Obituaries

Apr 11, 2025

Surrounded by family who loved her, Valerie (Wood) Hellmers age 63, passed away at Lakewood Hospital, Staples MN, on April 11, 2025. Val was born July 11, 1961 to LeRoy & Betty (Oliver) Wood in Crosby, MN. The family moved from Riverton to Fawn Lake Township in Todd County. Val attended school in Staples & graduated high school in...

Apr 10, 2025

Lee William Bachman, age 87, of Brainerd, passed away on Thursday April 10, 2025, at Essentia-St Joseph’s Medical Center. Lee was born in Brainerd to Julius and Sylvia (Bodle) Bachman on September 29, 1937. He married the love of his life, Connie Nelson on April 18, 1959. Together they had three children.

Lee was the founder of...

Apr 8, 2025

Services for Irene will be private.

Apr 2, 2025

Loren Arthur Grams, age 95, of Brainerd, passed away on April 2, 2025, at Woodland Good Samaritan Society. Loren was born on January 16, 1930, in Westbrook to Arthur and Anna (Nelson) Grams. He married Frances McArtor, and they had four children.

Loren is survived by his children, Karen Dahl, Bruce (Barbara) Grams, Gary Grams and Pamela...

Apr 1, 2025

DuWayne (Duke) Kollodge passed away April 1, 2025 from end stage ALS. Per his wishes, he spent his end days at home being cared for by his wife Carol. Duke was born in St. Cloud, MN to Clarine and Ray Kollodge on July 6, 1944. He is surely welcomed by his brother-in-law, Rock DuCharme and his beloved sister, Darleen...

Mar 30, 2025

Jeanine Louise Pearson, age 67, passed away on Sunday, March 30, 2025, at the Riverside Healthcare System in Aitkin. Jeanine was born in Minneapolis to Luther & Shirley (Rassler) Koon. She married James Pearson on September 10, 1988.

Left to cherish her memory are her beloved husband, Jim; sister, JoEllyn (Ron) Foss; brother, Ronald (Sheila) Koon; 2...

Mar 26, 2025

Donna D. Kastanek was born on August 21st, 1931, in Staples, MN. The daughter of Werley L. and Myrtle P. (Roche)Hagenson. She grew to womanhood in the rural Staples area. She attended rural District #36 graduating from the 8th grade in 1945, Staples High School in 1949, and Staples Teacher training in 1950. She married George J. Kastanek on...

Mar 22, 2025

Della Luella Steininger, age 85, of Brainerd passed away on March 22, 2025, at Woodland Good Samaritan. Della was born in Ross Lake Township on November 28, 1939, to Floyd & Iren (Dennison) Palmer.

Della is survived by her son, Jerry (Paula) Steininger; daughter, Deanna Steininger; lifelong companion, David Yde; brother, Sid Palmer; 5 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren....

Mar 21, 2025

Lyle Frank Krueger, age 96, passed away on March 21, 2025, at Woodland Good Samaritan in Brainerd, Minnesota. He was born May 11, 1928, to Frank and Mabel (Bentley) Krueger at the home of the midwife, Mrs. Siegel, on Third Avenue NE, Brainerd, MN. He attended high school in Portland, Oregon, and was a veteran of World War II,...

Mar 21, 2025

Earl Hugo Baversjo, age 70, passed away at the University of Minnesota-Fairview Hospital in Minneapolis on Friday, March 21, 2025. Earl was born in St Paul to Hugo & Eleanor (Anderson) Baversjo.

Earl is survived by his sister, Charlotte (Glen) Wolf.

He is preceded in death by his parents.

Services for Earl will...

Mar 16, 2025

Charles (Chuck) John Balzer passed away peacefully at the age of 86 at the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Hospital on March 16, 2025. He was born on September 20, 1938, at the Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea, MN to Carl H. and Cecil R. (Clausen) Balzer. He had two siblings: Carol R. (late Donald) Owen and (late) Contance R. Balzer....

Mar 11, 2025

Howard William Caughey, age 100, of Merrifield, passed away at his home on Wednesday, March 11, 2025. Howard was born on February 5, 1925, in St Paul to Robert Lauren and Anna Mary (Peterson) Caughey.

Left to cherish his memory are his grandchildren; Leah (Jason) Gilbertson, James Caughey, Kristin Caughey and Cody Caughey; sisters; Virginia Caughey and...

Mar 8, 2025

Denise Elaine Sirucek, 77- year- old resident of Poplar Township near Leader, MN, passed away on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at the St. Cloud Hospital. Denise was born in White Fish, Montana on April 29, 1947, to Frances (Goggins) and David Hiebert.

Denise married Donald Sirucek her husband of 59 years in 1964, at the...

Mar 5, 2025

Wendy Jo Muenchow, age 64, of Brainerd passed away on Wednesday March 5, 2025, in Minneapolis. Wendy was born in Faribault, Minnesota on February 4, 1961, to Lois (Knutson) and Merlin Muenchow. Wendy was a Pre-School teacher for many years.

She enjoyed camping, golf cart rides, and campfires. She had four kids with Michael Petterson...

Mar 5, 2025

Viola Sellin (nee Melzer) passed away peacefully in her home at the age of 102, on March 5, 2025.

Born June 15, 1922, in Balfour, North Dakota, the second of five children. At 4, her family moved by train to Kensal, ND and ultimately Courtney, ND where she attended grade school. The family relocated to...

Mar 4, 2025

In Loving Memory of Lois Marie Kargel

Lois Marie Kargel, age 80, of Baxter, passed away on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at Edgewood Vista in Baxter. Born on August 26,1944, in Portland, Oregon, to Bernard "Babe" and Bernice (Krueger) Congdon, Lois dedicated many years to her work as a waitress before retiring as a secretary...

Mar 2, 2025

Laurie Jean Bonneville passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, March 2, 2025, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Raised in Osseo, MN, Laurie graduated with the class of 1975. She was a talented athlete and musician, earning accolades as a high school doubles tennis champion and expressing her creativity through guitar and songwriting....

Feb 28, 2025

Feb 27, 2025

Paul Allen Baillif, 69, of Brainerd, passed away on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at Riverwood Health Care Center in Aitkin, with his family at his side. He is preceded in death by his parents, his sister-in-law, Susie, and his brother-in-law, Bill King; niece, Heather Bowman.

Paul will be deeply missed by his beloved...

Feb 26, 2025

Donna Marie Gode, 73 year old resident of Brainerd, MN passed away Wednesday, February 26, 2025 at her home in Brainerd, MN.Donna was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and a great grandmother. She grew

up in Peabody, Massachusetts where she spent many hours enjoying the ocean she loved so

much. She had many great...