; mother, Ella (Jones) Brock; brothers, Norman Brock, Kenneth Brock, Robert Christenson and former wife, Erna (Wise) Ghinter. Interment was in the Randall, MN cemetery.
Verna Dahl Wallace
Verna Dahl Wallace, born Verna Lorraine Johnson, in Little Falls, MN, died August 24, 1997 in Santa Monica, CA at the age of 79 following a long and brave battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
A memorial service was held at Church of Christ, Congregational in Newington, CT on September 20. Her final place of rest will be Fairview Cemetery, West Hartford, CT.
Verna was born February 23, 1918 to Mary (Berglund) and Gustaf Johnson, she grew up on the family farm in Freedom, MN. After graduating from the University of Minnesota, School of Social Work, she joined the Navy as a WAVE. During World War II, she trained aviators at bases in Kansas, Texas and Hawaii. She later settled in Connecticut, where she spent 43 years as a resident of Newington. She was a social worker with the Newington Crippled Children’s Hospital and the V.A. Hospital. She loved gardening, cooking, music, poetry, art and theater and was deeply concerned with social issues. She served as president of the Newington Chapter of the League of Women Voters and as chairman of the Fair Housing Committee of the Newington Human Relations Council. She opened her family home to foreign exchange students from Chile, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia. An active member of The Church of Christ, Congregational, her generous heart and concern for others endeared her to many. She was married twice, first to Magnus G. Dahl, an engineer with Arrow-Hart and Hegeman, who died in 1979. In 1985 she married John W. Wallace, former Newington Superintendent of Schools, who died in 1993.
Survivors include her loving children, Kirsten M. Dahl of Santa Monica, CA, Miles G. Dahl of Merrimack, N.H., and her grandson Michael G. Dahl. She also leaves five devoted sisters and brothers: Florence Schmidt of Miami, FL, Doris Tofsly of McIntosh, MN, Edward Johnson of Edina, MN, and Danford and Warren Johnson, both of Little Falls, MN. She will also be greatly missed by her many nieces and nephews, step-children Clifford Dahl, Rhoda Karrer, and Waldermar Dahl, and their children and grandchildren.
Michael Yungbauer
Michael Peter Yungbauer, age 35, a resident of Motley, MN, died August 27, 1997.
Funeral services were held August 30 in St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Motley with Father Robert Landsberger officiating. Burial followed in the Motley Public Cemetery.
Michael Peter Yungbauer was born on February 21, 1962 in Shakopee, MN, to A.P. (Pete) and Audrey Yungbauer. He grew up in Bluegrass, MN, graduating with the Wadena High School Class of 1980. Following high school he attended the Technical School in Staples, finishing in 1982. On October 4, 1986, he married Earleen Clews in St. Hubert’s Catholic Church in Bluegrass. For many years he worked for Crest Engineering in the Twin Cities, but, since 1991, he had been with Riverwood International in Crosby. Mike enjoyed hunting, fishing and the outdoors.
Survivors include his wife, Earleen; two sons, Aaron and Timothy; two daughters, Kimberly and Elizabeth; his parents, A.P. (Pete) and Audrey Yungbauer of Pequot Lakes, MN; four brothers, Jeff of Bluegrass, Mark of Brainerd, MN, Dale of Staples, MN, and Glen of Princeton, MN, and six sisters, Louise Flickenger of Motley, Irene Harrison of Brooklyn Park, MN, Janice Schmitz of Montrose, Sandy Yungbauer of New Germany, MN, Susan Bettin of Corcoran, and June Yungbauer of Howard Lake, MN.
