Obituaries

Apr 4, 2023

Lynette Swanson, 64, Two Harbors, died Tuesday, April 4, 2023 at St. Luke’s Hospital.

Lynette was born February 3, 1959 to George and Marjorie (Sande) Swanson in Two Harbors, where she was a life-long resident. She was a loving care-giver and enjoyed gardening, feeding the birds and lawn care.

Lynette was preceded in death by...

Mar 28, 2023

Madelyn Blaisdell, 84, of Two Harbors, died Tuesday, March 28, 2023 at Waterview Shores.

Madelyn was born June 8, 1938 to Esaias and Hildegard (Eklund) Lofgren in Two Harbors, where she was a life-long resident. She graduated from Two Harbors High School in 1956 and went on to complete her nurses training at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth, MN....

Mar 27, 2023

Patricia D. “Patty” Haveri, 77, of Two Harbors, died Monday, March 27, 2023 at Barross Cottage in Two Harbors.

Patty was born June 26, 1945 to Clifford and Alice (Hicks) Lovold, and grew up on the North Shore of Lake Superior, graduating from Wm Kelley High school. She married Doug Haveri and together they moved to Two...

Mar 23, 2023

Kathleen Mary Freeberg Zellers, 73, born May 5, 1949, to Carl Arthur Freeberg and Mary (Hohnleitner) Freeberg, passed away suddenly on March 23, 2023.

Born in Two Harbors, Kathy spent most of her career working at Lake View Hospital as a nurse in the Emergency Room. She found the work gratifying and felt honored to be able...

Mar 22, 2023

Arnie Piirainen, 64, of Two Harbors, died Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at his home.

Arnie was born May 26, 1958 to Elias and Elsa (Ahonen) Piirainen in Two Harbors, where he grew up and attended schoool. After graduating from high school in 1976, Arnie attended vocational school. He was employed as a draftsman for Larson Boats in...

Mar 13, 2023

George P. “Chub” Starkovich, 79, of Silver Bay, passed away Monday, March 13, 2023 at Viewcrest Health Center in Duluth, after fighting a hard battle with renal cancer.

He was born June 3, 1943 to George and Mary “Mitzi” (Evatz) Starkovich in a coal camp in Standardville, Utah.  At the founding of these new communites, the family...

Mar 12, 2023

Michael A. Scheidt, 71, of Silver Bay, died Sunday, March 12, 2023 at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth, MN.

Mike was born in Jamestown, North Dakota to Raymond and DeLaine (Monson) Scheidt and grew up and attended schools all over the states - graduating high school in Michigan City, Indiana, and later obtaining a degree from WITC...

Mar 9, 2023

Donald “Don” A. Jones, 78, of Two Harbors died Thursday, March 9, 2023 at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth.

He was born on April 3, 1944 to Lawrence and Esther (Granberg) Jones in Two Harbors where he was a lifelong resident.  Don was employed for many years by Reserve Mining Co., retiring in 2007.  He was a...

Mar 8, 2023

On the afternoon of March 8, 2023 with an old hymn of the faith playing in the background William J. Berry of Silver Bay passed peacefully to his eternal home. He was surrounded by wonderful staff of the MN Vet’s Home who cared and kept him company until it was time for him to leave his home of 5...

Mar 2, 2023

Mary Lee Hatch, 78, of Two Harbors, peacefully passed away March 02, 2023 in her home with her beloved dog "buddy" in her lap.

Mary was born June 13, 1944 in LaCrosse, WI to Chester and Arlene Thomason. As a child her family moved to Finland, MN. Mary later moved to Two Harbors to raise her family....

Feb 27, 2023

Marvin C. Knaffla, 95, of Two Harbors, died Monday, February 27, 2023 at Lake View Memorial Hospital.

He was born in Fisher, Minnesota to Emil and Olga (Smith) Knaffla on January 16, 1928. Growing up in Crookston and Alvwood, he married in 1951 and moved to International Falls. During the Korean War he served in the U.S....

Feb 24, 2023

Our beloved son, Zachary James Shogren died on February 24, 2023.  He is the son of Jim and Jenny Shogren, brother to Krissy and Evan, grandson to Martha Hoven.

Zach was born April 12, 1988 at Lake View Hospital in Two Harbors.

He had a kind heart and loved his family.  Zach received unconditional love...

Feb 22, 2023

Eleanor G. Bohlen, 92, of  Two Harbors, died Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at Lake View Memorial Hospital.

Eleanor was born July 28, 1930 to Edward and Gertie (Veen) Harms in Corona, South Dakota, where she grew up and attended school. On October 2, 1949 she married Arthur Bohlen and together they moved to Two Harbors in 1961...

Feb 20, 2023

Phillip A. Houle, 81, died unexpectedly on Monday, February 20, 2023 at home.

Phil was born to Ragnvald Jarl “RJ” and Hilja (Haveri) Houle on February 25, 1941 in Two Harbors. He grew up in Little Marais and graduated from Two Harbors High School in 1958.  In 1961 he married Carolyn Swardstrom and together they made their...

Feb 15, 2023

Gerald “Jerry” Hatch, 84, of Two Harbors, died Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at Waterview Shores.

Jerry was born February 6, 1939 to Chester and Frances Hatch in Storm Lake, Iowa and grew up on a farm in Olivia, MN. As a young man he moved to the North Shore and was employed at Reserve Mining Company for...

Feb 5, 2023

James Leroy Harner passed away on 2/5/23 at home in Two Harbors, Minnesota, at the age of 98. He was born in Chicago, IL on 9/15/24, to Leroy and Grace (Danielson) Harner. He had three siblings - older sister Marian Roberts, and younger brothers William and Robert.

Jim graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in Chicago in...

Feb 3, 2023

Marlene Anderson, 87, of Two Harbors, formerly of Elk River, died Friday, February 3, 2023 at Waterview Shores in Two Harbors.

She was born on October 14, 1935 to Richard and Lillian (Keays) Dobel and grew up in Elk River, where she lived most of her life and raised her only son, Richard.  In 1996, Marlene retired...

Jan 30, 2023

Robert J. Libby Jr., 90, of French River, died Monday, January 30, 2023 at Waterview Shores in Two Harbors.

Bob was born April 15, 1932 to Robert J. and Florence (Swanson) Libby at Miners Hospital in Crosby.  Growing up on the north shore of Serpent Lake, he attended Franklin Elementary School and graduated in the Class of...

Jan 24, 2023

Anne Marie (Lindholm) Smith, 86, of Campbell, California, formerly of Two Harbors, died Tuesday, January 24, 2023 in California.

Anne was born November 9, 1936 to Evald and Selma (Dahlberg) Lindholm in Two Harbors, where she grew up and attended school. After earning her bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota-Duluth she moved to California with her sister, Lu. Anne...

Jan 19, 2023

Douglas Donald Lillback, 66, Finland, received his wings, surrounded by family on Thursday, January 19, 2023 at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Medical Center.

Doug was born December 4, 1956 to Donald and Betty (Lindholm) Lillback in Duluth and grew up in Finland, graduating from William Kelley High School in Silver Bay in 1975.  Doug worked at Reserve...