Search Archived Marriage Records
Father Theodore Peterka
Father Theodore Peterka, age 90, died July 16, 1998, at St. Cloud Hospital.
He had served the Diocese of St. Cloud, MN, for more than 36 years, from his ordination in 1947 until his retirement from active ministry in 1983. Bishop John Kinney celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial July 20 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud. Burial followed at Assumption Cemetery, St. Cloud.
Father Peterka was born July 19, 1908, in Wahpeton, N.D. He was the son of Frank and Mary Theresa (Kaheleck) Peterka. Father Peterka attended public grade school in Wahpeton, and obtained his secondary education at Salvatorian Prep School in Milwaukee, WI. He attended St. John’s Seminar in Collegeville, MN, and was ordained by Bishop Joseph F. Busch at St. Mary’s Cathedral on May 31, 1947. Father Peterka celebrated his First Mass the next day at St. John’s Church in Wahpeton. Father Peterka’s assignments included St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Church, Long Prairie, St. Theresa’s Church, Donnelly, Sacred Heart Church, Sauk Rapids, St. Olaf’s Church, Elbow Lake, St. Joseph’s Church, Grey Eagle, St. Joseph’s Church, Clarissa, St. Ann’s Church, Brandon, St. Peter’s Church, Dumont, St. Francis Hospital, Breckenridge, St. Olaf’s Church, Elbow Lake, Holy Cross Church, North Prairie, St. Raphael’s Rest Home, St. Cloud, Country Manor Nursing Home, Sartell and St. Francis Xaiver Church, Sartell. He retired from active ministry on November 1, 1983, for health reasons.
He was preceded in death by his parents; six brothers, Philip, Leo, George, Martin, John and Paul, and three sisters, Rose, Helen and Mary.
Adeline Burg
Adeline Burg, a resident of Freeport, MN, died June 3, 1998, at her home in St. Martin, MN.
Funeral services will be held June 8 at St. Martin Catholic Church in St. Martin. Burial will be in the parish cemetery.
Adeline Burg was born in Two Inlets, MN, to John and Anna (Dingman) Kohorst. She married John Burg on May 19, 1942, in St. Martin. She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport, MN, the Christian Mothers and the Freeport Senior Citizens. She farmed in the St. Martin area with her husband for 40 years until retiring in 1985.
Survivors include children, Joseph of Avon, MN, Jack of Albany, MN, Denise Kulzer of Albany, Diane Metzger of St. Augusta, Doris Thyen of Pierz, MN, Judy Hoppe of Freeport, Tom of Richmond, MN, Gladys Mayers of Richmond, Roseanne Brutger of Paynesville, MN, and Jeff of Cold Spring, MN; 45 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren; and sisters, Philomene Salzer of Cold Spring, Lenora Drontle of Avon and Marina Klehr of Litchfield, MN.
She was preceded in death by her husband who died August 17, 1988; one brother, Edwin, and two sisters, Sister Johnette, OSB, and Marcella Gruber.
Rosyne Louise Meyer
Rosyne Louise Meyer (Pelkey), age 57, a resident of Little Falls, MN, died unexpectedly due to heart failure on June 14, 1998, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, MN.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held June 18 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Little Falls with Father Leroy Kremer officiating.
Rosyne was born on October 6, 1940, in Little Falls, to Wallace and Anna (Beniek) Pelkey. She was married to Gerald Meyer on November 18, 1961.
Survivors include her five children, Tim Meyer and wife Tamra of Duluth, MN, Cindy Meyer of Little Falls, and significant other, Linda Kofman of State College, PA, Mary B. Kruse and husband Lyle of St. Joseph, MN, Lisa Spengler and significant other Matthew Shaw of St. Cloud, MN, Kimberly Meyer of Sauk Rapids, MN; her mother, Anna Pelkey of Little Falls; two brothers, Jerry of Paynesville, MN, and Robert of Brooklyn Park, MN; sisters, Audrey Posch of Rice, MN, Marilyn Brennan of Burnsville, MN, Jeanette Ginter of Green Bay, WI, and Diane Pelkey of Little Falls.
She was preceded in death by her father, Wallace Pelkey.
Pallbearers were nieces and nephews.
The family requests that memorials be given to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.
Joseph Koll
Joseph Koll, age 94, a resident of Pierz, MN, died June 14, 1998, at St. Mary’s Villa in Pierz.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held June 17 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Pierz with Father Ken Brenny officiating. Burial was in the parish cemetery.
Joseph was born on March 20, 1904, in Earling, IA, to Nicholas and Susanna (Kuhl) Koll. He was united in marriage to Euphemia Terhaar on January 14, 1933. They then moved to Pierz in 1937, where they had two children, Kenneth Joseph Koll and Donna Rudolph. Euphemia passed away June 18, 1960. He married Adeline Vanheel on July 10, 1976. She passed away July 6, 1990. Joseph worked as a farmer in Pierz from 1937 until 1954. He then became a janitor at St. Joseph’s Parish from 1954 until 1971. He also worked at the Pierz Golf Course from 1971 until his retirement in 1978, and the Sales Barn in St. Cloud for three years, and the LeBlanc Game Farm. He liked volunteering, gardening, visiting with his friends and family, and singing with the Geshunteit Singers.
Survivors include his son, Kenneth J. and wife Mary Koll of Pierz; daughter, Donna and husband Dennis Rudolph of Perham, MN; sister, Mathilda (Tillie) Breitbach of Melrose, MN; five grandchildren, Tanya (Koll) Logan of Chesterton, IN, Christie Koll of Pierz, Michael Koll and Christopher Bellefeuille, both of Little Falls, MN, Michelle Hoheisel of Sauk Rapids, MN; four great-grandchildren, Rhett Logan, Joseph Lease, Nicole and Josh Hoheisel.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his two wives; five brothers, Anthony, John, Michael, Nicholaus, and Lawrence; four sisters, Anna, Bernadine, Katherine and Magdalene.
Casketbearers were Paul Solinger, Michael Koll, Hank Terhaar, Alvin Van Heel, Edwin Koll and Ronald Van Heel.
Josie Blakey
Josie Walker Blakey, age 101, died June 15, 1998, at the First Christian Church Residence, Minneapolis, where she had lived since the death of her husband, Bernard B. Blakey, in 1992.
A memorial service will be held June 29 at First Christian Church in Minneapolis. Burial will be in a private graveside service at Lakewood Cemetery.
The Blakeys lived in Morrison County near Little Falls, MN, throughout the 1970s and were active in the Grace Covenant Church during that time. The Blakeys’ courtship letters and enduring romance well into their 90s was the subject of a widely acclaimed book, Love in the 90s, by their granddaughter, Keri Pickett, also formerly of Little Falls.
Born December 17, 1896, in Tahlequah, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), Josie was one of 11 children. She remembers playing with Will Rogers when he came to visit his aunt and uncle, the Adairs, who were neighbors of the Walkers. As a girl, she became determined to get an education after admiring the well-dressed young women who attended a nearby seminary (high school) for Cherokee Indians. With financial help from an older brother, she prevailed on her parents to allow her to continue her education beyond the eighth grade, which was unusual for children of poor, rural families, and especially for girls. After graduating from high school, she taught briefly in a Normal School in Kansas, where her students included her younger siblings. She then attended Phillips University in Enid, OK, where she graduated with a degree in religious education in 1926. She was one of the first women to be ordained as a Disciples of Christ (Christian) minister and served as the denomination’s national religious education director. She traveled a 15-state region, setting up church schools and religious education programs. Years later, she served as student union hostess at Phillips University. In retirement, she researched and published two family histories.
Her romance with Bernard (B.B.) Blakey began as a ruse to discourage the attentions of the minister at a church where she was assigned. In July, 1928, she asked her friend Blakey to write her or send a blank sheet of paper in the mail every day, marked “personal,” because her mail came to the minister’s box. Friendship blossomed into romance and they were married one year later and almost 700 letters later, in July, 1929.
The story of “B.B.” and “Jo,” as they called each other, was captured by their granddaughter, a Minneapolis photographer, who combined her photos of them in their 90s with excerpts of their courtship love letters. Published in 1995 by Warner Books, Pickett’s Love in the 90s was translated into Japanese in 1996; it has been featured in local and national newspapers and magazines such as Life and People, and on numerous television programs such as Good Morning America. Pickett’s photographs of her grandparents have been exhibited at the Museum of Art in New Orleans and the Southeast Museum of Photography in Daytona Beach, FL, and in galleries in Portland, Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Minneapolis. A photo of them hugging in bed won a blue ribbon as the “People’s Choice” at the Minnesota State Fair.
Josie will be forever cherished by her family for giving them the two most precious gifts a parent or grandparent can give: roots and wings.
Survivors include a son, Roy Blakey of Minneapolis; two daughters and sons-in-law, Marian and Robert Spencer of Santa Monica, CA, and B.J. and John French of Minneapolis; and two granddaughters and one grandson-in-law, Pickett of Minneapolis and Kimberly Mahling Clark and Mark Clark of Arlington, VA, who currently live and work in Haiti.
Lloyd Pepin
Lloyd E. Pepin, age 94, a resident of Little Falls, MN, formerly of Swanville, MN, died February 26, 1998, at St. Otto’s Care Center in Little Falls, MN.
Funeral services were held on March 3 at Swanville Bible Church in Swanville, MN, with the Rev. Tim Sumner officiating. Interment was in Springbrook Cemetery, Swanville.
Lloyd was born on June 20, 1903, in Burnhamville Township, Todd County, MN, by Pepin Lake to the late John and Evangeline (Stith) Pepin. As a young boy, his family moved to the state of Washington where they worked in the logging industry for two years and then returned to the Swan-ville area. He attended District 79 school in Swanville Township. Upon completion of his education, he farmed with his parents on the family farm in Swanville Town-ship for a few years and then purchased his own farm across the road from his parents where he farmed together with his family. He was united in marriage to Luella Johnson on October 10, 1933, in Long Prairie, MN. The couple farmed their whole life on their farm in Swanville Township. In 1996, they moved to the Alverna Apartments in Little Falls but spent each summer out on their farm. He attended the former East Swanville Covenant Church and most recently the Swanville Bible Church in Swanville. He enjoyed traveling with his wife to California and Washington and woodworking in his shop.
Survivors include his wife, Luella of Little Falls; sons, Verde Pepin and wife Faye of Motley, MN, and Randy Pepin and wife Linda of Upsala, MN; daughter, Nancy Kjeldahl and husband Sid of Sauk Centre, MN; sister, Mildred Pepin of Little Falls; 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Ward Pepin and Lawrence Pepin and a sister, Cecile Pepin.
Pallbearers were Peter Pepin, Dwight Nelson, Kurt Skillings, Klint Kjeldahl, Scott Pepin, Brent Pepin, Justin Nelson and Matt Nelson.
Raymond Guck
Raymond Mathew Guck, age 71, a resident of Little Falls, MN, and formerly of Royalton, MN, died February 26, 1998, at his home in Little Falls
A Mass of Christian Burial was held March 3 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Little Falls with the Rev. Nick Landsberger officiating. Burial was in the Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Rice, MN.
Raymond was born September 19, 1926, in St. Cloud, Stearns County, MN, to the late August and Katherine (Donnay) Guck. He grew up in Rice on the family farm. He attended and graduated from Royalton High School in the Class of 1944. He entered the United States Army March 16, 1945, at Fort Snelling, MN. During his military stay, Raymond re-ceived the Asiatic-Pacific Theater Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. He received an honorable discharge on July 22, 1946, at Camp McCoy, WI. Ray-mond was united in marriage to Virginia (Ginny) M. Fromelt on August 3, 1950, in the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Rice. Together the couple farmed in Bellevue Township until 1960 and then moved to the city of Royalton where he served as Postmaster for the Royalton Post Office from September of 1961 to August 1986 when he retired. He was a member of the Minnesota League of Postmasters, National Association of Postmasters, served as civil defense coordinator for city of Royalton, Boy Scout Leader, served on the Board of Directors of Carefree Acres, was a member of Little Falls American Legion Post #46 and St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Little Falls. He was a former member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Royalton where he served on the parish council and former member of the Royalton American Legion. He enjoyed gardening, woodworking, reading, fishing and camping.
He is survived by his wife, Ginny; sons and daughters, Joseph M. and wife Rosie of Sartell, MN; Mary Jo Bailey and husband Chuck of Mankato, MN; Jim A. and wife Denise of Holdingford, MN; Mike R. and wife Barb of Lakeville, MN; Robert J. and wife Cheryl of Warren, OH; Carrie Nelson and husband Bob of Sartell, MN, and David E. and wife Carleen of Elk River, MN; Ted C. and wife Sue of Baldwinsville, NY; sisters, Rosemary Girtz and husband Ervin of Royalton, Therese Duea and husband John and Lucille Hovland and husband Andrew, all of Rice, Doris Sullivan and husband Henry of Eden Valley, MN, and Shirley Schwalbe and husband Cyril of Avon, MN, and 16 grandchildren.
Honorary pallbearers were Amy Jo Bailey, Andrea Nelson, Sammy, Nikki, Kendra and Rachel Guck.
Casketbearers were Jeremy, Jordan, Cory, Quentin, Ryan, Aaron, Tyler and Kyle Guck, Ben Bailey and Kirk Nelson.
