Swanson Peterson Funeral Home

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Joel Victor Nyquist, aged 76, passed away in his home in Cokato MN on December 1st, 2021.
Joel was born on August 13th, 1945 in Hutchinson, MN to Eugene and Martha (Gustafson) Nyquist. He grew up on a farm in Dassel, MN where his family members were active in Lamson Evangelical Free Church. It was through the church that he met his future wife, Darlene Swedberg when he was 17 years old. Joel graduated from Cokato High school and attended Augsburg College where he played football and graduated with a major in Biology. On November 9th, 1968, he married Darlene and they lived for the first year in Germany while Joel served in the US Army during the Vietnam war. After coming home, they settled in Cokato, MN where Joel farmed for many years. He finished his career working as a Nursing Home Administrator. Joel was an active member of Elim Mission Church in Cokato, serving in many different roles throughout his years. Joel’s hobbies included woodworking, gardening, and, most of all, spending time with his kids and grandkids.
Joel was preceded in death by his wife Darlene Nyquist; parents Eugene and Martha Nyquist; brother Maurice Nyquist; sister Sally Nyquist.
Joel is survived by his children Darla Nyquist, Matthew (Jennifer) Nyquist, Joshua (Heidi) Nyquist, Benjamin (Kristina) Nyquist, Anjali Nyquist; his brother Peter (Susan) Nyquist; grandchildren Tyler, Megan, Chase, Zachary, Katie, Emma, Bennett, Caleb, Luke, Abigail, Olivia; and several nieces and nephews and their children.
A funeral service for Joel will be held at 11:00 AM Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at Highland Community Church in Cokato with visitation 1 hour prior to the service at the church. A time of gathering will also be held from 5-7 PM on Monday, December 6, 2021 at Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home in Cokato.

Varona Marie Weller was born to Richard Sylvester Weller and LuElla Lenora Weller nee Townsend on February 2, 1930 in Hanover twp., Minnesota. She was the 4th child of 6. She was raised in the Hanover/Rockford area until at age 16 her family moved to a farm north of Howard Lake. She graduated from Howard Lake High School in 1948 and married Myron (Mike) Otto Klugow on May 31, 1948. They made their home on a farm north of Howard Lake and had 7 children. They raised dairy cattle and farmed the fields until Mike’s death in 1979.
Varona enjoyed cooking and having the ladies over for coffee. There was always a house full of kids. She was always happier to spend time outside with the tractors than inside cleaning. She worked evenings in the 60’s at The Lafayette Club and introduced her kids to leftover Canapes. In the evenings you could find her laying on the bed reading a True Romance Magazine. Saturdays she would join her sisters to get her hair done – more for company than style. She was always ready to play cards, scrabble or Yahtzee with anyone who wanted to play – no matter what age. Tuesday was ladies bowling league which she was on for years. For extra money she held Stanley Home products parties and waitressed at Sadie’s Café in Cokato. She worked at the bakery in Howard Lake for many years. Holidays were always a special time for her – especially Christmas. The Christmas tree was always a ‘Charlie Brown’ tree – specially decorated with love.
Grandchildren were very special to her and filled the house with ‘hubub’. Chris (Barb) Farrier, Molly Lanars, Katrina Mauk, Ben (Tiffany) Farrier, Bry Farrier, Adam Farrier, Mallory (Alex) Carlson, Brianna (Paul) Solberg, Rob Kobow, David Kobow, Wendy Gageby, Patrick Drum, Samantha (Chris) Choate and Varonica Klugow.
Preceded in death by her parents, siblings, infant daughter, Myra Varona, son Paul Richard Klugow, several nieces and nephews.
Survived by her children – Michael Varon Klugow, Bonnie (Chuck) Kobow, Nancy (Joe) Kadlec, Betsy Farrier (Marty), Bill and daughter-in-law Deb Klugow Zeestraten, 27 great grandkids and 6 great-great grandkids.
A memorial service will be held at 2 PM on Thursday, December 16, 2021 with visitation 1 hour prior to services at St. James Lutheran Church in Howard Lake. Arrangements by Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cokato & Howard Lake, MN 320-543-3401 www.swansonpeterson.com

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Cokato Evangelical Lutheran Church Website – https://www.elchome.net/upcoming-events-elc-cokato/a-celebration-of-life-amp-faith-pastor-heidi-jo-hagstrom

Viewing the Service from C-ELC Website – https://www.elchome.net/live-service-evangelical-lutheran-church

Viewing the Service from C-ELC YouTube Channel – https://youtu.be/15vTvAvoSZI

Heidi Jo Hagstrom was born Oct. 13, 1955, in Cokato, Minn., to Stan and Shirley Hagstrom. She died Nov. 26, 2021, in Buffalo, Minn. Heidi was always proud and grateful to be the daughter of a grocer/butcher and an English teacher. She was baptized Dec. 10, 1955, at Cokato Evangelical Lutheran Church, where she was also confirmed, married, ordained and remembered at her funeral on Dec. 3.
Heidi graduated from Dassel-Cokato High School in 1974 and Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn., in 1979 (major: music; minor: religion). Between her sophomore and junior years of college, she was chosen to be part of a Concordia outreach team that served six months in American and Western Samoa.
In 1980 she married Ken Hauan. Along with their beloved bulldogs, they lived in three Minnesota communities where Heidi served as parish worker/Christian education director: Trinity Lutheran in Montevideo 1979-82, Calvary Lutheran in Willmar 1982-84 and First Lutheran in Bemidji 1984-87.
Heidi and Ken moved to Bloomington, Ind., in 1987. He pursued graduate studies and she worked part time at St. Thomas Lutheran Church, the Indiana University Conference Bureau, and served as a board member of the Monroe County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
In 1992, she and Ken divorced and she returned to Cokato to live with her family and help care for her mother, who Heidi credited with teaching her “the divine art of dying.” Also that year, Heidi moved to St. Cloud to work as director for educational conferences at the conference bureau of St. Cloud State University (SCSU). Toward the end of her tenure at SCSU, she and friends established The Odyssey Group, LLP, a full-service meeting management company.
In 1997, Heidi moved to Chicago to work as associate director, then director, of the ELCA Youth Gathering, shepherding gatherings in St. Louis (2000), Atlanta (2003), San Antonio (2006), New Orleans (2009 and 2012) and Detroit (2015). The ELCA Youth Gathering is the largest gathering of high school youth, and also the largest gathering of adults, in the ELCA. Under Heidi’s leadership the gathering re-established itself as a premiere faith-forming event for high school-aged youth based on service learning.
During her years at the churchwide offices in Chicago, Heidi, a lifelong learner, earned a certificate as a spiritual director, and in her final years there she began her studies at Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, graduating as part of the Theological Education for Emerging Ministries program in 2018.
Following her father’s advice to “invest in a place, give gifts to a place,” in 2015 she moved to the prairie of Southwest Minnesota to serve Fields of Grace Lutheran Parish, Lafayette. She was ordained Sept. 23, 2018.
This three-point parish made up of Swan Lake, First and Bernadotte Lutheran Churches is where she was able to enjoy country living that she cherished: open spaces and neighboring farms, her own chickens (and fresh eggs!), a bountiful garden, her cats, and people who share her Swedish heritage. At a benefit held after she retired in October 2021, parish representatives praised her preaching and her singing voice. That same month she moved to Buffalo to live with her sister Tracy and family, and bring to completion two of her favorite roles: sister and auntie.
Although Heidi was featured soloist in many choirs, she described herself as a “blender” because she was often positioned in such a way as to temper two stronger voices. That same tempering characteristic was evident in her work as a leader. She always had a clear vision, but empowered others as she drew out and showcased their gifts. She took to heart the advice of a spiritual director who told her the job of a good leader is appreciation.
She spent a lifetime doing just that, and advocating for others–in high school and college by sharing her musical talent in nursing homes, to those with disabilities and the incarcerated, and later in life as an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, especially after Ken came out to her as gay. Heidi had a heart for those who were disenfranchised and misunderstood.
Heidi is survived by Tracy Hagstrom Durant (sister), Tom Durant (brother-in-law), Greta Dahl (niece), Elaina Beecher (great niece), Ken Hauan (former spouse), Dennis Dahl and Jenni Johnson (former brother-in-law and girlfriend), Danish exchange sister Birthe Bjerge (Jens); Primus cousins–Patty Miller (Steve), Penny Pastornosro (Anthony), Jayme Sherman; Lois Jeanne Neubauer (aunt), and Neubauer cousins – Debbie Finley (Ed), Brad Neubauer (Sue), Bruce Neubauer (Carolyn), Brian Neubauer (Tami); adopted Larson/Landin family.

She was preceded in death by Stan and Shirley Hagstrom (parents), Frank and Clara Arndt (grandparents), Axel and Jenni Hagstrom (grandparents), Marge Rider (cousin) and Mary Wagner (cousin).
Memorials in Heidi’s name may be given:
• Underdog Rescue Minnesota (St. Louis Park) in honor of Toula
• tAble (formerly Definitely Abled Youth Leadership Event), ELCA.org/Gathering (Go to giving page)
• Cokato Evangelical Lutheran Church Stained Glass Window Restoration Fund
+ Rest eternal grant her, O Lord, and light perpetual shine upon her. +

Celebration of life will be held at 11:00 am, December 3 at the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 280 3rd Street SW, Cokato, MN. Services will be live streamed. Visitation will be held at the same location December 2 from 4:00 to 8:00 pm and one hour prior to the service.

Full obituary with funeral live stream link can be found at Swanson Peterson Funeral Home: www.swansonpeterson.com and on Pastor Heidi’s CaringBridge.

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Joan Mary Euerle, beloved mother and wife of Lennox Charles Euerle, peacefully passed away surrounded by family on November 18, 2021. Born in Paynesville, Minnesota, on March 18, 1934, she was the daughter of the late Conrad F and Emily C (Stralka) Levno. The family lived a variety of places as she was growing up, including Delano, Little Falls and South Minneapolis. Joan graduated from South Minneapolis High School in 1952. She married Lennox, the love of her life, on December 26, 1953. For 11 years Joan was an Air Force wife living at Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, TX, McChord Air Force Base, Tacoma, WA, and Naha Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. After the Air Force, Joan and Len returned to Minnesota and settled in Maple Lake in 1968. They enjoyed their farm, spending much of their time in the garden and at the “Broken Down Tree”. She also enjoyed several years as a 4-H leader of the Silver Maple 4-H Club. She worked in bookkeeping and billing services for Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association, retiring in 1996. They moved to St. Cloud in 2003, then to Cokato Manor in 2017.

Joan’s great love was Lennox, her husband for 67 1/2 years. She was a deeply devoted wife, mother, sister, grandmother, and great grandmother. Her other interests included embroidery, sewing, gardening, baking, Star Trek, playing rummy, traveling, writing, (including writing a gardening column for the Wright County paper), reading, and feeding and watching birds, Betsy and Bootsie were her favorite pets.

Those preceding Joan in death include her husband, brothers Conrad, Jr., Robert, Raymond, and Otto, sister Louise Prozinski, and newborn son, John. Joan is survived by children Steve (Maple Plain, MN), Sandi (Bill) Strickland (Sumter, SC), Debbie (Buffalo, MN), Rose (Steve) Foss (Cokato, MN), Juanita (Tom) Sparks (Goldsboro, NC), Tony (Andy) (Las Vegas, NV), and Ron (Lindi) (Fromberg, MT): grandchildren Billy, David, Jason, Jessica, Aaron, Anthony, Nathan, Alex, Megan, Joshua, and Jacob; great-grandchildren Gabriel, Cooper, Tyler, Ava, Mason, McKenzie, Lily, and Sawyer, sisters-in-law Dorothy Euerle (Litchfield, MN), Adelaide Levno (Hutchinson, MN), Dorothy Levno (Brainerd, MN), Ardis Euerle (Dassel, MN), and Annette Knutson (Cokato, MN) and brother-in-law Gerald (Audrey) Euerle (Litchfield, MN).

A funeral service will take place at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 with visitation 1 hour prior to the service at Saint Timothy’s Catholic Church, 8 Oak Ave N, Maple Lake, MN 55358. Interment will be at Minnesota Veteran’s Cemetery, Little Falls, MN. Arrangements by Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home of Cokato, 320-286-2534, Online www.swansonpeterson.com. Memorial donations can be sent to the Tri-County Humane Society of St. Cloud, 735 8th Street NE, St. Cloud, MN 56304.

Donald Layton Norberg of South Haven passed away at the Cokato Manor on November 18, 2021 at the age of 96.  A private family graveside service will be held at the Sunset Cemetery, French Lake Township.

Donald Layton Norberg was born September 22, 1925 to John and Alma (Engstrom) Norberg.  He was born in the same house where he resided for nearly 90 years.  He attended Happy Corner Country School through the eighth grade, and then Cokato High School.  After his dad passed away he quit school to help on the family farm, which he eventually purchased.

He married Pauline Benson in 1944.  Together they made their home on the farm and raised their family, plus several foster children. He milked cows, raised feeder pigs and farmed the land.  He was a hard-working farmer.  When they retired, they traveled with the Mobile Missionaries Assistance Program (MMAP) and the MN Christian Campers.  Pauline passed away in 1992.

In 1998 he married LuElla M. Halverson.  They too lived on the farm.  They enjoyed traveling, camping and various church activities.  They felt blessed to spend their winters at the Bibleville Conference Center, Alamo, TX.  LuElla passed away in 2017.

He had deep roots in French Lake Township, yet he loved to travel the world.  He visited China, Israel, Egypt, South Africa, Australia, Sweden, Norway and Denmark.  Through all these countries, and across the United States he ministered to people by handing out tracks (pamphlets) of God’s word.

He is survived by those he prayed for diligently, his children; Steve & Mickee Norberg (San Diego, CA), David & Kim Norberg (Reno, NV), Sharon & Roger Henry, (Billings, MT), Ruth & Larry Bachmeier (Big Lake), Kay & Gary DeSmith (Dassel). He is also survived by several grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great, great grandchildren.

He was a man of steadfast faith in God.  He looked forward to the glorious day he would go to heaven.  He is rejoicing to be there now.