Obituaries

Donald Christoffels, age 88, of Luverne, Minnesota, died Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at the Good Samaritan Society – Mary Jane Brown Home in Luverne. Funeral service will be Thursday, Jan. 16, at 11 a.m., with visitation beginning at 9:30 a.m., all at the American Reformed Church in Luverne. Burial will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery near Luverne. Arrangements are under the care of Hartquist…

Cornelius “Casey” Feikema Jr. was born on April 28, 1947, to Cornelius “Case” Sr. and Martha (Van Tol) Feikema in the Canton/Inwood Hospital rural Canton, South Dakota. Casey grew up on a farm near Fairview, South Dakota. He attended Inwood Christian School in Inwood, Iowa, and was a freshman at Western Christian High School in Hull, Iowa, when the family relocated to rural Luverne, Minnesota,…

Joan Fransman was born on March 21, 1930, to John and Jennie (Kuiper) Top in Clinton Township of Rock County, Minnesota. She was raised on the farm on the state line and attended country school. Her dad passed away suddenly while she was young. A couple of years later, she and her family moved into Hills, Minnesota. Joan later met Edward Fransman and on March 16, 1949, the couple was married at…

Rev. Cynthia Jo McDowell, age 82, of Fruita, Colorado, passed away Dec. 21, 2024. Her children and many grandchildren were able to be at her bedside at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado, where she succumbed to a stroke she had suffered a few days earlier. A meaningful gathering of worship, Bible readings, and memories was held at Cynthia’s bedside. Her remains will be interned at…

Cornelius “Casey” Feikema Jr., age 77, of Luverne, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Luverne Hospice Cottage. Visitation is Wednesday, Jan. 8, from 4-8 p.m. at the Luverne Christian Reformed Church. Funeral service will be Thursday, Jan. 9, at 10:30 a.m. at the church. Burial will follow at Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne. Arrangements are under the care of…

Melvin G. Viessman, age 84, of Luverne, died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024, at the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, surrounded by his family. He was born on Nov. 15, 1940, on the family farm in rural Rock County, Minnesota, to Glen and Reka (Giesen) Viessman. Mel attended country school in rural Luverne until eighth grade and graduated from Luverne High School in 1958. Mel…

Peter John Hauff, age 76, of Luverne, passed away peacefully on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, at Dow Rummel Village, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was born Nov. 5, 1948, in Sidney, Montana, to Wilbert and Hazel (Pederson) Hauff. Peter was the oldest of three children. As a child, he lived in Velva and Williston, North Dakota, and in 1957 his family moved to Brookings, South Dakota, where he graduated…

Marilyn Carlson was born on Feb. 3, 1940, in Luverne, Minnesota, to Harold and Louise Staeffler Kiebach.  She grew up in Luverne and graduated from Luverne High School in 1958. On Sept. 9, 1959, she and Lyle Carlson were married at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Luverne. Following their marriage, they made their home in Maryland and Alaska while Lyle served in the United States Army.  Following…

William “Bill” Henry Holling was born on March 25, 1923, in Germany to Ferdinand “Peter” and Wiebke (Jollmer) Holling. His parents immigrated to the United States when Bill was about 1 1/2 years old. His parents were farmers and settled on a farm near Hardwick, Minnesota, for about nine years. The family sold their farm and went back to Germany in 1934. Bill spent one month in a German school…

Patricia "Patsy" Ann (Nath) Cragoe, age 82, of Luverne, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, at the Luverne Hospice Cottage. Visitation was Sunday, Dec. 22, from 3-5 p.m. at Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne. Funeral service was held on Monday, Dec. 23, at 10:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Luverne. Burial followed at Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne. To view Patsy…

Craig Becker, age 56, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, formerly of Luverne, died Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at the University of Minnesota Fairview Medical Center. He was born on Nov. 24, 1968, to Linley and Lorraine (Visker) Becker at the Luverne Community Hospital, Luverne, Minnesota.  His aunt Judy Visker almost delivered Craig, as Dr. Siebert was on his way from church, but she was able to be…

Wilmina “Mina” Poppens, age 93, of Tea, South Dakota, passed away on Dec. 11, 2024, at the Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center, Luverne, Minnesota. Wilmina DeRuyter was born on June 27, 1931, at Rock Valley, Iowa, the daughter of Dick and Lena (Kooistra) DeRuyter. She grew up on farms near Rock Valley, Iowa and Hills, Minnesota, attending rural school. After completing the eighth grade she…

Beatrice “Betty” Ann Hamann, age 88, of Luverne, died Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, at the Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Home in Luverne. She was born Oct. 3, 1936, in Luverne, to George and Agness (Nergaard) McClure. Betty married Milo Hamann on Oct. 7, 1956, at Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. They were the first members to be married at Grace. The couple called Luverne their home and where they…

Doris Eleanore Rockman  passed peacefully on Nov. 30, 2024. She was born on March 27, 1924, to Ed and Emma Anderson in Vesta Township, Redwood Falls, Minnesota. She was a caring, loving woman, and those traits were manifested in her chosen career as a registered nurse, in her volunteer efforts in the community, and as the best mother, grandmother and great-grandmother ever. She was married to…

Robert “Bob” Bartholomaus, age 88, of Clarion passed away Nov. 24, 2024, at Iowa Specialty Hospital in Clarion. A Mass of Christian Burial for Bob Bartholomaus was at 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, at St. John’s Catholic Church, 608 2nd Avenue North East, in Clarion, Iowa, with Father Jerry Blake officiating. Visitation for Bob Bartholomaus was from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, at Ewing…

Harold Floyd Kruger, age 85, of Beaver Creek, died Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was born Sept. 7, 1939, in Adrian, to Pete and Lena (Graves) Kruger. He attended District #11 country school. Harold married DeLoris Deutsch on Sept. 15, 1958, in Rock Rapids, Iowa. The couple lived in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where Harold worked as a…