Swanson Peterson Funeral Home

Joyce A. Lee, age 94, passed away April 19, 2014. Joyce was born in Princeton, Minnesota, on November 22, 1919, the daughter of Arthur and Anna (Roadstrom) Moline. Joyce grew up on a farm in Wyanett Township. After high school, Joyce attended business school in Minneapolis.

Joyce was united in marriage to Russell A. Lee on August 14, 1948. They moved to Lisbon, North Dakota, where they owned their first funeral home and furniture store. Due to Russ’s bout with cancer in 1954, they were forced to sell their business. After recovering from the cancer, they spent a few years in various locations; Fairfax, MN where they owned and operated a hardware store; Garden City, MI and Burlington, IA where Russ was a high school teacher. In 1960, they purchased the funeral home and furniture store in Howard Lake, where they made their home until 2003. At that time they moved to Edgewood Gables in Cokato.

Throughout their working years, Joyce was primarily a homemaker and mother, but also helped in their various business activities. She loved numbers and particularly enjoyed working in their income tax business.

Upon retirement, Joyce and Russ enjoyed travelling and wintering in Arizona, and spending time with their two grandsons.

Joyce was a long time member of Walker United Methodist Church where she was involved in many activities. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and a volunteer in various community activities

Joyce was preceded in death by her husband Russ; her parents; stepfather, Joe Moline; sister Lorraine Anderson; brother Donald Moline. She is survived by her daughter Patricia Lee; son Kent and his wife, Connie, and their two sons, Chris Lee and Jon Lee. Also survived by many friends and other relatives.

Most of all, Joyce was a truly wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and mother-in-law. She was smart, supportive of others’ endeavors and very proud of their accomplishments. She will be forever remembered for her love of family and love of fun, and for her courage and strength when facing adversity…….along with that great smile! Joyce will be greatly missed by all who know her.

Our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Thomas Styrvoky, for his care over the years, to Nancy Deiter and the staff at Edgewood Gables, and to the nurses and staff at Brookside Assisted Living for their loving care for Joyce, especially during her last few days.

Funeral service: Tues. 4/22, 2pm.
Visitation: Mon. 4/21, 5-8 pm.
All at Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home in Howard Lake.

Lorraine R. Oliver of Howard Lake, passed away at Mercy Hospital of Coon Rapids, on April 12, 2014. There will be a Memorial Service on Saturday, April 26 at 1 PM at Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cokato. Visitation will begin 1hr prior to service. Interment will be at the Sylvan Cemetery.

Lorraine R. Oliver was born on May 8, 1925, at Benton Harbor, Michigan to William and Rose (Randolph) Tollifson. She grew up in Benton Harbor until 1937 the family moved to Minneapolis, then to a farm North of Howard Lake in 1940.

Lorraine graduated from Howard Lake High School in 1943. On December 1, 1943 She married Dale Clinton Oliver, they enjoyed 60 years of marriage together and had one son Dale Lee Oliver. They made their home on the farm North of Howard Lake where they farmed, raised their family and Lorraine still lived there at the time of her death.

Lorraine enjoyed most out door activities, she loved the farm life except for pigs. She still mowed her own large yard, liked gardening and canning and was very fond of her dog “Irish”.

Lorraine passed away at Mercy Hospital of Coon Rapids on April 12, 2014. She had reached the age of 88 years, 11 months, and 4 years.

Survivors include: daughter-in-law Sharon Oliver of Howard Lake, Sisters Kay (Bill) Schendel of St. Bonifacious, and Ginger Kranitz of Edina. Sister-in-law Doris Tolifson of New Hope.

Preceding her in death is: parents William and Rose Tollifson, husband Dale Oliver, Son Lee Oliver, brothers George, PeeWee, and Gene, sister Mickey Lemke.

Alexander Richard Baldy Sr., of Watertown, MN

Passed away on Friday February 28th 2014 at the age of 94 years old

He was born on Dec. 8, 1919 on the family homestead in Maple Plain, MN to Paul and Francis (Adickes) Baldy. He had 4 sisters, Agnes, Mary, Florence and Betty.

Farming was his 1st love. Seeing it go from plow horses, to threshing machines, to his first Farmall tractor purchased for him by his father. His love of that first tractor took him to the fields doing custom work for neighbors near and far. When not in the field you could see him travelling on his motorcycle.

A motorcycle trip found him his one true love, his wife Carmen. He was married to her for 56 years.

He would go from a farmer to a trucker in later years. He worked as independent contractor for the U.S. Post Office for over 20 years. The same neighbors that had seen him on the road with his tractors and motorcycles now would see him on the road in his trucks from the local post offices to the main post office in Minneapolis.

He enjoyed his golden years by going to parades, the casino or just a drive to see what the farmers were doing. He would always answer yes when asked, Do you want to______? He enjoyed any new adventure up until his last days.

He is survived by his son Alex Jr., and daughter Amber Baldy

Ralph Dale Peterson, age 83, died on April 4, 2014 at his home near Cokato with his family at his side.
Ralph was born on November 19, 1930 to Oscar and Amanda (Henning) Peterson. He attended Mound Elementary and High School, graduating in 1948. He married Joanne Nelson in 1951 at Cokato Evangelical Lutheran Church. For the first two years of their marriage, Ralph worked at his father’s farm near Delano, Minnesota.
Ralph served in the United States Army, 1953-55, and was stationed at Fort Meyers in Arlington, Virginia where he was assigned highly classified duties in the Pentagon.
Following an honorable discharge from the Army, Ralph attended the University of Minnesota, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. Ralph and Joanne lived in Minneapolis where he began a career in grocery store management, until 1964 when they moved to the Nelson family farm north of Cokato.
Along with his business career, Ralph was a lifelong farmer and a DeKalb dealer for several years. He served his community as a member of the Cokato township board from 1979-1994. He also served on the Cokato Business Association, the Solid Waste Management Board, and as chairman of the 1976 Cokato Corn Carnival. Ralph was a member of the church councils at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Minneapolis and Cokato Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Ralph is survived by his wife, daughters LaDonna (Scotty) Wylie, Cynthia (Daryl) Pischner, and sons Alan Peterson (special friend Joan Breczinski) and Larry (Kris) Peterson. He is also missed by five grandchildren, Kari (Jeremy) Wylie Johnston, Joshua (Jody) Wylie, Jonathan Pischner, Katie Peterson, and Dean Peterson and four great-grandchildren, Payton and Gracee Johnston and Tanner and Tyler Wylie.
He was preceded in death by his parents, parents-in-law Vernie and Irene Nelson, brothers, Lloyd, Earl, and Donald, infant sister Lorraine, sisters-in-law Mabel Peterson, Margaret Peterson, and Maejelle Nelson Nething, and brother-in-law Dean Nelson.
A Funeral Service will take place at 2:00pm on Thursday, April 10, 2014 at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cokato.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 9, 2014 from 4-7 pm at Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home in Cokato and continue 1 hour prior to services at the church.
Internment with military honors will follow the service at the Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery in Cokato.

Zinchini, Raymond Joseph
age 67, of Howard Lake, passed away on March 30, 2014 at Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia, MN following an extended period of heart disease and related conditions. He was born October 1, 1946 in Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania to Joseph Zinchini and Mary A. Brocious. Ray grew up in Vandergrift, PA and graduated from Kiski Area High School. Following high school, in 1963 he began his career in telecommunications with Automatic Electric Company. Later, Ray received an intercompany transfer into General Telephone Electronics out of Erie PA, where he continued to work as a COE Installer until his retirement in 1996. Following retirement, Ray contracted with Lambic Telcom out of Florida until 2012.
On November 30, 1968, he was united in marriage to Rosemarie Knapp in Pittsburgh, PA. This union was blessed with 2 sons, Dominic Anthony and Justin Joseph. From 1970-2013 they resided in Titusville, PA, followed by a move by Ray and Rosie to Howard Lake, MN.
Ray was an avid Steelers fan his entire life, while in his early years he enjoyed coaching his sons in baseball and continued to coach little league after they had moved on. For 5 years, Ray and his family where active in BMX racing, allowing them to spend precious time together in their local community and throughout New York and Canada. The boys where awarded countless trophies, which allowed them to sponsor several races. Until recently he was active in the BPOE Elks. Ray enjoyed spending time with his abundance of friends, particularly while “fishing.”
Ray was preceded in death by his parents, and grandparents, Margaret and William Crow, uncles William (Anna Martha) Troutner, Joseph Troutner, and sister Kathy.
He is survived by, his wife Rosie of 45 years, sons, Dominic (Tiffani) of Dassel, MN, Justin (Carrissa) of Erie PA, grandchildren who brightened his life and gave him purpose, Stella Rose and Henry Keegan, brother, Vern (Nancy) Brocious of Vandergrift, PA, sister Diane, along with other relatives, Jacob and Kelly Brocious, aunt Kathryn Troutner, and many cousins. Extended family includes so many from Codgers Cove of Howard Lake, who gave Ray the true meaning of friendship. Extended even further from Titusville, PA would include Betty Wallace, Betty Barlog, Margaret Lamenski, Gary (Mary Alice) Crawford, John (Ronnie) Miller and family, Garry Gates, Greg Kunz, and Father Walter Packard of the Catholic community of Titusville.
In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Raymond’s grandchildren’s education fund.
Memorial service, 11:00 am., Friday, April 11, 2014 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with visitation 1 hour prior to service at the church. Services will continue at a later date in Titusville, PA.