Dale Aleshire

Funeral services for Dale Aleshire, 77, of Browerville were held on Saturday, January 7 at Zion Lutheran Church in Browerville. Dale passed away on Thursday, January 5, 2012 at CentraCare Health Systems in Long Prairie.
Dale was born on November 14, 1934 in Bruce Township to Claude and Mary (Blood) Aleshire. He attended District #65 through the 8th grade. In 1948, he started working for area farmers and on May 17, 1958 Dale married Eleanore Spandl at the Zion Lutheran Church in rural Browerville.
Dale served his country when he joined the army on June 1, 1957; he was discharged on May 31, 1960. They moved to Minneapolis and Dale worked for Capital Janitor Service. He also drove school bus for St. Louis Park and worked for National Connector.
Dale then worked at Independent School District 274 in Hopkins until moving to his dream home near Browerville. Once there he drove bulk milk truck and raised pigs and cattle. He worked at Hart Press in Long Prairie for 18 years and retired in 1996 and continued farming. Dale returned to work for Long Prairie Sanitary Service for another 4 years.
His favorite past-time was his John Deere tractors, all 13 of them and spending time with family and friends.
Dale is preceded in death by his parents, Claude and Mary; his beloved wife Eleanore; brothers Robert and Jack; and sister “Budge”.
He is survived by his daughters Patricia (Wayne) Crosby, Jody (Tim) Hayes and Nancy (Joel) Fraki; grandchildren Darcie, Kyla, Robert, Amanda, Daniel, Alex, Kelly, Douglas, Aaron, Bryan, Brianna and Kameron; great-granddaughter Brynnley; and sister Tootie Cimenski.
Burial was at the Bearhead Cemetery.

Benjamin Branstner

Private family services for Benjamin John Branstner, 70, of Verndale will be held at a later date. Benjamin passed away on December 30, 2011 at the Peaceful Valley Home in Hewitt.
John was born on November 4, 1941 to August and Julia (Chase) Branstner in Bertha and grew up in Oak Valley Township, west of Hewitt. He was the fourteenth of fifteen children. He graduated from Bertha High School and moved to California where he worked as an electrician until 1984.
After retirement, he returned to Minnesota, moving to his home in Verndale. In 2011, for health reasons, he moved to the Peaceful Valley Home in Hewitt where he was cared for by his nephew Ricky Mitchell and family. During his stay, he enjoyed spending time with his sister Ivis Mitchell who also is cared for at their home.
John was a lifelong member of the IBEW and active with AA for the last 20 years. He loved to garden and was known to help anyone needing assistance, especially the elderly who lived in his apartment complex. He was known as a good neighbor, always ready to help and expected nothing, but appreciation in return. He will be missed by all who knew him.
John was preceded in death by his parents August and Julia; sisters Bernice and Judith Branstner, Marie Folkestad, Viola Hauser and Pearl Ford; brother Loyd; and brothers-in-law Hermie Trosen, Gary Mitchell, Howard Folkestad, Eugene Hauser and Ben Krug.
He is survived by his sisters Verlie (Alvin) Miller of Minneapolis, Nadine Krug of Woodland, California, Alice Trosen of Verndale, Lila (Hugh) McFarlane of Minneapolis, Ivis Mitchell of Hewitt, Orpha (Larry) Carlson of Arizona and Ruby Hughes of Hutchinson; brother Bill (Glenda) of Muldrow, Oklahoma; sister-in-law Elvira Branstner of Georgetown, California; brother-in law Frank Ford of Aitkin; and many nieces and nephews as well as great-nieces and nephews and great-great-nieces and nephews.
Interment will be in the Oak Valley Cemetery at a later date.

Muriel Styron

Muriel (Kern) Styron, 75, of Morehead City, North Carolina, passed away on Thursday, December 29 at Carteret General Hospital.
Muriel attended Bertha-Hewitt High School and went on to complete nurses training in Willmar. She married a career military man and moved from place to place until finally settling down in Newport Beach, a suburb of Morehead City.
Muriel loved to cook and shop for presents for all of the birthdays and holidays. Christmas was one of her favorite times of the year. She attended Open Door Baptist Church for many years.
Muriel was preceded in death by her parents Bill and Midge Kern; and older sister Jean (Kern) Bottemiller.
She is survived by her five children Mark (Linda) Styron, Kalani (Paul) Parker, Mitchell (Kimberly) Styron, Kelly (Jeff) Toms and Scott Kern; brothers Bill Kern and Dewey (Sharon) Kern; sister Nancy (Layol) French; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.