Obituaries

Molly F. Milberry age 89 of Crosby died on October 23, 2018 at Heartwood Senior Living in Crosby. She was born on November 29, 1928 in Ely, MN to Joseph and Mary (Stefan) Gotchnik.
Molly attended school in Ely until she moved to Crosby when she was 15 to help her aunt, Molly Domin, run her boarding house for miners. She graduated from the Crosby-Ironton High School. Molly married Joseph “Bud” Milberry in Crosby on March 29, 1947. She worked as a seamstress in her home while raising her four children. She then worked at Bierman’s Locker, which later became Mr. Meats. In 1994 she retired from the Crosby Clinic in Crosby where she was clinic manager. Molly was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Crosby, the CCW and the National Catholic Society of Foresters, St. Mary’s Court 854.

Joseph (Happy Joe) John Zupancich Jr., 80 of Soudan, Minnesota, died peacefully at his home on October 22, 2018. He was born on August 10, 1938, in Ely to Joseph Sr. and Mary (Gasperlin) Zupancich.
Joe graduated from Ely High School in 1956 where he served as his senior class president. Following graduation he left to attend college at St. Thomas University to hone his entrepreneurial skills to help run the family business, Zupancich Brother’s Incorporated (Zup’s). Joe gave up his dream of becoming a Tommy graduate to marry the love of his life on July 9, 1960. Joe and Mary Lou raised five children; all of them worked at Zup’s to learn the family business. Happy Joe, a self-proclaimed “Sausalogist,” loved working side by side with his sons every day. He could often be found sipping coffee with the guys in the spice room of Zup’s; bestowing his wisdom and one liners to his captive audience.

Glen “Scratch” Zorman, 61, of Ely, lived until Saturday, October 13, 2018. He spent his final days at home cared for by his loving wife, Lynn, his family, friends and faithful dog, Jani.
Glen was born in Ely on April 22, 1957, the seventh child of Art and Betty Ann (Tjader) Zorman. He was an Air Force veteran and spent most of his life in Ely. Glen lived a unique life after a serious car accident in 1982 should have taken him, but we were gifted with many extra years. He thoroughly enjoyed his friends from all over the country who always made a point to stop and visit.
Glen was blessed with luck and love when he met his best friend, Lynn, whom he married in 2013. Those were his happiest years. His many friends will remember NASCAR races, rides around the lake, the occasional cocktail, and of course, an exaggerated story. He will be greatly missed.

Marilyn Rose (Mihelcic) Hays, 88, of Mendota Heights, MN is reunited with her parents John and Rose Mihelcic, husbands LeRoy and Alfred and brother John with our Lord Jesus on October 13, 2018.
Survived by daughter Jennifer (Chris) and son Sean (Paula), grandchildren Logan, Connor, Amye, Ryan, Zakk, and great grandchildren Carson, Zoie and great great grandchildren Aiyden and Aryia, sister-in-law Agnes, nieces Jean (John), Marian, grand nieces Catherine, Elizabeth, Christine, Erin, and nephews Jim (Karen), John and Joe (Barb). Marilyn was born in Ely, MN on April 26, 1930.

Jo-Ellen Patterson passed away on Sunday, October 14, 2018 at the Boundary Waters Care Center in Ely MN.
Jo-Ellen was born on June 12, 1937 to John and Ellen Kotzian. She married the love of her life Kimbel Patterson on June 23, 1956 at the First Presbyterian Church in Ely and they were married for 53 years.
Jo-Ellen loved spending time with her “Mister” (Kim) countless hours of dancing, fishing, camping and numerous projects throughout their life. Jo-Ellen worked in the food services industry most of her life. She will always be remembered for her years at the Ely Memorial Senior High School lunch room. Jo-Ellen and her partner Julie Musich ran MAPS Catering Service for more than 20 years. Her proudest moment being catering for the American Legion World Series Baseball tournament in 1980.
She was preceded in death by her husband Kim, her parents John and Ellen, and her brother Patrick and sister in law Betty Kotzian.

Esther Marie Cherne Beel, 94, formerly of Ely, passed away on October 15, 2018, in Blaine MN. She was born on June 7, 1924 in Ely to Michael G. and Frances Wenker Cherne. She graduated from Ely Memorial High School in 1942. She worked as a receptionist at the Shipman Hospital until moving to Chicago to work in the airplane industry during WW2. She married William O. (Chick) Beel on September 18, 1944 in Chicago. After Chick’s Army service, they settled in Ely, moving to Cedar Lake in June of 1960.

Esther was employed at The Gift Corner in the sixties and seventies. She loved her family, reading, gardening, the woods and RV trips with Chick.

Kelli Laine, 38, of Babbitt, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 15, 2018 at her residence with her loved ones at her side.
She enjoyed her family, her pets, and four wheeling. She wants all her friends to remember her as the bubbly person she was. She is survived by her soulmate and best friend Aaron Holmstein, her parents Kathy and Dave Laine, sisters: Carmen (Roy) Saari and Karen (Gordy) Fiske, nieces and nephews: Ashley Laine, Mark Laine, Emma Laine; many aunts, uncles and cousins.
A service will be held on Saturday, October 20 at 5 p.m. with visitation an hour prior at Kerntz Funeral Home in Ely.
Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

Michael S. Swanson, 57, of Ely, passed away at his residence on Saturday, October 13, 2018. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

Glen Zorman, 61, of Ely, passed away at his residence on Saturday, October 13, 2018. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

Thomas Jerry Blackwood Jr, 81, of Lafayette, CA passed away peacefully on Sunday Sept. 16, 2018.
“Coach” as he preferred to be called was born in Palo Alto in 1936 to Thomas Jerry Blackwood Sr and Alice (Kovall, of Ely) Blackwood. After moving numerous times in his youth, he went on to be a 3-sport athlete at Menlo-Atherton High School in Menlo Park, CA where he was named ‘Peninsula Athlete of the Year’ in his senior year. Coach then attended college at San Jose State University before joining the Army. His decision to enlist would shape his life. He began service at the Monterey Language School, but posts in Turkey and Japan instilled in him a love of travel and history that followed him forever. Upon being discharged he enrolled at SF State University pursuing his passion for history and teaching. Upon graduating, he would go on to spend his next 40 years teaching and coaching at Miramonte High School in Orinda, California.