Obituaries

Anne Marie Levar (Shober) born May 24th, 1931 died January 8th 2022. She was born in Leadville, Colorado. She came to Ely, MN in 1954 where she worked at Sterbenks Cafe. She met her husband Adolph at Sterbenks Cafe, and they married in 1956.
Throughout Anne’s life she loved to gather people together, crochet, have polka parties with friends and family. She took joy in caring for so many children in Ely that she was Mother of the Year.
There was always an abundance of love family and friends at Anne’s home. She went above and beyond duty as Mother, Grandmother and friend.
Anne loved to bake cookies with her granddaughter and spent a lot of time in the kitchen frying fish that her and her family caught from the many days they spent fishing together. Anne loved to play cards at her cabin. She was a proud member of the Slovenian Union and loved the Zarja magazine.

Glenn A. Biebl, 87, of Ely, passed away at Carefree Assisted Living in Babbitt, on Thursday, January 6, 2022.
Glenn Arlen Biebl - 5/24/34 – 1/6/22
Glenn has reunited with his beloved wife JoAnn, and what a full life he lived! Glenn grew up on a farm in Barnum, Minnesota, the youngest of three boys. He met his future wife, JoAnn in high school where they graduated together in 1952. Because of the opportunities that mining provided, Glenn and JoAnn moved to Winton in 1957 and then to Ely in 1966, so Glenn could work at Reserve Mining. Glenn spent his career working as a conductor on the railroad for Reserve. He also earned a carpentry degree at Eveleth Tech during a Reserve shutdown. Glenn used those carpentry skills when he and his son, Brian, built a beautiful log home overlooking Shagawa Lake.

Nancy Lynn Kasa, 78, of Red Wing, died Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at Bayview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was born November 24, 1943 in St. Paul to Richard and Geraldine (Perham) Floyd. She grew up in Eveleth and graduated from Eveleth-Gilbert High School. She married Harland Kasa in July 13, 1963 in Ely. They later divorced. When her children were mostly grown, she attended the University of Wisconsin, River Falls where she earned her bachelor’s degree. She moved to Red Wing in 1990 and worked as a social worker for Goodhue County for 25 and a half years. Following her retirement, she continued to work part time for the county supervising parental visits. She also volunteered at the Red Wing food shelf and Care Clinic. She enjoyed reading and traveling to her grandchildren’s activities. She liked to take her grandchildren to theater, ensuring them a diverse cultural experience. She was also a great cook.

George W. Gray, age 84 of Ely, MN passed away Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at Diamond Willow in Cloquet, MN. He was born May 23, 1937, in Sturgeon Lake, MN, the son of Hartley and Augusta (Cunningham) Gray. George’s family moved from Sturgeon Lake to Rush City when he was a young boy, and then to Ely when he was 17. He was united in marriage to Mary Louise Bianchi at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Ely on July 8, 1961. George worked as a railroad conductor for Reserve Mining and also Northshore Mining. He enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, hunting, and especially playing cribbage.

Kenneth J. Kostelac, age 82, of Forest Lake, MN, a loving husband, dad, grandpa passed away unexpectedly on December 29, 2021.
Preceded in death by parents, Joe & Bessie; sister, Kathleen Max.
Survived by loving wife of 51 years, Mary; children, Heidi and Kevin (Brenda); grandchildren, Colin & Kayla; brothers-in-law, Arlyn Max, William (Barbara) Doebler; nieces, Elizabeth Max and Suzie Haires; nephew, Greg Doebler; other relatives and dear friends.
Ken was a devoted elementary school teacher in the White Bear Lake School district for 33 years. A celebration of life gathering 2-4 p.m. Friday, January 7th at Roberts Family Funeral Home, Forest Lake. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Roberts Family Funeral Home. 651-464-4422
RobertsFamilyFH.com

Patricia Jo “Pat” Marsnik, 72 of Ely passed away on December 30th, 2021 as a result of a tragic car accident near Ely.
She was born on February 18, 1949 in Austin, MN to Robert and H. Elyce (Swatosh) Baier. She and her family relocated to Ely, MN at the end of her senior year in 1967, in which she graduated from Austin High School but went through the commencement ceremony at Ely Memorial High School. She married Ray Marsnik on December 30th, 1982 and moved to Biwabik, MN; where she loved her job working with the handicapped students at Bray Elementary school. After Ray retired, they moved back to Ely where she worked at Zup’s grocery store and then for the United States Forest Service, retiring in 2014.
Pat never met a stranger. She loved meeting people, hearing their stories, and sharing stories of her family. She always had a smile and a hug to give.

Robert “Bob” Mathew Lassi, 80, of Ely, died peacefully surrounded by those he loved on Friday December 24.

He was born to Onnie and Coral (Hillman) Lassi on April 10, 1941.

Bob was a graduate of Ely Memorial High School. He was a proud Vietnam era veteran after serving his country in the Army, stationed in Germany. Bob married the love of his life, Renee (Zupancich) in 1981. After retiring from Northshore Mine, Bob spent his time playing poker with his brother and nephew, chatting with neighbors, and being the best, most loving grandfather to his four grandchildren.

Gregory Scott Mosher, age 58, of Ely, MN died on Friday, December 24th, 2021, in Ely. Greg was born in Harve, Montana on August 17th, 1963, to Bill and Bea Mosher of Baudette, MN. Their family, including sister Pam and brother Glenn, moved around the U.S. as a military family for many years before settling in Williams, MN. There he graduated from Lake of the Woods High School. In 1997 he married Jane Omerza and became a father to Kathleen. The family moved to Ely in 1999 where Greg spent the next 22 years camping, fishing, and riding the trails on his side-by-side. Greg was a helper and a hard-worker. He made friends everywhere he went; he was loyal, always taking care of the people and things he loved. Greg was preceded in death by his grandparents and father-in-law Ronald (Barbara) Omerza.

Robert "Bob" M. Lassi, 80, of Ely , passed away on Friday December 24, 2021 at Ely Bloomenson Hospital. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

George Amitrano 74, passed away December 16, 2021, in a tragic car accident.
George Joseph Amitrano was born on October 30, 1947, to John and Narcisa (Bondoni) Amitrano on a ship enroute to the United States from Italy. For his first six years he lived in El Paso, TX with his family on an army base. In 1953 he traveled by train with his mother and baby sister to Ely, MN, to live with relatives while his father served in the Korean War. In 1958 he moved to Babbitt and has lived here ever since, with a few years away for college, Vietnam, and work. Growing up in Babbitt, George loved sports. He would talk about his love for baseball and hockey through his high school years and beyond. He played hockey outdoors here in Babbitt before the arena was built, and he had so many fond memories of his coach and his fellow players. He spoke often of these memories.