Obituaries: November 27, 2020

Penny M. Joelson
Penny Marie Joelson, 64, of Virginia, died on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020, at Aspen Grove Assisted Living in Chisholm. A funeral service was held on Monday, Nov. 23 at Bauman-Cron Funeral Home Chapel in Virginia with Pastor Cory Rintala officiating. Interment was in Calvary Cemetery in Virginia.  
Penny was born on May 17, 1956, in Cook, the daughter of William and Donna Marie (Lakosky) Edwards Jr.  She was a graduate of Orr High School and also attended bartending school. In her own words, “I was born and raised in a bar.” She married Robert A. Joelson on July 25, 1982, and moved from Orr to Virginia.
Penny was the Assistant Manager at  the Orr Muni for several years, worked at the Chocolate Éclair in the Thunderbird Mall, and began an 18-year career at L&M in 1982. Penny loved the outdoors. She enjoyed canoeing, fishing, grouse hunting, and deer hunting. She never met a stranger, only friends she hadn’t made yet; she had an infectious smile, and loved to be in parades with “Tin Lizzy”.
Penny is survived by her husband, “the man I’m married to” Robert “Bob” Joelson; siblings, Delta (Leonard) Zabrocki of Orr, Gary (Debbie) Edwards of Boise, Idaho, and Terry “Tick” (Judy) Edwards of Britt; brothers- and sisters-in-law, Janice Kramer of Seattle, Kay Joelson of Virginia and James Joelson of Virginia; nieces and nephews,  Dean (Terri) Zabrocki of Aldon, Darren (Angel) Zabrocki of Silver Bay, Terry (Angie) Edwards of Minneapolis, Mike (Claudia) Joelson of Eveleth, Chris (Mike) Tveit of Minneapolis, Rachel (Adam) Reich, Joe (Natalie) Kramer, Becca Kramer, David (Carol) Joelson of Sartell, Danny (Debbie) Joelson of Virginia and Kathy (Ken) Kemen of Virginia; grand-nephews and grand-nieces, Danielle and Zach Zabrocki, Jacob, Carter and Owen Zabrocki, Kaylee Lovett and James Burke; and numerous other extended family and friends.  
She was preceded in death by her parents; nephew, Seth Burke; sister-in-law, Nancy Joelson; and brothers-in-law, Dick Joelson and Gary Kramer. 

Margaret Kajala
Margaret Kajala, 74, of Virginia, passed away of natural causes on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020, at Edgewood Vista in Virginia. Margaret’s family would like to thank the staff at Edgewood Vista, special “cousin-in-law” Robert Tomassoni, nephew Todd Zaun, and her wonderful friends, for all of their caring and kindness as her health declined over the past several years. A private family graveside service will be held at Lakeside Cemetery in Biwabik. Memorials are preferred in lieu of flowers. Arrangements are by Ziemer-Moeglein-Shatava Funeral Home in Gilbert.  
Margaret was born on Dec. 8, 1945, in St. Paul, to Louis and Rose (Huss) Beckman. She grew up on the family farm outside of Jordan. She attended St. John’s Catholic School in Jordan through eighth grade and graduated from Jordan High School in 1963. She then attended Mankato State University, graduating in 1967 with a B.S. in Math. Upon graduation, she began teaching math in Virginia, where she met George Kajala, her future husband. They were married on June 21, 1969. Following their marriage, they moved to St. Paul. While living in St. Paul, Margaret taught at S.M. Grass Junior High in West St. Paul while George finished dental school. Upon George’s graduation, they moved back to Virginia where Margaret started work as the bookkeeper in George’s orthodontic practice, a position she took over fulltime a few years later as his practice grew.
They made their home on Virginia’s South Side. George and Margaret first lived on Fifth Avenue and later moved to Eighth Street, where Margaret lived for nearly 40 years. In 1973, they purchased a cabin on Lake Vermilion which they later remodeled into a home for an eventual retirement. The “lake place”, as she called it, provided countless hours of fun with family and friends. However, it also demanded many hours of hard work, as she kept the place spotless both inside and out.
In 1979, her son Steven was born. Margaret cherished being a mother and stepped back from some of the duties at George’s office so that she could care for Steve. Margaret was a kind, caring, and patient mother. She also became the de facto caretaker to the menagerie of pets that Steve kept in the house.  Margaret was very willing to lend a hand for whatever projects or events Steve was involved in. She was always just a phone call away to provide rides for Steve and his friends. 
Margaret loved to cook. At their home and the lake place, Margaret hosted many luncheons and dinner parties. In addition to formal parties, she welcomed George and Steve’s friends into their home for a meal at any time. She was a wonderful hostess who paid attention to the smallest details to make sure her guests felt welcomed. Her other interests over the years included sewing, golfing, gardening, downhill and cross-country skiing, boating, canoeing, camping, fishing, and especially traveling. She cherished time spent with her many friends, especially after George passed away in 2000.
The last chapter of Margaret’s life began when she moved into Edgewood Vista in 2016. She loved living at Edgewood Vista. While there, she especially enjoyed socializing with fellow residents, visits from family and friends, and taking rides around Virginia to look at the places that were important to her. She also enjoyed an occasional stop at Grandma’s Restaurant or Dairy Queen.
Margaret is survived by her son, Steven Kajala; daughter-in-law, Scarlett Kajala; grandchildren, Parker, Evan, Vincent, Lila and Chloe Kajala; twin sister, Mary Jo (Gary) Carstens; sisters, Jenny Gunderman and Karen Zaun; brothers, Ron (Liz) Beckman and Mike (Donna) Beckman; sister-in-law, Linda (Paul) Orazem; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Dr. George Kajala; father-in-law, Eino “Kikier” Kajala; mother-in-law, Hilma Kajala; brothers-in-law, Loren Gunderman and Dennis Zaun; nephew, Gregg Zaun; and her beloved golden retrievers, Max, Duke and Ben.

Maynard T. Wick
Maynard T. Wick, 86, of Mt. Iron, died on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Loretta Kofstad Wick; daughters, Debbie Wick Marinaro of Babbitt and Barbara Wick Manney of Las Vegas, Nev.; son, David Wick of Baxter; grandchildren, Tracy Marinaro, Mike Marinaro, Taylor Manney Wiele and Austin Wick; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Inez A. Viney
Inez Alma Hakala Jokinen Viney, 88, passed away peacefully on Nov. 17, 2020, at The Virginia Care Center. The family extends their deep heart-felt gratitude and thank you to all the staff at The Virginia Care Center for the excellent care they gave to Inez over the past almost four years. They truly became her family during this time of COVID. Private family services will be held at a later date due to COVID. Arrangements are with Range Funeral Home in Virginia.
She is survived by her daughters, Gayle (Daniel) Padgett of Embarrass and Glori (Brett) Lundstrom of Pike-Sandy; stepdaughter, Melonie (Dwayne) Westley; granddaughters, Aleena, Autumn and Calli; step-granddaughter, Sheena; step-grandsons, Nathan and Isaac; and eleven great-grandchildren.