Obituaries

Mavis Skaar, 99, formerly of Spring Valley

Published by lniemeyer@bluff... on Fri, 02/01/2019 - 10:42am

Mavis Lynne Skaar (nee Webster), 99, of Bellevue, Wash., and formerly of Spring Valley, died peacefully on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, at Ana’s Assisted Living in Bellevue.

She was born on Oct. 26, 1919, in Canton to Ed and Cora Webster. They moved to Spring Valley in 1926 and she graduated from Spring Valley High School.

In 1940, she married Merlin (Happy) Skaar. Over the years, the couple welcomed six children.

Rodney Miland, 65, of Spring Valley

Published by lniemeyer@bluff... on Fri, 02/01/2019 - 10:41am

Rodney D. Miland, 65, of Spring Valley, died on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus in Rochester.

He was born on Jan. 30, 1953, in Preston to Douglas Melvin and Shirley (Johnson) Miland.

He grew up on the family farm in Spring Valley and attended Spring Valley elementary and high school where he played football and excelled at wrestling.

Daniel Maloney, 72, formerly of Spring Valley

Published by lniemeyer@bluff... on Fri, 02/01/2019 - 10:40am

Daniel D. Maloney, 72, of Rochester, died on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019, at his residence after a short battle with cancer.

He was born on Oct. 3, 1946, in Spring Valley to Arthur and Florence (Smith) Maloney. 

He graduated from Spring Valley High School in 1964 and from the University of Minnesota in 1968, receiving his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.

On July 26, 1969, he married Phyllis Henderson at Faith United Methodist Church in Spring Valley.

Vivian Krier, 87, sister of Ostrander woman

Published by lniemeyer@bluff... on Fri, 02/01/2019 - 10:38am

Vivian Marie Krier, 87, of Wabasha and formerly of Millville, died on Friday morning, Jan. 18, 2019, at St. Elizabeth’s Health Care in Wabasha, where she had resided since July 2016.

She was born on June 28, 1931, in Rochester to Howard and Maxine (Arndt) Erwin.

She graduated from Pine Island High School in 1950.

She married Raymond Paul Krier on June 16, 1956, in Rochester.

Bernice Richter, 96, mother of Spring Valley man

Published by lniemeyer@bluff... on Tue, 01/22/2019 - 10:21am

Bernice Richter, 96, of St. Charles, died on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019, in Rochester.

She was born on Dec. 9, 1922, the daughter of Robert and Mary (Weigel) Patterson in St. Charles.

She was a graduate of St. Charles High School.

After graduation, she was employed as a secretary in St. Charles at Rollingstone Mutual Insurance Company and then at the Traffic Bureau in Winona.

She was united in marriage to Howard E. Richter of Dover, Aug. 30, 1944.

They farmed northwest of Dover for 30 years, retiring in 1975 to St. Charles. She moved to Rochester in 2011.

Janice Merkel, 68, of Spring Valley

Published by lniemeyer@bluff... on Tue, 01/22/2019 - 10:20am

Janice Ann Merkel, 68, of Spring Valley, died unexpectedly on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester.

She was born in Minneapolis on Oct. 20, 1950, to Claus and Della (Kaerls) Ubben of Blue Earth, Minn.

On July 22, 1972, she was married to Leslie Harold Merkel. Together they had three girls, Sara, Stephanie and Abbie.

She worked as a licensed practitioner nurse (LPN) at Methodist Hospital in Rochester. She was later employed at Duebers in Spring Valley. She farmed as a partner and milked dairy cows for 33 years with her husband. 

Constance Freimark, 80, formerly of Spring Valley

Published by lniemeyer@bluff... on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 10:20am

Constance “Connie” Jean Freimark (Beisell), 80, died unexpectedly but peacefully on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019, at the Mayo Hospital in Eau Claire, Wis.

She was born on Jan. 6, 1939, in Goldfield, Iowa.

She attended schools in Goldfield, where she excelled in women’s basketball. The family later moved to a farm near LeRoy.

She graduated from LeRoy High in the spring of 1956.

In the fall of 1959, she married Harold Foster in Spring Valley.

Lila Eickhoff, 88, formerly of Wykoff

Published by lniemeyer@bluff... on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 10:18am

Lila Racelia Fingerson Eickhoff, 88, of Rochester and formerly of Wykoff, died on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019.

She was born to Malvin and Corolla (Sundet) Fingerson on Oct. 4, 1930, at Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester where she was also baptized.

She attended Rice Creek country school and then moved with her family to the Wykoff area and finished her schooling in Wykoff. After graduation from high school, she attended Luther College in Decorah and taught school in Harmony and also did substitute teaching after she was married.

Jerry O’Connell, 61, formerly of Spring Valley

Published by lniemeyer@bluff... on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 10:17am

Jerry F. O'Connell, 61, of Naples, Fla., died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019.

He was born in Austin on Nov. 24, 1957.

He graduated from Spring Valley High School.

He started working in the family business with his dad and brothers before and after gradation. 

He married the love of his life, Ronda on Feb. 25, 1984, and enjoyed 35 years of marriage.

Robert Gross, 96, of Grand Meadow

Published by lniemeyer@bluff... on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 10:15am

Robert “Bob” Gross, 96, of Grand Meadow, died on Friday, Jan. 4, 2019, at the Grand Meadow Care Center.

He was a self-taught machinist and mechanic. He enjoyed fixing things.

He is survived by his wife of 76 years, “Mae”; daughter, Ann (Dick) Grafe; son-in-law, Terry Meyer; five grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by two brothers and a daughter, Pam.

A bedside service with the family was held at the care center.