Obituaries: May 15, 2026

Conrad Gill
Conrad Gill, of Ely, passed away with his wife by his side on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 16 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Ely with visitation one hour prior. Burial will be in the Ely Cemetery. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely. 

Nigel A. Milbridge
Nigel Albert Milbridge, 43, of Fridley, formerly of Warroad, passed away on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, of natural causes. A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 16 at Cheryl Milbridge’s home, 1441 Carl’s Way in Tower. Family services are provided by Bauman Vermilion Funeral Home, a Bauman Family Funeral Home in Tower. 
He is survived his mother, Cheryl Milbridge; father, Larry (Anita) Milbridge;  significant other, Michelle Simpson; daughters; Katarina and Mia Milbridge;  brother, Eric (Sara) Milbridge; grandmother, Sharon Milbridge; uncles, Kevin (Shullon) Strong and Dan (Alicia) Milbridge; aunts, Tracey Strong, Carrie Strong, Denise Pieratos and Cheryl (Matt) Seppi; great-aunt, Sara; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Nancy J. Lagerquist
Nancy Jean Lee Lagerquist, 86, formerly of Cook, passed away on Saturday, May 9, 2026. A thank you to Carefree in Virginia. A special thank you to the Moments Hospice team for your care of Nancy. A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 23 at Mlaker Funeral Home in Cook. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. 
She is survived by her son, Theodore (Missy) Lagerquist; grandchildren, Jacob Lagerquist and Kaleigh Lagerquist; several nieces and nephews; and many friends.

George V. Olson
George Vernon Olson, 83, of Cook, passed away on Sunday, May 10, 2026, at the Veterans Home in Silver Bay, after a long and courageous battle with dementia. A memorial service with military honors will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 22 at Mlaker Funeral Home in Cook. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. We invite all who knew and loved George to join us in honoring his memory. 
He is survived by three siblings, Den, Tom and Ruthie Olson; sons, Anthony and Michael; granddaughters, Xochitl Denatly and Xul Olson; and great-grandson, Daxton.

Jack E. Thompson
Jack Enrico “Jocko” Thompson, 78, of Savage, formerly of Ely, Babbitt, Virginia and Mt. Iron, died peacefully at home on Sunday, May 3, 2026, after a courageous battle with cancer. A celebration of life will be held on Friday, May 22 at Cremation Society of Minnesota in Edina. Visitation at 1 p.m. will be followed by a service at 2 p.m. and a reception. Jocko’s wish was that his life be celebrated joyfully and without fuss. Please feel free to wear your favorite Minnesota athletic gear (extra points for the Gophers) and come prepared to share your favorite Jocko story. Memorials may be directed to the Ely Educational Foundation (Youth Athletics), PO Box 373, Ely, MN 55731 or Allina Health Hospice St. Francis Cancer Center.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Sally Jo Burgess Thompson; children, JoEllen (Chris) Maras of Omaha, Neb., Brian (Amanda Cope) of East Granby, Conn., and Erin (Jeff) Skubic of Eden Prairie; six grandchildren; sisters, Diana (Robert) Kirschner and Olivia Thompson; nieces, many cousins and numerous life-long friends.

Betty Stauffenecker
Betty Jahnke Stauffenecker, 89, of Embarrass and Babbitt, has died. Arrangements are with Ziemer-Moeglein-Shatava Funeral Home of Aurora.
She is survived by her sons, Tim, Mark and Todd; daughter-in-law, Darlene; grandchildren, Timothy Jr., Meriah/Daniel Nelson, Gabriel, Kalie, Tyler and Brianna; sister-in-law, Barb Jahnke; and numerous nieces and nephews.