Swanson Peterson Funeral Home

Lyla Marjorie Lutter passed away on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at the age of 101. Lyla was born September 21, 1922 in rural Cokato, MN to John & Minnie Rhodin. She married Arvid Lutter on March 17, 1946 and this marriage was blessed with four children.

Lyla worked as a farm wife and also worked for over 30 years as a bookkeeper for Holt Motors of Cokato, MN.

Since her marriage in 1946, Lyla remained a faithful member of St James Lutheran Church of Howard Lake, MN.

Lyla was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Arvid Lutter, her sister Marie Komula, her daughter, Gayle Pudlitzke and her son, Ellis Lutter.

Lyla is survived by her daughter Connie (Sheldon) Modrow, her son Dennis Lutter, Daughter-in-law Kris Lutter, Grandchildren: Patrick (Jackie) Lutter, Sandy (Guillermo) Garcia, Matt (Shae Nicholson) Modrow, and Joe Modrow. Great Grandchildren: Jordan (Kate) Lutter, Olivia Lutter, Perry Karg, and Carly Karg.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 2:00 pm at St James Lutheran Church, Howard Lake, MN. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service.

Gary Streich, the man who gave Death a run for its money more times than a cat with nine lives passed away peacefully and unexpectedly at home with his wife, Rita, on December 28, 2023. Gary was a larger-than life man whose laughter echoed louder than any rock concert.

Born on June 15, 1949 to Ralph and LaVay (Peterson) Streich, Gary grew up with his sister, Judy (Gagnon) and brothers Rick and Steve (T.T) on the family farm east of Howard Lake. After graduating from Howard Lake-Waverly High School in 1967, at the tender age of 18, Gary embarked on a different kind of adventure when he was drafted into the Vietnam War. From a “grunt” in the jungles of Vietnam, he quickly rose to the rank of Sergeant in the First Calvary of the US Army by the time he was 19. Upon returning home from Vietnam, Gary began his career as a carpenter, spending many years running crews for Wausau Homes and ultimately becoming a General Contractor with his own business – Streich Construction. A marketing genius and never one to take himself too seriously, Streich Constructions tagline was “We’re Not Very Good – But We’re Slow”. Any drive with Gary would be punctuated by him pointing out, “I built that house!”

While a high school student in Howard Lake, Gary was introduced to the love of his life, Rita Painschab. Their journey together was a rollercoaster of laughter, love, and, as they affectionately called it, “50 years of pure hell.” Their May 12, 1973 wedding marked the beginning of a partnership that would stand the test of time. Gary and Rita’s relationship was a spectacle of love, humor, and the craziness that comes with decades of shared history. Their intense love for each other was the backbone of their enduring marriage, proving that a lifetime of love isn’t always smooth, but it’s always worth it.

Gary and Rita bought land across the road from Ralph and LaVay and in 1973, Gary built the home where they would raise their family, just down from Streich Brothers Farm. They were blessed with two daughters, Carrie and Jackie, and their life was a canvas of love, laughter and a healthy dose of chaos. In a twist that seemed scripted for a movie, they reunited with their son, Michael, in 2009, whom they had placed for adoption as teenagers in 1968. Gary embraced the reunion with open arms, adding another chapter to his ever-expanding book of family tales.

In addition to being a master of laughter, Gary Streich was a cherished grandpa who wore the title with pride and love. His grandkids were the apples of his eye. Gary’s eyes sparkled with delight whenever he was with them, and the feeling was mutual—they adored him. Gary’s pockets were always filled with candy – both for the grandkids and himself.

Gary was welcomed into Heaven by his parents, Ralph and LaVay, his uncle Don Streich, and his little brother, Steve Streich. We hope his 4-legged buddy, Conan, was there to greet him as well. As he reunites with them, we imagine the heavenly party being punctuated with laughter and maybe just a few Schmidt beers. Gary is survived by the love of his life, Rita, his daughters; Carrie (Dusty) Dircks, Jackie (Kyle) Thompson, son Michael Hall, sister Judy (Steve (Gunner)) Gagnon, brother Rick (Shelly) Streich, sister-in-law Mary Streich, beloved grandkids Carter Westling, Tyler Hall, Cecelia and Ruby Dircks, Zach, Grant, Owen and Nora Thompson, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and lots of close friends.

As we remember him today, let’s celebrate the joy, laughter, and love he brought into the world. Gary Streich, a grandpa, a husband, a brother, an uncle and a friend—may your laughter echo in our hearts, and may your love live on in generations to come. Rest in peace, Gary.

Please bring your Gary stories to share at his visitation which will be held at Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home in Howard Lake on Thursday, January 4th from 4pm – 7pm. The funeral will be at St. Mary’s in Waverly at 11am on January 5th with the viewing beginning at 10am.

William “Bill” John Fiedler, age 94 of Annandale, MN died Sunday, Dec. 25, 2023, at Lake Ridge Care Center in Buffalo, MN.

Bill was born to John and Marjorie (Robinson) Fiedler Oct. 12, 1929 at the home place, north of Albright’s Mill in Middleville Township.

He attended the Maple Grove country school and graduated from Howard Lake High School with the Class of 1947. He was a member of the first Laker football team, and spoke highly of that! After graduation, he and lifelong sidekick, Kenny Gausman, traveled to Texas in search of work. They returned shortly after with more stories than fortunes.

Bill was married to Irene Haggberg Dec. 20, 1952 at Elim Mission Church in Cokato by the Rev. Rod Rosengrin. Bill and Irene made their home and raised four children, on the farm in Albion Township (Shuneson Corner).

He was a family man and regularly attended recitals, concerts, plays, and numerous other sporting events. Not much was said at those events, but his smirk and chuckle were his way of sharing what he thought.

Bill was a lifelong farmer and was honored with a Century Farm Award in 2013. He took great pride in his land and animals that he cared for. He raised many litters of Springer Spaniel puppies and was proud of the bloodline dating back to England.

Bill was a member of the Wright County Historical Society, Fairhaven Mill Board, and Sylvan Cemetery board. More recently, he was a major contributor of his historical knowledge, assisting a local author, who has written books on Albright’s Mill and the lost town of Smith Lake.

He enjoyed traveling to visit friends and family throughout the Midwest, as well as, California. His chosen destination was Italy, to visit a former foreign exchange student, Alessandra Rompianesi.

Bill is survived by daughters Julie (Roger) Entinger of Anoka, Linda (Mark) Weber of Waverly, and Lori (Mark) Vandersteen of Rosemount; and son John (Debbie) Fiedler of Annandale; 12 grandchildren: Erik (Kim) Entinger, Andy (Julienne) Entinger, Luke (Jana) Entinger, and Jake (Danielle) Entinger. Erin (Kyle) Kutz, and Sam (Melissa) Weber. Clarissa (George) Trujillo, Mattie (Dan) McLaughlin, Brok (Megan) Vandersteen, and Leif (Bonny) Vandersteen. Brandon (Whitney) Fiedler and McKenzie (Matt) Ylitalo, sister Jean Carlson, and 23 great grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Irene, parents, two grandchildren, Zachery Vandersteen and Christopher Entinger.

Services will be held at 12 noon, Saturday, January 6, 2023 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Howard Lake, MN. Visitation prior to service starting at 10 am.

June Forsen of Dassel, MN passed away peacefully at the age of 96 on December 19, 2023. June was born in Dassel on April 9, 1927 to Oscar “Fritz” Godfred Johnson and Agnes Melvina Larson Johnson.
June attended Dassel High School and graduated in 1945. While in High School, she was in the choral group and was involved in as many school plays as she could. She also played the Saxophone in the school band.
After graduating High School, June moved to Los Angeles where she met Curtis at the Evangelical Covenant Church in downtown LA. Curtis and June were married April 19, 1947 and raised their 4 children in California. Curtis and June retired to Dassel to the family farm in 1982.
June enjoyed gardening, sewing and raising horses. June taught Bible study in Dassel for 15 years and was a member of Lake Jennie Covenant Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband Curtis who passed away in 2013. She is survived by her 4 children, Richard and his wife Susan of Vero Beach FL, John of Dassel MN, Peter and his wife Susan of Cold Spring MN and Barbara and her husband Kevin Cameron of Pelham, NH. June also has four grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
A Memorial Service will be held in the springtime.

David Bruce Jacobson, 75, of Cokato, MN passed away on Thursday, December 14, 2023, at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale, MN.

David was born on September 29, 1948, in Ontonagon, MI to Norman and Mary Jacobson. He grew up in Paynesville, MI and was a 1966 graduate of Ewen Trout Creek High School. David served in the United States Air Force for 4 years and was a Vietnam Veteran.

On June 26, 1971, David married Nancy Helen Kurtti, the love of his life, in Wolf Lake, MN. They lived in Ishpeming, MI while David worked for 30 years at Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company, in Palmer, MI. Outside of work, he enjoyed fishing, hunting, and spending time with his sons, grandsons, extended family and friends at his hunting camp in Paynesville, MI near his childhood home. Nancy and David enjoyed playing board games with their friends and children and travelling throughout the US. David also enjoyed reading and solving word puzzles. Later in life, spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought him immense joy.

David is survived by his wife Nancy, his two daughters, Melissa of Kihei, HI and Sherry of Minnetonka, MN and three sons, Ryan (Jean) of Cokato, MN, Jared (Meredith) of Highland, MI, and Joshua (Nicole) of Buffalo, MN. David is also survived by his 11 grandchildren, Justin, Jordan (Shania), Kendra, Kylee, Easton, Gage, Shea, Callum, Esme, Porsha, and Alexis and 2 great-grandchildren, Delilah Ann and Rhett David. He is survived by his sister, Judy Hansen of Ewen, MI and brothers, Robert (Lona) of Saxon, WI, and Kenneth (Verna) of Marquette, MI, brother-in-law, Mike Nousiainen of Bruce Crossing, MI, and many brothers- and sisters-in-law and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews, and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his son Bruce David, his parents Norman and Mary Jacobson, his brothers, Norman Jr., Ted, Paul, and Tom, his sister Kathy Nousiainen, his sister-in-law, Judy Jacobson, brother-in-law Larry Hansen and his father- and mother-in-law John and Mayme Kurtti.

Visitation will be Tuesday, December 19, 2023 from 4-8 pm (prayer at 7pm) at the Cokato Laestadian Lutheran Church in Cokato, MN.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 am, Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at the Cokato Laestadian Lutheran Church in Cokato, MN with burial following at the Cokato Finnish Cemetery.