Richard D. Neumann, 84 of Rochester, passed away Sunday, November 18 at his home.

Richard was born August 26, 1934 to Edward and Flora Neumann in Shieldsville, MN. He attended country grade school from first to eighth grade and graduated from Faribault High School in 1951. On September 7, 1954, he married Patricia Reuvers at Immaculate Conception church in Faribault.

He worked for various positions at AT&T/Northwestern Bell Telephone in Faribault, Owatonna, Red Wing, Northfield, Austin, and Rochester. He then worked four years for the University of Minnesota. He was President of the Rochester Exchange Club in 1978.

Richard built a new home on Lake Mille Lacs in 1988 after being weekenders there since 1970. He returned to Rochester for health reasons in 2004. Dick loved to fish, hunt, play cards, and build crafts.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia; two sons, William (Barbara) Neumann, and Michael (Julie Ann) Neumann; and one daughter, Julie (Dave) Trygstad. He is also survived by his 17 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Dale Neumann; two sisters, Gloria Hansen and Diane Kitzman; special friend, Uncle Fred; son in law, Tom Higgins; and great-grandson, Wyatt.

Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 21, 2018 at the Church Of Resurrection (1600 11th Ave SE, Rochester, MN 55904) with Rev. Peter Schuster officiating. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 20 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home (1105 12th St SE, Rochester, MN 55904) and one hour prior to the Mass at the Church on Wednesday. Private burial will be at the Calvary Cemetery in Faribault, MN.

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Cathleen Anne Belhumer, 50, of Rochester, Minnesota, passed away in her home on Monday, November 19 after a six month battle with stage four brain cancer.

Cathy was born on June 24, 1968 in Dearborn, Michigan. Her parents, Jacob and Maxine Uitti, and older sister, Sue, helped raise her into the compassionate, hardworking, and witty woman everyone came to know and love. Competitive throughout her childhood on gymnastic teams, she graduated from Kennedy High School in Taylor, Michigan in 1986.

Her huge heart led her to receive a Bachelors of Nursing degree at Northern Michigan University in 1991. While at school she met her husband, Tony Belhumer. Together they moved to Rochester, Minnesota where they had their three kids, Sam (25), Jacob (22), and Sophie (17). She was a nurse at the Mayo Clinic for 28 years.

Cathy had three passions: knitting, spending time with her family, and caring for others as a nurse.

Her memory is carried on by her husband, Tony; children, Sam, Jacob, and Sophie; her sister, Sue (Mike) Tiihonen; sister in laws, Mary Beth (Jim) Graham, Judy (Vince) Conway, and Shirley (Mark) Sumter; brother in law, Ed (Nikki) Belhumer; many nieces and nephews; and her lifelong friend, Tammara Patterson.

She will be joining her mother, Maxine; her father, Jacob; and her big brother, James, in heaven.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 24 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home in Rochester, Minnesota with Rev. Thomas Loomis officiating. Visitation will be from 12:00 p.m. until the time of the service on Saturday.

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Mr. DePuy, 89, of Rochester, died Wednesday, November 21, 2018 at Rochester West Health Services. Arthur was born November 17, 1929 in St. Paul, MN to Beverly and Jenny (Mattson) DePuy.

He graduated from Hayfield High School in 1948. He served in the US Navy, Merchant Marines until 1979, where he served in the Korean War from 1948 to 1952. On July 14, 1979, he married Elaine Stevens. Arthur worked at AMPI as a stationary engineer until his retirement in 1991.

He was a member of the Hayfield American Legion, Rochester Knights of Columbus and Rochester Senior Citizens. He enjoyed family gatherings, fishing, golfing, ceramics, and visiting with people.

Arthur is survived by his wife, Elaine; children, Scott of Winona, Kelley (Gerry) Reecher of Roosevelt, UT, and Kacey (Michelle) of Banning, CA; stepchildren, Linda (Stan) Timmerman of New Richland, Nancy (Terry) Gulbransen of Hayfield, Judy (Tom) Sanvik of Winona, Jerry (Theresa) Stevens of Cedar Rapids, IA, Mary (Bernie) Cash of Ft. Ripley, Michael (Tamera) Stevens of Rochester, and Cheryl Stevens of Rochester; two grandchildren; 19 step grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his stepchildren, Richard and Jeffery Stevens

Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at St. Pius X Catholic Church with Rev. Russell Scepaniak officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the Mass. Burial, with military honors, will be at Fairview Cemetery in Hayfield, MN.

The family prefers memorials be sent to St. Pius X Catholic Church or donor’s choice.

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Opal Eileen Kuhl, 97 of Rochester passed away peacefully on November 19, 2018 at The Waters on Mayowood.

Opal Carstens was born on October 25, 1921 near Potsdam, MN on the family farm to Alfred and Martha Carstens. She attended country school and graduated from Elgin High School. She attended Business College in LaCrosse, WI for two years. She worked at various places in Rochester including Sears and Herman Insurers. On September 2, 1944 she married Gerald “Mike” Kuhl in Minneapolis. Mike and Opal moved to Detroit Lakes in 1948 and returned to Rochester in 1951. Opal loved her garden.

She is survived by her son William “Bill” Kuhl of Winona, her brother-in-law Robert “Bob” (Lucille) Kuhl and their children: Joe, Mary and Larry of Rochester.

She is preceded in death by her husband Gerald “Mike” (2010) and her parents.

The Funeral Service for Opal will be held on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at 11:00AM at Trinity Lutheran Church in Rochester. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the funeral at the church. Burial will be in Grandview Memorial Gardens Cemetery of Rochester.

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Dennis Allen Schmidt, age 56, passed away on November 22, 2018 at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester of natural causes.

Dennis was born on August 27, 1962 in Rochester to George and Eleanor Schmidt. He graduated from Mayo High School in 1980. Dennis worked alongside his father for the family business, Rochester Vending and Wholesale for over 40 years. Dennis loved being able to spend time with his daughter, Cassie. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing and sitting around the campfire. Recently, Dennis worked for Fleet Farm, Pace Dairy, and Jennie-O Turkey.

He is survived by his daughter, Cassandra “Cassie”(Josh) Bedard of Phoenix, AZ; Cassie’s mother, Cathie Hicks of Phoenix, AZ; his father, George; and his brother, Jeff both of Rochester; and two grandchildren, Laila and Richie.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Ellie and his brother, Jerry.

The memorial service for Dennis will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service in the chapel.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Dennis’s daughter, Cassie.

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Lois Arlene Nelson, 86, passed away Thursday, November 22, 2018 at Shorewood Commons in Rochester.

Lois Thompson was born in Lanesboro, MN on April 10, 1932 to Lars and Alvera (Bothun) Thompson. She graduated from Lanesboro High School in 1950. On December 1, 1951, she was united in marriage to H.O. (Ordell) Nelson in Lanesboro, MN. The lived in St. Paul where she worked in the office of Fairway Foods until they moved to Rochester then was employed by the City of Rochester and MEA. She was a life time member to Lanesboro American Legion Aux and the Rochester Elks. She also enjoyed being with family and friend, spending time at their summer cabin at Grebbin Valley, south of Lanesboro, and Branson, MO.

She is survived by her sister, Gloria (Norris) Nelson of Rochester; and brother, L Gene (Jeanne) Thompson of Camarillo, CA; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ordell Nelson; parents; sisters, Irene Strom, Dianna Horsley; brothers, Carl Thompson, Richard Thompson; and a brother, and sister in infancy.

The family prefers memorials to the Alzheimer Association at https://www.alz.org/.

Memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, December 1, 2018 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home with Pastor Lisa Kipp officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

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Dennis Gilgenbach, 68, of Rochester, MN, passed away Friday, November 23rd at St. Marys Hospital.

Denny was born March 18, 1950 in Austin, MN to Wilfred and Laura Gilgenbach.  He graduated from Pacelli High School in 1968. He attended Austin Community College and Mankato State. Denny worked at the Post Bulletin and most recently Davies Printing retiring from the “work life” in July of 2017.

Denny will be greatly missed by his partner, Donna; his children, Cameron(Randy), Ryan (Sarah) and their children Sophia, Aidan, Nia; and his former wife, Brenda; and Donna’s children, Kristin Shanahan, Kyle (Ann) Shanahan, and their children, Jackson and Addie.

He loved to share time with his family – pontoon rides, vacationing anywhere he could hear the gentle sound of water and feel the warmth of the sun on his face.  He was very active participating in golfing, reading, writing, and umpiring softball games.  He was a tried and true Viking fan. Skol!!

Denny’s parting words of wisdom he shared.  Life is a gift….Embrace every day.

The funeral for Denny Gilgenbach will be held at 12:30 p.m. Monday, November 26, 2018 at Rochester Assembly of God Church, at 4240 18th Ave NW Rochester MN 55901. Burial will be at Union Prairie Church Cemetery rural Lanesboro. Visitation from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 25 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home 1105 12th St SE Rochester MN 55904. And one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.

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Judith Ellen Brede, 79 of Rochester, passed away the morning of Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at Madonna Towers Nursing Home.

Judy was born Saturday, January 14, 1939 in Springfield, Minnesota to Herman and Vivian Nelson. She grew up on a farm north of Revere and graduated with honors from Walnut Grove High School in 1956. She moved to Rochester to attend Methodist-Kahler School of Nursing where she met and fell in love with Ardell. They were married on March 24, 1961 at Bethel Lutheran Church. She graduated with an RN degree from Rochester State Junior College in June 1971. Judy began her nursing career at Methodist Hospital in 1971 as a floor nurse and moved to the operating room where she worked until her retirement in 1994.

She enjoyed reading, singing, crocheting, and traveling. Her travels have included trips to Germany, China, Saudi Arabia, Italy, the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, with her favorite place being Paris. When asked if she wanted to take a trip, her response was “Sure, where are we going”? She was a member of the Red Hat Society and was an avid Gopher fan holding season tickets for the Women’s hockey and basketball teams. She enjoyed being First Lady of Rochester and, of course, traveling with her husband on many of his mayoral trips.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Herman and Vivian Nelson; brother, Bob, and granddogs, Sox and Riley.

She is survived by her husband, Ardell; two daughters, Leslie (Tim) Kennedy, and Jennifer Brede; son, Scott Brede; and six grandchildren, Catie, Caroline, Vinny, Madison, Jordyn, and Lauren.  She is also survived by her brother, Norris (Sharon) Nelson of Apple Valley, CA.

The funeral service for Judy will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 3, 2018 at Bethel Lutheran Church with Rev. Norman Wahl officiating. Visitation will be from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, December 2 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home. There will also be a visitation one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday. Burial will be at Oakwood Cemetery in Rochester.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Ardell and Judy Brede University of Minnesota Marching Band Scholarship https://makingagift.umn.edu/give/fund.html?id=2778 or to the National Kidney Foundation.

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Dennis Alan Schrandt, 75, passed away peacefully at Madonna Towers in Rochester, MN on November 27th after a short battle with Alzheimer’s disease and pancreatic cancer.

He was born on December 1, 1942 to Marcella (Mathias) and Leander Schrandt, and was a graduate of Austin Pacelli High School. He was married to Jean Conway in 1971 and later divorced. He spent much of his life living in Winona, MN, and lived for the past 15 years in Rochester.

Denny is survived by his children, Sarah (Jeff) Schaller, Kady (Mark) Cada, Jessy (Amy) Conners, Jake Schrandt, and Christina (James) Middleton; grandchildren, Jada, Eric, Issak, Haylee, Ashlee, Maya, Benjamin, Leo, Jay, and Mary; sister, Trish (Don) Corcoran; brother, Brian (Sherri) Schrandt; brother, Dean (Barb) Schrandt; and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Kevin Schrandt.

Denny was a talented artist, musician, actor, and theater director. He was an accomplished sketch artist and oil painter, and was especially known for his incredible portraits. He worked for years designing and building stained glass windows at Universal Studios of Stained Glass in Winona. Most of all, Denny loved the theater. Over the years, Denny acted in and directed countless shows in Winona and Rochester, often alongside daughter Sarah on music and choreography. Denny’s theater community was incredibly important to him, and theater was a huge source of pride and joy. Denny was known for his signature beard, flat hats, beautiful whistle, slow saunter, and coffee habit. He loved baking bread, watching golf and tennis on tv, worrying about the weather, and calling his children to remind them to drive carefully. He will be greatly missed by all.

Visitation will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 1st followed by a memorial service at 4:00 p.m. in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home, 1105 12th St SE, Rochester, MN 55904.

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William “Bill” Charles Herber, 86 of Rochester, passed away Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at Cottagewood Senior Communities.

Bill was born June 7, 1932 in Rochester to Clarence “Shorty” and Alta Mae Herber. He graduated from Lourdes High School in 1950. On January 19, 1952, he married Zona Swenson.

He was a partner at the Union Bus Depot for many years. He later worked at Emery Air Freight with his son, Mike. He ended his working career at Rochester Armored Car.

Dad enjoyed fishing trips up north with his sons and grandsons, and bowling in his earlier years. He was an active member of the Eagle’s Club climbing the chairs to become president. He was also active in the Eagle’s Cancer Telethon. He loved visits from his family but especially from his great-grandkids.

He is survived by his three children, Robyn (John) Hansmeier, Mike (Lynn) Herber, both of Rochester, and Brian (Rebecca) Herber of Lakeville, MN; grandchildren, Nate (Lisa) Hansmeier, Tracy (Thereasa) Hansmeier, Chad (Kasi) Herber, Jamie (Rob) Koehler, and Andy and Brett Herber; and eight great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Mary (Lyman) Hein of Rochester.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Zona; his parents; brother, Gerald; and sister, Shirley Mae.

The family would like to thank the staff of Cottage One at Cottagewood, Laurie Vlasak from Mayo Clinic Palliative Care Homebound Program, and Seasons Hospice for all of their support.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, November 30, 2018 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home with Rev. Thomas Loomis officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Inurnment will be at Bear Creek Lutheran Cemetery in Grand Meadow, MN.

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Ken Johannson, 88, Rochester MN and Naples FL, peacefully departed life on November 27, 2018.  He was born October 6, 1930 in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. He attended the University of North Dakota. He was a two-sport, Hall of Fame athlete in football and hockey - proudly wearing the North Dakota Fighting Sioux sweater. After playing professional hockey in England and Switzerland, Ken moved to Milwaukee, WI to work for P&G – selling Crest toothpaste.  Ken met his soulmate Marietta Sands, on a blind date. They married in 1958 and shared 52 years of wonderful life. Ken and Marietta raised three children - Judy, John and Jim.

Hockey brought Ken to Rochester, Minnesota in 1959, but the Mayo Clinic kept him there.  Ken worked as an Administrator at Mayo Clinic for 34 years – an institution which he always held in great esteem. He became a naturalized US citizen in 1961 and proudly played for the US National Hockey team in the 1962 and 1966 World Championships. Ken felt very strongly about giving back to your community – his avenue and expertise was hockey. He founded the Rochester Youth Hockey Foundation amongst the endless hours of coaching, teaching and running hockey camps. Ken had found his passion to share with youth of all ages.

Ken acted as the first National Coaching Director for USA Hockey in the 1970’s and authored the First USA Hockey Coaching Manual. He later served in management positions for USA Hockey, including General Manager of the 1979 World Championship team (Moscow, Russia). He was also the original General Manager of the 1980 US Olympic team, prior to the Olympic Games.

Ken enjoyed life to the fullest and he had a penchant for bringing out the best in people and making sure everyone had a great time. Becoming a “snow bird” to Naples, FL in 1992, he was able to elevate his tennis game and his circle of friends increased exponentially.

Ken is survived by Judy (Judd) Stevenson – Neenah, WI, John (Margarita) Johannson-Minneapolis, MN and Abigail Tompkins Johannson – Colorado Springs, CO.  The next generation includes seven grandchildren, Tyler Stevenson-Milwaukee, WI, Taylor Stevenson-Minneapolis, MN, Johnny, Matias, Anna and Daniela Johannson-Minneapolis, MN, and Eleanor Johannson-Colorado Springs, CO. He has numerous loving nieces and nephews. 2018 has been a cruel year for our family – we lost our youngest brother, Jim Johannson, suddenly in January. Ken was also very close to his sister, Margaret Williams from Wales, England. Although separated by the ocean, they both passed away on the same day within hours of each other. They were the last surviving members of their immediate family.

It was Ken’s wish to have a celebration of his life. A visitation and celebration will be held at Christ United Methodist Church, 400 5th Avenue SW, Rochester, MN on Wednesday, December 5th with the visitation starting at 12:00 p.m. and the memorial service commencing at 2:00 p.m.  A reception and opportunity to share stories will follow the service. Officiating will be Pastor Elizabeth Macaulay.

In lieu of flowers, the family recommends a donation to the Jim Johannson Legacy fund at USA Hockey. The direct link to donate is www.usahockeyfoundation.com/jj

Alternatively, donations may be mailed to: Jim Johannson Legacy Fund, The USA Hockey Foundation, 1775 Bob Johnson Drive, Colorado Springs, CO  80906

Or memorials are encouraged in support of a charity of your choice.

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Mark Daniel Schnell, 51, of Rochester passed away peacefully of natural causes on November 28, 2018 at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus.

Mark was born on August 17, 1967 in Rochester to Daniel and Diane Schnell. He graduated from Mayo High School in 1985. He attended University of Wisconsin Steven’s Point for two years. Upon returning to Rochester, he worked at IBM. In 1995, he met Deanna Gosse. They were married on March 31, 2007. In 1998, Mark began working for Gopher Distributing (later Northern Distributing) in Rochester. Mark “bled purple” and was a devoted MN Vikings fan. He loved spending time with family, camping, campfires, and was a true “jokester”, making many people laugh throughout his life. He will be truly missed.

He is survived by his wife, Deanna; two sons, Austin and Nicholas, all of Rochester; two step-daughters, Heather and Rebecca Evenson, both of Wabasha; his brothers, Jeff Schnell and Mike (Tracy) Schnell, both of Byron; and grandchildren, Rilynn, Mackenzie, Oaklyn, August, and Thomas.

He is preceded in death by his parents.

The funeral service for Mark will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, December 8, 2018 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday evening, December 7, 2018 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service on Saturday. Burial will be in Oakwood East Cemetery in Rochester.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be written to the family.

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Richard “Dick” A. Loomis, 78, of Rochester, died December 2, 2018 at his residence of natural causes.

Dick was born November 1, 1940 in La Crosse, WI to Stephen and Clara (Roettger) Loomis.

He married Barbara Jean Marshall on August 23, 1952. She passed away December 16, 1987. He later married Judy Snyder June of 1991. She passed away February 2012. Dick worked as the owner and operator for Gopher Sanitary Services and later Dick Loomis Construction.

He enjoyed fishing, golfing, horse shows, a good brandy, traveling and spending time with his friends and family.

Dick is survived by his children, Patrick (Mardee) Loomis, Ricky (Sheila) Loomis, both of Rochester, Mark “Smiley” (Theresa) Loomis of Pine Island, and Kim Tottingham of Kasson; 14 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Barbara; second wife, Judy; his sister, brother and son-in-law, Howard Tottingham Jr.

The funeral service for Dick will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, December 6, 2018 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home with Rev. Maurice E. Hagen. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Burial will be at Onalaska Cemetery in Onalaska, WI. A luncheon and celebration for Dick will follow the service at 1:00 p.m. at the VFW (2775 43rd Street NW Rochester, MN 55901).

Online condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com.

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Ione (Tlougan) Leitzen, age 94, of Rochester, MN, passed away peacefully on December 2, 2019.

Born in Dover, MN on November 7, 1924, and preceded in death by her husband, Bernard “Bud” Leitzen; her parents, Alfred and Florence; brothers, Sylvester, Bernard, Benjamin, Clayton, Romeo, Robert, Isadore, Leonard, Charles, Donald, Dale, David; sisters, Jeanette Flanders and Darlene.

Ione is survived by her sister, Marcella (Larry) Swenson; children, Julie Armbrust, Carin Ruter, Gary Leitzen, Mark Leitzen (Missy Fritsch), Dan (Erica) Leitzen, Lori (Dean) Slawson; grandchildren, Amy (Andrew) Teitscheid, Peter (Krista) Armbrust, Niki (Doug) Schaff, Kate (Mike) Rutersmith, Tim Ruter, Beau Leitzen, Jacqueline Rose, Annie and Jake Leitzen, Lizzie and Emily Leitzen, Cale (Samantha) Slawson, Kari Slawson, Molly (Mark) Swatosh; and ten great-grandchildren.

Ione married the love of her life, Bud, and they were blessed to celebrate 70 years of marriage together. Ione and Bud could be found dancing, playing cards or having fun at sing-along parties with friends and family members. They loved to travel with their family to the Whitefish chain for fishing trips. Countless summer weekends were spent at their cabin on Circle Lake filled with lawn and night games, happy hour pontoon cruises, fireworks and endless laughter.

Ione loved holidays and made each one special. Christmas was her favorite holiday and she created traditions that are now celebrated by her great-grandchildren. She was also known for her 4^th of July parties, where everyone was always welcome.

Ione lived a life of faith and service, which included coordinating and making food for funeral lunches at St. Francis Church for over 30 years. She was known for her famous potato salad. In 2003, Bishop Harrington presented her with the Bishop’s Medal for her service to the church.

Ione loved being with friends, old and new. She always had a pot of coffee and warm bran muffins ready for visitors – there was always a seat for “one more.”  Into her 90’s, she loved to play bridge and bean bag toss. Ione lived a full and happy life filled with love for her husband, family and Jesus Christ.

We were the luckiest children in the world to have her as our mother and she will be deeply missed.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Mayo Clinic Alzheimer Research or Salvation Army.

Funeral Mass for Ione will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 6, 2018 at St. Francis Church 1114-3rd St. SE in Rochester with Rev. James Seitz officiating. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. prior to the Mass on Thursday. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in Rochester.

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Mary Louise Sullivan nee (Beaudin) passed away on December 3, 2018.

She was born on December 14, 1932 to Irene Gokey and Philippe Beaudin in the small village of St. Rose in Chicoutimi Quebec, Canada. Mary came to Rochester, MN to work at St. Marys hospital in nursing. She met Robert Sullivan and they were married in 1952. They had a large family of nine boys and two girls. Mary spent 60 years living in the country north of Rochester where they made many friends and enjoyed living off the land and gardening on a grand scale.

Mary worked as a home healthcare giver after raising her family and enjoyed many hobbies, such as golf, winemaking, cooking, and French club. She became an expert in wild edibles, taught classes on this subject and became known by her loved ones as “Mushroom Mary”. She was a member of the Lac Coutre Orielles band of Ojibwa in Hayward, WI. She enjoyed attending many pow wows and family reunions over the years.

Mary and her husband, Bob, shared a love of fishing and Studebaker cars and were members of the local Studebaker Chapter. Mary is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Robert; and children, Daryl, Jeffrey and Denise. She is survived by children, Dave, Daniel, Renee, Michael, Kevin, Bryan, John and Andrew who will miss her greatly. She also had many grandchildren who loved her deeply and enjoyed her wonderful smile and laughter. Mary and Bob will long be remembered by the many friends of their children who always found a warm bed, a hot meal and a shoulder to cry on when they needed it. Thank you all for your support in this time of Mary’s transition to her next adventure.

Memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, December 7, 2018 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home with Rev. Thomas Loomis officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service in River Park Chapel.

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August “Gus” Hugh Hegge, 25, of Rochester, MN, died at home on Wednesday, December 5, 2018.  Visitation will be from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 9, 2018 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home in Rochester.

Gus was born on June 30, 1993, in Fargo, ND, to Nick and Cindy (Wager) Hegge.  At age two, he moved with his family to Rochester, where he lived the rest of his life.  He attended Jefferson Elementary School, Kellogg Middle School, and several Rochester high schools, and he obtained his GED in 2011, earlier, actually, than he would have graduated.

The most important parts of Gus’s life were his children, and he loved them over everything.  He was an incredible dad and had his children integrated into all parts of his life.  AJ was his sous chef and movie buddy; Aksel was his assistant on any building or repair project; and Freija was always along to supervise from her Bumbo chair or walker.  AJ came along when Gus was only 15, but Gus stepped up to the task and excelled.  He was the parent, not merely the father, and he let that be known.  Gus’s dad never changed a diaper of AJ’s, and his mom changed very few.  By the time Aksel and Freija arrived, Gus was able to add them to his life seamlessly.

Gus was brilliant, being both smart and a quick study. He liked to create, fix, fiddle with, and figure out anything that needed attention.  He was capable of achieving quick proficiency, if not mastery, of anything he put his mind to: skateboarding, pinochle, plumbing, video games, cooking, auto mechanics, carpentry, fantasy football, meat cutting, and many other things, but, especially, parenting.  He searched for purpose in his life, was interested in a wide range of subjects, and was often obsessive when learning something new.

In certain situations, Gus could be loud and cocky, and his presence certainly filled the room, but he was also shy around new people and very gentle and patient with his children.  He loved to talk trash when playing games, and he loved humor in any form.  To those he thought deserved it, he was big-hearted and kind.  When he thought he was right, he dug in his heals, and he was ferociously loyal.

Gus is survived by his children, August James “AJ”, Aksel Tyler, and Freija Lynn, and their mother, Tayler Polton; parents, Nick and Cindy Hegge; sister, Zoe Hegge; paternal grandparents, Tom and Nancy Scoblic; aunts, Shannon Scoblic, Sara Scoblic, Kirstin Scoblic, and Deb Schroeder; dog, Koba; a large extended family; and many friends.  He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Leona Wager and Jim Wager; great aunt, Janet Scoblic; and best friend, Colton Jones.

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Charles Van Orden passed away at age 72, while hospitalized at St. Marys Hospital on December 06, 2018. Close family members and a small group of friends were gathered at his bedside. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Chelsy Van Orden; his father, John Van Orden; and his mother, Elma Van Orden, who worked many years as a registered nurse at St. Mary’s in Rochester.

Survivors include his son, Cory Van Orden; daughter, Carrie Van Orden; and grandson, Maxwell Van Orden.  His surviving family lives in Iowa City, Iowa.

Charlie was born in Chicago, IL, on November 11, 1946.  He moved to Minnesota at a young age then lived in Rochester and the surrounding area throughout his life. He graduated from John Marshall High School in 1965. He was always well liked and known as a caring friend.  He is a 1969 graduate of Dunwoody Technical Institute in Minneapolis and a Veteran who served in the United States Army for one stent, based in North Carolina. While serving at Fort Bragg, Charlie was nominated as “Soldier of the Month” more than once. He was married in 1972 to Cindy Van Orden, but then later divorced. While married, he worked as a Loan Officer at the State Capitol Credit Union at the Rochester Service Center of SCCU.

Charlie will be missed by his family, many longtime friends and by his neighbors who helped him in the final weeks and days of his life. His children wish to thank them in his time of need.

A memorial gathering will be held from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 11, 2018 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home in Rochester, MN. Interment will be at the Byron Cemetery, with military honors accorded by the American Legion Post #92 Honor Guard.

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Elizabeth Ann “Betty” Cummings, 97, of Rochester died peacefully on December 8, 2018 at Rochester Rehabilitation at The Homestead.

Betty was born on November 9, 1921 in Athol, South Dakota to Peter and Mary (Nolan) McCloskey. She attended grade school in Athol before moving with her family to Stewartville in 1932. In 1933, the family moved to Austin, MN where she graduated from St. Augustine High School. On June 12, 1944, she married J. Duane Cummings at St. Augustine Church in Austin. Early on, Betty stayed home and took care of her parents and her daughter. She also worked as a book keeper for her brother’s business in Austin, McCloskey Mobil.

In 1965 the family moved to Rochester where she worked at various places including Miller Real Estate, O’Connor Men’s Clothing, and ultimately for Weber and Judd Pharmacy. She served as an accountant and treasurer of the board until her retirement in 1986.

Betty was a caregiver all her life. She cared for her parents until their death. Later, she cared for her brothers and a special niece. Until her death, she always stayed in touch with her nieces and nephews.

She is survived by her grandson, John P. (Heather) Cummings of Rochester; great-granddaughter, Gabriella Rose Cummings; and multiple nieces, nephews, cousins, great-nieces and great-nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Duane “Dewey”; her daughter, Rose; two sisters; and four brothers.

The funeral Mass for Betty will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, December 12, 2018 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Rochester. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the Mass. Burial will be in the Chatfield Cemetery.

Memorials may be written to her grandson John Cummings.

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