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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Obituaries: September 9, 2022

Posted

Allison M. Thompson
Allison M. LaKoskey Thompson, 43, of Hoyt Lakes, passed away on Monday, Aug. 29, 2022, at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth. A Celebration of Life was held on Thursday, Sept. 8 at the Breitung Township Community Center in Soudan. Arrangements were with Landmark Funeral Home in Virginia.
Allison was born on Sept. 2, 1978, in Virginia, to Jill Chiabotti and grew up in Virginia and Soudan, graduating from Tower-Soudan High School. She loved to play bingo and listen to Christian music. She was sweet and kind and was loved by all who knew her. She touched many lives.
Allison had a strong religious belief; she loved Halloween and Christmas and her horse Bailey. She called her home in Hoyt Lakes her Cozy Cottage.
Survivors include her mother, Jill Thompson of Virginia; father, David Thompson; brother, David Thompson; nephew, Gavin; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins; special cousin, Mark Koski; her guardians, Susie and Jerry Chiabotti; her nurse of 29 years, Joy; her nurse of 20 years, Dawn; and Dawn’s son, Ben, who grew up with Allison. In addition to being her caregivers, they were an important part of her family. She was blessed with having many loving caregivers over her lifetime.
She was preceded in death by her beloved grandparents, Harry and Alice Chiabotti. Grandpa Harry would always call Allison his “Bestest Girl Ever”.

Keith Vandervort
Keith Vandervort, 60, of Ely, passed away at home of natural causes on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 16 at First Presbyterian Church in Ely. A meal and remembrance will follow at Grand Ely Lodge from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. the same day. Arrangements are with Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.
Keith was born in Fond du Lac, Wis. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a degree in journalism and political science. 
Keith started his career in journalism at the Chilton Times-Journal in Wisconsin where he met his wife, Kay. He worked at two newspapers in Fond du Lac and then took a job as a staff photographer at The Record-Eagle in Traverse City, Mich. Following that position, he returned to Fond du Lac as the chief photographer at The Reporter, then moved to a position as copy editor/page designer for The Reporter and later was the regional copy desk editor for Gannett Wisconsin Media. Keith’s final position was as the Ely Editor for The Timberjay. 
He won state newspaper association awards in Wisconsin, Michigan, and most recently, a first-place in Local Breaking News from the Minnesota Newspaper Association for his coverage of the storm that halted the Ely Blueberry/Art Festival in 2021.
Keith loved the news, politics, puns, lame duck jokes, photography, the Green Bay Packers, his family and friends and Kay. He was an amateur ham radio operator and enjoyed putting together World War II airplane models and Legos. He read voraciously, liked Wednesday date night and one-day adventures to find a pretty rock, the best breadsticks, or something big such as the giant mouse in Fennimore, Wis., the cherry pie in Charlevoix, Mich., or the Smokey the Bear in International Falls.  
He took numerous trips with family into the Boundary Waters, starting when he was in middle school. He enjoyed camping. He liked meeting new people and made friends wherever he went.
Keith is survived by his wife, Kay (Haden) Vandervort; siblings, Kathleen (Gerald) Farrell, Kevin Vandervort and Kraig (Tina) Vandervort; stepson, Jeffrey (Lisa) Peters; step-grandson, Jack Peters; sisters and brother-in-law, Nancy Haden (Bill) Meyer and Rose Haden; aunts and uncle, Shirley Kissinger and Larry and Diane Eggers; nieces and nephews, Laurie (Jack) Elliott, Michael (Leah) Farrell, AnnMarie (Allyce) Sulkowski, Kimberly Vandervort, Rachel Vandervort, Travis Vandervort, Brett (Sarina) Meyer, Cory (Mai) Meyer, Lauren Meyer (Kyle) Leto, Diana (James) Barany and Jennifer (Tim) Blair; seventeen great-nieces and great-nephews; and numerous cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William JR and Arlene (Eggers) Vandervort; parents-in-law, Floyd and Mildred (Wyble) Haden; brother-in-law, Richard Haden; sisters-in-law, Mackie Vandervort and Patricia Babler; and uncle, Sonny Kissinger.

Jim E. Noteboom
Jim E. Noteboom, 73, of Cook, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021. Come and join us to celebrate Jim’s life on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Cook VFW in Cook. Food and a cash bar will be available.

Jeanne LaMourea
Jeanne E. Myers LaMourea, 96, of Mt. Iron, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022, at Essentia Health in Virginia surrounded by her family. Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 9 at Landmark Funeral Home in Virginia with Deacon Dan Schultz officiating. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service with a rosary before the funeral. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in Virginia.
She is survived by five children, Lynn Stoyanoff of Duluth, Mark (Karen) LaMourea of Buhl, R. Patrick (Barb) LaMourea of Satellite Beach, Fla., Timothy (Kathy) LaMourea of Cook and Dennis (Connie) LaMourea of Eveleth; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great nephews; and sister, Patricia Heine of Dunnellon, Fla.

Larry Rom
Larry Rom, 72, of Ely, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022, at Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth, surrounded by his loving family. Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10 with visitation one hour prior at Kerntz Funeral Home in Ely.
He is survived by his wife, Susie Hario; stepdaughter, Tara (Jack) Peschel and her two daughters, Katie and Amanda; sister, Becky (Reid Carron) Rom; brother-in-law, Steve (Jane) Devich; nephews, Jeff (Erin) Devich, Will Carron and Ben Carron; and his much-loved dog, Mac the Fifth.