Obituaries

JORETTA LEE POLLOCK was born in Hills- boro, Ohio on May 19, 1931. She died on Jan. 8, 2019.
Joretta was a wonderful mother. She was a nurse and years later a ceramic teacher for 20+ years in Ely. She loved cooking, baking and crafts.
Ottis Pollock Jr. was born in Springfield, Ohio on June 2, 1929. He died on Nov. 26, 2012.
He was a good father and a Korean War veteran who was wounded on Porkchop Hill and became a Purple Heart recipient.
Dad love hunting, fishing and his dog Lady.
Mom and dad were married 62 years when dad passed. Their ashes were laid to rest together at Ely cemetery on June 19, 2019.
They will always be loved, missed & never forgotten.
God bless Mom & Dad.

Shirley J. Shaw, 83, of Bemidji, passed away in Ely on Tuesday, June 18, 2019. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

Loretta Frances Zabinski, 94, of Ely, Minnesota, died Saturday, June 15, surrounded by family and friends. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, June 20, at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Ely with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be at the Ely Cemetery. Funeral arrangements have been provided by Kerntz Funeral Home.

George H. Nyman, 88, of Ely, passed away on Friday, May 31, 2019 at the Boundary Waters Care Center in Ely. George was born on December 29, 1930 in Ely to Arthur and Lillian (Norha) Nyman
George had a love for physics, chemistry, and technology in general. His love of physics and chemistry led him to obtain his teaching degree in these areas and later he earned his Master’s Degree. George was a high school teacher in the Forest Lake School District for 15 years. During this time, his passion for golf led him to be the varsity golf coach. Following his teaching career, George became a Horace Mann insurance agent and moved his family to Grand Rapids, MN in 1968.

Lois May Sanford (nee) Purdy, age 96, born in Ely, Minnesota on February 10, 1923, passed away peacefully in her home in Bloomington, Minnesota on Sunday, May 26, 2019, surrounded by her loving family. Preceded in death by her parents, John & Julia Betsy Purdy; Sisters Betty Mattila, Faith Purdy and brother Jack Purdy, all of Ely, Mn; husband, Warren (Bob); daughter and son-in-law Lynn and Tom Cedergren. She is survived by daughter, Janis Sanford Wiegand of Burnsville; son, Dale Sanford of Minneapolis; several grand children and great grandchildren.

Bonnie Jo Christensen of Ely, Minnesota, passed away at her home on June 11, 2019. She was born in Ortonville, Minnesota, on October 30, 1950, graduated from Aurora-Hoyt Lakes High School (Mesabi East) in 1968, and received her Bachelors of Science from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, in 1972.
Bonnie loved children and taught elementary education for over 30 years, first in Blue Earth, Minnesota, and then at several sites within school district 2142.
Bonnie is survived by her daughters, Kayla Christensen and Bethany Christensen-Kunz; her sisters, Judy (Tom) Lehtinen, Vicki (Jerry) Baumann, and Jan Shambow; and her brother, Jim Paul. She is also survived by five grandchildren, Bryn, Brentley, Evan, Jordyn, and Tristan. She is preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Alice (Thompson) Paul.
Her funeral will be held at Grace Lutheran Church in Ely on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, at 2 p.m. with visitation one hour prior to the service.

Helen Kolberg passed away on June 10, 2019, with her loving family by her side, after a short illness. She was born on the 4th of July, 1930, in Ely, Minnesota. Her parents, Jacob and Anna Maki, were both immigrants from Finland. She truly enjoyed her birthday every year with marching bands and picnics!
She graduated from Ely High School in 1948, and enrolled in nursing school at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth, MN. She graduated from there, in 1951, and began her nursing career.
During her nursing school summer break in 1950, while working as a cabin girl at a fly-in resort in the Minnesota Boundary Waters area, she met her husband Anton (Spike) Kolberg, who was working there as a fishing guide. They married in 1951 and spent 54 years together.

Karen M. Oreskovich, 75, of Ely, passed away at her home on Saturday, June 8, 2019. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

E. VIRGINIA Smith, 89, of Babbitt, passed away on Monday, June 10, 2019 at the Boundary Waters Care Center in Ely.
She was born in Bagley, MN on March 19, 1930. Virginia loved school as a child and loved reading, crossword puzzles and crocheting.
Virginia started working at age 13 and finally retired at age 74. She married Henry L. Smith on June 26, 1948.
She was preceded in death by her husband Henry, son Lane Allen, grandson Matthew; parents Hilda and Elmer Torkkola; daughter-in-laws Merry and Donna, son-in-laws Mike and Dave; five brothers and one sister.

Joanne Zahn was ushered into glory on Saturday, June 8, 2019, during her stay at the Solvay Hospice House in Duluth, Minnesota, with her faithful husband Dick by her side.
Joanne was born to Melvin and Hazel Carlson on July 7, 1934, in Fahlun Township, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. She graduated from Atwater High School in 1952. She was working for Title Insurance Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during this time she met her husband Dick on a blind date. They were married at Atwater Lutheran Church on July 27, 1957.
Over the next sixty-two years they enjoyed many adventures together as a military family. Their first home was in Newport Rhode Island until Dick was transferred to the USS Hull DD-945 destroyer in San Diego, California. They moved several times, from the Great Lakes and back to the west coast until 1968 when Dick’s final duty station was Joplin, Missouri.