May
29

Amborn, Eugene Alan 71

Eugene Alan Amborn of Cokato, Minnesota died peacefully in his home on May 27th, 2026 with his family present. He was born on September 7th, 1954 in Ortonville, Minnesota to Albert and Annie Amborn.
Eugene graduated from Dassel-Cokato High School in 1972. He married Mary Schmitz on September 25th, 1982. Together they bought a house in Cokato and had 3 children. They later moved to a new house in Cokato after the tornado of 1992 where they have been ever since. Eugene and Mary were married for 44 years.
Eugene worked at Jack & Jill, Knaus’s, Dura Supreme, and the Dassel-Cokato Schools as a custodian. He enjoyed going to ball games, sporting events, and spending time with his grandchildren and great-granddaughter.
He is preceded in death by his parents Albert & Annie Amborn, sister Joanne Amborn, brother Gary Amborn, nephew Kiethy, niece Kimberly, and sister-in-law Okie.
He is survived by his wife Mary Amborn, daughters Tracy (Joe) Amborn/Chloupek, and Theresa (Mitch) Ainslie, son Thomas (Sheila) Amborn, grandchildren Victor, Skylar, Xylona, Zoie, Matthias, Isabel, Ariel, and Joey, great-grandchild, Lylla, and siblings, Leo (Barb) Amborn, Lois (Alan) Teeple, Richard (Kathy) Amborn, Doris (David) Amborn, and Jan Amborn.
A memorial service for Eugene will be held at the St. John’s Education Center in Cokato, Minnesota on Sunday, July 12th at 2:00 PM with visitation beginning at 1:00 PM and lunch to follow.

Arrangements by Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cokato & Howard Lake, Minnesota 320-286-2534 www.swansonpeterson.com

May
19

Reed, Kevin Roy 60

Kevin Roy Reed “Bonez,” age 60, of Cokato, Minnesota, passed away at his home on May 11, 2026. He was born on September 6, 1965 in Litchfield, Minnesota, to Roy and Barbara Reed. Kevin attended Dassel-Cokato High School.
In 1990, Kevin married Dawn Schuette, and together they welcomed two children, Brandon and Marissa. They made their home in Howard Lake until their divorce in 1999. Kevin then returned to Cokato, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Kevin spent much of his working years in construction and roofing alongside his brother, Dave. He also worked as a cook at the Iron Horse in Cokato. Kevin battled cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and addiction, conditions that ultimately led to his passing.
Kevin was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Barbara Reed; his brother, David Reed; and several aunts and uncles.
He is survived by his children, Brandon (Emily) Reed of Maple Lake and Marissa (Mitch) Wurm of Howard Lake; his brother, Tim Reed of Millcreek, Utah; his cherished grandchildren, Kinsley Wurm, Eleanor Reed, Emmett Wurm, Evelyn Wurm, and Maverick Reed; his aunts & uncles, Norma (Richard) Marquardt and Betty (Glenn) Rosenow, along with cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.
A private memorial service will be held at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Maple Lake on Saturday, May 23.
Final interment will take place at Lake Arvilla Cemetery.
“Do not be afraid… for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
— 2 Chronicles 20:15

May
11

Streich, Rita 76

Rita Jeanne Streich, 76, of Howard Lake, passed away peacefully on April 30, 2026, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, surrounded by 13 members of her loving family while listening to the music she loved.
Born July 15, 1949, to Herman and Jeanne Painschab, Rita grew up in a lively family in Waverly with eight brothers and one sister. She was smart, funny, fiercely independent, and deeply loved by those closest to her.
On May 12, 1973, Rita married her high school sweetheart and lifelong love, Gary Streich. Together they built a home east of Howard Lake, raised their daughters, welcomed eight grandchildren, and shared 50 years of marriage before Gary’s passing in December 2023.
Rita was endlessly creative. A talented quilter, she shared her gift through The Piecemakers Quilt Shoppe, creating treasures her family and friends will cherish forever. She also loved gardening, books, crossword puzzles, and long baths spent reading library books she occasionally had to dry and iron before returning.
More than anything, Rita loved her family. Along with daughters Carrie and Jackie, Rita was grateful to reconnect later in life with her son, Michael Hall, with whom she shared a cherished relationship over the past 17 years. Her children and grandchildren were the greatest joy of her life.
Since Gary’s passing, Rita carried the heartbreak of losing her lifelong partner. Part of her final diagnosis included Takotsubo disease, known as “broken heart syndrome,” reflecting the deep love she held for Gary throughout her life.
She will be remembered for her quick wit, humor, creativity, stubborn spirit, and her endless curiosity about the world.
She is survived by her son, Michael Hall; daughters Carrie (Dusty) Dircks and Jackie (Kyle) Thompson; grandchildren Carter Westling, Tyler Hall, Cecelia and Ruby Dircks, and Zach, Grant, Owen, and Nora Thompson; siblings John Morrow, Tim (Donna), Tom (Cheryl), Terry (Joan), Teddy (Judy), Donny (Tiya), Lee (Jodi), Pat (Liz) Painschab, and Ginny (Leo) Paquette; sisters-in-law Ann Painschab and Mary Streich; in-laws Judy (Steve) Gagnon, Rick (Shelly) Streich, aunts Berni Reardon and Mary Klingelhoets, her kitty, Mocha, and many nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Gary Streich; parents Herman and Jeanne Painschab; brother Denny Painschab; brother-in-law Steve (T.T.) Streich; and nephews Jason Paquette and Ryan Painschab.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held May 15, 2026, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Visitation begins at 9:00 a.m., with Mass at 11:00 a.m. Burial of ashes at St. Mary’s Cemetery will follow the service, with lunch afterward at the church.

May
07

Hall, Shirley Ann 91

Shirley Ann Snyder Hall passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on May 5, 2026.
Shirley was born on August 6, 1934 in Tracy, Minnesota to parents Ole and Mabel Rykhus. Shirley graduated from Tracy High School in 1952. Soon after, she married Charles Lawrence Snyder and moved to Northern Minnesota. Shirley was blessed with four children: Linda, Larry, Nancy, and Mallie.
Shirley lived her life with strength, persistence, and love. As a mother, she attended the Eveleth Technical School to achieve a degree in accounting. Shirley was a talented cook. She ran her own restaurant, the D & S Cafe, from 1973 to 1981. She loved to travel. Above all else, Shirley adored her friends and family. She treasured her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and loved to spend time laughing with all of them.
Shirley is preceded in death by her parents, Ole and Mabel Rykhus; her siblings Mildred (Orie) Sorbel, Ethel (Pete) Peterson, Mike (Jeannette) Rykhus, Pat (Luella) Rykhus, and Don (Vivian) Rykhus; her husband Charles Snyder, her son Lawrence Snyder, and her great-granddaughter Guinevere Shirley Johnson.
Shirley is survived by her children, Linda Snyder, Nancy Snyder, Mallie (Philip) Johnson, and son-in-law Dan Nelson; her grandchildren, Michael Nelson, Meghan (Nels) Raisanen, Brendon (Ada) Johnson, Kailee (Matthew) McColl, Emmanuel (Layla) Johnson, Brinna, Evette, Jenna, Nicodemus, Sara, Evan, Izabellah, Walter, Riley, Zac, and Timothy Johnson; her great-grandchildren Adele Nelson, Julia McColl, Yance McColl, Niilo Raisanen, Hugo Johnson, Henrik Raisanen, Torben Johnson, Norman McColl, Eskel Johnson, Wesley McColl, and baby Raisanen on the way; special nieces and nephews; and many other friends and family members.

May
05

Wood, Dorothy Gina 88

Dorothy Gina Wood, age 88, of Cokato passed away on May 3, 2026. She was born on August 8, 1937, to Bernhardt (Benny) and Mayrene (Paulson) Estby. Dorothy grew up in the Brooten area and graduated from Glenwood High School.
Dorothy’s adventurous spirit brought her to the Twin Cities where she met the love of her life Vernon Wood. Dorothy and Vernon were married on October 19, 1968, and moved to their forever home north of Cokato in the late 1960s.
Dorothy worked various jobs in the area and retired from Hutchinson Technology. Her passion was gardening, especially flowers. She was always willing to share a plant or let you pick a bouquet. Dorothy also enjoyed bird watching, fishing, hunting for agates, music, reading and going to flea markets. She always looked forward to visiting with friends and neighbors.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Vernon Wood; daughter-in-law, Maria Bistodeau; grandson, Brandon Chamberlain and great granddaughter Aubrey Parenteau; her brothers, Wayne, Obert, Jarnell, and Andrew Estby; and sister, Betty Lacktorin.
She is survived by her children, Gary (Joanne) Chamberlain, Gordon Chamberlain, Jim (Bonnie) Bistodeau, Darcy (Ivan) Maclagan, Jeffrey Bistodeau, and Teak (Delight) Wood; 12 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great-grandchild. She is also survived by her siblings, Margaret Locke, Beverly Wailes, and Charles Estby.
A memorial service will take place at 2:00 PM on Saturday, May 16th at the Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home in Cokato with visitation one hour prior to service.
Arrangements by Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cokato & Howard Lake, Minnesota 320 286 2534 www.swansonpeterson.com

Older posts «