All Obituaries

Joan Irene Pruder, 80, of Duluth passed away peacefully Monday, June 1, 2020.  She was born March 1, 1940 in Brainerd, MN, to Woodrow and Beulah Wilson. She was a member of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Christian Women’s Club, Beta Sigma Pi Sorority, and worked as a Dental Assistant in Duluth for many years.  She enjoyed, bowling and singing in the church choir, but her happiest moments were spent with her grandchildren, family, and friends. She was preceded in...

D. Marilyn Saksa, 94, died on Saturday, May 23, 2020 at Solvay Hospice House.  She was born on October 31, 1925 to Leonard and Esther Young and grew up on her family’s farm in Amor, MN.  She graduated from the Battle Lake High School (MN) in 1944.  Marilyn continued her education at the Duluth State Teachers College, graduating in 1946.  She taught in the early elementary grades for 5 years in Park Rapids, Crosby and Esko.  Marilyn married George W. Saksa, an...

Romayne Marilyn Urie, 90, of Duluth, wife, mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend, died Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at New Perspectives in Superior, WI.  She was born in Duluth March 4, 1930 to Emil A. and Edna (Huseby) Lessard.  Romayne was primarily a housewife and great mom.  She had worked at the Glass Block, owned and ran DMV in Duluth for ten years with her husband Joe, and then bought the Northstar Resort in Marcel, MN with another couple. ...

Rev. John William Beckfelt, 87, died Sunday, May 17th at the Benedictine Health Center in Duluth, MN. Fr. John was born July 19, 1932 in Grand Rapids, MN to Raymond John and Eleanor Ann (Hoolihan) Beckfelt. Fr. John will be remembered for his dedication to the Parish communities in which he served, his faithfulness to God, his jovial personality, enjoyment of family to include many cousins, and a fondness of his Irish and German heritage. Fr. John graduated from Grand Rapids High...

Emmery James Prisk, 89, died Friday, May 15, 2020. Born, July 10, 1930, he was the son of Albert and Mercedes Prisk of Ely, MN. He graduated from Rosevelt High School, Virginia, MN in 1948.  He went on to Junior College in Virginia, the University of MN, and then graduated from the University of MN Duluth in 1958 with a degree in Business Administration and Engineering.  During college in 1956, Emmery became a member of Gamma Theta Epsilon, a National Professional...

Jeanne Hudson Sampson died on Mother’s Day May 10, 2020.  Jeanne was born in Duluth on July 5, 1926 to Dallas and Clara Cornelison.  Jeanne graduated from Denfeld High School in 1944.  She worked at KDAL Radio where she met Rex Hudson.  They married in 1949.  A longtime resident of Park Point, Jeanne was active in Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Park Point Community Club, PTA and the Park Point Garden Club.  Jeanne kept beautiful gardens, was a lover of books...

John (Jack) M. Carr, age 79, of Duluth, was born August 10, 1940, and died Saturday, May 9, 2020 of Cardiac Failure at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Medical Center.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Martin and Bernice Carr, his in-laws, Myrtle and Albin Trempe and brother-in-law, John Trempe.  He is survived by his wife Dianne, with whom he spent 52 good years of marriage.  He also leaves his sister, Mary Beth Carr, of Phoenix, AZ, and one brother-in-law, Tom Trempe...

            Alane Dara Davis, age 52, of Duluth, died Wednesday, May 6, 2020 at home from metastatic breast cancer. She was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999 at age 31.  She was born November 21, 1967 in Doylestown, PA to Jay and Ann (Bosa) Campbell.  She grew up in Upper Black Eddy in Bucks County, PA and attended Pallisades High School. She went to the University of Michigan, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and...

James R. Johnson, 53 of Duluth died suddenly on May 5, 2020 at St. Luke’s.  Jim was born April 23, 1967 in Ely to Hugo and Delores Johnson.  He was raised in Soudan and Virginia and graduated from Mountain Iron-Buhl High School.  He worked in customer service for CenturyLink and then at Good Will.  Jim enjoyed Art, drawing; watching the Vikings and the UMD Bull Dogs; Jim enjoyed tinkering, NASCAR racing and being outdoors. He was preceded in death by his parents,...

William H. “Bill” McLean (92) passed away peacefully with loved ones by his side after a battle with Parkinson’s Disease on May 4, 2020, at Nielson Place in Bemidji, MN. Bill was born on October 15, 1927 in Duluth, MN, to Arthur and Mildred (Huseby) McLean. Bill had an interesting childhood full of travels. He spent time with his parents on ore boats, which his father captained on the Great Lakes. Despite growing up during the Great Depression, he had a happy childhood. He...