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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Obituaries and Notices of Death

Posted 9/25/14

Ellen L. Johnson

Ellen Leona Johnson, 82, of Cook, formerly of Greaney, passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, Sept. 21, 2014, at the Cook Community Hospital. Funeral services will be held at 1 …

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Obituaries and Notices of Death

Posted

Ellen L. Johnson

Ellen Leona Johnson, 82, of Cook, formerly of Greaney, passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, Sept. 21, 2014, at the Cook Community Hospital. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26 in Trinity Lutheran Church in Cook. Rev. Bruce Hannem will be the officiant. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday in the Mlaker Funeral Home in Cook and will continue for one hour prior to the service at the church. The soloist will be Kathy Forsline and the pianist will be Bailey Conger. The casket bearers will be all of Ellen’s cherished grandchildren. A reception in her honor will follow in the church social hall, followed by interment in the Silverdale Cemetery. Arrangements are with Mlaker Funeral Home in Cook.

Ellen was born in Cook on Oct. 7, 1931, to Christopher and Gunhild (Larson) Rude. She grew up in Silverdale on the family farm and was proud of her ability to do anything needed on the farm, including driving tractor or operating any of the equipment. Ellen graduated from the Orr High School in 1949. She married Donald R. Johnson on May 17, 1952, in the Silverdale Lutheran Church. The couple settled in Greaney, where they raised their family and where Ellen lived for nearly 60 years. She was a member of the Silverdale Lutheran Church where she served as treasurer along with being active in its Ladies Aid.

Ellen enjoyed picking berries and made wonderful jelly from high bush cranberries. Her family fondly recalls that she made the best dark rye bread and had a family tradition of a lutefisk dinner a week before Christmas. The Christmas Eve gatherings at her home will long be remembered. Don and Ellen took pride and an interest in following the grandchildren’s activities, always there to encourage and support them. Her most treasured times were those spent with family. After his retirement, she and Don had many good trips traveling in their motor home.

Ellen is survived by her children, Cheryl (Lance Hardwig) McCormick of Cook, Diane (Dale) Long of Orr and Dale (Maxine Olson) of Cook; one sister, Violet Hall of Wabasha; two sisters-in-law, Florence Peterson of Amery, Wis., and Joyce Rude of Virginia; eight grandchildren, Kim (Kyle Decker) Grissel, Kris (Heather) McCormick, Brandon (Tiffany) McCormick, Jason (Melissa) Long, Ryan (Michelle) Long, Rochelle (Zach) Marconett, Jeff (Tanya) Erickson and Stacey Johnson; 13 great-grandchildren, Sydney and Kamryn Grissel, Peyton, Colton, McKenna and Brexton McCormick, Cora, Joshua and Jackson Long, Mataya and Courtney Hinrichs, Aiden Marconett and Ava Erickson; and nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 50 years, Donald (Nov. 23, 2002); two brothers, Nels Rude and Gerald Peterson; one sister, Marion Swanson; and a daughter-in-law, Tammy Johnson.

James C. Keenan

James Craig “Jim” Keenan, 76, of Virginia, died on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2014, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, due to complications of surgery. To honor Jim’s request, in lieu of the traditional funeral, there will be a celebration of his life at the Vermilion Club, 3191 Hwy 77 in Tower, on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 4 to 8 p.m. The phone number for the Vermilion Club is 218-753-6277. Memorials are preferred and should be made to either the Pike-Sandy Volunteer Fire Dept. or the Sand Lake Shuffle in Jim’s name. Arrangements are with Range Funeral Home in Virginia.

Jim was born on June 5, 1938, in Waukegan, Ill., to Roswell and Genevieve (Losee) Keenan. He lived in North Chicago, Ill., where he graduated from high school in 1956. He was a member of the National Honor Society. In 1957, he moved to Duluth where he worked briefly at the Morgan Park steel mill in the open hearth furnaces and for Cullen Stevedoring Co. as their paymaster. In 1959, Jim was married to Donna Mae Carlson in Virginia.

In 1960, they moved to Vermilion Lake Township where he owned the Black Bear Café until 1976. During this time he drove St. Louis County school bus from 1961 to 1972, founded and operated Black Bear Oil Co. (Mobil Oil distributorship) from 1967 to 1968, and also founded Snow-Shield Mfg. Co., which designed and manufactured snowmobile replacement windshields and other accessories that were sold nationwide from 1968 to 1974. A fire in 1974 destroyed Snow-Shield and the Black Bear Café.

During his stay in Vermilion Lake Township, Jim helped local children raise money and contributed to the construction of a basketball court for all children to use. He also donated the property for and helped organize the Vermilion Lake Township Volunteer Fire Department, of which he was a charter member.

After selling the Black Bear Café, Jim was married to Karen (Hannah) O’Leary in 1977 and continued to live in Vermilion Lake Township until moving to Pike Township in 1988. Jim worked for Bechtel Corp. as a carpenter during the construction of the Inland Steel plant in Virginia, and then worked for Inland Steel Mining as a blaster technician from 1976 to 1998, when he retired.

Jim was a past member of the Virginia Lions, Virginia Moose, Eveleth Elks Club and Embarrass Garden, Wine & Beer-making Club. He also belonged to the International Society of Explosive Engineers and was involved in organizing the local chapter of the I.S.E.E., of which he was still a member and was a past officer.

Jim loved making and sharing his homemade wine and beer. He also loved to travel, especially with his family. His other hobbies were beautifying his pine plantation, cooking and canning, and enjoying as many days as possible at the cabin on Lake Vermilion. As many people know, he loved taking friends and family for cruises on the pontoon boat around the lake. Jim wished to continue his giving ways by being an organ donor.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 37 years, Karen Keenan; sons, Michael R. (Lynda) Keenan of Andover, Sean F. (Susanna) Keenan of Bloomington, Terry J. (Cindy) Keenan of Champlin, Gregory O’Leary of Pine Valley, Calif., and Jeffery O’Leary of San Diego, Calif.; his favorite daughter, Patricia M. (Tim) Sandey of Jordan; grandchildren, John (Megan Pleviak) Keenan, Sarah (Michael) Wagner, Christy Carleton, Brittani O’Leary, Todd O’Leary, Patrick O’Leary, Jamie and Audrey Keenan; great-granddaughter, Makenzie O’Leary; and his canine companion, Lily Rose.

He was preceded in death by his parents; former wife; Donna Mae; uncle, Bob; and aunt, Ura.

Roy A. Ahlstrand

Roy Alex Ahlstrand, 94, of Virginia, died on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2014, at Essentia Health VCC in Virginia. A family celebration of his life will be held at a later date. Inurnment will be in the family plot in the Greenwood Cemetery in Virginia. Arrangements are with Range Funeral Home in Virginia.

He is survived by three children and their spouses, Mary (Ken) Waschke of Cook, Axel (Mary Durbin) Ahlstrand of Tower and Erik (Teri Espey) Ahlstrand of Winthrop; nine grandchildren, Kerry (Jeff) Waschke Collie, Ken Waschke Jr., Joe (Miranda) Durbin, Timothy Wilson, Michael Wilson, Josiah Ahlstrand, Stenetta (Jamison) Seiffert, Timothy Ahlstrand and Benjamin Ahlstrand; two great-grandchildren, Mason Collie and Kendall Collie; and several other relatives and friends.

Lorrayne A. Hovila

Lorrayne A. (Wiitala) Santelli Hovila, 89, of Virginia, formerly of Embarrass, died on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014, at Essentia Health Virginia. Funeral services were held on Wednesday, Sept. 24 at Range Funeral Home in Virginia with Wayne Bergstedt officiating. Interment was in Greenwood Cemetery.

She is survived by four daughters, Judye (Joe) Rosman of Superior, Jean (Ben) Tutor-Raasch of Honolulu, Hawaii, Joy (Reggie) Strauss of Hillboro, Ohio, and Toni Eggleston of Fairview, Ore.; four stepchildren; six grandchildren, Chris Davis, Michelle (Mike) Ketola, Joe (Staci) Rosman, Mandy (Terry) Hogan, Tony (Julie) Moesenthin and Carlie (James) Cantrell; seven step-grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren, Andrew, Heather, Chance, Lili, Christopher, Kyla, Kendall, Anthony, Nevaeh and Cannon; seven step-great-grandchildren; brother, Russell (Shirley) Wiitala of Virginia; sister, Shirley Chesler of Mora; and numerous other relatives and friends.

Harold E. Korpela

Harold E. Korpela, 89, of Virginia, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2014, at his home. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Virginia with Pastor Donald Norr officiating. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service at the church. Military rites will be accorded by the Cook VFW Post 1757 Color Guard. Private family burial will be in the Sand Lake Chapel Cemetery. Arrangements are with Landmark Funeral Home of Virginia.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley; daughter, Jill (Jerry) Korpela-Bontems; son, Steven; grandsons, Justin (Margret) Monacelli and Ryan Monacelli; great-grandchildren, Lindsay Hernandez, Noah Monacelli, Evan Monacelli and Drake Monacelli; and three sisters, Leona Taapa, Ellen Bane and Shirley Brown.

Ellen L. Johnson, James Keenan, Roy Ahlstrand, Harold Korpela, Lorrayne Hovila