Hortense Louisa (Simpkins) Davis, 92, of Galesburg, IL died Tuesday November 6, 2018 at 4:15 p.m. at home.
She was born December 21, 1925 to Peter and Olga (Warden) Simpkins. Hortense married John D. Davis on June 28, 1942 in Palmyra, Missouri. He preceded her in death July 10, 1999.
Hortense is survived by her four children, Barry (Charlotte Self) Davis of Florida, Kriss (Betsy Hensley) Davis of Bloomington, Kerry (Sandy Furniss) Davis of Ely, Minnesota, and Dixie Davis-Sharp of Galesburg; seven grandchildren, Dorothy Lam, Timothy Sharp, Chad Davis, John Davis, Taylor Davis, Justin Davis, and Sara Skar; nine great grandchildren, Eleia Lam, Baron Lam, Minuet Lam, Mason Davis, Isabella Davis, Jace Davis, Cameron Sharp, Emelia Skar, and Theodore Skar; and two great great grandchildren Ivy Sharp and Lennon Sharp. She is also survived by her sister, Sylvia Simpkins-Stoutner of Penn Valley, California and numerous nieces and nephews across the country.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and one brother-in-law, Lyle Stoutner.
Hortense graduated from Abingdon High School in 1943; she then worked at an ordinance plant in Burlington during the war. She worked at the Galesburg Research Hospital and was a long-time Sunday School Teacher and a Reading Buddy at Nielson School. She was a member of the Women’s Club and Lydia’s Circle. Hortense enjoyed bird watching, playing cards, and the flower beds outside of her window.
Visitation will be from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday, November 12, 2018 at Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral Directors and Cremation Services Galesburg Chapel. Funeral service will be at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday November 13, 2018 at the chapel with Pastor Bob Myers officiating. Burial will follow in Abingdon Cemetery. Memorials may be given to the Knox County Make a Wish Foundations or the Milk Fund.

Philip K. DuFresne, 104, Two Harbors, passed away peacefully on November 13, 2018 at Ecumen Scenic Shores in Two Harbors.
He was born June 20, 1914 to Henry and Hulda (Johnson) DuFresne in North Dakota. When he was a child, his mother remarried and they moved to Two Harbors, where Phil remained the rest of his life. He was the second oldest of the four boys and one sister.
In 1935 he married Delores (Pat) O’Brian and had two sons, David and Fred. In 1936, John (Boomer) Norlen, (a cousin of Pat’s) at age 12, came to live with them temporarily and stayed permanently.
Phil retired with 41 years working for the D.M.I.R. (Duluth, Mesabi & Iron Range Railroad). He at one time co-owned a local pool hall with a friend in the mid 1950s and ran the Dairy Queen for a few years in the early 1960s.
A lover of the outdoors, Phil spent most of his free time at the “Shack.” He loved hunting and could always be counted on to make his “panny cakes” for breakfast on Deer Opener. He was the official cook until he was age 92. Phil was also an avid walker, walking three miles a day until the age of 90.
Phil’s love for his family was very apparent. His greatest joy in life was spending time with his children and grandchildren.
Phil was a member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church of Two Harbors, Loyal Order of Moose, and Railway and Steamship Clerks.
He is preceded in death by parents; wife, Pat; an infant son; John Norlen; granddaughter, Laurie; brothers, Earl, Douglas, and Bob; and sister, Mary.
He is survived by sons David (Ronnie) of Ely and Fred (Vicki) of Two Harbors; Karin Norlen; five grandchildren, Brenda, Barb (John), Debbie (Ron), Patty (Pat), and Bob (Xiahua); nine great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson.
Phil’s family would like to thank the staff of Ecumen Scenic Shores and Ecumen Care Center for the loving care he received.
Services will be held at 1 PM on Friday, November 30, 2018 at Cavallin Funeral Home. To sign the online guestbook please visit www.cavallinfuneralhome.com.

Shirley Miller, 87 of Embarrass, died Monday, November 19, 2018. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home.

Herbert R. Lamppa, 88, of Tower, passed away on Wednesday, November 14, 2018 at St. Michael’s Health and Rehabilitation Center in Virginia.
He was born on December 11, 1929, the son of Richard and Rose (Rapinoja) Lamppa, in Embarrass, where he grew up.
Herb was united in marriage to Edna Hiltunen on January 24, 1948 in Vermilion Township. They made their home in Tower, where he and Edna owned and operated the Tower Dairy for over 25 years.
He served on the Tower city council, served four terms as mayor of Tower, three terms as county commissioner, established Lamppa Manufacturing and was a math teacher for 19 ½ years.
During his over 32 years in public service, Herb had the foresight to spearhead the harbor project, obtain IRRRB funding for the current charter school building, ran water and sewer lines for future development of the new industrial park, along with infrastructure improvements throughout Tower, obtained funding for the Tower Civic Center, the housing developments, both at the cemetery and the North hillside addition and the initial expansion of both Hoodoo Point and at the airport.
During his years of teaching math, he helped implement the hands on Piaget math program which spread to many school districts throughout the state. He also was head baseball coach and assistant basketball coach in Tower.
Herb was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tower, National Teachers Association, Seaway Port Authority board for 12 years, JPTA for 12 years and the Gunderson Forest board for 12 years.
He is survived by his children: Faye (Nick) Tekautz of Soudan, Daryl (Cheryl) Lamppa of Lake Vermilion, Gayle (Philip) Lamppa of Chicago, Randall (Sharon) Lamppa of Texarkana, Arkansas and Steve (Sonja) Lamppa of Duluth; grandchildren: Brendon Lamppa, Garret Lamppa, Blaine Lamppa, Andrea Vlaminck, Lindsey Lamppa, Delia Durfee and Reese Lamppa; step-grandchildren: Pamela McMahon, Keith and Craig Nelson; great-grandchildren: Taimi Lamppa, Henry and Elizabeth Vlaminck, Weston and Everett Durfee; brothers, Roger (Joan) Lamppa of Virginia and Fred (Karen) Lamppa of Britt; nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wife of 70 years, Edna Lamppa; sisters, Flora Koivisto and Kathleen Janeksela; brothers: Raymond, Bernhardt and Francis Lamppa.
A Celebration of Life for Herb will be at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, November 29, 2018 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tower, with Pastor Liz Cheney officiating. A gathering of family and friends will be for one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in Lakeview Cemetery in Tower. Arrangements are with the Landmark Funeral home of Virginia.

Michelle M. Weisinger, 59, of Aurora, formerly of Ely, passed away on Monday, November 19, 2018 at Essentia Health- St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

Alfred Lacy Johnson , formerly of Ely, changed addresses from Twin Falls, ID, to Heaven on Nov 3, 2018. He was 97 ½ and lived a rich and varied life. He was born in Warren, PA, Mar 8, 1921, to Alfred and Laura Johnson, the first of 5 children. During his teen years, he accepted God’s gift of eternal life through forgiveness and trust in Jesus Christ. That decision guided him the rest of his life. After high school, he jumped freight trains for a trip to the West, owned a landscaping business, served in WWII as a pilot and instructor, married Virginia Fredrickson in Warren, graduated From Penn State (also build a fishing boat in one of the dorm rooms), joined the US Forest Service, working in Juneau, AK; Ely, MN; and Marietta, OH. After retirement he owned a tree farm and was a consulting forester. He and Ginny moved to Twin Falls, ID, in 1995 to be closer to children.
He passed away due to complications following a fall. His wife of 58 yrs, Ginny, passed away in 2005. He is survived by 5 daughters: Deborah Powell of Pocatello, ID; Cynthia Hausser of Fresno, CA; Suzanne (john) Crouch of Palm City, FL ; Marilyn Johnson-Gran (Frank) of Fresno; and Kirsten(Kurt) Stewart of Twin Falls. Funeral services were held Nov 7, 2018.
For the “rest of the story” and/or to leave a note for the family, please go to www.magicvalleyfuneralhome.com , scan down to “obituaries”, click on it, and enter Alfred Johnson in the first/last name boxes.

Anton “Ski” Chmielewski, 85, of Ely, Minnesota, lost his battle with cancer on Thursday, November 22, 2018, surrounded by family.
He was born February 25, 1933 in Iron River, Michigan, son of the late Anton and Annastasia (Przybylski) Chmielewski. He graduated from Iron River High School and joined the United States Air Force as a Hydraulic Mechanic, serving his country in the Korean War. He moved to Ely at the age of 32, where he worked the majority of his career with Reserve Mining and LTV Steel. In addition to his full-time employment, he usually added part-time plumbing in the evenings and mechanic work on the weekends to provide extra for his family.
Ski was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying so many activities such as; camping, hunting, fishing, canoeing, snowmobiling, 4-wheeling, gardening and volunteering with the Ely Ski Club. His passion for animals, especially his collies was incredible.
Ski is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Myrene (Today); three sons: Tony (Cheryl) Chmielewski of Appleton, MN, Tom Chmielewski of Las Vegas, NV, Tim (Malou) Chmielewski of Roseville, CA; several grandchildren: Kelsey (Jared) Jude of Isanti, MN, Angie (Adam) Fuchs of Paynesville, MN, Jake (Heather) Chmielewski of Paynesville, MN, Rachel Chmielewski of Roseville, CA and great grandchildren: Cameron, Carson, Lauren.
A celebration of his life was held on Sunday, November 25th with full military rites at Kerntz Funeral Home in Ely.

LeRoy A. Hartleben, 87, of Ely, MN passed away Sunday, November 25, 2018 at Carefree Living in Ely.
LeRoy was born in Hankinson, ND on August 14, 1931 to Arthur and Cecelia Hartleben. He married the love of his life, Shirley, in 1953 and moved to Ely the following year. They were married 65 years.
He was employed by Reserve Mining Company for 26 years, and also owned a carpentry and furnace installation business.
LeRoy was active in his church, where he often played guitar and sang for the congregation. He and Shirley loved music, dancing, Minnesota Twins baseball and playing cards. They were active in the Antique Car Club for many years.
He is survived by his wife, children: Wayne (Elaine), Peggy (Dean) Erzar and Curtis (Jackie), all of Ely; his sister, Betty of Greeley, CO; grandchildren: Terry (Emily), Tracy (Mark), Sara (Ben), Travis (Shanna), Hillary (Eric), Emily (Mike), Alicia (Van); 10 great-grandchildren.; LeRoy’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought him immense joy; brother-in-law Larry (Joyce) Milbrandt of Hankinson, ND, sister-in-law DiAnn Milbrandt of Hankinson, ND, and many nieces and nephews.
LeRoy was preceded in death by his parents; stillborn great-granddaughter Hailee Ann Henrich; mother and father-in-law Elroy and Ann Milbrandt; brothers Raymond and Ewald; sister Ruth and brother-in-law Wally.
Per LeRoy’s wishes, there will be no service. Private burial will be at the Ely Cemetery. Arrangements are with Landmark Funeral Home in Virginia.

Mildred Cooley, 102, of Ely passed away on Thursday, November 29, 2018 at the Boundary Waters Care Center. Family arrangements entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home.

Charles Russell Johnson, age 77, a lifetime resident of Ely, passed away on Sunday, November 25, 2018.
He was born on April 13, 1941 to Russell and Vera Johnson.
Chas was an avid outdoorsman. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, trapping, four-wheeling and spending time at the shack with his family and friends. Chas also loved to go camping, painting, drawing, collecting many things and gardening.
He really enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. He always had some goofy antics going on to make people laugh.
He will be greatly missed by many people who loved him dearly.
Chas is survived by his wife Cindy, sons Chris Johnson, Chad (Kristy) Johnson, daughter Tracy (Daniel) Timm, stepdaughter Amanda (Paul) Jiacik, grandchildren: Cory, Kelsey, Hunter, Kyle, Madelene, Kasey and Savannah; and great-grandchild Nolen Johnson.
He was preceded in death by his parents Russell and Vera Johnson, his first wife Trudell Johnson and daughter Jamie Johnson.
Services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, December 7, 2018 at the Ely United Methodist Church.

Thomas Edmund Davis, 28, passed away on November 22, 2018. Tom was born to Laura Bauman Davis and William Witherspoon Woods Davis Jr. on September 17, 1990 in Glen Falls, New York.
Tom was truly one of a kind. Tom had the biggest heart, brightest smile and an amazing spirit. You are truly blessed if you are able call him your brother, son, nephew, grandson, cousin, uncle, or friend. We will forever hold his spirit and smile in our hearts.
His early years were spent in New York until his parents moved to Conroe, Texas. Tom grew up in a great family and neighborhood. He was active in local sports and played football in high school. After graduation, he attended college and trade school. He worked in his Dad’s Construction Company (FSSI) along with his brother, Bill. He was a valued part of the team.
Tom had great plans for the future, unfortunately his time with us was cut short.
We are lucky to have shared so much of life with him. The good times, the great times, and many adventures. Throughout it all we knew we could count on Tom to put on a smile on our faces.
Tom was preceded in death by his grandfather William Witherspoon Woods Davis Sr., aunts, Ann Bauman, Pam Bauman, and cousin Laura Lee Bauman.
Tom is survived by his mother Laura Bauman Davis and his father William Witherspoon Woods Davis Jr. and wife Maria, his siblings William Witherspoon Woods Davis III and wife Stephanie Davis, Tony Davis, Matt and wife Sophia Davis, Mary Davis, his niece Maggie Davis, and nephew William Witherspoon Woods Davis IV, grandparents Leonard and Elizabeth Bauman, Mary Jane Davis, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
The funeral service was held Dec. 1 at Addison Funeral Home in Spring, Texas.

Mark Fisher, 98, of Winton, passed away on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

Mildred “Millie” Alice Soderberg Cooley passed away peacefully on November 28, 2018, in Ely, MN at the age of 102. “Millie” was born in Soudan, MN, on August 1, 1916, one of 12 children. Her father, Gustaf “Charles” and Mother Signe Soderberg were Swedish immigrants who took advantage of the mining opportunities that were available on the Iron Range.
An independent person, Millie left the Iron Range in her late teens, and some years later, married James Cooley from South Dakota. WWII created some challenges but during the war, the US Navy moved them to Philadelphia, PA, followed by a move to Long Beach, CA. After the war, they made their home in Whittier, CA, area where they raised their two children, Linda and James.
In 1979, after the death of her husband, Millie returned to the Iron Range and made her home in Ely. Millie was a member of the Ely Hospital Auxiliary for 29 1/2 years, a volunteer at the Ely Nursing Home for 29 1/2 years, a member of the 1st Presbyterian Church Sarah Circle. She enjoyed baking, sewing, gardening and entertaining. She was loved and respected by many, many Ely friends.
Millie will be missed by her relatives who have acknowledged that she is the oldest living Soderberg - ever! She is survived by her brother: Roy Soderberg, daughter: Linda Cooley Duffer, son: James Cooley, grandsons: Don Duffer, Jr. and Mark Duffer, great grandson: David Duffer. Her nieces: Lois Golobich Connor, Karen Soderberg Karni, Patti Soderberg Buffington, Nancy Soderberg Przybylski and Mary Gail Pucel. Her nephews: Tom Soderberg, Kurt Soderberg, Terry Soderberg, John Pucel and Bill Pucel. She will be missed by all.
God bless you “Millie” for all of the good you have done in your life. We all will miss your ready smile, your tenacity for enjoying life to its fullest and your strong association to family and friends.
A memorial service will be held on July 27, 2019, at the 1st Presbyterian Church in Ely, MN. Following the memorial service, internment will be at the Ely Cemetery. Reception will be at the Grand Ely Lodge Conference Center. Family arrangements entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home.

Michael Anthony Berven Winterringer, 47, died peacefully at home on Sunday December 2, 2018.
Michael was a kind, friendly and generous man who enjoyed fishing, ringing bell for the Salvation Army and most of all his lord and savior.
Michael was born on October 25, 1971 in Grants Pass, OR and grew up in Klamath Falls, OR. As a child and young adult he spent many summer weekends camping and rock climbing with the family at Harris Beach on the Oregon coast. He also enjoyed spelunking at the Lava Beds National Monument in Tulelake, CA, and hiking at Crater Lake National Park. Many Christmas vacations were happily spent visiting his beloved Grandpa Garriott in FL were he enjoyed going to Disney World, Weeki Wachee Springs State Park to see the underwater magic mermaid show and learning new magic tricks from his Grandpa. In Klamath Falls, Michael enjoyed riding his bike, swimming and knee boarding in Klamath Lake, running track at school and going on the annual Christmas tree hunt in the Cascade Mountains with family and neighbors.
Michael was a wonderful son and brother and will be missed dearly. Michael’s family is very proud of all of his accomplishments, his commitment to the lord and of his service to others.
Michael was preceded in death by his father, Blake Dennis Berven, Grandfather Luther Berven and grandparents Frances Emery and Mary Alice Garriott.
Michael is survived by his mother and stepfather, Marilyn Sue and William Leonard Pile, stepmother Nancy Berven, grandmother Franzel Berven, brother Richard Mathew Berven and his wife Adria, sister Gwendonlyn Berven, sister Shawn Berven and her husband David Stotz, seven stepsisters and stepbrothers and many nieces and nephews.
Michael’s Minnesota family included Pastor Tim and Deanne Cook and family, Pastor Charles Arlin Talley and family, Melissa Brooks, Janet Miller and family and his friends at Kiesler Wellness Center, and the congregations of First United Church of Coleraine and Bovey and Ely Gospel Tabernacle.
There will be a memorial service at Kiesler Wellness Center on Friday, December 14, 2018 at 3:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Kiesler Wellness Center, First United Church of Coleraine and Bovey, Ely Gospel Tabernacle or the Salvation Army.
To leave an online message of condolence please visit our website at www.petersonfuneralchapelofcoleraine.com.

Nickolas Przybylski, 85, of Ely passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 6, 2018 at the Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital surrounded by his family.
Nick was born on July 12, 1933 in Withee, WI to John and Ann (Stibak) Przybylski. He married his high school sweetheart, the love of his life, Carol Wattunen on November 15, 1952.
He and Carol enjoyed raising their seven children in Winton, MN. His family was his pride and joy and was his greatest accomplishment.
Nick was a hard worker, having multiple jobs throughout his life to provide for his family. He bartended, logged, mined at the Pioneer Mine until its closure and then at Reserve Mining; was co-owner of Anderson Produce “The Chicken Farm” with two of his brothers. Later in life he took great pleasure working for the USFS in their Senior Program and then at the Recycling Center in Ely, where he enjoyed chatting with many customers.
Nick and Carol had a passion for polka dancing and traveled in their RV to attend many polka festivals, where they made countless number of friends over the years. It was a joy to watch them dance together.
A few of Nick’s favorite things were watching football, blueberry picking and playing his accordion. He was a happy go lucky guy and will be truly missed by many.
He is survived by his loving wife Carol, his best friend of 66 years; children: Linda (Jim) Frisell, Nikki (Ed) Seliskar, Kevin (Sherry Renfro-Miron) Przybylski, Bob Przybylski, Barry (Nancy) Przybylski, Connie (Charlie) Thompson and Todd Przybylski; grandchildren: Brendon (Laura Holter) Zorman, Jere (LaVerne) Murphy and Keith (Kari Lekatz) Zorman; Bryan (Lisa) Seliskar and Jake (Melissa) Seliskar; Nick Przybylski and Lindsay Przybylski; Billy (Amanda Madigan) Przybylski, Ean (Samantha) Przybylski and Anna Przybylski; Zack Przybylski and Alex Przybylski; and Austin (Linzie) Przybylski; 3 great-granddaughters and 8 great-grandsons; his brothers: Alex Przybylski and Dan (Donna) Przybylski; sisters-in-law: Susie, Eunice and Shirley, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Nick was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Dennis, Leonard and John; and several other family members.
A memorial service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, December 15, 2018 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Ely. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at a later date in the Ely Cemetery. Arrangements are with the Landmark Funeral Home in Virginia.

Mary Klun was born on June 2, 1928 in Ely, Minnesota to Mary and Frank Delak. She married Ed Klun on May 13, 1950 and they spent 46 happy years together. She enjoyed waitressing at Vertin’s restaurant for many years and ran the Ely Surplus store with Ed until they retired. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend to everyone that she cared about, putting everyone she loved ahead of herself. She cared for Ed after he was diagnosed with cancer and then spent over 16 years caring for Evan and Carrie’s family. Her favorite pastime was ironing, even our jeans had to have a sharp crease and the sheets were always pressed. She left us on December, 7, 2018 after a short illness.
She lived right up until the end with a smile on her face and a kind word to all. We are honored and privileged to have had her in our lives for over 90 years.
Mary is survived by her children: Carrie, Cindy, Ed; three grandsons: Ryan, Evan and Matthew; and her sister Dorothy and brother Frank. Memorials preferred to the Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital Hospice Comfort Care Bed Program c/o Park Nicollet Foundation, 6500 Excelsior Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55426. Memorial service Friday, December 14, 11 a.m. at Pax Christi Catholic Church, 12100 Pioneer Trail, Eden Prairie, MN 55347.

Joseph “Joe” Telich, 96, of Ely, passed away on Tuesday, December 11, 2018 at Carefree Assisted Living in Ely. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

John Norman Viken, 85, of Ely, Minnesota passed away on Wednesday, December 5 in the loving arms of his family at the Minnesota Veteran’s Home in Silver Bay, MN after a long goodbye due to Alzheimer’s disease.
John was born Norman John Viken Jr. on March 22nd, 1933 in St. Paul to Norman and Loraine Viken. He was a protective big brother to his two younger sisters Cindy and Sandra. John enjoyed hanging out with “neighborhood gang” of lifelong friends. He started following in his father’s professional photography footsteps as the photographer for the school newspaper and yearbook, graduating in 1951 from Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, MN.
John graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1953 with an associate’s degree before joining the United States Army. He served his country in a guided missile brigade during the cold war and was stationed in Germany for the majority of his service. Afterwards, he attended Macalester College and graduated in 1958 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.
John and Judy Sherwood were united in marriage on December 30, 1961 in Fargo, ND. They settled in New Hope, MN a suburb of Minneapolis, where they raised their two sons Eric and Kevin.
John worked for IBM as a salesman and a stockbroker for Reynolds & Co. before finding his true passion as an entrepreneur. He first opened a small photo store in downtown St. Paul, MN before starting up Photo Fast, a high quality photo-finishing lab in Golden Valley, MN. His other business ventures were Passport Pictures, Photo First (hospital baby pictures), portrait photography, Wrap-it Up (packaging and shipping store). He finished out his career managing the Summit Equipment photo equipment brokering company.
John was always interested in and an early adopter of technology as evidenced by being ahead of the curve on computers, early cellular car bag phones, hybrid and electric cars.
John enjoyed spending time with his family at the lake, on road trips, car camping, ski trips, and taking his sons on fishing trips. He was a Vikings fan.
Construction was one of John’s passions! He reveled in generating ideas and following them through to fruition. He completed endless projects on his businesses, and on the family home in New Hope. He especially enjoyed building and working on their retirement home, and completed this project with the help of skilled Ely contractors and his sons. He delighted in observing, photographing and discussing construction projects. He regaled those around him with his infectious sense of humor. He loved music and was a wonderful dancer.
In 1998 John retired and moved full time to Ely, joining Judy, who had retired two years earlier. John volunteered and contributed to the establishment of the North American Bear Center. He and Judy enjoyed the active Ely community and its close connection to the outdoors and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. John drove into town daily to buy the newspaper, survey the goings-on, do some shopping, and ultimately stop by his favorite community gathering spot, The Front Porch coffee shop. There he loved to chat with fellow patrons and read the paper. Copious amounts of coffee and food were enjoyed by John over the years at the Front Porch.
John is survived by his wife of 56 years, Judy; his sons: Eric Viken (Elizabeth Raduege) of Duluth, MN and Kevin (Julie) of Roseville, MN; grandson Jonathan Viken of Duluth, MN; sisters :Cindy (Quentin) Brinkworth and Sandra (Darlys) Every, and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Norman John Viken Sr. and Loraine (Zimbrick) Viken.
John’s family would like to give a heart-felt thank you to all the compassionate caregivers working at the Minnesota Veteran’s Home in Silver Bay, MN. Their highly skilled, attentive, and loving care for John and all the other veterans living there was a great source of comfort to us.
The family would also like to thank David Wiley of Ely for the care he provided John. He was tremendous source of support for Judy as she continued to care for John at home as long as possible.
The family would also like to thank Northwoods Partners, Lisa Porthan, and the entire Ely community for their support of John and Judy, for helping to make Ely more Alzheimer’s and Dementia friendly.
A celebration of John’s life will be held at the Front Porch Coffee & Tea Co. in Ely, MN on Saturday, December 15, 2018 at 4 p.m.. The Front Porch was a great source of inspiration and fellowship for John. A tremendous thank you to Doug and Nancy who treated him like family.
A gathering will also be held in the Minneapolis area at a later date that will be announced in the near future.
Memorials may be made to one of the following organizations:
Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org)
Northwoods Partners in Ely, MN (www.northwoodspartners.org)
The Spiritwood Foundation in Ely, MN (www.spiritwoodfoundation.com)

Clifford Hoheisel, of Babbitt, passed away on Saturday, December 15, 2018 at his residence. A funeral mass will be held o Saturday, December 22, 2018 at 11:00 A.M. at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Babbitt with visitation taking place one hour prior to the service at the church. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

Marvin L. Bunney, 85, of Ely, formerly of Stacy, passed away on Tuesday, December 18, 2018 at the Boundary Waters Care Center. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.