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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Obituaries: May 26, 2023

Posted

Jon D. Folz Jr.
Please note change in service date
Jon David Folz Jr., 63, of Ely, died on Sunday, April 30, 2023, with his family at his side at St. Mary’s Hospital in Duluth.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11a.m. on Friday, May 26 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Ely. Visitation will be for one hour prior at the church.

Harvey J. Thompson
Harvey Jones Thompson, 77, of Nett Lake, passed away on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at his home with his wife by his side. A traditional wake was held on Sunday, May 21 and a traditional service was held on Monday, May 22, both at the Bois Forte Government and Services Center.
Harvey was born in Nett Lake to William Woodenfrog and Evelyn Thompson. He attended elementary school in Nett Lake and high school in Orr. He furthered his education by attending UMD. Harvey worked as a chemical dependency counselor, and was director of the Bois Forte Chemical Dependency Program. He then went on to be an Anishinaabe Language and Culture Teacher for FDL Head Start Programs, FDL Ojibwe School and Cloquet Public Schools. Harvey came back home to teach at the Nett Lake School, where he worked until retiring in 2021. Harvey was proud of his cultural heritage and his ability to teach that to others; he was a third-degree Midewiwin.
Harvey enjoyed his tea “piping hot”. He liked to cook Dry Mac for his kids. He enjoyed powwows, watching Minnesota Vikings football games on TV, and listening to old time country music - Elvis, Johnny Cash, and in the last few years, bluegrass. He loved his children, grandchildren, and his wife Rachel very much. He cherished his friendships and extended family.
Harvey embodied the Serenity Prayer, even though he didn’t say it himself. He had the serenity to accept the things he could not change, the courage to change the things he could, and, usually, the wisdom to know the difference. When he didn’t have that wisdom, he looked for it in prayer, by consulting others, and listening. His spirituality and his observance of Anishinaabe culture were the cornerstone of his continuous sobriety since 1985. He will be greatly missed, but remembered with gratitude and love for a very long time.
Harvey is survived by his wife, Rachel Thompson; children, Debra Thompson, Kristina Defoe, Patrick Defoe Jr. Karla Bluebird and Antonio Roy; grandchildren, Bryson, Patrick, Justice, Eliza, Patrick III, Kaylin, Apaulo, Daksyn, Nickole, Karmin, Ziigwan and Anthony; great-granddaughters, Kyomi and Zela; and aunt, Jennie Woodenfrog.
He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Denise Thompson; brothers, Leonard Thompson and John Thompson; and grandsons, Sylis and Lucius.

Donna M. Parzyck
Donna Margaret Folkedahl Parzyck, 78, passed away on Thursday, May 11, 2023. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 3 at Mlaker Funeral Home in Cook. Visitation will begin at noon. Memorial gifts may be made to your chosen charity.
She is survived by her brothers, Vern (Laurie), David (Debbie) and Neil (Shelley); sister-in-law, Margaret (Dan) Dumarcer; several nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews; and caregivers, Barb Perrizo, Ronda (Greg) Harvey, Vicki (Gus) Quiroz and their families.

Susan A. Christian
Susan Ann Christian, 68, of Orr, passed away on Thursday, May 11, 2023. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 26 at the United Church of Christ in Robbinsdale. A private interment will occur at a later date.

Robert Grahek
Robert Grahek, 81, formerly of Ely, passed away on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at the Ely Bloomenson Community Hospital. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

Alan Bozicevich Sr.
Alan Bozicevich Sr., 75, of Pine Island-Lake Vermilion, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, March 2, 2023, in his home. A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, June 4 at the Embarrass Town Hall from 1 to 3 p.m. Family services are provided by Bauman-Vermilion, a Bauman Family Funeral Home in Tower. 

Debbie L. Childress
Debbie L. Childress, 65, formerly of Babbitt, peacefully passed away on Sunday, May 14, 2023, surrounded by her family after a long, hard-fought battle against Alzheimer’s disease. A casual celebration of life with stories and laughter will be held from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, June 25 at the Junction Inn and Conference Center in Babbitt. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association or Essentia Health Hospice. The family would like to give special thanks to Essentia Health Hospice for the compassionate care given to Debbie. Family services are provided by Bauman-Vermilion, a Bauman Family Funeral Home in Tower.
She is survived by her husband, David Thompson, and stepson, Michael, who both cared for her with love, devotion and compassion; daughter, Katie (Jordan) Richards and a granddaughter on the way; son, Joey (Charlsie Sartain) Krtinich and granddaughter, Evelyn Krtinich; sisters, Anita Karim and Melinda Vincent; and brother, Edward Childress.

Merlin H. Pipho
Merlin Henry Pipho, 91, of Ely, a proud U.S. Army veteran, passed away on Friday, May 19, 2023, at Ely Bloomenson Community Hospital surrounded by family. Graveside services were held at the Ely Cemetery on Tuesday, May 23. A celebration of life is being planned for a later date this summer. The family would like to thank the staff at EBCH for their compassionate care of Merlin during his last stay. If desired, memorial donations can be made to Northwoods Partners of Ely or the St. Louis County Rescue Squad. Family arrangements were entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.
He is survived by his children, Brenda Teverbaugh, Bobbi (Mark) Ellenberg, Bill (Penny) Pipho, Mike (Lynn) Pipho and Patti (Bill) Pipho-Olson; grandchildren, Krista, Kim, Kris, Neal, Lauren, Lisa, Jackie, Leslie, Ryan, Kyle, Evan, Sarah, Kristin, Seth and Molly; many great-grandchildren; siblings, Elaine (Howard) Gransee, Jeannette (Larry) Pettis and Norman (Margaret) Pipho; and numerous nieces and nephews. 

Mary Ann Starkman
Mary Ann “Dolly” Sever Starkman, 94, of Ely, died on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, at Carefree Living in Babbitt. The family would like to thank the dedicated staff of the Carefree Living Center for their daily provision of kind and compassionate care. A Memorial Mass was held on Thursday, May 25 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Ely. Arrangements were entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.
She is survived by her children, Marie (Tim) Salerno and Sharon Franklin; daughter-in-law, Bonnie K. Starkman; grandchildren, Michael (Heidi) Starkman, David Starkman, Matt and Sean (Alyssa) Salerno, John Franklin and Morgan (T.J.) Maglio; and great-grandchildren, Jade, Vivienne, Quincy, Annie, Logan, Vincent and Julian.