Obituaries

Richard Bevis, 80, of Ely, passed away at the Ely Bloomenson Community Hospital in Ely. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

Michael Brewer, 60, of Ely, passed away on Friday, May 15, 2020 at his home with his friend by his side. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

Rodney Frederick Skube
Rodney “Hot Rod” Skube, 52, of Ely passed away on May 11, 2020 at Essential Health Hospital in Duluth, Minnesota.
He was born on March 4, 1968 to Albert and Margaret Skube of Ely, Minnesota. He was the fifth of seven children.
He graduated from Ely Memorial High School in 1986 and thereafter Vermilion Community College. Rodney worked at the Boundary Waters Care Center for many years and cared about the well-being of those he took care of.
He took pride in being able to speak Finn and Slovenian to the residents. He also enjoyed his time umping fast pitch softball and baseball for the MSHSL for several years.
He is loved by his family and friends and will be missed.
He is preceded in death by his father Albert Skube in 2005.

Eugene F. Schlick,75, passed away on Friday. May 8, 2020at the Boundary Waters Care Center in Ely. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely. F. Schlick,75, passed away on Friday. May 8, 2020at the Boundary Waters Care Center in Ely. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

JAMES ANTHONY KOTCHEVAR Age 88 of Minneapolis, passed away May 4, 2020 at Bethesda Hospital, St. Paul. Survived by loving wife of 57 years Ethel; son Jim (Carmela) Kotchevar; three daughters Anne (Alessandro) Faldi, Mary Kotchevar & Toni (Tony) Tallman; three granddaughters Gabriela, Susana and Veronica Kotchevar; grandson George Tallman; three sisters Elinor Zgonc, Terese (Carroll) Claeys and Mary Jean Nilsen. Preceded in death by parents Mayme and Anton Kotchevar.
Jim was born on April 21, 1932 in Ely, MN to parents Anton F. and Mayme Lobe Kotchevar. He attended Ely High School where he excelled in football, basketball and track. He was a graduate of Ely High School, Class of 1950. He was a proud Slovenian and Iron Ranger. He enjoyed time with family at his cabin, listening to polkas, picking blueberries, making sauerkraut and exercising with silver sneakers.

In Loving Memory
Jon Max Rice
October 22, 1982 – April 27, 2020

Miriam V. Pucel, 95, of Ely, Minnesota, peacefully passed away on Thursday, April 30, 2020, at Boundary Waters Care Center, Ely, Minnesota. Her last days were spent surrounded by her loving family. She was born on May 2, 1924, in Soudan, Minnesota, to Anna (Westerinen) and John Heikkinen.

Miriam attended schools in Soudan and Tower, Minnesota, graduating in 1942. During World War II, she left home to work at the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois. She married Joe M. Pucel on May 10, 1947, at her parents’ home in Soudan.

Miriam loved travel of all kinds and camped with family and friends across the United States. She went on her first canoe trip at age 67! She made some special trips to France, Germany, Hawaii, and even Disney World. In her later years, she walked marathons of miles on the Miners’ Lake Trail, many with the family’s lab dogs (Doodie was special).

Patricia G. Boitz, 93, of Ely passed away Friday, April 17, 2020 at the Boundary Waters Care Center in Ely.
Patricia was born on March 17, 1927 in Ely to John & Louise (Dormish) Petrich. She was a lifelong Ely Resident. She graduated from Ely High School and worked as a clerk for J.C. Penny. She married Frederick Boitz. She loved sewing, ceramics, and gardening. She also enjoyed making Slovenian meals and wine; she went hunting and trapping and her time at the lake. She was a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church of Ely, the American Fraternal Union of Ely, and the Slovenians Women.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Frederick on August 19, 2007; six brothers: John, Joe, Louie, Mathew, Bernard, and Frank Petrich; four sisters: Justina Petrich, Heddy Storm, Elizabeth Shauer, and Louise Goldowski; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Gladys Frances Born

Gladys Frances (Perko) Born, age 86, passed away at St. Marys Hospital, Rochester, MN on Thursday, April 23, 2020.

Gladys was born May 30, 1933 in Ely, MN, daughter of Frances and John Perko. Gladys spent her childhood in Ely, moving to Rochester, MN to pursue nursing school. She graduated from St. Marys School of Nursing with a concentration in psychiatry in 1954.

She married her best friend, Robert Born on August 20, 1955 in Ely, MN. After relocating for two years to Pasadena, CA and moving back to Rochester, she practiced private duty through St. Marys while raising her young family. For 25 years, Gladys worked as a Nurse Manager, often praised as a mentor to many, during her career on the closed psychiatric unit of St. Marys.

Curtis L. Oelrich, age 66, of Smelterville, ID, passed away Monday, April 13, 2020, at
North Idaho Advanced Care Hospital in Post Falls, Idaho.

Curtis was born April 17, 1953 to Leigh and Marjorie(Finckbone) Oelrich in Virginia, MN.
He grew up in Ely and graduated from Ely Memorial High School. Curt was a longtime
resident of the Silver Valley and worked for Honeywell in Spokane, WA. He enjoyed the
outdoors and reading.

Curtis is survived by three sisters, Sharon (Steve) Bateman of Spirit Lake, Idaho, Doreen
Flynn of Ely, Minnesota, Tammy (John) Schubert of Missoula, Montana and several nieces and
nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents.

There are no scheduled services at this time. Bell Tower Funeral Home and Crematory is entrusted with arrangements.