Obituaries

Lyle Thomas (Tom) Lemke

Nov 23, 2024

Tom passed away on November 23rd, 2024, at St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester, MN surrounded by his loving family.

Tom was born to Herman and Dorothy (White) Lemke on February 7, 1942 in Minneapolis. After his father's death when Tom was three, his mother married William Hartkopf. Tom grew up on the family farm, attended a country school through eighth grade...

Gary Poch

Nov 21, 2024

Gary D. Poch, 66, passed away suddenly on Thursday, November 21, 2024 at the Stewartville Care Center.

Gary Dean Poch was born on September 7, 1958 in Faribault, MN to parents Gerhardt and Darlene (Koger) Poch. Gary grew up in Faribault where he attended the Faribault Lutheran School. Later the family moved to Rochester, MN where Gary attended and...

Charles Brown

Nov 20, 2024

Charles Gene Brown, 76, of Rochester, MN, passed away on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at his home at The Homestead of Rochester.

Charles was born on May 5, 1948, in LaCrosse, WI, to parents Charles and Janis (Ristow) Brown. After graduating, Charles served in the United States Navy from 1968-1972, during the Vietnam War. Upon being honorably discharged, he...

Kaya Campbell

Nov 18, 2024

Kaya Mae Campbell was born on September 22, 2005, in Rochester, MN, where she spent her whole life. She passed away peacefully at home on November 18, 2024.

She is survived by her loving parents, Keith and Anna Campbell; her sisters, Cora and Haedyn; her maternal grandmother, Charline Rabe; her paternal grandparents, Patricia Brossman and Roger Campbell, Karen Campbell; and...

Jack Block

Nov 18, 2024

Jack Raymond Block, age 97, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather, passed away peacefully on Monday, 11/18/2024.

Jack was born January 11,1927, to John and Avis Block (Mulholland) in rural Rochester, MN. As a young farmboy, his early years were spent helping his dad and older sister, Anita, with chores and crops, plowing and working the fields with...

LaDonna Paul

Nov 16, 2024

LaDonna (Steffie) Paul, age 92, passed away on November 16, 2024.

Steffie was born in Wykoff, MN to Thurman and Alice Steffensrud. She graduated from Winona State University and married Kenneth E. Paul of Spring Valley, MN on June 29, 1955. At the beginning of her career, she was an elementary teacher in the Austin and Albert Lea parochial...

Michael Zirbes

Nov 16, 2024

Michael William Zirbes passed away peacefully at St. Mary's Hospital on November 16, 2024, at the age of 74.

He was born August 14, 1950, in La Crosse, Wisconsin to Clarence (Red) Zirbes and Patricia (Marcou) Zirbes. They moved to Rochester, Minnesota when he was 6 years old. He graduated from Mayo High School in 1969. He then went on...

Harriet Rudd

Nov 14, 2024

Harriet (Grein) Rudd, 88, of Rochester, MN, peacefully went to her Heavenly Home with Jesus on November 14, 2024.

Funeral service will be held at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Rochester, MN, on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 11 a.m. with Pastor Jeff Niederstadt officiating. A livestream of the service is available at: hclc.tv/rudd.

Harriet was born in...

Norma Footh

Nov 13, 2024

Norma was born in Mankato, MN to Gladys (Pearson) Knoss and Fredrick Knoss. She grew up on the family farm and attended Rapidan High School, just outside Mankato. While at Mankato State Teachers' College, she met her future husband, Willard Footh. While he served during WWII, Norma taught for two years in Mapleton. After the war, they were married at...

Carol Veloske

Nov 11, 2024

Carol Irene Veloske, age 81, of Rochester, Minnesota, passed away peacefully in the presence of family on November 11, 2024.

Carol was a loving mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. She is survived by her son, Edward Vankirk; daughter, Barbara (Michael) Soderbeck; granddaughters, Jenna (Darren) Eck and Jessica (Miles) Norman; sister, Patty Martinson; brother, Mark (Patricia) Stevens; nephews, Jeff Amaris, Troy (Elizabeth)...

Lawrence "Larry" Pfiefer

Nov 11, 2024

Lawrence W. Pfiefer, 83, of Hayfield passed away on November 11, 2024.

Lawrence William Pfiefer was born in Hayfield, Minnesota on October 6, 1941 to August Lawrence and Elizabeth (Prokopec) Pfiefer. He was the third of 6 children.

Lawrence grew up and lived on the family farm in Hayfield his entire life. He attended country school and then Hayfield High School, where...

Timothy Molko

Nov 11, 2024

Timothy Alan Molko, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, was called home into the embrace of God on November 11, 2024, at age 70. He died at home, after a steadfast fight against pancreatic cancer, surrounded by his wife and two sons.

Tim was born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, on November 25th, 1953, to Edward and Delores (Weiss) Molko. He...

Constance Wickert

Nov 9, 2024

Constance "Connie" Marie Wickert, age 83, of Rochester, MN passed away on November 9, 2024 at home.

Connie was born August 19, 1941 in East Chain, Minnesota the daughter of Randolph and Stella (Wildes) Laabs. She grew up in Fairmont, Minnesota, graduated and attended Vo-Tech. In 1965, she was baptized and confirmed in the catholic faith at St. Pius Catholic...

Karen Pasch

Nov 9, 2024

Karen Louise Pasch (nee Ackland), age 84, of Rochester, MN went to be with her Lord and Savior on November 9, 2024. She was born on October 4, 1940 to Fred and Dorothy Ackland in Toledo, OH.

Karen attended DeVilbiss High School and the University of Toledo, where she graduated with a BS degree in Mathematics.

In 1962 Karen married...

Marjorie Wood

Nov 8, 2024

Marjorie Wood, age 99 and 4 months, Rochester, Minnesota passed away at her home on November 8, 2024. Marjorie (known to many as Marge) was born on 7/07/1925 in Oronoco, Minnesota to Helen (Bennett) Markham and George E. Markham. She graduated from Rochester High School.

Marjorie married Harry Gardner Wood, Jr. on January 31, 1953, and together they had two...

Dorothy Vonch

Nov 8, 2024

Dorothy J. Vonch, 91, died peacefully on Friday, November 8,2024 at Madonna Towers after a lengthy battle with dementia.

Dorothy Jean Vonch was born September 29,1933 to Charles and Mabel (Larson) Rud in Rochester, MN. She graduated from Rochester High School in 1951. Dorothy married Larry E. Vonch on November 11, 1951 at East St. Olaf Church in Rock Dell,...

Robert Bolen

Nov 8, 2024

Robert "Bob" Bolen was born on September 30, 1947, in Two Harbors, MN. In 2017, he and his wife moved to Rochester, MN, to be closer to family and medical care. Bob passed away peacefully on November 8, 2024, at the Spring Valley Nursing Home.

A 1966 graduate of Two Harbors High School, Bob served his country with honor as...

Joseph Jenkins

Nov 4, 2024

Joseph R. Jenkins, 84, passed peacefully on November 4, 2024, in Pine Island, Minnesota.

Born in Chicago, IL, to Joseph Blackburn Jenkins and Chlora Viola Goodin on December 29, 1939. Joe met the love of his life, Barbara Marie Olson, in Eau Claire, WI, where they were married, in 1963. Joe was a Morse Code interceptor for the Army Security...

Robert Wichser

Nov 4, 2024

On Monday, November 4, 2024, our Dad, Robert R. Wichser (Bob) bid farewell to his time on this earth. He made 97.66 trips around the sun and the time and place was to his choosing. He was surrounded by his 2nd family, the "exercise gang of 125 Live". Having just finished his workout, it was time for coffee, conversation, and...

Paul Baker

Nov 3, 2024

The Rev. Dr. Paul Andrew Baker, 80, died November 3, 2024 at Cascade Creek Memory Care after a struggle with Alzheimer's. He was born January 26, 1944 at Camp LeJeune, NC. to career marine John & Helen Baker and baptized at the base chapel. The family settled in Tucson, AZ in 1950 where Paul entered First Grade. At age 15...