Obituaries

Diane Wendt

Jan 15, 2024

Diane B. Wendt, 79, passed away on Monday, January 15, 2024 at Chosen Valley Care Center in Chatfield, MN.

Diane Beverly (Hongerholt) Wendt was born on April 1, 1944 in Lanesboro, MN to parents Henry and Clara (Hanson) Hongerholt. On December 1, 1962, she married the love of her life, Richard "Dick" Wendt, at First Highland Lutheran Church in...

Ralph Ellefson

Jan 13, 2024

Dr. Ralph D. Ellefson, 92, joined his bride, Donna, on the morning of January 13, 2024. Ralph was born January 25, 1931, in Glenwood, Minnesota to Anna and Alfred Ellefson who were Norwegian immigrants. He attended Luther College where he earned his BA in chemistry in 1953 then his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Iowa in 1957. Ralph...

David Dunn

Jan 11, 2024

David J. (Dave) Dunn, age 88, passed away on Thursday, January 11, 2024, with his wife and daughter at his side. David was born in Huron, South Dakota, to William M. Dunn and Helene (Webster) Dunn. The family moved frequently before settling in Yankton, S.D., where Dave graduated from high school in 1953. He attended Yankton College for one...

Ruth Flatla

Jan 10, 2024

Ruth Flatla, 102, Rochester, Minn., died Wednesday, Jan. 10, at Samaritan Bethany Home in Rochester, Minnesota.

Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery in Lake City, Minn.

Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes is honored to be serving the Flatla family; to share a special memory or condolence please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com.

Darlene Miller

Jan 10, 2024

Darlene (Leach) Miller passed away on January 10, 2024 at 92 years old.

Born December 2, 1931 in West Concord MN to Mamie (Raleigh) and Louis Leach. She and her 3 sisters were raised on a farm and she graduated from West Concord HS in 1949. Darlene then worked in Minneapolis for Dayton's and Maytag before returning to...

Alfred Gotmer

Jan 6, 2024

Alfred Arnold Gotmer, age 72, of Rochester, died on Saturday morning, January 6th, 2024, at Our House Memory Care in Austin, MN. After a long battle with Alzheimer's, he passed peacefully in his sleep with his wife holding his hand.

Alfred "Al" Gotmer was born on March 16th, 1951, to Bernard and Hazel (Farris) Gotmer in Fulda, MN. He...

Ralph Reneson

Jan 4, 2024

Ralph Clarence Reneson passed from death to life on Thursday, January 4, 2024, after a long and arduous battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He was born on August 12, 1953, to Matthew and Lillian (Holty) Reneson. As a child, Ralph attended Bible camp and responded to the call to repent of his sins and trust in Jesus alone as his Lord...

Suzanne Tolman

Jan 2, 2024

Suzanne Nelson Tolman, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.

Suzanne Nelson Tolman, retired School Psychologist, Independent School District #535, Rochester, Minnesota, was born in Omaha, Nebraska on November 8, 1931. The daughter of Lottie Kerns Nelson and Raymond Leroy Nelson, she attended Omaha North High School, Omaha, Nebraska, played piano (Mendelssohm piano concerto with the concert orchestra her senior year).

In 1948, she...

Clifford Prigge

Jan 2, 2024

Clifford W. Prigge, age 84, of Rochester, Minnesota passed away Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at his home in Rochester.

Clifford William Prigge was born March 2, 1939 in Rochester, MN the son of Erwin and Gertrude (Peyer) Prigge. He grew up on the family farm in Byron, MN and graduated from Byron High School in 1957. Clifford served in the...

Verna Kraft

Jan 2, 2024

The sun has set on a beautiful life. Verna Mathilda (Nelson) Kraft, 96, passed away on January 2 in Rochester, Minnesota at Cottagewood Memory Care. She was born September 1, 1927 in her sister's home in Austin Minnesota. Verna lived in numerous SE MN communities, moving as her father's blacksmith's business necessitated. After attending 8 different schools, she spent her...

Delores Ledebuhr

Jan 2, 2024

Delores M. Ledebuhr, 96, of Rochester, MN passed away Tuesday, January 2, 2024, at Season's Hospice House. She was born in Buffalo County, WI, and grew up in the Cochrane, WI area. She had a long working career working into her late eighties. Delores was an avid gardener and loved to sew and crochet. She is survived by her four...

Michael Fishbaugher

Jan 1, 2024

Mike Fishbaugher, 65, passed peacefully in his home on January 1st, 2024.

 

Michael Dean Fishbaugher was born May 24, 1958 in Harmony, MN to Orrin and Cathy (Ruud) Fishbaugher. After graduating from John Marshall High School in 1976, he studied forestry in La Crosse, WI. Mike had a long career driving trucks for BFI, Waste Management, USPS, and eventually...

David Witherspoon

Dec 30, 2023

Dr. William David Witherspoon, Jr. died of complications from ALS at Season's Hospice in Rochester, Minnesota on December 30, 2023. David was born on April 12, 1959 to Linda Johnson Witherspoon and William David "Billy" Witherspoon in Dillon, South Carolina. He was proceeded in death by his father. David is survived by his wife of 42 years, Louise Atkinson Witherspoon,...

Lori Rime

Dec 30, 2023

Lori J. Rime, age 60, of Rochester, MN passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 30, 2023, at her home surrounded by family, after several complications of pancreatic cancer.

She was born on September 9, 1963, in Virginia, Minnesota and was the second of three children to Richard S. Moore and Mary J. (Bauch) Moore. She graduated from Roosevelt High School...

Jennifer Rice

Dec 25, 2023

Jennifer (Jenny) Margaret Pomainville Rice, 83, of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, died on the evening of December 25, 2023, at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, from congestive heart failure.

Jenny was born on November 9, 1940, in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, to Dr. Leland and Margaret Pomainville. She was the second of their three daughters, including older sister, Ann...

David Williams

Dec 25, 2023

Our father passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 85. His dad left the family when he was a young child leaving his mom to care for four children on her own. A year or two later they moved to his uncle Virgil's farm. Virgil was a hardworking, no-nonsense type of man who would pull giant dairy bulls...

William Fritts

Dec 24, 2023

William D. Fritts, 88, of Byron, MN, passed away on Sunday, December 24, 2023 at his home surrounded by family, after battling with complications of agent orange.

 

William David Fritts was born on November 22, 1935 in Rochester, MN, to parents Lyle and Helen Fritts. Bill began his life of service as a boy scout, and also delivered papers...

Lester Griebenow

Dec 23, 2023

Lester M. Griebenow, age 90, of Rochester, MN passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 23, 2023 at Seasons Hospice House in Rochester, MN surrounded by his loved ones.

He was born on March 19, 1933 in Rochester, Minnesota and was the third of four children to Erwin A. Griebenow and Elsa (Beilke) Griebenow. He graduated from Rochester High...

Kennedy Jada

Dec 22, 2023

A memorial for Kennedy Tombe Jada, 68 of Rochester, MN will be held at 2:00pm, December 29, 2023, at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes in Rochester, Minnesota. Visitation will be held from 1:00-2:00pm. The family has requested a private interment following the visitation.

 

Kennedy Tombe Jada, was born on August 31, 1955 to Tombe and Igale. He was born...

Anita Smith

Dec 21, 2023

 

Anita Priscilla Smith, age 86, of Rochester, Minnesota died on Thursday, December 21, 2023 in Rochester.

Anita was born February 16, 1937 to Alfred and Gladys (Spangler) Husmann in Clinton, Iowa.  She graduated from Clinton High School and went on to attend Iowa Teachers College.  She taught kindergarten for several years.  Anita married Kenneth Smith on March 1, 1958.  ...