APRIL 12, 2016
AMERY FREE PRESS www.theameryfreepress.com
15
OBITUARIES
Kathryn E. Fox
Dale A. Stepan
Kathryn Elizabeth Fox was born during a snowstorm on May 23, 1924 in Amery, Wisconsin. She was the daughter of Carl and Esther (Johnson) Lovgren. On September 17, 1941 she was united in marriage to Clyde Fox, and to this union ten children were born. Katie had many interests and loved to garden, bake, crochet, play cards and feed the birds. No bird ever left her yard hungry, just like no one visiting ever left her house hungry. She and Clyde were longtime active members of West Immanuel Lutheran Church in rural Osceola. After Clyde passed away in 1996 she moved to Amery. In 2007 she moved to Osceola where she lived at the Mill Side Apartments. She remained there until December 31, 2015 when she moved to the Christian Community Home in Osceola. She suffered a stroke and on April 4, 2016 she passed away at the age of 91. Katie was preceded in death by her husband Clyde, sons: Larry and Ardell, her parents Esther Mickelson and Carl Lovgren, sister Mae Perrin and brothers: Lawrence, Ellis and Clifford Lovgren. Surviving family members include her children: Sharon (Jerry) Barr, Michael (Kathy) Fox, Darlene (Bill) Blair, Mervyn (Manuela) Fox, Julie Fox, Dean (Julie) Fox, Arlyn Fox, and Ione (Tim) Thompson; 23 grandchildren, 31 great grandchildren and 11 great great grandchildren; sister Elva Bance; daughters-inlaw: Sandy Fox and Kathy (Gary) Hauble; sisters-inlaw: Lois Lovegren, Dorothy Lovgren, Lois Lovgren, Bernice Fox, Barbara Johnson, Marion Fox, Betty (Charles) Hanson and Maryann (Dan) Gathje; brothers-in-law: George Fox and Merlin (Nan) Fox as well as other relatives and friends. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at West Immanuel Lutheran Church in rural Osceola, Wisconsin. There was visitation at the funeral home on Monday from 4 to 7 p.m. and for the hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at the Fox Cemetery. You may view an online video tribute and sign a guest book at www.williamsonwhite.com. The Williamson-White Funeral Home in Amery assisted the family.
Dale A. Stepan, 61, of Turtle Lake, WI passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early morning hours of Friday, April 8, 2016 at his home in Turtle Lake. He was born July 20, 1954 in St. Paul, MN to Leonard and Marcella (Busse) Stepan. Dale graduated from Tartan High School in St. Paul in 1972 and then moved to Clayton in 1975. In October 1974, he married Carol Proulx. They later divorced. Dale married Catherine Schmidt Brekke in LaPointe, WI on August 22, 1992. Dale worked as a construction superintendent for 25 years and worked at the St. Croix Casino as a valet supervisor. Dale was very proud and loved his grandchildren. His eyes sparkled every time he got to spend time with them. Dale was very energetic, creative, caring, helpful and had an amazing sense of humor which made him a joy to be around and was always the life of the
Mary Kay Majerus Mary Kay Majerus, age 89, entered eternal life on Thursday, April 7, 2016 at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee, MN. Mary Kay was born on December 18, 1926 in Shakopee, the daughter of Frank and Laura (Smith) White. She lived most of her life in Bloomington and retired in Amery, WI. Mary Kay was the owner of Majerus Wormery. She is survived by children and grandchildren, Albert and wife Linda (Kelly, Nathan, Nick), Patrick and wife Cathy (Jessica, Jacob, John, Tereza, Isaac), Laurie and husband Bill Tillmans (Lori, Connie, Jason), Ann Majerus and husband Marty Jensen (Theodore, Miles, Rebecca), Cathy and husband Kurt Chelgren (Kayla); many great-grandchildren. Preceded by husband, Earl; parents Frank and Laura White; brother, Bob White. Visitation was Monday from 10-10:45 at The Parish of Saints Joachim & Anne in the Church of St. Mary, 535 Lewis St., Shakopee, followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM. Presiding was Reverend Erik Lundgren. Interment Catholic Cemetery. Arrangements with McNearney Funeral Home, Shakopee, 952-445-2755. Condolences may be shared at www.mcnearneyfuneralhome.com
Clinton C. Christianson of Lake Elmo, MN Clinton Curtis Christianson, the epitome of thoughtful, quiet achievement, died peacefully at the age of 87 at the Gables of Boutwells Landing on Monday, March 4th, 2016, at 2:20 pm, with family and friends at his side. Clinton is survived by his three sons, Eric (Patricia), Todd (Trudy), and Joel (Kim) Christianson; his daughter, Amy (Richard) Goerwitz; twelve grandchildren and nine great grandchildren; his brother LaVerne (Eleanor) Christianson; and his brothersin-law, Paul (Carol) & John (Marilyn) Streif. He was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley, and parents Christ and Clara (Titterud); as well as by his brother Wendell (Arlys) Christianson and sister Anarine (Lawrence) Lovegren. Clinton was born at home on Pine Crest Farm (100th Street at 13th Avenue) in Black Brook Township, to Christ and Clara (Titterud) Christianson on September 25, 1928—the same month when penicillin was discovered and the first live play was broadcast on television; a time of hope and expectation soon to be muted by the Great Depression and World War II. When Clinton was five, a tornado swept through the family farm. His mother Clara and older brother LaVerne looked on in alarm from the kitchen door of the house as his father rescued Clint from the barn only to get as far as the hitching post before the tornado hit. Somehow Christ was able to hold onto both Clint and the hitching post as the tornado wiped out the barn just 30 feet away. Miraculously both were unscathed, though Clint's shoes were torn off his feet and never found. Clint learned from his mother the values of patience and kindness. From his self-educated father he learned how to learn, and how to build and fix everything. As a child, Clint attended the two-room Black Brook Elementary School, and for three years was the only pupil in his grade. Valedictorian of the Amery High School class of 1946, Clint was the first family member to graduate from college, receiving two bachelor's degrees with high distinction from the University of Minnesota in 1951. Clint went on to work for General Electric, where he completed their Ph.D.-equivalent Advanced Engineering Program. From GE Clint moved on to Gould, and eventually to Argonne National Laboratory, leaving behind him not only a string of patents, new products, and other technical achievements, but also a series of successful teams and leadership assignments, focused primarily on the development of electrical controls, propulsion systems, batteries, and fuel cells. While work played a large part of Clint’s life, his religious faith and family were really closest to his heart.
party. Dale passions, besides the love of his family were fishing, bird hunting and especially whitetail deer hunting. He is survived by his wife, Catherine of Turtle Lake; 2 sons, Chris Stepan of St. Cloud, MN and Ryan Stepan (Bailey Monson) of Clayton; 2 stepdaughters, Lisa (Joel) Cormican of Glenwood City, WI and Joy Brekke of Clayton; 5 grandchildren, Cole Koehler, Josh Cormican, Hunter Cormican, Landon Robertson and Alexa Stepan; his mother, Marcella Stepan of Amery; 4 sisters, Karen (Bob) Spangenberg of Woodbury, MN, Faye Mester of Clayton, Cheryl (LeRoy) Paulson of Clear Lake and Valerie (Mike) Engebretson of Clayton; his in-laws, John (Becky) Schmidt of Birchwood, Patricia Berghammer (Eugene Andren) of Turtle Lake and Lori (Todd) Johnson of Clayton. Dale was preceded in death by his father, Leonard Stepan and his in-laws, Ken and Sylvia Schmidt. Dale was an organ donor and his wishes were honored. Funeral services were held at 7:00 PM Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at Skinner Funeral Home, Turtle Lake, WI with Rev. Margaret Grant officiating. Skinner Funeral Home of Turtle Lake is serving the family.
As a child, Clint's family attended the Deer Park United Methodist Church, where Clint was confirmed as a teenager. It was there, through the joint church youth group with the Clear Lake United Methodist Church, that he first got to know his eventual spouse, Shirley Frances Streif. Although the details are murky, and are rumored to have involved collusion among their parents, we know that Shirley ended up, for one reason or another, hitching a lot of rides into the Twin Cities with Clint in his Crosley on his way to the U (Mounds Midway School of Nursing, Shirley’s school, being more or less on the way). It was through those rides that Clint and Shirley fell in love, and although Shirley’s school forbade marriage until after graduation, Clint, in one of the only rascally acts anyone in his family can recall him perpetrating, married her secretly on January 1, 1952, in a private ceremony at the Streif home east of Clear Lake, with just their immediate families and a minister in attendance. Shirley became the center of Clint’s life. Over the course of their 64-year marriage, they raised four children and lived in four states (NY, MA, IL, and MN), but all the while held on to their family and friends in rural Wisconsin. Clint will be remembered for his service to his church (most recently the St. Croix Valley United Methodist Church, where he served on numerous committees, coordinated the prayer chain, and helped with the monthly food harvest distribution) and to various charitable organizations, such as Meals on Wheels and the Christ Recovery Center. He will also be remembered for his modesty and willingness, not only to lead, but also to support and to serve. Throughout his life, Clint rarely, if ever, said an unkind word about anyone. He loved unconditionally, offering support and working quietly in the background, strengthening and guiding. He was on time, prepared, fully present. And he was respected by everyone. Clint loved and was loved. He will be greatly missed. Visitation will be on Friday, April 15, 2016, from 10 am to 12 pm at Boutwells Landing Auditorium, 13575 58th Street, Oak Park Heights, MN 55082, with a funeral service there at noon followed by a luncheon. There will also be a visitation/lunch on Saturday, April 16, from 11 am to 1 pm at the United Methodist Church in Clear Lake, WI, with the funeral service to follow at 1 pm. Officiating are the Rev. Bruce Ruggles and the Rev. John Hazen. Music will be provided by Lyle & Margie Merriman and Barb Kolbe. Casketbearers are grandsons David Christianson, Ethan Christianson, Jared Christianson, Jeremy Christianson, Joshua Christianson, Reniel Christianson, Richard Goerwitz IV and Bruce Thao. Interment will be at the Clear Lake Cemetery, Clear Lake, WI. The Scheuermann-Hammer Funeral Home of Clear Lake, WI, is handling the arrangements. Memorials are preferred in lieu of flowers. Send cards, letters, or memories to Amy Goerwitz, 203 Woodley Street West, Northfield, MN 55057 or amy@goerwitz.com .