Search Archived Marriage Records
Dorothy Witt
Dorothy M. Witt, 84, Henning, died Saturday, Nov. 6, 2004, at TriCounty Hospital in Wadena.
Dorothy Dunker was born Aug. 25, 1920, in Perham to Frederick and Catherine (Luhning) Dunker. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith at St. John's Lutheran Church, Ottertail. She grew up in the Ottertail area and attended school at St. John's School. She worked as a young girl at Simons Produce in Battle Lake. She married
Harry Witt Nov. 10, 1941, in Fergus Falls. They lived on two different farms in the Henning area until 1947 when they purchased the farm in Girard Township, where she was making her home until the time of her death.
Dorothy started the Kitchen Kooks Homemakers Club in 1962. She enjoyed gardening, maintaining huge flower and vegetable gardens. She enjoyed bird watching; crocheting and she loved to can. She also played the button accordion and the chord organ.
Dorothy is survived by her husband, Harry, of Henning; children: Kathleen (Eugene) Anderson, Hoffman, Minn., Carol (John) Sayres, Henning, Arlene Jenkins, of Shakopee, Minn., Norman (Erica) Witt, Eagan, Minn., Marilyn (Brian) Hansel, Dalton, Randall (Carol) Witt, Henning, and Gayland (Brenda) Witt, Henning; 21 grandchildren; and 5 great grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents; brothers: Henry and Arthur; and sisters: Wilma, Olga, and Leona.
Visitation: Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home with a 7: 45 p.m. prayer service Wednesday and for an hour prior to services at the church
Service: 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Henning
Clergy: Pastor Randy Maland
Burial: Girard Union cemetery, rural Henning
Funeral Home: Belmont Funeral Home, Henning
Arlene Thompson
Arlene Thompson, 79, Fergus Falls, died Nov. 10, 2004, at Pioneer Retirement Community of Fergus Falls. Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at Erdahl Lutheran Church, Elbow Lake, with Rev. Carol Olson officiating. Burial will be in the Erdahl Lutheran cemetery.
Friends may call at the church from 11 a.m. until the time of Saturday services. Arrangements are with Erickson-Smith Funeral Home of Elbow Lake.
Arvid Gotaas
Arvid (Gramps) Leif Gotaas, 80, Fountain, Fla., died Oct. 30, 2004, in his daughter's home.
He was born Aug. 10, 1924, to Ragnvald and Anna Gotaas of Rothsay. In 1928 he moved with his family to Fergus Falls, went to grade and high school and moved with the family to Bemidji later. He worked with his father.
He is survived by seven children; three sisters: Maude Strissel, Fergus Falls, Ginny Thompson, Camerrillo, Calif., and Dolly Sanderson, Big McDonald Lake, near Dent, Minn.; 99 year-old Uncle Elmer Johnson; and relatives and friends in this area.
He was preceded in death by one daughter, Judy; his parents; three brothers: Ralph, John and David; and one sister, Mildred Breyfogle.
The funeral will be at a later date in Florida.
Arlene Thompson
Arlene Thompson, 79, Fergus Falls, died Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2004, at Pioneer Retirement Community in Fergus Falls.
Arlene was born on March 19, 1925, in rural Grant County to John and Amelia (Walstrom) Johnson. She was baptized in Our Saviors Lutheran Church, Evansville, and confirmed in the Erdahl Lutheran Church. After high school, Arlene moved to the Twin Cities.
On Feb. 3, 1944, Arlene was united in marriage to Burnell C. Johnson in Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Evansville. The couple farmed near Erdahl. Burnell passed away in January 1969. Arlene married
Albin O. Thompson on September 27, 1969, and the couple lived in St. Paul. When Albin retired, they moved to a home on Pomme de Terre Lake. In 1993, they moved into Elbow Lake. After Albin's death in May 1995, Arlene moved to Fergus Falls.
Arlene was a long-time member of the Erdahl Lutheran Church, and enjoyed sewing and crafts.
She is survived by her son Wayne (Marlyne) Johnson of Fergus Falls; granddaughter JayAnn (Jerome) Grant of Fergus Falls and grandson Brent (Karen) Johnson of Plymouth; great-granddaughters Amanda and Kaylee; sisters Marlys Paulson of Evansville, JoAnne (Robert) Ostlund of Evansville, Betty (Ron) Stromberg of Prior Lake, and Sharon Odegaard of Dalton; brothers Alton (Reggie) Johnson of Fridley, Gale (Marlene) Johnson of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Noel (Linda) Johnson of Prior Lake, and Dean (Elida) Johnson of Evansville; and several nieces and nephews.
Arlene was preceded in death by her parents, husbands Burnell Johnson and Albin Thompson, son Michael Johnson, and three brothers, Dallas, Orville, and Virgil Johnson.
Visitation: Saturday from 11 a.m. until the services
Service: 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at Erdahl Lutheran Church, Erdahl
Clergy: Rev. Carol Olson
Burial: Erdahl Lutheran cemetery
Funeral Home: Erickson-Smith Funeral Home of Elbow Lake
Lorraine Retting
Lorraine Retting, 67, Mesa, Ariz., formerly of Fergus Falls and Evansville, died Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004, in Mesa.
She was born Sept. 29, 1937, in Starbuck, to Helmer and Ebba (Carlson) Hendrickson. She grew up and received her education in Evansville. After schooling, she worked at Midway Hospital in St. Paul as a nurse's aid.
On Dec. 27, 1958, she married
Harry Retting in Evansville. The couple lived in St. Paul for approximately four years before moving to the suburbs. They then moved to Anoka where they remained for 25 years. Lorraine worked in a local nursing home while living in Anoka. Lorraine and Harry eventually settled in Mesa, Ariz.
She enjoyed doing puzzles, traveling when able and spending time with her family and grandchildren. Though she battled many health issues throughout her life, she remained positive and devoted to others. Taken home too quickly, we will remember her quiet strength and the love she gave to us all.
She is lovingly remembered by her husband of 45 years, Harry; their two children, Keith Retting and Yvonne (Daniel) Andreasen; grandchildren: Walter, Alicia and Maria Retting, Emily Trowbridge and Adam (Julie) Andreasen; brothers, Ardell (Mavis) Hendrickson, Donald Hendrickson and Bernard Hendrickson; sisters, Joan (Wendell) Englund and Mary Jane (Carmen) Paulsen; cousins, Gordon (Marian) Dahlgren, Robert and Kari Carlson as well as many nephews and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Ebba and Helmer Hendrickson, and a grandson, Benjamin Andreasen.
Visitation: Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home and one hour prior to the service at the church
Service: 11 a.m. Saturday at Faith Lutheran Church, Evansville
Clergy: Rev. Irving J. Arnquist
Burial: Mound Grove cemetery, Evansville
Funeral Home: Glende-Nilson Funeral Home, Fergus Falls
Harold Schmidt
Harold H. Schmidt, 82, Fergus Falls, died Friday, Oct. 29, 2004, at the Veterans Hospital of Fargo.
He was born Oct. 17, 1922, on the family farm in Carlisle Township, the third of four children, to Herman and Dorothea (Meyer) Schmidt. He was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls and attended School District 96 through the eighth grade. He worked on the family farm for a few years, then worked for Walter Wildung from 1941 to 1942.
In April of 1943 he married
Margaret Dillon, and to that union four girls were born. He worked for one summer for the Mobraten family of Carlisle Township and also worked on the railroad. On Oct. 16, 1944, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served in the communication field and saw combat on the island of Luzon in the Philippine Islands. After his discharge Oct. 30, 1946, he worked for Winters Lumber Company of Fergus Falls. In August of 1947 he began working for the Fergus Falls Police Department retiring in 1974. After retiring he then worked construction in Moorhead for two years.
He moved to St. Cloud in the early 1980s returning to Fergus Falls in June 2002. He had been living at Northwest Manor in the Broen Home in Fergus Falls. He enjoyed horses, hunting, fishing, paint by numbers and time spent with his family.
He is survived by four daughters: Karen (Gordon) Singer of Moses Lake, Wash., Linda (Don) Krause of Fergus Falls, Cheryl Anderton of Shelly, Minn., and Lori (Richard) Stich of Fergus Falls; nine grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; a brother, Arnold (Marlys) Schmidt; and a sister, Florence Hanneman, both of Fergus Falls; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Laura Fanselau; two brothers-in-law, Harold Hanneman and Ervin Fanselau; and a great niece, Andrea Waasdorp.
Visitation: Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. with a 7 p.m. prayer service at the funeral home and one hour prior to the service at the church
Service: 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Lutheran Church, Fergus Falls
Clergy: Rev. Saul Stensvaag
Burial: Knollwood Memorial Gardens with Military Rites by VFW Post 612
Funeral Home: Glende-Nilson Funeral Home of Fergus Falls
Sonia Franze
Sonia Franze, 64, rural Battle Lake, died Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004, at her home.
She was born Nov. 2, 1939, to Lorimer Grant and Irene Geneva (Holt) Torgerson of Aurdal Township, Fergus Falls, of Norwegian and Swedish heritage. She attended grades 1 to 6 at District #143. She was baptized and confirmed at Vang Lutheran Church, rural Fergus Falls. She then attended junior high and high school in Fergus Falls, graduating in 1957. She attended the Fergus Falls Teacher's Training School which she graduated from in 1958. She later took various courses relating to her employment.
On July 22, 1961, she married
Lowell Donovan Franze at Zion Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls. They lived in Battle Lake for a short period of time before moving to the Franze farm in rural Battle Lake. She moved to the Broen Home in Fergus Falls in June 2004 and returned home to Battle Lake in August.
After graduating from Teachers Training, she worked as a teacher in several rural school districts. She also worked as a home health aide/homemaker for Pelican Lake Nursing Home in Ashby, a nursing assistant at the Battle Lake Care Center and as a program supervisor of developmentally handicapped adults at the Otter Tail Lake Residence. She returned to the education field in 1987, working as the administrator at the former Battle Lake Christian School until 1991. After that, she worked as the dining manager at the Battle Lake Senior Citizen Center, at Pamida in Fergus Falls and finally as a caregiver at the Pioneer Senior Cottages in Fergus Falls. The occupation she loved the most, however, was being a farm wife, mother and homemaker.
She was a very active member of Trefoldighed Lutheran Church of rural Battle Lake where she served as a Sunday School and Vacation Bible School teacher, Vice President and President of the Fergus Falls conference of the American Lutheran Women, ELCW President and Vice President, and she was a member of the Northwestern Minnesota Synod ELCW Board. She also served as past president of the WOTC Homemakers Council, 4-H Leader and along with Lowell was recognized as the Farmer-Homemaker of the Year for West Otter Tail County.
She loved the Lord Jesus Christ and sought to serve Him in all her endeavors. She also enjoyed sewing, quilting, vegetable and flower gardening, as well as traveling to visit family and friends and to do sightseeing throughout North America.
She is survived by her husband, Lowell; children, Grace (Daniel) Larson of Montrose, S.D., and their children, Jonathan, Cynthia, Anika, Katrina, and Nathaniel; Darrell (Marnie) Franze of Battle Lake and their children, Erika and Ethan, David (Elizabeth) Franze of Andover, Minn., and their children Blake, Derek, and Carter and Karen Franze of Battle Lake; siblings, Paul (Marie) Torgerson of Princeton, Grant (Sharon) Torgerson of Rothsay, Lorilee (Rev. John Mundform of Eugene, Ore.; brother-in-law, Virgil (Betty) Estenson of West Fargo; sister-in-law, Margaret (Dennis) Johnson of Sioux Falls; numerous nieces and nephews; several cousins and a multitude of dear friends and neighbors.
She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Cynthia (Torgerson) Estenson; father-in-law, Arthur Franze; and mother-in-law, Hilma Franze.
Visitation: Friday, Oct. 29, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home and one hour prior to the service at the church
Service: 11 a.m. Saturday, at Trefoldighed Lutheran Church of rural Battle Lake.
Clergy: Rev. George Dahl and Rev. John Mundfrom
Burial: The church cemetery
Funeral Home: Glende-Nilson Funeral Home of Battle Lake.
Arthur Hammer
Arthur Robert Hammer, 60, died Oct. 26, 2004, at his home in Brush Prairie, Wash.
Born Jan. 28, 1944, in Duluth, Minn., he moved to the Fergus Falls area shortly after birth and lived there until 1963. A boilermaker in the ship building industry, he was a member of Boilermaker Local #72. He enjoyed fishing, boating, camping and was a devoted home landscaper.
He is survived by his wife, Geni Hammer; daughter, Ricki Rodriguez, Battle Ground, Wash.; sisters: Lorene Krebs, Barnesville, and Cookie Nelson, Erhard; brothers, Richard Hammer, Vancouver, Wash., and Terry Hammer, Amboy, Wash.; grandchildren, Lina and Erick Rodriguez; and many friends who were considered extended family members.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Jeanie Sundblad and brother, Allen Hammer. Services are being held at the family home in Brush Prairie, Wash. Donations can be made to kaiser Hospice, 2701 NW Vaughn, Suite 140, Portland, OR 97210.
