Swanson Peterson Funeral Home

James Louis Mattson,
age 86, of Dassel passed away on May 6, 2018. He was born December 5, 1931 in Dassel, MN to Lowell and Grace (Simmons) Mattson. Jim grew up in Dassel and graduated from Dassel High School in 1949. He continued his education at the Minneapolis School of Business, and later joined the Air Force. On June 6, 1953, he was united in marriage to Clarice Johnson at the Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Dassel. Together, they built a home in Darwin and later moved to “Peaceful Acres” north of Dassel in 1965. Jim worked for 35 years at 3M as a production supervisor. He was an avid woodworker and enjoyed hunting on his land.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and a sister, Patricia Nelson.
Jim is survived by his wife, Clarice, children, Dayna (Jim) Reimers, Brian (Veronica) Mattson, and Trish (Tim) Huhn, 10 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, a sister, Marlene Swanson, along with several nieces, nephews, and friends.
A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at 2:00 PM on Thursday, May 10, 2018 at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Dassel (251 Lake St, Dassel, MN 55325) with visitation 1 hour prior to the service at church. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Children’s Home Society (166 4th St E, St Paul, MN 55101 (651)222-0311). Arrangements by Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cokato, 320-286-2534, www.swansonpeterson.com

Melvin Russell Bjur
age 93, of Howard Lake and Cokato, passed away on April 30, 2018 at the Cokato Manor.
Mel was born in 1924 on the farm south of Howard Lake, the only child of Julius and Hulda Bjur. It was there that he was raised, spending time helping out the neighbors. Mel graduated from Cokato High School in 1943. He worked for Green Giant in Cokato and Glencoe, and later became a sweet corn field sampler, after selling the dairy cows. For 10 years beginning in 1965, he was an assessor in the Stockholm, MN area and hauled livestock to South St. Paul stockyards, bringing back freight from the Twin Cities. Mel also sold seed corn for Dassel Seed Company and helped Stockholm township with snowplowing. Until 2000, Mel walked the fields with the detasselers as a field man.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Julius and Hulda Bjur.
A celebration of Mel’s life will take place at 11:00 AM on Monday, May 7th, 2018 at the Stockholm Lutheran Church south of Cokato, with visitation on Sunday, May 6 from 4-8 with 7 PM prayer at Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home in Cokato, and continuing 1 hour prior to the service at church on Monday. Arrangements by Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cokato & Howard Lake, Minnesota, 320-286-2534, www.swansonpeterson.com

Roger Fredrick Roepke, age 71 of Howard Lake, passed away April 25, 2018 at Bethesda Hospital in Saint Paul. Roger was born October 16, 1946 in Watertown, MN to Ardell and Elaine Roepke. Roger has always been a family man. As a teenager he left school to help his parents with their farm. Roger was united in Marriage to Ethel Oakley on June 17, 1967. Their marriage was blessed with a boy, Todd; and four girls, Melissa, Jane, Ann, and Amy. Roger worked as a foreman at Mid-America for 27 years. Roger loved his dogs, the Vikings, chocolate, and Johny Cash; however, he loved his family most. When his kids were young he would take them on camping trips every summer. He enjoyed watching all his kids and grandkids play sports and compete. He was always available to his family to help in anyway needed. He is survived by his wife of 50 years Ethel; mother, Elaine Roepke; brothers, Sheldon Roepke, Al (Mavis) Roepke; sister, Suzan Ziedler, Diane (Rick) Reisdorfer; daughters, Melissa Bondhus, Jane (John) Brown, Ann (Patrick) Roepke, and Amy Roepke; grandchildren, Zachary Sanford, Ty Roepke, Jake Summerfield, Peyton Roepke, Lexi Brown, Zayne Brown, Anna Roepke, and Phoebe Willette. Roger was preceded in death by his father Ardell Roepke; brother, Kenneth Roepke; son, Todd Roepke.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, May 4, 2018 at the New Life Assembly of God Church in Cokato, with visitation on Thursday, May 3, 2018 from 5-7 PM and continuing 1 hour prior to services at church on Friday. Arrangements by Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cokato & Howard Lake, MN (320)543-3401, www.swansonpeterson.com

“Karen Kay Tuman of Darwin passed away after a courageous battle with breast cancer on April 25th 2018.”
Memorial Service: 3 PM Monday April 30, 2018 at Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home of Cokato
Visitation: Begins at 1 PM on Monday.
Karen Kay Tuman of Darwin passed away after a courageous battle with breast cancer on April 25th 2018. She had reached the age of 66 years, 11 months and 29 days.

Karen was born in Litchfield, Minnesota on April 27, 1951, to John and Betty Lou (Stirn) DeSmith. She grew up in Litchfield was Baptized and Confirmed at St. Phillips Church, and graduated from Litchfield High School in 1969.

After High School Karen worked for a short time at 3-M and Airtex, but soon realized she wanted a job that would involve helping people. She worked in day care for a time then went to work as a nurses aid at nursing homes; Dassel, Cokato and has spent the last 25 years working at the Rolling Acres, Mt. Olivet Nursing Home in Victoria. Karen has lived in Dassel, Cokato, and now Darwin.

Karen enjoyed garage sales and auctions, she liked to find a good deal, she also enjoyed photography, soduko, and watching the traffic go by at her home in Darwin.

Survivors include: her sons, Craig and Chuck both of Litchfield. 3 grandchildren: Kyla Blackwell, Regan Tuman and Samantha Tuman. Brothers and sister: Pat Rueckert of Waconia, Randy (Tami) DeSmith of Manassas, VA., Rick (Robin) DeSmith of Litchfield, Gary (Kay) DeSmith of Cokato, and Scott (Deb) DeSmith of Litchfield. And significant other: Jim Braadland of Darwin.

Karen is preceded in death by her parents John and Betty Lou DeSmith and brother-in-law Bob Rueckert.

Joyce Marie (Aykens) Falk 85, passed away April 23rd, 2018 at the Cokato Manor in Cokato, Mn. She was born on March 24, 1933 to Iola (Turner) and Wilford Aykens in Brainerd, MN. Brainerd was where she met the love of her life, Robert T Falk. They were united in marriage on June 24, 1953. They had three children, Robert (Marilyn) Falk, Richard (Jennifer) Falk & Jill (Jake) Lutgens. Joyce worked at the Lake of the Woods School in Baudette, MN for 19 1/2 years as a special education para & elementary librarian. She was active in the American Legion Auxiliary, Eastern Star, Women of the Moose, and her church.
Joyce was preceded in death by her husband & her parents. She is survived by her brother Richard Aykens, her children, and her grandchildren, Angela, Steven, & Richard Falk, Carla Nielson, and Leah & Troy Lutgens.
A funeral service will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at the Helgeson Funeral Chapel (112 1st St SW, Baudette, MN 56623) with visitation 1 hour prior to the service and a reception to follow at the Brink Center. Burial will take place at a later date at the Elm Park Cemetery in Baudette, MN. Arrangements by Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home of Cokato, Minnesota (320)286-2534, www.swansonpeterson.com