Dean Bettenberg Obituary

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday, April 4, 2024 at St. Michaels Catholic Church in St. Cloud for Dean A. Bettenberg, 76 who passed away Friday at Quiet Oaks Hospice House in St. Augusta. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Rev. Brady Keller will officiate. Arrangements are entrusted to Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home in Sauk Rapids.
Dean was born September 3, 1947 in St. Cloud to Charles and Harriet (Schill) Bettenberg. After graduating high school, he proudly served in the Minnesota National Guards for 6 years. Dean married Pamela Ruehle on October 9, 1971 at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in St. Cloud. They made their home in Apple Valley, raising their children and had recently celebrated 52 years of marriage. He was a member of St. Michaels Catholic Church and the Sartell Legion Post #277. Dean worked for the Donaldson Company, Inc. for over 42 years as an engineer and in the sales department before retiring in 2009. His steadfastness and perseverance were nothing shy of great. Dean was talented woodworker and always found ways to make things work efficiently and feasibly. Camping and travel with family were two of his favorite things. The conservation of wildlife was important to him and he especially enjoyed feeding the birds. He was known for his good sense of humor, jokes and quips and was known to prank people from time to time, he made us smile. Dean was the consummate provider we are so grateful for every little (and big) thing he did for us.
Dean is survived by his wife, Pam of St. Cloud; son, Chad Bettenberg of St. Cloud, daughter, Carrie Bettenberg of Minneapolis; grandchildren, William, Kaitlin, Joseph and Matthew; siblings, Douglas (Barb) Bettenberg of Sartell, Durwood (Renee) Bettenberg of Sartell, Patrick (Sue) Bettenberg of Remer and Naomi Viehauser (Jack Sturm) of St. Cloud. He is preceded in death by his parents.
Memorials are preferred to Cathedral High School and the American Cancer Society.
Obituary, Guest Book and Video tribute available online: www.williamsdingmann.com

Roger Putnam Schmidt, 76, of Park Rapids, MN died November 25 at home from heart failure.

Roger was born April 29, 1947 in St. Cloud, MN to Charles and Harriet (Putnam) Schmidt. He attended St. Cloud State Campus Lab School for elementary and graduated from Tech High School in 1965, where he participated on the swim team. Roger attended Macalester College and the University of Minnesota and received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1972. He returned to St. Cloud and led a successful career practicing law at Schmidt & Lund.

Roger enjoyed playing piano and guitar, skiing in Colorado, boating on Clearwater Lake, visiting with friends at the local bar, and traveling to Costa Rica where he built a beautiful vacation home in his retirement. He spent his final years living in northern Minnesota, walking through the woods and putzing in the garage listening to music.

Survivors include daughter Anne (Adam Schrag) and grandchildren Owen and Rosie of Minneapolis, MN; brother Chuck (Julie) of Clear Lake, MN; Yami Alfaro and her children Andrea, Jenny, Karen and Simon of Costa Rica; Matthew (Kelli) Bronder, their two children, and Alexander (Lindsay) Bronder, and their three children. He was preceded in death by his mother and father.

A memorial gathering will be held at a later time and a headstone will be placed in North Corinna Cemetery, Annandale, MN

Thomas Zitur Obituary

Thomas Richard Zitur, age 76, of Sauk Rapids, MN, passed away peacefully Tuesday morning, October 17, 2023, at his home with his wife, Chris, by his side.
A memorial gathering celebrating Tom's life will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 PM on Thursday, November 16, 2023 at Del-tone Gun Club. The St. Cloud Fire Department will provide an honor guard and military honors will be provided by the Sauk Rapids American Legion. Funeral arrangements were made by Benson Funeral Home, St. Cloud, MN.
Tom was born August 14, 1947 to Alois "Al" and Wanda "Bunny" (Opitz) Zitur. He spent his early childhood growing up in 'Pan Town' and graduated from Tech High School in 1965.
After high school, Tom enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps where he served for four years, doing two tours in Vietnam and was honorably discharged in 1969. Tom then drove to Alaska to work on the pipeline and in construction. He returned to Minnesota, working as a firefighter for the St. Cloud Fire Department for 26 years (from 1974 to 2000), obtained his pilot's license and in his spare time drove Care Cab for Country Manor. He also worked for DPMS and at Del-Tone Luth Gun Club. After retirement, his favorite pastimes were hunting, shooting, riding his Indian motorcycle, smoking his cigars and woodworking, always with his dogs at his side. Tom loved the time his grandchildren spent with him.
Tom married LaVonne (Reideman) Teske in 1972. Together they had a son, Mark Zitur. They later divorced.
On April 21, 1993 Tom was united in marriage to Christine (Alter) Osterholt in Sauk Centre, MN.
Tom is survived by his wife of 30 years, Christine Zitur; children, Mark (LauraJo) Zitur of Fitchburg, WI, Matthew (Stacey) Osterholt of Sartell, MN, and Laura (Cole) Hedlund of Sauk Rapids, MN; grandchildren, Zoe, Vera and Leo Zitur; Elena, Allyson and Wyatt Osterholt; and Audree and William Hedlund; sister, Karen (Ralph) Hanson of Willmar, MN; brother, Steven (Sonja) Zitur of St. Cloud, MN; sister-in-law MaryLou Zitur of Avon, MN; and nieces and nephew, Christy O'keefe, Matthew Hansen, Michelle Zitur, Amanda Sweningsen and Samantha Rule.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Al and Bunny Zitur, mother-in-law, Audree Alter, and brother, Kenneth Zitur.

Charles Fay Brigham III was educated in the St. Cloud Public School system. Following this, Charlie joined the United States Army for three years, obtaining the rank of Sergeant during the Vietnam War. He returned home and expressed a desire to obtain his aviation rating. Charlie graduated from the Spartan School of Aeronautics, Tulsa, OK. Upon graduation Charlie successfully acquired his Airframe AND Powerplant rating. He was then contacted by a friend that inquired as to his interest of obtaining employment out of the country. He applied for employment and was accepted (with very little information). He was then flown from Tulsa, OK to Washington, D.C. where he was issued a passport. A few days later he was on his way to Thailand and stationed to Udorn. He discovered he was employed by Air America. Later it was revealed, this to be a subsidy of the CIA; their private airline. Charlie remained in Udorn for five years until the mission was terminated. The group was then transferred to Iran; under the name of Bell Helicopter, which was a continuation of the above. Charlie remained in Isfahan, Iran for three years and fore-saw the fall of the Iranian government. He returned home before the fall of the Shaw, which was fortunate. In 1977 he applied and was accepted at the Stearns County Sheriffs Department in their Patrol Division. Charlie retired in 1999 with the position of Captain. Charlie had a palpable loyalty to his country and the community in which he was raised and lived. Charlie had his own form of integrity; custom made to suit him. By definition, his integrity was higher than anything defined in written form. He was well liked, loved and respected. He understood many things about life that most of us have no exposure to or concept of…

Please join us for a Memorial Service

Honoring Charlie’s life

Saturday, October 21, 2023

The Waters Church

1227 Pine Cone Road North

Sartell, MN 56377

Visitation 10 am - Noon

Service at Noon

Karen Weber went home to God on Tuesday, July 25th, 2023. Karen was born to Victor and Bernice Gohmann. She grew up in St. Cloud with her four siblings, and graduated from Tech High School in 1965. She married the love of her life, Alvin Weber on June 24th, 1967.Karen drove school bus for over 30 years. Her hobbies included sewing, bowling, golfing, camping, playing cards, traveling and casinos. Karen was an accomplished cook and baker, and loved cooking for her family.Her grandchildren meant a great deal to her and were the light of her life. Her two great-grandaughters knew her affectionately as "Money Gaga!"Karen is survived by her husband, Alvin; children, Paul and Barb Weber of Foley, Sheila Swanson (friend, Jeff) of Clearwater; grandchildren, Jeremy (Michaela), Kirsten (Jordan), Troy (Mackenzie), Samantha, and Victor; great granddaughters, Raleigh and Mabreigh; siblings, Ron (Pat) Gohmann, Pat (Tom) Kaeter, Mary (Gary) Justin; brothers and sisters in-law, many nieces, nephews and friends.Karen was preceded in death by her son, Troy; parents, Victor and Bernice Gohmann; and brother, LeRoy Gohmann.Visitation for family and friends will be on August 15th, 4:00-7:00 PM in Mary Hall at St. Wendelin Church in Luxemburg, MN. A mass of Christian burial will be on August 16th, 10:30 AM, also at St. Wendelin's.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, August 9, 2023, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Sauk Rapids for Gary W. Fuchs, 76, of Sauk Rapids. Rev. Thomas Knoblach will officiate and burial will be at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery near Little Falls. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the church on Wednesday morning. Arrangements are entrusted to Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home in Sauk Rapids.
Gary Wayne Fuchs was born on January 12, 1947 in Chicago, IL to Alfred Sr. and Rose (Stepanovich) Fuchs. He grew up and spent most of his life in the St. Cloud/ Sauk Rapids area. On March 17, 1973 he married Patricia Dickinson in Waite Park. Gary served our country proudly in the United States Marine Corps, spending one tour in Vietnam and two tours in Okinawa, Japan and Camp Lejeune, NC. He was an M.P. and drove wreckers while serving also. He worked as a true legendary truck driver for Stemm and Arfsten Transfer/Lube Tech for 45 years. Gary was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Sauk Rapids and a lifetime member of the Sauk Rapids VFW Post 6992. He enjoyed boating, being at the lake, playing pool, and R.C. racing with his son. He loved spending time with family and friends and his loving grandchildren. Gary was a kind, friendly man and will be missed dearly.
Survivors include his wife, Pat of Sauk Rapids; son, Ryan of Monticello; daughter, Julie (Scott) Smullen on Bloomington; sister, June (Ron) Hoffman of Annandale; grandchildren, Jaden, Logan, Easton, Alexis and Sydney; brothers-in-law, sisters in law and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Alfred P. Fuchs Jr.
Gary's family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Coborn Cancer Center staff and especially Dr. Luke and the CentraCare St. Cloud Hospital team for all of the kind and compassionate care that was given to him. A special thank you to the spiritual care chaplains and staff for everything they did for us. Your kind words will never be forgotten. Thank you to the VA Hospital and Homecare Services for all the wonderful care and help they gave us.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Gary W., please visit our floral store.

Obituary

Mass of Christian Burial celebrating the life of Nancy R. (Lechner) Stehr, 75, of Backus and formerly of St. Cloud will be 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in St. Cloud. Nancy passed away on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 at Sanford Medical Center in Bemidji. Reverend Thomas Knoblach will officiate. Entombment with military honors will be at Assumption Cemetery Mausoleum, St. Cloud. Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday and after 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Arrangements are with Daniel Funeral Home, St. Cloud. Nancy was born on August 26, 1947 in St. Cloud to the late Victor and Winifred (Ethen) Theisen. She graduated from Tech High School and proudly served in the US Army during Vietnam. She married Jim Lechner on May 29, 1976 at Christ Newman Center in St. Cloud. They resided in Isanti for many years and returned to St. Cloud in 1997. Nancy was the secretary of Holy Spirit Catholic Church for many years. Jim passed away in 2006 and Nancy married Paul Stehr in 2015 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church and they lived in Backus. Nancy will be remembered for her deep faith, love of family and jovial personality. She was a vibrant woman who loved to joke, talk and have fun. She also enjoyed knitting, sewing, doing crafts, gardening, baking and being teased about her “good” cooking. She is survived by her children, Bryan Lechner (Kimberly Berger), Paul Lechner, Trista “Anni” Lechner (Eric Caldier); three grandchildren, Anastasia, Caitlin and Mathias Lechner; and siblings, Sharon (James) Giebel, Bonnie (Herbie) Shraut, Vickie Berg (Shirley Lee), Bruce (Wendy)Theisen, Debbie (Randy) Orth, Mark (Judy) Theisen, Scott (Mary) Theisen, Todd (Pam) Theisen; companion, Dennis Keep; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by both husbands, Jim in 2006 and Paul in 2020; and sister, Terrie in 1977. Livestreaming will be available at: www.holyspiritstcloud.net

ROGER GANGL OBITUARY

[Roger M. Gangl obituary, St. Cloud, MN] Memorial Services will be 12:00 p.m. Thursday, September 22, 2022 at Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home in Sauk Rapids for Roger M. Gangl, age 76, who passed away peacefully Sunday at his home surrounded by his family. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services on Thursday at the funeral home in Sauk Rapids. Please wear Viking colors to the service in honor of Roger.
Roger was born July 12, 1946 in St. Cloud to Fred & Rose (Eddle) Gangl. He married Mary Jane Spaeth on July 15, 1965 at St. Mary s Cathedral in St. Cloud. He lived in St. Cloud until moving to Sartell in 2002. Roger was a truck driver for Consolidated Freight, Budget, and Riders. He was also a bartender at Midway in St. Joseph, Delwin, Sportsman, and Moose Lodge. Roger was a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church in St. Cloud and the Moose Lodge. He enjoyed fishing, mushroom picking, the Minnesota Vikings, and spending time with his grandchildren. Roger had a great sense of humor, was a great joke teller and always got a good bargain at garage sales.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Mary Jane of Sartell; children, Michelle (Jay) Maehren of Rice, Mike (Kim) Gangl of Kimball, and Robin (fianc Jesse) Gangl of Sartell; grandchildren, Tom Sr. and girlfriend Shannon, Tim, Noah, Cody, Caleb, Austin and girlfriend Emilee; great grandchildren, Tommy Jr., Johnathan, Ty, Kevin Isabella Izzy and Violet; brothers and sister, Ed (Linda) of Brooklyn Park, Herman (Pat) of St. Joseph, Clarence (Linda) of Clearwater, FL, and Carol (Clark) Jones of Clearwater, MN; many nieces and nephews; and his dog, Bella. He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred & Rose Gangl; son-in-law, Jay Maehren; grandson, Timothy Maehren; mother-in-law, Josephine Spaeth; father-in-law, Eugene Spaeth; and many more family.
A special thank you to Dr. Julie Zwiener and her nurse Peggy, Dr. Ralph and nurse Lynn, Dr. Lalley, Wendy Braegelmann, Teri Bierman, CentraCare Hospice especially Ashley, and Fr. Eb Schefers.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Roger, please visit our floral store.

May 1, 1947 - June 23, 2022

 

A celebration of life for Marcia Kay (Stevens) Carlson, 75 who passed away on Thursday June 23, will be at 11:00 am Thursday June 30, 2022, at Atonement Lutheran Church in St. Cloud. Rev. Timothy Lindhorst will officiate and internment will be in North Star Cemetery. Visitation will be from 10:00 am to 11:00 am Thursday morning at the Church.

Marcia was born on May 1, 1947 in Willmar to Sherman and Myrtle (Westheim) Stevens. She graduated from Tech High School in 1965 and on November 6, 1965 she married her high school sweetheart Kenneth Carlson Sr. in Bethlehem Lutheran Church, St. Cloud. Marcia was employed in hospitality at the Holiday Inn, St. Cloud and St. Cloud State University. She volunteered at Atonement Lutheran Church and with the St. Cloud Youth Hockey program for many years. In her free time, she enjoyed doing crafts, camping, reading and traveling. Her sons and grandsons were a great joy to her and she loved spending time with them.

Marcia is survived by her husband of 56 years, Kenneth, sons; Kenneth Jr. of Sartell and Scott (Tanya) of Tampa, FL., grandsons: Logan and Reece, brothers and sister: Michael (Leeza) Stevens of Sedona, AZ., Renee (Bob) Jansky of Sartell and Rick (Laurie) Stevens of Cold Spring. Also, many good friends and relatives.

She was preceded in death by her parents, infant son Steven and sister-in-law Kathleen “Suz” Luethmers.

Read More: Marcia Kay (Stevens) Carlson, 75, St. Cloud | https://wjon.com/marcia-kay-stevens-carlson-75-st-cloud/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Sharon "Sheri" L. Bitzan – Obituary

Name: Sharon "Sheri" L. Bitzan

Age: 74

Born: 09-29-1947

Died: 02-02-2022

Visitation:
Daniel Funeral Home, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Service:
Joy Christian Center, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Funeral Services for Sharon “Sheri” L. Bitzan, 74 of Avon, MN will be at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, February 7, 2022 at Joy Christian Center in Saint Cloud. Pastor Jeff Manthe will officiate. Immediately following the ceremony will be a “lunch party” at Park Event Center in Waite Park. Entombment will be at Assumption Cemetery Mausoleum in Saint Cloud.

Visitation will be held between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 6 at Daniel Funeral Home in Saint Cloud and one hour prior to services on Monday at the Church.

Sheri passed away peacefully with her husband Mike by her side at the Saint Cloud Hospital just after midnight on February 2, 2022, after spending the whole previous day surrounded by her family.  

Sheri was born on September 29,1947 to Wally and Virgie Collins in Saint Cloud.  Sheri graduated from Saint Cloud Beauty College in 1967, and went on to have a successful career in Cosmetology, including owning and operating two beauty shops in Saint Cloud until her retirement.

Sheri married her loving husband Mike on November 8, 1974 in Saint Cloud.  Mike adopted Sheri’s daughter Angie, and together they adopted their son Christian from Paraguay, South America in 1987.   Another failed adoption of a little girl named Carmen led Sheri to travel to Paraguay in a quest to help the poor children of Paraguay. Out of this quest was born “The Project for the People of Paraguay”, a non profit organization that has built 45 homes for families who formerly lived in the slums of the capital city Assuncion.  The project also has over 200 sponsored children who are provided medical, dental, psychological services along with tuition and school supplies and emergency food during the pandemic. The project has many other programs to help the families help themselves.  Sheri said God meant her to be “Mother to many” rather than just to one.

Sheri loved spending time with her family which included her husband, daughter, son, son in law, and four grandchildren. Days at the lake with family were the best times of all. She loved her many friends in Minnesota, in Florida at Mike and Sheri’s condo in Bradenton, and around the world, especially in Paraguay.  She and Mike loved to golf together, and with friends in both Minnesota and Florida.  Sheri was an accomplished gardener as is evidenced by the multiple flower gardens surrounding the Bitzan home on Upper Spunk Lake.

But the most important love in Sheri’s life was God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son.  She got up early every morning to read her Bible, write reflections on that reading, and pray for her family and hundreds of friends.  One of the many things we treasure is that dog eared written upon Bible, and all the reflections that she wrote.  She was a woman who truly lived her life in service of the Lord.  Anyone who came in contact with her was better for the experience!

Sheri is survived by her loving family; husband Mike, children Angie Cooper (Tony), and Chris; grandchildren Lex, Lauren, and Liam Cooper, and Brielle Bitzan. She is also survived by her sisters; Deb Schaaf (Jim), and Terri Hale (Jeff).She is also survived by her father-in-law, Donald J. Bitzan. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Daniel, and mother in law Patricia.

The family wants to thank the doctors and nurses at Melrose hospital, and the ICU team of doctors and nurses at Saint Cloud hospital. We will forever be grateful for your competent and compassionate care for Sheri.

Memorials can be made to “The Project for the People of Paraguay”.

From Jay Wahlin

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Reunion photos from Linda Cook-DeZurik,
Bob Coates and me.

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Jeffrey L. Kilian

Obituary

Roger D. Bialke

Age 74 of St. Francis, passed away on 8/25/2021 after a long and brave battle with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Roger grew up in the St. Cloud/ Sartell area and graduated from high school in St. Cloud. He spent over 45 years working in the Civil Engineering/ Construction Inspection field. Preceded in death by parents, Dan and Delphine. He will be deeply missed by Jan, his loving wife of almost 53 years; children, Kristin (Corey) Nesemeier, Jeff, Brad (Amanda); 3 grandchildren, Julian, Jaide, Autumn; 2 great-grandchildren, Tayah and Skyla; brother, Russell (Debbie); sisters, Darlene (Donovan), Roberta (Jimmy), Mary Jo (Paul), and Becky (Mike); many other relatives, several that live in the St. Cloud/ Sartell/ Foley area, and many great friends. A celebration of Roger's life will be held on Saturday, Sept. 25th at 1:00 P.M. at the family cabin in Nevis, MN.

Obituary

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Roger D. Bialke

Age 74 of St. Francis, passed away on 8/25/2021 after a long and brave battle with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Roger grew up in the St. Cloud/ Sartell area and graduated from high school in St. Cloud. He spent over 45 years working in the Civil Engineering/ Construction Inspection field. Preceded in death by parents, Dan and Delphine. He will be deeply missed by Jan, his loving wife of almost 53 years; children, Kristin (Corey) Nesemeier, Jeff, Brad (Amanda); 3 grandchildren, Julian, Jaide, Autumn; 2 great-grandchildren, Tayah and Skyla; brother, Russell (Debbie); sisters, Darlene (Donovan), Roberta (Jimmy), Mary Jo (Paul), and Becky (Mike); many other relatives, several that live in the St. Cloud/ Sartell/ Foley area, and many great friends. A celebration of Roger's life will be held on Saturday, Sept. 25th at 1:00 P.M. at the family cabin in Nevis, MN.

Sandra "Sandi" M. Weis-Freier, 69

Minnetonka

April 24, 1947 - May 13, 2016

A Celebration of Life will be from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 21, 2016 at Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home, Sauk Rapids for Sandra Weis-Freier, 69 of Minnetonka who passed away at her home on Friday, May 13, 2016 after a courageous battle with cancer.

Sandra was born on April 24, 1947 in St. Cloud to Roland "Rollie" and Janette (Almer) Weis. She obtained a Master's degree in sociology and in jewelry making from St. Cloud State. Sandi married Jan Freier on March 18, 1978. She worked as a graphic designer print coordinator for 3M and other various companies over the years. Sandi was very caring, loving and artistic. She expressed her creativity in many ways, enjoying painting, making jewelry and beading. Sandi was very positive and determined. Her family was very important to her, especially her nieces and nephews.

Survivors include her husband of 38 years, Jan of Minnetonka; parents, Rollie and Janette of Sartell; sister, Sue Primus of Sartell; niece and nephews, Melissa Widseth, Sean Primus and Mikah Primus; three great nieces and three great nephews.