Obituaries

Gary Blauert died peacefully October 9, 2019, surrounded by his family after a three-year battle with complications of a blood disease. Gary Herman Blauert was born on October 8, 1943, to Herman and Arlene Blauert in Grand Rapids, MN. The Blauert family, with sister Linda and brother Jimmy, lived in Bovey, MN, throughout Gary’s childhood. Gary graduated from Greenway High School in 1961 and then attended Itasca Community College. Gary moved from the Iron Range to Minneapolis to work at Burma Shave for three years. With the persuasion of his friends, Gary moved to Bemidji to attend BSU in which he earned his elementary teaching degree in one and a half years. While looking for work, Gary was an Itasca County Deputy Sheriff. Gary eventually moved to Babbitt in 1968 to begin his teaching career at F. A. Emanuelson Elementary School. It was here that his talents and skills taught the youth of Babbitt-at that time a thriving taconite town.

Margaret Jean (Peg) Asplund, age 93, departed this world from Solvay Hospice House in Duluth on Saturday, October 5, into the awaiting, loving arms of her Lord and Savior. Peg was born to Leo T. and Mary Alice Coons of Hibbing on June 13, 1926. Peg married the love of her life, Arthur F. Asplund, on June 13, 1947. They had two children, a son, Thomas Asplund of Babbitt and a daughter, Carol Jean (Alan) Stewart of Minnetonka. In 1955, Peg and Art moved to Babbitt to begin a life-long adventure with their family. Peg worked at Hibbing High School during the first five years of their marriage and then became a Homemaker when they moved to Babbitt.
Peg’s life revolved around her family, Woodland Presbyterian Church, and many dear friends. She was involved in Cub Scouts, Brownies, Presbyterian Women, Church Circles, Bible Study, Church Bazaars and Community Outreach programs. She was a Church Elder.

James J. Mehle Sr., 76, of Hibbing passed away surrounded by family on Thursday, August 22, 2019 at Fairview Range Medical Center. He was born on December 18, 1942 to John and Frances (Mikolich) Mehle in Ely. He was a 1961 graduate of the Ely Memorial High School. After graduating, Jim served in the U.S. Army as Sergeant and was once stationed in Germany. While on leave, he had the opportunity to visit relatives and the ancestral family home of his grandfather, Johan, in Slovenia. Jim had a 33-year career with Eveleth Taconite and retired in 1998. Jim was united in marriage to Donna Mehle on May 9, 1999.

Caroline Marie Anderson “Big Ma”, 88, Ely, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 3, 2019, at the Boundary Waters Care Center surrounded by her loving family.
Caroline was born on March 12, 1931, in Ely, Minnesota to Joseph and Ethel Klobuchar. She later graduated from Virginia High School in 1949.
She married William Andrew Anderson of Ely on November 19, 1949, in Ely, Minnesota.
Caroline was a stay at home mother until the youngest of their 11 children entered the Ely School District. She then worked for the school district in a variety of positions, including the lunchroom, a custodial position in the former JFK school building and a secretary to the high school counselor before retiring in the early 1990s. She especially enjoyed the secretarial job as she forged many great friendships with the students and took great pleasure in seeing the success they would later enjoy.

Alberta Shirley Olson

Born just three days after the signing of the Armistice ending World War I, Alberta Shirley Olson passed away in her home in Ely, Minnesota in the early morning hours of September 14, 2019 in the company of her daughter Diane and youngest son David. In her later years, she had two goals: to live past 100 and to never move out of the home she so loved. She accomplished both.

Charlotte May Copija, age 77, of Rice Lake, WI died Sunday, September 29, 2019 at The Neighbors of Dunn County, WI.
She was born on September 20, 1942 in Ely, Minnesota to Charles and Mollie (Lah) Tisovich. Charlotte graduated from the Ely High School and received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from the University of Minnesota - Duluth. She was married to Michael “Mickey” Copija on July 1, 1972 in Rusk County, WI. Charlotte taught High School and Elementary Physical Education in Minnesota and then in Rice Lake for over 30 years. She enjoyed going to the casino, watching TV, traveling and polka dancing with Mickey.

On Thursday, September 26, 2019, Helen Joyce (Hayes) Clark, of Auburn, GA, loving wife and mother of four children, graduated this life and ascended into the arms of her Divine Father. Helen was 85 years old.
Helen was born at home on November 7, 1933 in Cloquet, MN. She was the youngest daughter of Clarence and Eva (Pigman) Hayes. She received her diploma in nursing from St. Luke’s School of Nursing, Duluth, MN, in the spring of 1954. In the fall of 1954, she married Phillip S. Clark. Together they raised two daughters, Connie and Jan, both RNs- following in their mother’s footsteps. And two sons, Patrick and Curtis who passed away unexpectedly in 1973.

Harvey L. Hvezda III, 52, of Ely, passed away on Tuesday, September 24, 2019 in Ely. A gathering of family and friends will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2019, starting at 1:00 P.M. at Veteran's on the Lake. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

Kenneth Townsend Sanders, 80, passed away Monday, September 23, 2019 at the Boundary Waters Care Center.

Ken is survived by his three sons, Michael (and Becky) Sanders, Mark Sanders, and Matt (and Beth) Sanders; twelve grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and dear friends of his later years in the Ely area. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Born in Greer, South Carolina and raised in Livonia, Michigan, the son of Hubert and Irene Sanders, Ken was a long-time resident of the states of Michigan and Minnesota.

Ken served in the U.S. Air Force for five years and later worked as a millwright at Ford Motor Company until his retirement. He relocated to Ely, MN in 1989.

After a year-long battle with cancer, James Sutherland, 70, passed away on Thursday, September 26, 2019.

James R. Sutherland was born in Superior, Wisconsin to James E. Sutherland and Beverly (Shaw) Sutherland on August 9, 1949. He was a member of the Superior High graduating class of 1967, graduated in 1971 from the University of Wisconsin - Superior with a degree in Elementary Education, and completed his Master’s degree in School Administration in 1979.

Jim began his teaching career in Hartford, WI before moving to Fairchild Elementary where he taught for 10 years and was the principal for the following six years. In 1990, he took the elementary/ middle school principal position at the Fall Creek school district. In 2004, he took the opportunity for an early retirement and built his dream home on Eagles Nest Lake near Ely, Minnesota.