Swanson Peterson Funeral Home

Carol Marvel (Rusten) Ryks of Waverly, MN passed away peacefully on Friday, November 25, 2022 surrounded by family.

Carol was born in Willmar, MN on February 23, 1944 to Cora (Erickson) and Peter Rusten. She attended a country school in Priam and went on to high school in Raymond, MN. While in high school she met Allen Ryks, whom she was married to on January 25, 1963. He said she made the best pies and would make the best wife. The first 13 years of their marriage were spent in Willmar, MN as she worked at a local shoe store and managed their own garbage company. Carol and Allen then moved to Raymond, MN where they had a hobby farm. In 1988, they moved to a small acreage in Waverly, MN where Carol worked as a seamstress and in their spare time they would plant expanses of beautiful gardens.

Carol had a passion for sewing and needlework, and she gifted hundreds of quilts to both loved ones and to the local charities for families in need. She was known to be a great conversationalist as she would talk to any stranger and ask meaningful questions to anyone. She was not afraid of hard work and she went on to teach this to the next generation. She was involved at Buffalo United Methodist Church serving however she could.  Carol never wanted to draw attention to herself but would always be thinking of ways to bless others with time and energy. She loved challenging anyone to a game of Chinese checkers. She was devoted to her family and loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren.

Carol is survived by her sister Mary Jane Stredde; 3 children; Pam (Kevin) Olson, Kevin (Deb) Ryks, and Lorelle (Vern) Quast; 7 grandchildren, Christopher (Jennifer) Ryks, Chelsie (Bob) Bloch, Nathan (Emily) Olson, Andrew (Alexis) Olson, Naomi (Isaac) Paige, Xavier Quast, and Xenia Quast; and 17 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Allen Ryks; her son, Jason Ryks; granddaughter Mariah Christine Olson; parents, Peter and Cora Rusten; sister Eunice and brother Marvin.

Funeral service will be at 11 am on Tuesday, December 6 at United Methodist Church of Buffalo, with visitation at 10 am. Internment at Fairview Cemetery in Raymond, MN. Arrangements by Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cokato & Howard Lake, MN 320-286-2534, www.swansonpeterson.com

Brenda Lee Zahorski, age 56 of Waverly, passed away on November 19, 2022 at her home. She grew up in Northeast Minneapolis and made her final home in Waverly, Minnesota. Brenda loved being a grandma to her 2 grandsons, Parker and Chase. She adored her fur babies, Star, Teddy and Ziggy, and grand fur babies, Angel, Bear, Tyco and Koby. She also enjoyed quilting, baking, cooking and going for walks.

Survived by her husband, Jerry Zahorski, children, Andy Stulac, Nicki (Howard) Mukanda, grandchildren, Parker and Chase Mukanda, step-son, Kyle Zahorski, step father, Jerry Hall, aunt, Margaret Kruger, siblings, Barb (Sheldon) Remer, Michelle (Kirk) Gregor, Michael (Jonna) Pearson, Lindsay Pearson, and Lacey Pearson, step siblings Carrie, Lon, Sheila, Tracy and Lori,  brother in-law, Dan Dircz, nieces and nephews, Kara (fiancé Steven Goodrich) Dircz, Daniel (Jordan Hughes) Dircz, Savannah Remer, great-nephew, Cameron Dircz, cousins, Duane and Dale Kruger and Staci Pearson.

Preceded in death by her mother, Virginia Hall, and father, Michael Pearson.

A memorial service with visitation 1 hour prior will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, December 3, 2022 at Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home in Howard Lake, MN. www.swansonpeterson.com 320-543-3401

Andrew William Stanley, age 33 of Hutchinson, MN passed away on November 21, 2022. He was born March 12, 1989 in Hutchinson, MN the son of Allen Stanley and Tammy Anderson. Andrew grew up in Howard Lake, MN and graduated from HLWW high school in 2007 where he made many friends and lasting memories. Andrew and Kate Keesling welcomed son Silas Bradley Stanley on December 11, 2014. Silas was Andrew’s pride and joy! Andrew enjoyed hunting for agates, playing video games, fishing, drawing, music, and karaoke. Andrew’s comical personality was infectious, he loved to make people laugh. He had a way of leaving people with a smile on their face. He had a big heart and spread love everywhere he went.

Andrew is survived by his son, Silas Stanley and Silas’s mother Kate Keesling, father, Allen Stanley, brothers, Eric and Zachary Stanley, and many friends and relatives.

Andrew was preceded in death by his mother, Tammy Kay Anderson, grandparents, Gene and Gloria Stanley, and Floyd Anderson.

A memorial service with visitation 1 hour prior will be held at 2:00 PM on Thursday, December 1, 2022 at Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Howard Lake, MN 320-543-3401, www.swansonpeterson.com

Terrell (Terry) Titterud, 71, died from complications of lung cancer on November 1, 2022.  Although born March 4, 1951 in Cokato, where his grandfather owned the Titterud Hardware Store on Broadway, he spent most of his youth growing up in the foothill towns of Colorado. However, his family would return every summer to visit grandparents and cousins, enjoying the lakes, long summer nights, and the  annual Corn Carnival.

Missing his childhood roots, Terry returned to the Cokato area full time later in life, living in Dassel and then Cokato.  Having a bent for the mechanical and enjoying working with his hands, he was a regular on construction projects and often could be found keeping his 1984 Chevy Blazer in driving condition. He could be seen riding his bicycle, long hair flowing, on the trails between Cokato and Dassel.

Terry was passionate about the Minnesota Twins and preferred listening to games on the radio to TV. For years he kept the most detailed scorecards on all the players and friends could rely on him for up-to-date statistics. He loved his cats who were his close companions for more than two decades.  Terry was a fan of the rock and country rock music of the 1960’s, 70’s and 80s and had an extensive vinyl record collection that he played on an his original turntable.  He also  enjoyed cooking and grilling on his deck.

His parents Hillard and Grace Titterud preceded him in death. He is survived by his older sister Kirsten Steen of Sacramento, Calif. and her son John, and younger sister Heidi Griffiths of San Diego, Calif. and her daughter Zoe.  Terry will truly be missed by family and friends.

Mary Cecelia (Ruonavaara) Skoog, age 89, passed away on November 19, 2022 at Engel Haus Assisted Living in Albertville, Minnesota. Mary was born the fifth of seven children in Gay, Michigan on September 14,1933 to Anna and Felix Ruonavaara. After graduating from Calumet High School, she moved to Detroit, MI and worked for General Motors. Eventually, she found her way back to the Upper Peninsula and was “so glad” to have been living with her parents when her mother died at age 61. It was during that time that she attended Suomi College and earned a certificate in shorthand. She took her skills to Minneapolis and worked for Judge Miles Lord as a legal secretary in the late 1950s. When the Minneapolis bus workers went on strike, Roy Skoog, a bachelor she had met at church, began giving her a ride to work every morning. They fell in love and were married on July 9,1960 at her sister’s home in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis. They purchased a home in Brooklyn Center and started a family before moving to a small hobby farm in Maple Lake, Minnesota in the spring of 1972. Roy commuted to work in Minneapolis and worked “long days”. Mary was a devoted and loving stay-at-home mother to their nine children who remember running home from the school bus to delectable smells wafting from the kitchen. She sewed Easter dresses for her daughters, made baby quilts and knitted sweaters for her grandchildren, and classic fashions for herself. Ever the wordsmith, she won countless games of scrabble, devoured the criptoquip and crossword puzzles in the newspaper.  Her dictionary was in tatters.  She studied God’s word and reminded her children of the way of a believer. Attending services and fellowship of Gods children was her highest priority. The Gospel of forgiveness of sins was her treasure. In 1988, Mary and Roy sold the farm and moved to the edge of town in Cokato, Minnesota where a stream of church friends would “stop by” for coffee and a visit. During these precious years of retirement, Mary and Roy criss-crossed the country in their car visiting friends, relatives and loved ones, never staying in one place too long. Friends remember Mary as a chatterbox alongside her steadfast quiet husband. She never forgot the birthdays of her grandchildren. Keeping in touch was her specialty. Mary wrote long letters and spent countless hours catching up with friends and family on the telephone. Many loved ones will miss their daily conversations.

Mary is survived by her husband of 62 years, Roy Skoog, of Albertville, MN; nine children: Juliana (Gerald) Johnson (Skanee, MI), Janet (Karl) Niemela (Lake Stevens, WA), Thomas (Janet) Skoog (Otsego, MN, Dale (Laura) Skoog (Rogers, MN), Darlene (Tim) Sutinen (Phoenix, AZ), Andrew (Hanna) Skoog (Waverly, MN), Wayne (Susan) Skoog (Greenfield, MN), Annemarie (Steve) Jones (Longview, WA), and Jennifer Skoog (New York, NY); 65 grandchildren, 55 great-grandchildren; siblings Nathan (Mimi) Ruonavaara and Luella (Robert) Grangroth; Brother-in-law George Wisuri, Sister-in-law Gladys (Ruonavaara) Lahti, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents, Felix and Anna Ruonavaara, siblings Helen (Dan) Karineimi, Julia Holman, Anna (Izzi) Wisuri, Quentin Ruonavaara, grandchildren, Brady Alan Niemela and Ashley Rose Johnson.

Visitation to be held at 10:30 am at Rockford Laestadian Lutheran Church on Saturday, November 26, followed by the funeral at noon.  Burial will be at 2:30 pm at the Finnish Cemetery in Cokato, Minnesota.

Arrangements by Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home of Cokato, MN 320-286-2534, www.swansonpeterson.com