Swanson Peterson Funeral Home

Mary Ann Harkman, 93, formerly of Dassel and Cokato, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on October 8, 2026 at the St. Cloud Hospital.
Mary Ann was born on December 21, 1932, to Levi and Ina (Hasti) Rokala at their family farmhouse in Kingston, Minnesota. She was baptized and confirmed in the faith at the First Apostolic Lutheran Church in Cokato. She attended Kingston Elementary and graduated from Dassel High School in 1950.
On February 24, 1951, Mary Ann united in marriage to Harlan Harkman in Mason City, Iowa. Together they shared 56 beautiful years of marriage and raised seven children with love, faith, and hard work.

In 1973 Mary Ann attended Hutchinson Vo-Tech to become a medical secretary. She was employed at the Buffalo Clinic until they moved to Scottsdale, Arizona in 1978. 1988 brought another move for Mary Ann when her husband opened Harlan’s Appliance store in Flagstaff, Arizona. She worked full time out of the home while living in Arizona.

In 1993, Mary Ann and Harlan moved back to Minnesota to retire, living in Elk River, Monticello, Dassel and Cokato. Mary Ann especially enjoyed visiting with her friends and having coffee at the Grounds or Double Shot in Cokato.

Mary Ann had a gift for creating beauty with her hands. A talented master quilter, she lovingly taught her daughter and granddaughters the art of quilting so that her love of creating beautiful quilts could live on through them. When entering her quilts for competition at the Wright County Fair, she came home with many Grand Champion (purple) and 1st Place (blue) ribbons.

Mary Ann was preceded in death by her husband, Harlan; her parents, Levi and Ina Rokala; brothers, John Rokala and Milton Rokala; sisters, Audrey Peterson and Ruth Janckila.

Mary Ann is survived by her children, Barbara (Ken) Timm, Diana (Bob) Maxwell, David (Brenda) Harkman, Bradley (Denise) Harkman, Karn (Jim) Canter, Kathryn Harkman, and Christopher Harkman; brother Carl (Bev) Rokala; and sister Margaret Mattila; 13 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends.

Those who loved her and were touched by her faith, kindness, and friendship will always have great memories of her and the willingness to share a part of her life. Our memories of her will forever remain in our hearts.

A funeral service for Mary Ann will be held on November 7, 2026 at the Good Shepherd Free Lutheran Church in Cokato, Minnesota at 11:00 AM with a visitation starting 1 hour prior to the service.

Funeral arrangements for Mary Ann have been entrusted to Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cokato (320) 286-2534 and Howard Lake (320) 543-3401. www.swansonpeterson.com

Gerald “Jerry” Roy Burau was born on September 9, 1942, in Delano, Minnesota, the son of Roy and Evelyn Burau. He was baptized on September 27, 1942, at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Delano.
Jerry graduated from Howard Lake High School in 1962 and proudly served his country in the United States Army from 1962 to 1964. On March 18, 1967, Jerry was united in marriage to Carol Schrupp. Together, they were blessed with two children.
Jerry was employed for 39 years at Millerbernd Manufacturing in Winsted, Minnesota. He was also well known throughout the area for the countless concrete projects he completed over the years. His hard work and craftsmanship left a lasting mark throughout the community.

Jerry had many interests, but fishing held a special place in his heart. He especially loved spending time fishing the “No Name Lakes.” Nothing brought Jerry more joy than sharing the fish he caught with others and telling the stories that went along with them. For Jerry, a good day of fishing was made even better when he could share the catch and the story of how he caught it, with family and friends.

When he wasn’t fishing, Jerry enjoyed deer hunting, gardening, and bowling. He was also a devoted member of the Howard Lake American Legion for more than 50 years and proudly served as a member of the Honor Guard. His service to his country and his fellow veterans remained an important part of his life.

Jerry passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on October 1, 2026, at Cokato Manor in Cokato, Minnesota.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Evelyn; two sisters; and his grandson, Brady.

Jerry is survived by his loving wife, Carol; daughter, Michelle (Jerry) Brady; son, Mark (Amy) Burau; grandchildren, Marisa Graham, Allison Brady, Brian (Kiaysa) Burau, Bethany Burau, and Bruce Burau; his great-grandchildren; and many other loving relatives and friends.

Jerry will be dearly missed by his family, friends, and all whose lives he touched. His memory will live on through his family, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, the stories they share, and the many people who were blessed to know him.

A memorial service will be held at St. James Lutheran Church in Howard Lake, Minnesota on Saturday, October 10, 2026, with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. and the service at 11:00 a.m.

The family wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude for the love, kindness, and support shown to them during this difficult time. No individual thank-you cards will be sent.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cokato (320) 286-2534 and Howard Lake (320) 543-3401. www.swansonpeterson.com

Marvel Viola Huwe Ring died September 29, 2026 at her home in Burnsville, MN.
She was born August 25, 1929 in Day County South Dakota, the fourth of six children of Arthur and Viola (Selle) Huwe. When Marvel was 15 the family moved to Omaha, NE. Marvel was a graduate of Omaha Tech High School and Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD.
She worked at Immanuel Children’s Home and its Camp Immanuel and briefly did parish work in Madelia, MN. She later worked in Activities at St. John’s Lutheran Home in Albert Lea, MN and as Activities Director at Fieldcrest Care Center in Hayfield, MN.
She and Delbert Ring were married June 29th, 1956 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Omaha. After Del’s ordination they together served Lutheran parishes in Lignite and Esmond, ND, rural Albert Lea, MN, and rural Sargeant, MN.

Marvel loved poetry, puzzling, and reading. She was a proud member of the Loony Ladies book club and loved fishing (especially for crappies.) She was a prodigious knitter, and knit many sweaters for her kids and grandchildren. She loved gardening, birds, butterflies, and passed on her love of nature to her family in her gentle manner.
Preceding Marvel in death was her husband Del, infant daughter Kathleen, her parents, sister and brother-in-law, Evelyn and Wilton Davis, and brothers and sisters-in-law Myron and Bernice, Harold and Gail, Orlyn and Rita, Lowell, and daughter-in-law Annette.
Marvel is survived by daughter Miriam and sons David (Kim), Daniel (Tammy Hughes), Jonathan (Teresa), and grandchildren Alex (Benjamin Morgan), Joel, Kelsey, Annika Sandoz (Ben), and Amanda, sister-in-law Carol Huwe of Kansas and many nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to thank Park Nicollet Hospice, Visiting Angels, and Wendy Flum for the care provided for Marvel.
Funeral services will be at St. James Lutheran Church in Burnsville, MN at 11 AM on November 27, 2026. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service. There will be an inurnment service on November 28, 2026 at 1:00pm at Lutheran Church of the Cross Memorial Garden in Nisswa, MN.
Memorials are preferred to Lutheran Church of the Cross in Nisswa, MN or St James Lutheran Church in Burnsville, MN.

Arrangements for Marvel have been entrusted to Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cokato (320) 286-2534 and Howard Lake (320) 543-3401.

Rahn Walter Simonson, 46, of Cokato, Minnesota passed away on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at his home in Cokato, Minnesota.
Rahn was born in Snohomish, Washington, on April 27, 1980, to the late Mark Simonson and Ilona (Kilpela/Simonson) Wuollet.
He grew up in western Washington in a busy house with seven brothers and four sisters. He enjoyed fishing trips with Dad and his brothers and spending time with friends. In his twenties, he moved to Phoenix, Arizona where he spent many years in the sun before heading north to Deer Park, Washington. After a short time there, he made his way to Minnesota and resided in and around the Cokato area.
Although life was not always easy, Rahn had the most generous nature. It was often said that he would give the shirt off his back or his last dollar for a friend in need. He loved babies and children, and was blessed with three of his own. He was so proud of his children and treasured every moment spent with them. Rahn worked in many trades throughout his life but found the most fulfillment in the manual labor of installing hardwood floors. He looked forward to winter and playing hockey again on Saturday nights.
He will be greatly missed by his children: Dakota, Ashlyn and Landen, his mother, Ilona and step father Dan Wuollet, siblings: Kirk (Tracie), Adam, Brett (Kolet), Nicole (Phil) Ojalehto, Ben (Erin), Lane (Rachel), Joshua (Lorena), Bethany (Brian) Randall, Caleb (Nicole), Tiffany (Luke) Jurmu and Ariana (John) Randall, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, and many cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, and father, Mark.
Funeral Services for Rahn will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, October 1, 2026 at the Laestadian Lutheran Church of Cokato, Minnesota. There will be a visitation starting 1 hour prior to the service.

Donald Eugene Hokanson, age 85 of Litchfield, Minnesota, passed away peacefully at St. Cloud Hospital on September 21 st , 2026, surrounded byhis wife, children, and extended family members. Don was born on August 4, 1941, in Hinckley, MN, to Elsie and Hjalmer Hokanson. He was the 2 nd youngest of 8 children and grew up in Hinckley, where he graduated in 1959.
After high school, Don moved to Cokato and worked at Standard Lumber at the behest of his oldest brother. It was in Cokato that he met Mary Lindstrom, and the two were married on February 11, 1961. Don and Mary made their home in Cokato for many years, where they raised their three children, Karen, Laurie and Chris. They resided for many years in Stockholm Township, where Don also had the joy of owning and running the Stockholm Store.
In 1984 the family moved to Litchfield, where Don continued his farm equipment career—moving from sales to managing his own dealership. Over the years, he sold both “green and red,” developing a deep
connection to the farming community, and forming many lifelong friendships. In 1991, Don started Hokanson Appraisals, beginning another new chapter in his career. Through his own business, he formed
countless new relationships and proudly served his local communities—always staying true to his rural agricultural roots.
Don took great pride in his work and dedicated himself to building a better life for his family. He was always a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather—truly, his family was his world. The
simplest moments were often his favorites; he especially enjoyed playing cards, watching baseball, deer hunting, gardening, and reading. Don was also a craftsman who loved creating things with his hands. Over the years, he built wooden foot stools, Barbie houses, toy boxes, blanket racks, and many other special projects. These were more than things he made – they became lasting reminders of the time, care and love he put into everything he did.
Don will be deeply missed by his wife of 65 years, Mary, his children, Karen (Ted) Anderson, Laurie (Gary) Pierce, and Chris (Tammy) Hokanson; his grandchildren, Jenny (Eric) Johnson, Tim Pierce, Jeff Lagergren, Mike (Nicole) Pierce, Amy Pierce, Christian and Heath Hokanson; and his great grand-children, TJ and Matthew Gregor, Alena, Benjamin, Joselyn, and Theodore Pierce, and cherished friends Brent
and Rebecca Wessman. He is also survived by siblings, Alice Currie & Clyde Hokanson, along with a multitude of nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends who will remember him fondly. He was preceded in death by his parents and his five siblings.
Don’s love for his family, his work ethic, his generosity, and the memories he created with those around him will live on through generations.
A funeral service for Don will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday September 28, 2026 at the First Lutheran Church in Litchfield, Minnesota, with a visitation beginning 1 hour prior to the service.