Julie Bobrowske, 63
Julie Ann Bobrowske, age 63, of Buffalo passed away on Monday, May 20, 2024, at her residence.
She was born March 19, 1961, and is proceeded in death by her husband, Jack; her parents, Frank and Marion; brother, Steven; and sister, Susan.
She is survived by her brother, Richard (Carolyn); her children, Korrin (William) and Timothy (Melissa); many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, her “favorite children,” Joey and Ashley (her cats); countless other family members and friends.
She enjoyed attending concerts, planning parties, spending quality time with family and friends. She loved to travel and picked up new friends along the way, who would always become family.
Julie grew up in Brooklyn Park, MN, and has remained friends with many of her high school classmates still to this day. She was a pro at roller skating, foosball, pool, dancing, and no matter where she went, she was with her best friend, sister Sue. Eventually, they would claim themselves as the “Shondell Sisters,” since they followed Tommy James all over the country.
One of the biggest qualities about Juile, besides her enormous giving heart, is she was so good at personalizing every gift no matter what the occasion. She always put others first and was so thoughtful with everything she did. To know her is to love her.
Love you to the moon and back!
A visitation will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2024, one hour prior to services at the funeral home.
Funeral services and a time of sharing for Julie Ann Bobrowske will be held on Thursday, May 30, at 4:00 P.M. at The Peterson Chapel in Buffalo. Pastor Dean Brown will officiate.
The Peterson Chapel in Buffalo is serving the family. Online condolences may be made towww.thepetersonchapel.com.
Jean Borrell, 74
Jean V. Borrell, age 74, of Maple Lake, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Sunday, May 26, 2024, at Lake Ridge Care Center in Buffalo, after battling pancreatic cancer for over a year. She was blessed to be at her home until the last week of her life.
Memorial Services to celebrate the life of Jean will be held 1:00 p.m., Sunday June 2, 2024, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Maple Lake with visitation one hour prior to the service. Pastor Culynn Curtis will officiate. Burial will follow at Mt. Hermon Lutheran Church Cemetery in Albion Township. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Holy Cross Lutheran Church or Mt. Hermon Lutheran Church Cemetery Fund. Jean requested that attendees wear colorful clothing to her celebration.
Jean Verona Berg was born October 11, 1949, in St. Cloud to Victor and Martha (Hill) Berg. She graduated from Annandale High School in 1967, and from St. Cloud State University in 1971. In December of 1980, she married the love of her life and soulmate, David Borrell. They raised their sons, Peter and Paul, in their rural Corinna Township home.
To follow are some of the things Jean loved about her life:
Jean had a happy childhood on her parents’ farm in Albion Township. She spent time taking care of the family dogs and cats. At times, 25-30 cats would follow her around the farm! There was one pesky rooster who delighted in chasing her all over. Her favorite cow was Fluffy the Holstein; she patiently stood still for Jean in the barn as a rug was put on her back and Jean climbed on to pretend Fluffy was her horse.
Church events and social activities at her small country church, Mt. Hermon Lutheran, were important for the whole family, sharing their Christian faith and making lifelong friends. Church activities were valued by the whole community, and everyone supported each other.
There were always fun times with Jean’s many cousins, at their homes or on “up north” trips every summer. The family could only stay three nights at a lake cabin since that is how long Jean’s dad could have his dairy cows milked by another person. When relatives would gather, Jean and her cousins would have fun with bikes, the rope swing, playing in the pasture and woods, and swimming at Granite Lake.
Church, home, and family always came first with Jean. RV camping when the boys were young was always great, as well as David and Jean’s trips to other states with friends and family. Jean and the boys spent many happy hours working and playing in the yard, gardens, and woods - biking, working on tree houses, and helping David with a variety of projects. She loved to keep up with family and friends at reunions and community events.
She loved her career as an early childhood and preschool teacher in Maple Lake Schools. She often said the job was so much fun it was almost like not working!
Four special women, Ann, Jean, Edrie and Mary, “AnJeEdMa.” have been a continuing support group for each other. They met in college and continued their friendship for 55 years. They enjoyed all the fun events in college, in the dorm, cracker parties for study breaks, as well as shopping excursions and concerts. The gals went on many trips together and continued this for yearly reunions. They were all in each other’s weddings, truly lifelong friends, and kindred spirits.
As her family and friends know, Jean was an avid gardener, raising vegetables and flowers when the boys were young, and later only flowers. She spent many hours planting, weeding, and watering every summer. Besides her perennial garden, she planted many flowerpots on her deck and along the sidewalks, usually 40 to 50 pots! One spring, she didn’t keep track of how many annuals she had purchased. After planting all the pots, she still had plants yet to plant. So, she bought more pots and continued planting. That year she ended up with almost 80 flowerpots!
Music was another love of Jean’s. From Sunday school songs at church, high school, and church choir, to the beloved Maple Lake Community Theatre productions. Her favorite roles were as Yente, the Matchmaker in the “Fiddler on the Roof” production, and as the Queen in “Cinderella”.
In her retirement years, Jean kept busy volunteering for a number of groups. At Holy Cross Lutheran Church she was on the mission team, taught VBS, sang in the choir, read scriptures on Sunday morning, assisted in the church library, and of course, helped with the church gardens. In the Maple Lake community, she was a member of the Ladybug Garden Club, a volunteer at the Maple Lake Library, a member of the Maple Lake Red Hats, the Retired Teachers group, and three book clubs. She was also a loyal customer at the local coffee house.
Jean is survived by her sons, Peter, of Maple Lake, and Paul (Lacey), of Memphis; grandchildren, Lexey, Lilly, and Penny; siblings, Dorine (Paul) Johnson, of Annandale, and Bruce (Janet) Berg, of Alexandria; and countless family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, David, in 2020; and parents, Victor and Martha Berg.
Peter and Paul Borrell, Bruce Berg, and Dorine Johnson will serve as urn bearers.
Arrangements entrusted to Dingmann Funeral Care Burial and Cremation Services of Maple Lake.
Obituary, Guestbook, Video Tribute, and Funeral Webcast online at www.dingmannfuneral.com.
Cheryl Gransee, 71
Cheryl Ann (Muntifering) Gransee, of St. Michael, Minnesota, passed away May 20, 2024, at the age of 71.
She was born on March 25, 1953, in St. Cloud, Minnesota, as the second of ten children to Frederick and Donna Mae (Cremers) Muntifering.
Cheryl grew up working in her family’s bakery and farm, and graduated from Buffalo High School, in Buffalo, MN, with the class of 1971. After graduating, she obtained a degree in court reporting and quickly found work in Michigan as a stenographer before moving back home to Minnesota and working for American Family Insurance. While working there, she met her life-long love and husband, John, at a work retreat.
After moving to Mercer, Wisconsin in 1995, Cheryl’s love of children eventually led her to work for the Mercer School. She held numerous positions, from Teacher’s Aid to Librarian, ultimately becoming Lead Cook and working with the special education program. She retired in 2018.
Cheryl had an infectious smile, enjoyed bowling, reading, gardening, baking, hunting, and fishing. Cheryl loved the holidays, as they allowed her to give gifts, cook large meals, see family, and, most importantly, bring joy to those around her. Cheryl also enjoyed giving back to those in need, traveling all over the world while volunteering to help others, including South America with Habitat for Humanity and her local church. While she loved to give back to others, the love she had for her family was most important. She would do anything for her family, to include traveling halfway across the world to spend time with her sons. In recent years, Cheryl found joy in becoming a grandmother to three beautiful girls.
Cheryl is preceded in death by her parents; and brother, Craig Muntifering.
She is survived by her husband, John; sons, Ben (Julie) Gransee, of Las Vegas NV; Sam (Natalie) Gransee and granddaughter, Isabel, of Oklahoma City, OK; Adam (Sarah) Brenizer and granddaughters, Nora and Brielle, of Oshkosh, WI; brothers Marc (Jim Hagen) Muntifering, of Seattle, WA; Ron (Colleen) Muntifering, of Buffalo, MN; Chris (Marsha) Muntifering, of Atlanta, GA; and sisters, Patrice (Jon) Bogart, of Monticello, MN; Susan (Tom) Evans, of Buffalo, MN; Ann (Bruce) Hanson, of Buffalo, MN; Mary Muntifering, of Buffalo, MN; and Jean (Jim) Elsenpeter, of Buffalo, MN. Further survived by 17 nieces and nephews and many beloved friends.
A celebration of life will be held Tuesday June 4, 2024, at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Buffalo, MN. Service will begin at 11:00 A.M. with visitation one hour prior.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital, or a charity of your choosing. A luncheon will follow the funeral service at the church with a private burial at a later date.
The Peterson Chapel in Buffalo is serving the family. Online condolences may be made towww.thepetersonchapel.com.
Vernice Kowalke, 89
Vernice Marie (Ordorff) Kowalke, of Buffalo, passed away on Monday, May 20, 2024, at her residence.
She was born on October 18, 1934, at home in Buffalo. She was baptized at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church by Pastor W.C. Nichols. Vernice was confirmed in the Christian faith on March 21, 1948, at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church by Pastor E.R. Berwald. She graduated from Buffalo High School in 1952. On September 17, 1955, Vernice Ordorff and William “Bill” Kowalke were joined in holy marriage at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church by Pastor E.R. Berwald. Verncie was employed at Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association for 38 years. She retired from her Administrative Assistant position in 1990. Vernice was a devoted wife and enjoyed traveling, fishing, and hunting with her late husband, Bill. They enjoyed entertaining family and friends. They especially enjoyed watching their nieces and nephews and their families grow.
Vernice was a faithful member of Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church. She had served as a Sunday School teacher, a summer Bible School teacher, worked with the Ladies Aid, and the Jesus Cares Ministry program at Immanuel. She was a member of the Board of Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Lutheran Brotherhood Branch Publicity Officer, served on the board and as a volunteer at the Wise Penny Thrift Shop in Buffalo.
Survived by, Caregiver nieces and nephew, Brenda DesMarais, Brent and Geri Kowalke; sister, Marlys (James) Schermer; brother-in-law, James (Darlene) Kowalke; sister-in-law, Karen; Klauson; brother-in-law: Kim (Liz) Kowalke; many loving nieces and nephews, grand and great grandnieces and nephews; and many other relatives and friends.
Preceded in death by her husband, Bill, in 2015; her parents, George and Florence (Mosher) Ordorff; sisters, Beverly (Ordorff) Kowalke and Lucille (Ordorff) Weldele; father-in-law, Henry Kowalke; mother-in-law, Mayta (Schmidt) Kowalke; brother-in-law, Jerome Weldele; brother-in-law, Gary Klauson; nephew, John Weldele; and by a nephew-in-law, Randy DesMarais.
Funeral Services for Vernice Marie (Ordorff) Kowalke were held on Tuesday, May 28, at 11:30 A.M. at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church-Pelican Lake. Pastor Christopher Oehlke officiated.
Interment followed at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery.
A visitation was held on Tuesday, May 28, from 9:30-11:30 A.M. AT THE CHURCH.
Honorary Casket Bearers were Brent Kowalke, Chad Rentz, Bruce Stensby, Joe Landowski, Ryan Laudenbach, and Jayden Long.
Casket Bearers were Darren Fischer, grandnephew-in-law; Justin Klauson, godson; Matthew DesMarais, godson; Bruce Schmidt, godson; Kyle Kowalke, nephew; and Michael DesMarais, grandnephew.
The Peterson Chapel in Buffalo served the family. Online condolences may be made towww.thepetersonchapel.com.
Darlene Kunz, 75
Darlene Mary (Poirier) Kunz, age 75, formerly of Buffalo and Rogers, MN, passed away on Saturday, May 18, 2024.
She was born in St. Cloud, MN, on June 24, 1948, the daughter of Johnny and Elsie Poirier.
Darlene graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Waverly, MN, in 1966.
Darlene Poirier and James D. Kunz were united in holy marriage on July 20, 1968, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Buffalo, MN. God blessed their marriage with three children.Jim Kunz preceded his wife in death on October 19, 2020.
She enjoyed, on a daily basis, taking care of her granddaughter, Kendra (“Kenny”).Darlene was also fond of her backyard, playing bingo, planting flowers, and spending time with all her great-grandchildren.
Survived by her children, Brad (Jeanna) Kunz, of South Carolina, Ted (Catherine) Kunz, of Iowa, and Jeannine (Jeffrey) Dille, of Zimmerman; twelve grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; siblings, Shirley Winslett, Bernie (Ron) Lachermeier, Betty (Woody) Lachermeier, Shari (Micky) Goodale, and Daniel (Bev) Poirier; many other relatives and friends.
In addition to her husband, Darlene was preceded in death by her parents.
A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial for Darlene (Poirier) Kunz will be held on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at 11:00 A.M. at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Buffalo, MN. Visitation will be held AT THE CHURCH one hour prior to the Mass on Thursday, June 6.
Inurnment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
The Peterson Chapel, Buffalo, MN, assisted the family with funeral arrangements. On-line condolences can be made at www.thepetersonchapel.com.
