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R.A. ‘Tony’ Randall
R.A. “Tony” Randall, age 86, a life long resident of Little Falls, MN, died November 20, 1998, at St. Gabriel’s Hospital in Little Falls, MN.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held November 23 in St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Little Falls, with the Rev. Nick Landsberger officiating. Burial was in St. Calvary Cemetery in Little Falls.
R.A. “Tony” Randall was born July 14, 1912, in Little Falls, MN, the youngest child in the family of Judge Phil S. and Nora (Delahunt) Randall. He attended St. Aloysius Grade School in Little Falls and entered Crosier Seminary High School in its second class in 1928 - 1929. Tony attended and graduated from Little Falls High School in 1930 and attended St. Thomas College in St. Paul, MN, in 1930 - 1931. He was united in marriage to Marie Schmid in 1935. The couple became active members of many civic, religious and social organizations in Little Falls. Marie died in 1964. Tony opened the R.A. Randall Insurance Agency in 1935 and served as president of his company until his retirement in 1977. He served his country in World War II largely in the China-India-Burma Campaign. He was a member of the Little Falls American Legion Post #46 and Little Falls V.F.W. Post #1112. As a youth, Tony joined the Knights of Columbus and later the Msgr. Leo T. Keaveney 0537 Assembly 4th Degree of Little Falls. In 1965 he was named a Knight of St. Gregory by Bishop Peter W. Bartholome, of which he was the last surviving member in the St. Cloud Diocese. He had been a member of the Secular Order of Fransican Sisters since 1958. Tony was the second president of the Crosier Apostolate and received Outstanding Alumnus award from the school. He served as one of the first Trustees of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and also was chairman of the first lay board. He was always very active in many capacities in his parish and in the Diocese of St. Cloud. Tony was a member of St. Gabriel’s Hospital Board from 1954 to 1973 and chaired the third expansion drive for the hospital. He was a charter member of the Little Falls Rotary Club, serving as club president from 1950 to 1951. Tony was recognized as the last charter member of the Little Falls Rotary Club in 1990 and presented the Paul Harris Award by the Little Falls Rotary Club in 1992. On June 25, 1966, Tony was united in marriage to Luverne Powers at Crosier Seminary in Onamia, MN. Together the couple made their home of 32 years in Little Falls. In 1990 Tony and Luverne were humbled and pleased to be inscribed in the Golden Book of Deeds by the Little Falls Exchange Club. Tony exhibited with great pride his recognition for 45 consecutive years of retreats at the DeMontreville Retreat House. Tony was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Little Falls, Knights of Columbus, Secular Order of the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Little Falls Rotary Club, Little Falls American Legion and V.F.W. Post.
Tony is survived by his wife Luverne; son, Judge Jim Randall and wife, Monica of Center City, MN; daughters, Gertrude Mingo and husband, Pat of St. Paul, MN, Nora Randall and Jackie Crossland of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Mary Perrizo of Spokane, WA; 13 grandchildren and nine great- grandchildren. Tony was preceded in death by his first wife, Marie; parents; brothers, Walter, Francis and Charles Randall; sisters, Marie Reiley, Bernadine Stiegel, Phyllis Randall and Ramona Randall.
Honorary Pallbearers were members of the Little Falls Rotary Club. Casketbearers were grandchildren, Patrick & Thomas Mingo, Tony & James Randall and Joseph and Ryan Perrizo.
Jack O’Callaghan
Jack J. O’Callaghan died November 2, 1998, at the VA Hospital in Menlo Park, CA.
A funeral Mass was held at St. Francis Church on November 5. Interment was at the St. Francis Cemetery in Sonoma, CA.
Jack was born in St. Paul, MN. He had lived in Sonoma, CA, for 44 years. He was a tool and die machinist.
Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Myrna Flicker O’Callaghan; four children; 10 grandchildren and one sister. He has many relatives and friends in the Pierz, MN, area.
Vivian G. Ness
Vivian G. Ness, age 81, a resident of Pine River, MN, died November 21, 1998, at St. Otto’s Care Center in Little Falls, MN.
Funeral services were held November 24 at the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls with Rev. Melvin Lundeen and Rev. Roland Jennings officiating. Burial was in Oak Hill Cemetery near Santiago, MN.
Vivian G. Ness was born August 21, 1917, in Kenmare, ND, the daughter of the late Nels and Nicolina Johnson. In 1918, both parents died due to a flu epidemic and Vivian went to live with her relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Larson in Lake Lillian, MN. She graduated as valedictorian from the Atwater High School in 1935. She attended Minneapolis Business College for two years studying accounting. In 1942, Vivian moved to Litchfield, MN and worked for the 1st District Association Co-op in the accounting office for 24 years. She was united in marriage to Chester R. Ness on May 31, 1950 at the Little Brown Church in the Vale in Nashua, IA. The couple resided in Litchfield until relocating to Minneapolis in 1966. Vivian worked for the Pillsbury Company in Minneapolis in inventory control until retiring in 1973 to Lake McKeon near Longville, MN. The couple resided in Arizona from 1980-1984. In 1984 they returned to Minnesota and have resided near Pine River since that time. Vivian enjoyed fishing, playing the organ, needlepoint and cross stitch, growing flowers and gardening, and was a fantastic cook. Vivian attended Mildred Bible Chapel near Backus, MN.
Survivors include her husband, Chester R. Ness of Pine River; step-son, LeRoy Steeves and wife Janice of St. Cloud, MN; three step-grandchildren, four step-great grandchildren, sister-in-law, Eunice Hoehn and husband Joe of Little Falls and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Merlin and Chester Johnson; and a sister, Sister Rita Ann Johnson.
LaVonne Midgley
LaVonne Midgley, age 66, a resident of Coon Rapids, MN, formerly of the Upsala, MN, area, died November 23, 1998, at her residence.
Funeral services were held November 28 at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Upsala with Pastor Alan Bray officiating. Burial was at the Gethsemane parish cemetery.
LaVonne C. (Stenholm) Midgley was born in Elmdale Township on March 8, 1932, daughter of Hilma Stenholm and the late Gust Stenholm. LaVonne married Orville F. Midgley on September 23, 1950, at the Stehnholm farm in Upsala. Together they made a home in Coon Rapids and raised two daughters. She loved her flowers and was a good gardener.
Survivors include her husband, Orville Midgley of Coon Rapids; daughters, Donna Koehn and husband Ed of Willmar, MN, and Linda Swanson and husband Alan of Corcoran, MN; grandchildren, Ryan, Eric and Jordan Koehn and Jason and Katie Swanson; mother, Hilma Stenholm; aunts, uncle and many cousins and friends.
She was preceded in death by her father, Gustav Stenholm.
Casketbearers were David Gunderson, Dan Swanson, Jim Swanson, Glen Swanson, Linus Lehner, Duane Carlson, Virgil Stenholm and Milton Carlson.
Robert Wright
Robert Dean Wright, age 71, a resident of Little Falls, MN, died November 26, 1998, at his residence.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 1, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Little Falls with Father Leroy Kremer officiating and Father Harold Kost and Father Ken Brenny concelebrating. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery in Little Falls. Military rites will be conducted by VFW Post 1112.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday, November 30, at Brenny-Simonet Funeral Home (East Chapel) in Little Falls. Prayer service will be at 7 p.m. Visitation will also be from 9 until 10 a.m. Tuesday morning at Brenny-Simonet Funeral Home.
Bob was born November 10, 1927, to William Brail and Neva Naomi (Duncan) Wright in Shenandoah, IA. Bob was united in marriage to Shirley Keown on January 26, 1947. He served in the United States Navy Seabees, was manager of Graham’s Department Stores in Iowa for 16 years, and a member of the Iowa Jaycees, where he served as past president in the 1960s. Bob moved to Little Falls in 1963. In 1965, Bob worked at Falls Electric and he also owned and operated Varied Office Services, where he did accounting work for small businesses, including the then Rich Prairie Shopper. He has been General Manager of the Morrison County Record since 1973 and his column, “The Wright Point of View,” was one of the most highly read features in the Record. In 1998 the Annual Bob Wright Scholarship was established by the Independent Free Papes of America (IFPA). Wright was the President of the IFPA in 1982-83 and was re-elected to the position for a second term in 1983-84. He won the IFPA Distinguished Service Award in 1985 and the IFPA Joseph Sklenar Editorial Award for Excellence in 1992. He was a strong advocate for the Morrison County Fair Board. Bob was voted Most Influential Man in Morrison County by Blandin Foundation participants. His strong opinion pieces, which offered points of view and courses of action, sparked meaningful discussions within the community. He was a member of the Little Falls Chamber of Commerce, Our Saviour Episcopal Church, Morrison County United Way and Little Falls VFW Post 1112. On October 27—Bob Wright Day in Little Falls—he was honored for his leadership on pedestrian safety. On November 12 he was the recipient of the prestigious Golden Deeds Award from the Little Falls Exchange Club.
Survivors include his sons, James Wright and wife Alice of Little Falls and Timothy Wright and wife Susan of Little Falls; daughter, Cindy Miller of Little Falls; sister, Marion (Mimi) Stang and husband Theodore of Salem, OR; grandchildren, Melissa Atkinson and husband Robert, Tracy Verley and husband Michael, Heather Kretsch, Amber, Brittney and Hollie Wright; and great-grandchildren, Danielle, Eric, Shelby and Carly Atkinson and Sarah and Allysha Verley.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Brail and Neva Wright; wife, Shirley Wright and brother, Bill Wright of California.
Casketbearers will be Dave Glaze, Mike Lehrke, Jim Torbert, Monk Carlson, Rollie Hartmann, Shen Adams, Robert Atkinson and Michael Verley.
Honorary casketbearers will be the staff of the Morrison County Record and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Heather Kretsch, Brittney, Amber and Hollie Wright, Sarah and Allysha Verley and Danielle, Eric, Shelby and Carly Atkinson.
Louise Chandler
Louise Curtis Chandler, 90-year-old resident of Cushing, MN, died February 20, 1999, at St. Gabriel’s Hospital in Little Falls, MN.
Funeral services were held at Cushing Baptist Church on February 24 in Cushing with Rev. Mark Erickson officiating. Burial was in the Cushing Union Cemetery in Cushing.
Louise was born May 16, 1908, in McClusky, ND, to the late Joseph and Dorothea (Wirt) Engel. She grew up and attended country school in the McClusky area until the eighth grade. She met and married Lyle Curtis on October 22, 1927, in McClusky. The couple lived and raised their children in the McClusky area until 1937 at which time they moved to Mandan, ND, living there until 1947. In 1947, the couple moved to the Cushing area. They were divorced in 1952. Louise moved her family to Browerville, MN, in 1952. She was married to Orval Chandler on December 22, 1952, in Webster, SD. The couple resided in Browerville until 1969 at which time they moved to Lake Alexander near Cushing. Orval passed away June 5, 1975, and Louise continued living there until her death. She enjoyed gardening, crocheting, needlework and most of all spending time with her family.
Survivors include her sons, Duane Curtis and wife Barbara of St. Paul, MN, Roland Curtis of Bayview, ID, Floyd Curtis and wife Marie of Box Elder, SD, Eugene Curtis and wife Patricia of Lady Lake, FL; daughters, Vallie Jean Cole of Fayetteville, AK, Betty Johnson of Cushing, Shirley Ann Wise and husband Dale of Orlando, FL, Karen Daughtery of Fayetteville; brother, Jack Engel of McClusky; sisters, Tina Krueger of Minot, ND, Rosie Kaibel and husband Norman of Drake, ND and Martha Engel of Washington; 17 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband, Orval.
Edna (Wedin) Olson
Edna Victoria (Wedin) Olson, age 87, of Upsala, MN, Minneapolis, MN, and Duluth, MN, died February 18, 1999.
Funeral services were held February 22 at Zion Lutheran Church in Duluth. Graveside services were held February 24 at Gethsemane Cemetery in Upsala.
Edna was a longtime employee of the Telephone Company, both in Minneapolis and Duluth. She spent her retired years as an avid volunteer, with daily visits to seniors centers and her church group. Edna brought joy and laughter to everyone who knew her. She was a giving, caring, beautiful lady and will be one of heaven’s brightest stars!
Survivors include one sister, Frances Groth of Little Falls, MN; nieces and nephews, and many loving friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Arthur; four brothers, Helmer, Vernon, Gordon and Gilbert.
