Obituaries

Matthew Dave ‘Lil Walks’ Walker, 1981 - 2015
At the age of 33 Matt’s life was tragically cut short on January 17, 2015. We may never fully understand what happened that day. We do know we lost an amazing friend, father, brother, uncle and a son. Family was important! He went to every function, but we can see he touched so many more lives through friendship. He would love/befriend just about anybody without judgment! That was Matt’s beautiful spirit.
Matt held various jobs; but one of his favorites was working in the kitchen at the Chocolate Moose in Ely. He enjoyed helping out in the kitchen and he loved to cook.

Roberta Johnson, 60, of Babbitt, passed away in Duluth on Saturday, January 17, 2015. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

Mark A. Paynter, 67, of Ely and formerly of Aurora, MN passed away at the Ely Bloomenson Community Hospital in Ely on Thursday, January 15, 2015.
Mark was born January 6, 1948 in Warren, MN, the son of Warren and Florence Paynter.
Mark graduated from Aurora-Hoyt Lakes High School and attended Concordia College in Moorhead where he majored in music with a minor in theology.
Gentle man or gentle gentleman, everyone had a great affection for Mark.
After his young years in college, Mark was a ski bum in Aspen, CO while working as a singing waiter. Once he settled in Ely, he played trumpet with the Aurora City Band and the Concert Band (influenced by his father Warren). He loved kitchen jamming music sessions and playing in the Ely Klown Band. Mark also started a band in Ely in the 1990s called Tuxedo Junction. Mark appreciated all types of music but he was especially fond of country, folk rock, the Beatles and big band marches.

Stanley John Kunstel, 87, of Ely, died Thursday, January 15, 2015.
He was born on September 29, 1927 at home in Ely to Jacob and Agnes (Tekavitz) Kunstel. He quit school at age 16 to go work on the railroad and later he worked for the U.S. Forest Service. He then moved to Duluth to work for Bridgeman's making ice cream. Toward the end of WWII, he went into the U.S. Army and served from 1945-1947 becoming a Sergeant. Returning to Ely, he worked at the Zenith Mine for 13 years. With the help of a Harley motorcycle he met and married Betty Markovich in 1953. They managed the Ely Bowling Alley from 1951-1954 setting the pins up by hand. After being laid off from the mine, Stan "Squints" got a job at the Ely Post Office as a postal clerk for 29 years. During that time, he also sold cemetery markers and monuments from 1961-2013.

Ronald Jack Harri, of Ely, died Jan, 10, 2015, in Rochester, Minn., at the age of 87.
He was born Nov. 3, 1927, to Matilda (Markovich) and Toivo Harri. He attended grade school at the Section 30 School, graduating from Ely Memorial High School. After graduation Ron entered the U.S. Navy. He proudly served as a submariner on the USS Cabezon SS334 from 1945-1947. Ron attended Ely Junior College and Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis.

David Lloyd Hanson, 71, of Babbitt, passed away at his home on Sunday, January, 11, 2015. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

Virginia Mae Schanlaub, 85, of Babbitt, died peacefully at home on Friday, January 9, 2015.
She was born April 17, 1929 in Rensselaer, IN to Clarence and Christine (Shelley) Knouff. She married Everett Eldon Schanlaub on August 22, 1950.They moved to Babbitt on March 2, 1967.
She was a conductress for the Babbitt VFW Auxiliary for 46 years, a Girl Scout leader, a Cub Scout den mother, member of St. Mary's Circle and the St. Pius X Catholic Church.
She is survived by her husband of 64 years, sons: Leon of Gilbert, MN, Clarence of Peoria, AZ, Charles of Babbitt, MN, daughters: Christine (James) Blanchard of Backus, MN, Laura of Laughlin, NV, and Dorothy of Virginia, MN; siblings: twin brother: Wayne of Oregon, Roger, Bernard and Charlotte all of Indiana, Georgane of Kentucky; former daughter-in-law: Vanessa Schanlaub of Eveleth, 12 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

Randall Toth, 68, of Chicago, IL and longtome summer resident of Ely, MN, died Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015. Funeral services will be held Saturday in Palos Hills, IL.
Cherished son of the late Andy and Lillian Toth. Loving brother of Jan (Jeff) Limp. Dear uncle of Jason, Joshua, Jeremy and Jonathan Limp. Also survived by many loving relatives and friends. Randy spent many years of service with H&R Block, was former owner of Cameo Beauty School, was an assistant principal at Laramie Junior High School-Oak Forest and a longtime summer resident of Ely, Minnesota. Visitation Saturday morning 9AM until time of service, 11AM, at Palos-Gaidas Funeral Home, 11028 S. Southwest Hwy, (7700W) Palos Hills. Interment Lithuanian National Cemetery.

Doris Marie (Olson) Anderson, 96, Fosston, MN, died Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Sat., January 10 at New Journey Church in Fosston.
Survivors include son Dale (Cheryl) Anderson, Ely, MN and his seven siblings; 19 grandchildren; 24 great grandchildren; and one great great grandchild.

Donald “Don” E. Koski, 85, of Mesa, AZ, and Cass Lake, MN, died Saturday, January 3, 2015 at the Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.
Memorial services will be at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, January 10, 2015 at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, Minnesota. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at the Calvary Cemetery in the Spring under the direction of the Cease Family Funeral Home of Bemidji.
Donald was born in Ely, on December 7, 1929, the youngest child of Robert and Hilda (Palo) Koski. He served in the United States Army during the Korean War, stationed in Germany as a military police officer. Don worked at the Zenith Mine in Ely and on May 19, 1956, he married Arlene Anderson. He was a lifetime member of the Iron Range Retriever’s Club and enjoyed training his dogs for field trials.