Obituaries

Mar 4, 2022

Betty Mae Dorff was born on May 5th, 1933 in Audubon, MN to Edwin and Amanda Dorff. She died on March 4th, 2022 at home in Hawley, MN.

Betty attended school in Audubon, MN where she met the love of her life, Dallas Branden. They were married on December 10th, 1954 in Audubon, MN. Their union led...

Feb 28, 2022

Keith Ronning passed away peacefully at home with family by his side on February 28, 2022 at the age of 94.  Keith was born April 11, 1927 the youngest of nine children of Ole and Sophie Ronning.

Through his youth, Keith’s family relocated a number of times, starting from a farm in southwestern Minnesota to farms near...

Feb 27, 2022

Raymond Richard Ortlepp Sr. was born on March 18, 1938 in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Ray passed away unexpectedly on February 27th 2022 at Essentia Hospital in Fargo, ND following a heart attack.

Ray was preceded in death by his parents Herman and Margaret (Peterson) Ortlepp, his sisters Pauline Soberg and Lois Ortlepp, and son Lanny Rock.

Feb 24, 2022

MaryAnne Sweet was born on August 22, 1958, in Kenosha, WI to Bernard and Yvonne(St.Clair) Sweet. At a young age the family moved to MN, then moved to Coweta, OK in 1970.  She graduated from Coweta High School in 1976. After high school she worked various jobs in the area.

In 1981, MaryAnne met and married James...

Feb 23, 2022

Betty (Brunskill) Murphy, 76, Detroit Lakes, MN, passed away peacefully on February 23, 2022, at Frazee Care Center. Betty was born on September 23, 1945, to William & Josephine (Effhauser) Brunskill and was one of four girls raised in Grand Forks, North Dakota. She graduated from St. James High School in 1964 and then attended Josef’s School of Hair...

Feb 23, 2022

Marvin Ruchti, age 73, of Detroit Lakes, MN, passed away at his home on Wednesday, February 23, 2022.  A memorial service will be at 1:00 pm on Friday, March 4, 2022, at the David Donehower Funeral Home in Detroit Lakes, with a visitation starting an hour prior to the service.

Marvin was born on October 7, 1948,...

Feb 22, 2022

Marlene Frances Scherping, age 81, of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, formerly of Waubun, MN, passed away at Pelican Landing on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, under the care of hospice.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1:00 pm on Saturday, February 26, 2022, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Detroit Lakes, with a visitation at Noon.

Marlene...

Feb 20, 2022

Lowell Douglas Nereson, 80, passed away on February 20, 2022, peacefully at home. Lowell was born on July 18, 1941, to Lloyd and Louise (Flaa) Nereson and was the oldest of three children. After graduation from Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls, he graduated from the University of North Dakota with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial...

Feb 16, 2022

Melvin E. Manning, 71 of Detroit Lakes, MN went home to be with the Lord, surrounded by family on February 16, 2022, at Sanford Fargo hospital. Melvin was born April 10, 1950, in Detroit Lakes, MN to Jack and Marie Manning. He was one of 7 children, grew up in Strawberry Lake, and attended Detroit Lakes High school. On...

Feb 16, 2022

Jonah Matthew Sweeney was born on June 22, 1981, in Detroit Lakes, MN to Patricia “Patty” (Homiston) Sweeney. Jonah was born and raised in Detroit Lakes and moved to Lake Park when he was 12 and attended school in the Lake Park area. After graduating with his GED in Detroit Lakes, he worked various jobs in the food industry...

Feb 13, 2022

Mary Diane (Brunner) Weiser, was born on August 28,1950 in Detroit Lakes, MN. She grew up in Park Rapids, Minnesota. She was the daughter of Mary E. Brunner and Walter "Walt" Sandbeck. Mary moved away to Minneapolis, MN when she was a teenager and lived there for many years where she worked for the Munsigwear sewing factory, than was...

Feb 13, 2022

Robert Keith Samuelson, 49, died peacefully on February 13th at his home in Hawley, MN.

Robert was born September 25, 1972, in Saginaw, Michigan, the son of David K. Samuelson and Pat D. Watland. He moved with his family to Detroit Lakes in 1985. Robert graduated from Detroit Lakes High School in 1991 and attended Northwest Technical...

Feb 12, 2022

Dr. Gerald Derstine, 93, of Bradenton, Florida, stepped peacefully into glory on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. Serving more than 70 years in full-time ministry, he was the founder in 1968 of Christian Retreat Conference Center in Bradenton, and president of Gospel Crusade, Inc., a non-profit worldwide missions organization, for many years. He also was founder and director of Strawberry...

Feb 11, 2022

Terry L. Ballard, 62, died February 11, 2022, at Detroit Lakes hospital. He was born September 22, 1959 in Minneapolis, MN, the son of Raymond L. and Ginger M. Ballard (Ammerman).

Terry graduated from Pelican Rapids High School. Following high school, Terry had a long career as a truck driver. His last job, he worked for TBS...

Feb 7, 2022

Juanita (Nita) Faye Carlisle was born on November 3,1928 to Otto Louis Kahle and Bonnie Winnifred Kahle (Buck) in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.  She graduated from Detroit Lakes High School in 1946 where she played the saxophone in the high school band.  She attended Moorhead State College and received her teaching degree which at that time was a 2 year...

Feb 7, 2022

Leola Marjorie (Bunkowski) Ferber was born on March 27, 1925, on the family farm in Vergas, MN. The daughter of Rudolph and Alma (Sonnenberg) Bunkowski, Lee passed away February 7, 2022 at Emmanuel Nursing Home in Detroit Lakes at the age of 96.

Grounded in her Lutheran faith from her earliest years, Lee was confirmed at St....

Feb 6, 2022

Robert D. Clemenson, 61, Detroit Lakes, MN, died Sunday, February 6 at his home surrounded by his family.  Funeral services will be held 2:00 pm, Friday, February 11 at David-Donehower Funeral Home, Pastor Kim Schnitzer, officiating.  Interment will be in Lakeview Cemetery at a later date with Military Rites provided by the Lake Region Veterans Honor Guard.

...

Jan 29, 2022

Kari Lynn (Pratt) Bishop was born in Fargo, ND, on August 5th, 1960, to Janet and Richard (Dick) Pratt.  She died in an apartment fire in Detroit Lakes, MN, on January 29, 2022. Kari’s life and education began in River Oaks, Moorhead, MN where her spirited personality developed, and she became an interesting and lovable little person to everyone who...

Jan 28, 2022

Mark Stephen Waisanen, 64, of Detroit Lakes, MN passed away unexpectedly on January 28, 2022 at Essentia Health - Fargo. Mark was born on March 29, 1957, to Ralph and Elaine (Norgard) Waisanen in Grand Rapids, MN graduating from Greenway High School. Here he met the love of his life Jayne Mueller, they were married on September 8, 1979....

Jan 25, 2022

Michelle Ruth LaDue- Cory was born December 17, 1973, in Cloquet, Minnesota. She was joined by adoption into the LaDue and Safar families the summer of 1974 to the joy of everyone, she was the daughter of Virgil and Marge (Safar) LaDue.

Michelle attended Waubun elementary and high school, graduating in 1992. She moved to Webster, South...