Swanson Peterson Funeral Home

Roger L. Roepke of Cokato passed away at Abbott Northwestern Hospital on January 14, 2019.
Funeral Service: 11 AM Saturday, January 19, 2019 at Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cokato. Visitation Begins 1 hr. before service at church.

Roger LeRoy Roepke was born on May 3, 1944 in Glencoe, Minnesota to Loren and Gladys (VonBerge) Roepke. He grew up in Round Grove Township on a farm between Brownton and Stewart, MN. He graduated from Brownton High School in 1962. After high school, Roger attended Winona College where he earned a bachelor’s degree and played on the college baseball team. He later joined the US Army and was stationed in San Diego.

After the army, Roger returned to Minnesota and taught school in Walnut Grove, Brownton, and Hutchinson. While teaching, he was recruited into the insurance business and in 1974 came to Cokato as an agent for State Farm Insurance. He retired in 2005.

On September 6, 1986, Roger married Joyce Annette Young. The couple made their home in Cokato. Roger had many hobbies, including golf, fishing, and snowmobiling. He enjoyed baseball and played for the DC Saints. He was a member of the Lions, the Ridge Runners, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cokato.

Roger passed away at Abbott Northwestern Hospital on January 14, 2019. He had reached the age of 74 years, 8 months, and 11 days.

Survivors include wife Joyce of Cokato; children Brent (Karna) Rice of Excelsior, Steve Rice of Bloomington, Leigh (Troy) Sangren of Glenwood, Lynn (Scott) Anderson of Montrose, and Kelli (Tad) Palmquist of Warroad; grandchildren Kristina Rice, Lauren Rice, Tommy Rice, Jayson Rice, Annelise Rice, Jack Palmquist, Jase Palmquist, Emily Haan, and Ashley Haan; sisters Darlene (Ed) Kirchoff, Noreen Prinkey, and Joni (Kenny) Dose; brother Marlen (Nancy) Roepke; nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many friends.

Roger was preceded in death by parents Loren and Gladys Roepke and a son, Paul Roepke.

Johnson, John Alan
age 85, of Howard Lake , MN passed away Monday, January 14, 2019 at the Buffalo Hospital. He was born March 7, 1933 in Montevideo, MN the son of Margaret and Waldo S. Johnson. He graduated from Mankato High school in 1952 and later attended Mankato Sate Teachers College and Mankato Commercial College. From 1952-1956, he served his country in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War aboard the USS Titania. On August 26, 1961 he was united in marriage to LaDonna Boucher in Eau Claire, WI by his brother Reverend Waldo Johnson. John served his communities as Scout Master in Mankato, Rochester, Milwaukee, and Howard Lake. He served as Justice of the Peace for a time after moving to Howard Lake. John had a passion for the Flea Market, both attending and selling at several of them. He particularly enjoyed the people he was able to meet and interact with there.
John is survived by his wife, LaDonna and son, Robert Johnson of Kingman, AZ.
He is preceded in death by his parents, and brother, Rev. Waldo S. Johnson.
A celebration of John’s life will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, January 24, 2019 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Howard Lake. Family and friends are invited to gather 1 hour prior to the service at the church. Interment and military honors will take place at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN at a later date. Arrangements by Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Howard Lake, MN 320-543-3401, www.swansonpeterson.com

Ellsworth Eugene Hermann, Cokato, MN, March 15, 1933 – January 14, 2019.
Ellsworth E. Hermann of Cokato died Monday January 14, 2019, at the age of 85, at the Buffalo Hospital. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday January 17, 2019 at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cokato. Visitation will be held at the Church on Thursday beginning at 9:30 prior to the service. Interment will be at the Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery following the Funeral Service.

Ellsworth, son of Leonard and Leona Hermann of Winsted, MN, was born on March 15, 1933, at the Watertown Hospital, Watertown, MN. Ellsworth grew up in Winsted and graduated from Howard Lake High School in 1951. After high school, Ellsworth attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, where he was a member of the football team. After 2 years of college, Ellsworth went to work for his father at the Pure Milk Products Creamery, in Winsted, MN. He met and fell in love with LaVerne Adelle Birkholz and the two were married at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cokato on June 25, 1955. The couple had their first home in Lester Prairie, MN. Then they moved to Cokato. Ellsworth and LaVerne also made Florida their home for 2 years while owning a business in the Clearwater/Tampa area. The family grew and moved back to Minnesota to settle in Cokato. Ellsworth and LaVerne raised their family in Cokato and all five children graduated from Dassel-Cokato High School. Ellsworth was partner in the Chevrolet Dealership and later was employed at C & H Ag services for many years, along with other jobs and business ventures. Ellsworth was an active member of Cokato Lutheran Church. Ellsworth and LaVerne enjoyed traveling and spending time with family and friends at their cabin on Lake Sylvia.
He is survived by his wife LaVerne and his five children: Kathryn Johnson, Cokato; Teri Madsen (Dave), Maple Grove; Phil (Sherie), Maple Grove; Nancy, Cokato; Tim, Key West, FL. Grandchildren: Preston (Rachel) Sternson, Moorhead, MN; Austin Hermann, Houston TX; Taylor Madsen, Los Angeles, CA; Jessie (Peter) Schuett, New Hope, MN; Cole Hermann, Maple Grove, MN.
Ellsworth was preceded in death by his parents, Len and Leona; brother, Gordon; and sister Mary Rathcamp.

Dorothy Ann Marie Larson, age 90, of rural South Haven, died Saturday, January 12, 2019 at Meeker Memorial Hospital. Her funeral service will be held on Friday, January 18th at 1:00 PM, with visitation starting at 12:00 PM at Grace Lutheran Church with Pastor Eileen Mehl officiating.
Arrangements are with the Swanson Peterson Funeral Home in Cokato.
Dorothy was born April 21, 1928 in Kingston Township, Meeker County. She was the daughter of Oscar and Hulda (Louma) Peterson. She was baptized June 10, 1928 by Pastor P.W. Pelto and confirmed on June 8, 1941 by Pastor John F. Paana at the Kingston Apostolic Lutheran Church. She attended school through the 8th grade.
Dorothy was united in marriage on July 31, 1948 to Ernest Elroy Larson at Grace Lutheran Church. Together they had 10 children and shared 70 years of marriage.
Dorothy started working at a very young age. She had various jobs from being a grocery store clerk to working in a factory, along with being a full time mother to 10 children and a homemaker. She worked relentlessly from morning to night without a complaint and always with a smile on her face. Visitors were always welcomed with a cup of coffee and a homemade treat. No one ever left her home hungry!
She made sure that all of her children attended Sunday School, confirmation, and church. Dorothy attended all of her children and grandchildren’s programs at church and school, confirmations, graduations, recitals, baptisms, showers, and weddings.
Dorothy enjoyed traveling to Germany, Louisiana, Florida, and Colorado. She loved spending time with her family. Her hobbies included embroidery work, word search books, canning, gardening and most of all, mowing the yard.
Dorothy will be dearly missed by her family and many friends.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, son David, son-in-law Tom Mueller, 4 brothers; Alden Peterson, Wilbert Peterson, Arnold Peterson and Roger Peterson, 4 sisters; Lori Carlson, Margaret Henrickson, Margie Mueller, and Estella Merriman.
She is survived by her husband Ernest, 9 children; Karen Duarte, Deanna Mueller (Bob Haapala), Loren (Tammy), John (Mary Ann), Gail (Mark) Dunderi, Mike (Robyn), Tom (Barb), Robert (Emily), Mariann Helmin, 27 grandchildren and several great and great-great grandchildren, sister Marlene Ahlm., nieces, nephews and many other relatives and friends.

Geraldine Magdalen Anderson was born in Cold Spring, Minnesota on August 17, 1928, to Otto Henry and Susannah (Schneider) Gutzke. She grew up in Cold Spring to the age of 12 when her family moved to Howard Lake. She graduated from Howard Lake High School, and to this day there are people who remember what a good cheerleader she was.
In 1950, Geraldine married Vergil Anderson. The couple made their home first at Howard Lake and in 1957 moved to Minneapolis where they raised their family. After Vergil’s retirement, they spent time in Arizona and Nevada and did a lot of traveling by motor home.
Geraldine worked for many years at Minnesota Fabric in sales. She was also an accomplished seamstress and made over 300 quilts for the Children’s Hospital during their time in Nevada. Geraldine also enjoyed dancing and often went to dances with her brother Don when she was young.
Geraldine passed away on December 22, 2018 at the Howard Lake Good Samaritan Center. She had reached the age of 90 years, 4 months, and 5 days.
She was a loving wife of 68 years to Vergil of Howard Lake, mother to sons Larry of Apple Valley, Rob of Isanti, David of Des Moines; and daughters Patricia Iten of Bloomington, and Cassandra Formo of Brooklyn Park. Geraldine also loved her 14 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Geraldine was preceded in death by her parents, Otto and Susannah Gutzke; sisters Mavis Yager and Lorraine Zander; and brother Albert Gutzke.

A memorial service will be held at: 1PM. Saturday, January 5, 2019, At St. Johns Lutheran Church of Howard Lake
Visitation will begin 1 hr prior to the service.