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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Obituaries: September 30, 2022

Posted

Ralph F. Christopherson Jr.
Ralph F. Christopherson Jr., 82, lifelong resident of Virginia and Lake Vermilion, died on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, at Edgewood Vista Memory Care in Virginia. A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tower. Reverend Liz Cheney will officiate. Memorials are preferred to Immanuel Lutheran Church. Family services are provided by Bauman-Cron, a Bauman Family Funeral Home in Virginia. 
Ralph was born on Jan. 16, 1940, in Virginia, the son of Ralph Sr. and Bernice (Tilman) Christopherson. He was a graduate of Roosevelt High School in Virginia. He served in the Army National Guard. Ralph was united in marriage to Sally Rankila on Dec. 22, 1962, in Virginia.
Ralph was an entrepreneur, starting a couple of small businesses. He retired in 2002 as a truck driver for Malton Electric. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tower and a retired member of the Greenwood Township VFD. Ralph was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating, snowmobiling, and more.
Ralph is survived by his children, Amy Christopherson of Anoka and Chad Christopherson of Maple Grove; sister, Mary Christopherson-Juve (Pete) of Yuma, Ariz.; brother, John Christopherson (Virgie) of Oconomowoc, Wis.; brother-in-law, Gary Rankila of Minneapolis; sister-in-law, Karen Christopherson of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.; grandchildren, Nicholas Christopherson, Jack Vlasaty and Cassidy Christopherson; a niece; several nephews; and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Sally in 2021; and brother, Daniel Christopherson.

Martin J. Walsh III
Martin Joseph Walsh III, 91, died peacefully on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, at his home at Edgewater Retirement Community in West Des Moines, Iowa. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at St. Augustin Catholic Church in Des Moines. Interment was at Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines, followed by a luncheon at the Wakonda Club.
Memorials of choice are welcome to The Martin J. Walsh III Scholarship Fund, St. Michael’s College, One Winooski Park, PO Box 256, Colchester, VT 05439.
Marty was born on Feb. 25, 1931, in Hartford, Conn., to Catherine (Conley) Walsh and Martin J. Walsh II. He was reared in New Britain, Conn., and graduated from New Britain High School in the class of 1949. He earned a BA degree from St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont, in 1954. He was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force at that time and served two-and-one-half years. In 1960, Marty came to Des Moines as a sales representative for the P and F Corbin Division of the American Hardware Corporation, where he met Katherine “Katie” Kurtz and they married in 1963.
Marty invested his entire career in the builders’ hardware industry in which he took immense pride. In 1975, Marty and Katie purchased the builders’ hardware division of L.H. Kurtz Company and formed Kurtz Walsh Builders Hardware Company. Marty’s trio of hard work, honesty and integrity built the business into what is now Walsh Door and Security with offices in Des Moines, Iowa City and Kansas City, Mo.
Marty, most proud of his Irish heritage, was a generous and compassionate man who was dedicated to helping others in a quiet manner. He attributed his success to his strong work ethic and his Catholic faith. He was honored to have served as a member of the diocesan papal-visit steering committee that operated with respect to the 1979 visit of Pope Saint John Paul II to Des Moines. Marty was proud to serve on the board of directors of the Iowa Region of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, as well as on the board of directors of Homesteaders Life Company. He enjoyed his membership in the Cambio Club, and St. Michael’s College always held a special place in his heart.
Des Moines was home to Marty for over 60 years. Marty and Katie spent winters in Naples, Fla., at Bear’s Paw Country Club and summers on Lake Vermilion in Tower. Together they established lifelong friendships and made lasting memories. God, family and friends were Marty’s priority.
Marty is survived by his wife of 59 years, Katie; children, Martin J. Walsh IV (Suzanne), Brian K. Walsh (Melynda) and Meaghan Walsh Schneider (Dan); grandchildren, Jack Walsh, Lizzie Walsh, Nick Walsh and Bridget Walsh Schneider; sister, Kathleen Walsh Fagan of Connecticut; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and sister, Joanne Walsh Brennan.

William Kraskey
William “Bill” Kraskey, 57, of Hutchinson, passed away on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022 at his home. He was born on June 5, 1965, in Deer River. He graduated from Horace Mann High School in Biwabik. He then went to Willmar Vo-Tech for two years and moved to Hutchinson with employment at Minnesota Specialty Yeast. Poor health and the battle with COVID shortened his life but he gave it a good fight.
He is survived by his mother, Dorothy (Douglas) Garland; brothers, John (Linda) Kraskey, Robert Kraskey and Curtis (Angela) Garland; nephews, Spencer and Alex Garland, Mason (Megan) Kraskey and Riley (Morgan) Kraskey; and niece, Callie Garland.