All Obituaries

After over four years at Havenwood Care Center, Marlene Bergstrom went to be with her heavenly Father on December 28, 2020. Memorial services will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday, June 12, 2021 at Bethel Lutheran Church, Bemidji. Family will greet friends one hour prior to the service at the church. Marlene Fae Hanson was born on December 12, 1930 to Harry and Hilda Hanson in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. She grew up and graduated from Lake Bronson High School. She worked at her father’s...

Joyce Lortie, 86, of Bemidji, MN died Monday, February 8, 2021 at her home surrounded by her loving family. Memorial services will be held 10:30 a.m., Saturday, April 24, 2021 at Olson-Schwartz Funeral Home in Bemidji.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.  Inurnment will be in Calvary Cemetery, Bemidji. Joyce Bruers was born October 14, 1934 in Clyde, ND to Theodore & Edwina Bruers.  As a young girl her family moved to Bemidji.  She graduated from...

Emily Clarice Jacobson who was born in Clearbrook, raised in the Clearbrook and Puposky area, passed away April 8, 2021 at age 92. (would have been 93 in several days) She was a cancer survivor from the 1980’s. Emily spent her marriage of 66 years along with her husband farming the original family homestead in Liberty Township. Before marriage, she spent a lot of her time with a good friend whose husband was in the war, raising her 2 little boys. She also did babysitting for several...

Her name was Edith Ann and that’s the truth. Edith Ann Jessen, age 87, passed peacefully on March 4. She is survived by her husband Robert (Bob) and three sons, Tom, Alan, and Eric, and her five grandchildren. Memorial Services will be 10:30 a.m., Saturday, April 10, 2021 at New Salem Lutheran Church, Turtle River, MN. Eadie, as so many called her, lived life fully. She was a tomboy and daddy’s girl on the farm. In country school she ruled and no one messed with her or her...

Barbara Borgen, 61, of Bemidji, MN died Monday, March 22, 2021 in Bemidji, MN surrounded by her loving family. A Celebration of Life will be 5-9 p.m., Friday, April 9, 2021 at the Bemidji Eagles Club. Barbara Jo Mintey was born August 22, 1959 in Bemidji, MN to Wayne and Margaret Mintey. She grew up in the Guthrie area and graduated from Bemidji High School in 1977. Barb worked for Northern National Bank immediately after high school. She would work there for 21 years before going to work...

Sheila Lou (DesJardins) Otting was born July 30, 1941 in Detroit Lakes, MN to George and Lucille DesJardins. She passed away April 4, 2021. A Celebration of Life will be 2:00 p.m., Friday, April 9, 2021 at Zion Lutheran Church of Eddy Township, rural Bagley. She was raised in Felton, MN by her paternal grandparents, Ernest and Regina (Usselman) DesJardins. She attended school in Felton. She married David Otting on June 6, 1959. They farmed at Felton until moving to the Clearbrook area in...

Allen “Sonny” English, Jr., 73, died Monday, March 29, 2021 at Red Lake Hospital, Red Lake, MN. Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, April 3, 2021 at the New Little Rock Community Center, Little Rock, MN.  A Wake will begin at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, April 1, 2021 at the New Little Rock Community Center and will continue until the time of the service.  Interment will be in St. John’s Episcopal Cemetery, Red Lake, MN. Allen Francis English, Jr. was born...

Jeanette Ann (Olson) Downey 86 was born on August 17, 1934 of Bemidji, MN passed away peacefully on Monday, March 29, 2021 at Neilson Place, Bemidji. A graveside memorial will be held on August 14, 2021 at 1 p.m. at the Hines Cemetery with a picnic style luncheon to follow.  Jeanette was born to E. Robert and Millie (Adams) Olson in Dassel Minnesota. She graduated from Blackduck High School. Jeanette was united in marriage to Cleve R. Downey on September 10, 1952 Together with her...

Paul “Red” Brune, 99, died Monday, March 22, 2021 at his home on Lake Plantagenet. Funeral Mass will be 10:00 a.m., Saturday, March 27, 2021 at St. Philips Catholic Church, Bemidji.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in Holy Cross Cemetery. Red was born in Templeton, Iowa on June 16, 1921 to Henry and Julianna (Julich) Brune. His family moved to the Bemidji area where he grew up on “Brunes Camp” family resort on...

Thomas Dean Spangler passed away on March 25, 2021 at home with family as was his wish. Tom was born August 20, 1949 to Isadore (Bill) and Pauline Spangler in Bemidji. He lived most of his life in the Turtle River-Tenstrike area, graduating from Bemidji High School. He married Cheryl Spencer in September of 1968 and shortly thereafter was drafted into the US Army and spent a year in Vietnam as a member of the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles.  Upon his return he resided in Turtle River...