Obituaries

Barbara Austin

May 30, 2024

Barbara K. Austin, a longtime resident of Rochester, died peacefully on May 30, 2024, at the age of 82, at Madonna Meadows Memory after battling Dementia.

Barbara was born on June 18, 1941, in Hayfield, MN, to parents Spencer and Locella (Baumann) Nelson. She grew up in Byron, graduated from Byron High School in 1959, and then worked in...

Daniel Bennett

May 29, 2024

Daniel Lloyd Bennett, age 65 of Rochester, passed away peacefully on May 29, 2024. He was born on January 13, 1959, in his hometown of Rochester, Minnesota, to proud parents Roger and Marcia (Lovejoy) Bennett.

Dan was a dedicated, hard-working, and hard-playing individual. After a 43-year career with IBM - Rochester, Dan retired in 2021.

He married Sherry Bossart on...

Betty Lou Karsten

May 27, 2024

Betty L. Karsten, 64, of Stewartville, MN, passed away on Monday, May 27, 2024 at her home.

Betty Lou (Patchin) Karsten was born on October 2, 1959 in Rochester MN, to parents Burton and Illa (Growt) Patchin. After graduating from Red Wing High School in 1978, Betty attended Rochester Vocational School, where she graduated from the Medical Secretary Program in 1979....

Ronald Murray

May 26, 2024

Ronald "Ron" Lee Murray, 80, of Byron, MN passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 26, 2024 at Methodist Hospital. Ron had been diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer in 2015 and survived with the excellent care of the Oncology & Gastroenterology Departments of the Mayo Clinic and Methodist Hospital.

Ron was born on October 14,1943 in Mount Airy, MD the son...

Robert Johnson

May 26, 2024

Robert John Johnson died and went to be with Jesus on May 26, 2024 at Chosen Valley Care Center in Chatfield, Minnesota.

Robert was born on August 29, 1938 to parents Avery A. Johnson and Gladys Matthiesen in Curlew, Iowa. After graduating from Ayrshire, Iowa Consolidated High School in 1957, he went on to work as a welder for Twin...

Josephine Joyce Grabarkiewicz

May 24, 2024

Joyce Grabarkiewicz, 87, of Rochester, MN, died peacefully, May 24th, 2024 with family at her side.

Joyce was born September 1, 1936 in Minnesota City, MN to George and Monica Bronk. She graduated from Cotter High School in Winona, MN. She went on to pursue teaching at St. Mary's College in Winona.

On September 29. 1956, she married Dale Grabarkiewicz from Austin,...

Ralph Cole

May 23, 2024

Ralph Scott Cole, 66, of Elgin, Minnesota, passed away at St. Mary's Hospital with his family by his side on May 23, 2024.

Ralph was born April 24, 1958 to Kim and Mary Cole. Ralph worked at Midstates/Royal Tires for over 30 years until 2020, when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Ralph loved hunting, fishing, and camping, and enjoyed...

Gerald Kratz

May 22, 2024

Gerald Arthur Kratz, 91, of Rochester, MN passed away peacefully on May 22, 2024 at the Dove Healthcare Center in Eau Claire, WI under the care of Mayo Hospice.

Gerald (Jerry) and his twin brother Howard were born December 7, 1932 in Cresco, Iowa to Deno and Elsie (Hopperstad) Kratz. Howard passed away shortly after birth.

Jerry was raised in a farming...

William Knopf

May 21, 2024

William Bigelow Knopf, "Uncle Bill", was born in Austin, Minnesota on April 18th, 1955 to Glenn Knopf and Elizabeth Bigelow. He graduated from Austin High School in 1973. He married Sandra Kay Stundahl on July 24th, 1975 in Rochester, Minnesota. He worked many interesting jobs over the years, including Sterling Drug Store and Armored Car, but his role as a...

Patsy Baker

May 20, 2024

Patsy Dianne Nugent Baker was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She left this earthly sojourn on May 20, 2024, at the age of 80; she was surrounded by her family and supported by Mayo Clinic Hospice. She was born on July 19, 1943, in Tyler, Texas, to Clyde and Maurice (Hays) Nugent. Her early childhood...

William Raveling

May 19, 2024

William (Bill) Dean Raveling, age 72, of Waseca, MN passed away Sunday May,19th 2024 at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Mary's Campus in Rochester.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday May 30th, 2024 from 12-4pm at the Ellendale Community Center. All are welcome. Burial will follow at a later date.

William (Bill) Dean Raveling was...

Ruth Reimers

May 19, 2024

Ruth H. Reimers, 91, of Rochester, MN, passed away on May 19, 2024 at Green Prairie Rehabilitation Center in Plainview, MN.

Ruth Helen (Fisher) Reimers was born on October 1, 1932 in Pipestone, MN to parents Herman and Ida (Stolle) Fisher.

On September 3, 1950, Ruth married the love of her life, Frank Allen Reimers, Jr. in Holland,...

Lawrence Barsness

May 17, 2024

Lawrence Ronnei Barsness, aged 84, of Rochester, MN peacefully passed away on May 17th, 2024. Lawrence was proud of his Norwegian heritage and therefore it was only fitting he passed away on Syttende Mai (Norwegian Independence Day). Born on September 29, 1939, in Glenwood, MN, Lawrence was the son of Mabel and James Barsness. He earned a master's degree in...

Melvin Hicks

May 16, 2024

Melvin L. Hicks, age 97 of Rochester, MN passed away on May 16, 2024 at Pine Haven Nursing Home in Pine Island.

Melvin was born on May 29, 1926 in Winona, MN to Adolph and Cecelia (Blachfelner) Hicks. The family spent 2 years in Winona, then moved to Delhi, Ontario, for 14 years where they farmed tobacco. They returned to...

Teresa Walters

May 12, 2024

On Mother's Day, May 12, 2024, Teresa Lee (Atkinson) Walters completed her earthly journey at Seasons Hospice in Rochester, MN. She was 66 years old.

Teresa was born in Nevada, MO, to Harold and Vera Atkinson on February 19, 1958. The second of four daughters, Teresa moved several times before the family settled in Rochester, MN, in 1963. She graduated...

Paul Halverson

May 12, 2024

Paul Saby Halverson, age 70, of Byron, Minnesota, passed away peacefully in his home, surrounded by loved ones and lilac blossoms, on Sunday, May 12th, 2024.

Paul was born on November 23rd, 1953, in Jackson, Minnesota. He was the second son of Mary and Palmer Halverson. During his college years, he met the love of his life, Catherine Egenberger....

Daelon Engel

May 11, 2024

Daelon Joseph Engel was born on July 30, 2000, to his loving parents Zachary Braid and Jen Engel in Rochester, Minnesota. After attending school in Plainview, MN, Daelon graduated from John Marshall High School in 2019. Daelon joined the National Guard and went on to work various construction jobs and trade certifications in the Rochester area before starting his career...

David N. Auth

May 10, 2024

David N. Auth passed away on May 10, 2024 of complications from a lung transplant. He was 73. Raised in Longmeadow, MA, he attended Cathedral High School and graduated cum laude from Boston College. He received his J.D. from University of Connecticut Law School and his M.B.A. from Columbia Business School. David started and grew the company Data Management which...

Mark Konakowitz

May 10, 2024

Mark T. Konakowitz, age 55, of Rochester, MN passed away unexpectedly on May 10, 2024 at his home.

Mark Thomas Konakowitz was born April 23, 1969 in Manassas, Virginia the son of Thomas and Diane "Sam" (Arndt) Konakowitz. He was a 1987 graduate of John Marshall High School in Rochester, MN. In his youth he played goalie on the...

Annette Harrison

May 9, 2024

Annette Harrison, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away on May 9, 2024, at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. She was 92 years old.

Annette was born on February 24, 1932, in Spring Valley, MN, to Howard and Carmen (Wratz) Zeek. She graduated from Rochester High School and later embarked on a fulfilling career as a Nuclear Medicine Technician...