Andre Louis Widmer, 84, originally of Switzerland, passed away peacefully at Carefree Living in Ely on February 19, 2020. Andre was born June 4th, 1935 in Zofingen, Switzerland. He was the second of four boys to his parents Arnold and Rosa Widmer-Kaempf. He lost his oldest brother Rene in his early 20’s. He met and in 1959 married Dollo Wohlwend and moved to Cape Town South Africa in 1964. There they had one daughter, Jacqueline and after 4 years he moved the family to Milwaukee, WI for professional reasons. In 1972 he decided it was time to move back to Switzerland. He worked from there on for a Swiss company,…

Grant A. Olsen, 83, of Babbitt, passed away on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at his residence. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely. Breaking News

Andre L. Widmer, 84, of Ely, passed away on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at Carefree Assisted Living in Ely. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely. Breaking News

Martin Bruce Starkovich passed away on December 11, 2019 in Clayton NC at the age of 71. Bruce was born on January 2, 1948 in Saint Paul, Minnesota to Martin Joseph and Emerald Tast Starkovich. He grew up in Babbitt, Minnesota. His mother passed away at a young age after which his father married Ellen Wilson who lovingly filled the role of mother for much of Bruce’s life. He was a 1966 graduate of Babbitt High School. Following high school he proudly served 4 years in the United States Navy. Bruce was a machinist by trade and avid outdoor enthusiest in his leisure time. He enjoyed hiking, biking, canoeing and…

Marilyn Jean Misch (Muhvich), 82, beloved mother, sister and friend was called to her eternal resting place on Friday, February 7, 2020. She entered this world on Wednesday, October 27, 1937, in Ely, MN, born to John and Mary Muhvich. She was preceded in death by her soulmate and loving husband, Allen Misch, MD. She is survived by daughters, Kathryn Newman (Karl), Patricia Mackay, Jeanne Parker (Douglas); her son, David (Debora); five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; sister, Sandy McNeley; and her brothers, Michael Muhvich, and John Muhvich. Marilyn was a devoted Catholic and loved her faith and church family. A Funeral Mass was celebrated on Saturday, February 15, 2020, 10:00 a.m.…

Charles “Chuck” Vesel passed away February 15th, 2020 at Fairview Range Medical Center, Hibbing, with his family at his side. Chuck was born to Ann (Merhar) and John Vesel in Ely, MN on December 28th, 1933. He graduated from Ely High School, attended Ely Community College, until enlisting in the United States Army serving 2 years in the U.S. and Japan. Upon return, he graduated from Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) in 1961 as an Electrical Engineer. During his time in Milwaukee he met Susan Mason and fell in love. They were married December 30th, 1960 in St. Louis, MO. They started their family in Knoxville, TN where he was…

Mary Wachter Smith, 92, of Elkton, daughter of the late William and Alberta Madigan, left this life quietly on Thursday, February 13, 2020. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death first by the love of her life, Kenneth A. Wachter, then her late-in-life husband, Ralph H. Smith. She also lost a daughter, Lori Ann Russo, to cancer. Mary was born in Quincy, IL on February 26, 1927. She spent a memorable childhood there and graduated from Quincy High School in 1944. She is survived by two daughters, Janet Kavanaugh (Bruce) of Elkton, VA, Barbara Rothe (Gary) of Springfield, NH, and a stepdaughter, Kathy Norris, of Sunrise Beach,…

Joel Adamic, formerly of Ely, passed away on Saturday, February 15, 2020. Breaking News

Dennis Ray Kurpius 67, of Superior, Montana passed away on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, in an accident at his residence. Dennis was born on May 22, 1952, to Verna and Stanley Kurpius in Ada, Minnesota. Dennis’s family later moved to Babbitt, Minnesota, where he grew up and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 1970. On July 26, 1975, he married his wife of 29 years, Sandra Novak. In 1977, while on a motorcycle trip with friends, he wandered into Superior where he would end up making a home with his family for the next 42 years. He worked as a millwright and later a supervisory millwright, traveling across…

Jane Blackmore Ogston, 83, of Duluth, Minnesota passed away on Monday, January 27, 2020. She was born on August 16, 1936 to William and Sadie Manninen in Ely, Minnesota. Jane graduated from Ely High School in 1954 and went on to graduate from Macalester College in 1959. Jane came of age when the expectation was that women would identify primarily as a wife and a mother. While in college, she met and in 1959, married, Don Ogston, the love of her life. Don often spoke of how proud he was that their marriage never damped her ability to hold on to and create her own identity. Together, they raised their…

Joseph R. Miklavcich, 71, of Ely, passed away on Wednesday, February 5, 2020 at the Boundary Waters Care Center in Ely. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely. Breaking News

Judith “Susie” May Dargontina died at Brookdale Memory Care January 29, 2020 following a long battle with dementia. She was 73. Susie was born on May 9, 1946 in Ely, MN to her parents, Steven and Rose Pluth. She graduated from Ely Memorial High School in 1964, and Pine City Technical and Community College in 1966. She married Albert Dargontina in 1969. She lived and worked in Ely as an administrative assistant for the Ely Medical Center. Susie worked for the State of Minnesota for more than 25 years with positions at Vermilion Community College and the MN Department of Revenue. During that time, she also enjoyed teaching Community Education…

Doris J. Eisenhart, 88, of Ely, passed away on Monday, February 3, 2020 at Carefree Assisted Living in Ely. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely. Breaking News

George Steven (Steve) Isbell of Ely, MN died December 28, 2019 in North Liberty, IA while visiting family for Christmas. Steve was born September 21, 1947 to Charles Marion Isbell and Marion Waldorf Isbell in Vinton, IA. He was the second of eight children. He graduated from Washington High School in Vinton, IA in 1965, becoming an electrical apprentice at age seventeen and was both a residential and commercial journeyman electrician foremen and a member of IBEW local 405 until his retirement. Steve joined the Marine Reserves for six years at age eighteen and was a Veteran. Steve was a loving husband and father. Family meant everything to him. He…

Arthur R. Skantz (Art), author of the memoir “A Kid from Ely,” died on January 26, 2020, having been surrounded by family in his last weeks. A private family service was held immediately after his death and an open house celebration of his life will be held on February 29 for friends and family to share memories (details below). Art, a proud Finn, was born in Ely, Minnesota on August 24, 1932. He overcame an impoverished childhood during the Depression, developing sisu that remained with him until his last breath. In 1956, he married Marilynn Skantz of Mandan, North Dakota, who’d come to Ely to teach kindergarten. They had six…

Marjorie D. Trembath, 86, of Ely, passed away at the Cook Nursing Home on January 30, 2020. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 11 a.m. First Lutheran Church in Ely with visitation one hour prior. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely. Breaking News

Judith M. Dargontina, 73, formerly of Ely, passed away on Wednesday, January29, 2020. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely. Breaking News

Helga O. Stalcar, Elk River, passed peacefully on Jan. 28 at age 90. She was born in Eberbach, Germany, to Anton and Sophie Roos. She came to America in April 1954 to visit her sister. Helga met Jack A. Stalcar in Ely, Minn. and they were married 27 days later, on May 24, 1954. After Jack’s death in 1987, Helga moved to Elk River to be closer to her children. Helga was predeceased by her husband, Jack, son, Tony, grandson, Nathan, her parents and three siblings. She is survived by her children, Jack, Mike (Julia), Tom (Ann), Margie Church (Ed), Jim (LeAnne) and Heidi Starkman (Mike) all of Minneapolis, 10…

Robert Matson, 71, of Ely, passed away on Monday, January 27, 2020 at the Boundary Waters Care Center in Ely. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely. Breaking News

Joyce B. Skeryanc, 88, of Ely, passed away on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at the Boundary Waters Care Center in Ely. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely. Breaking News

Margaret “Peg” Irlbeck Peg Irlbeck of Pine City passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, January 16th, 2020 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis at the age of 70. Peg was born December 15, 1949 in Rochester, Minnesota. At a young age she moved to Morton, Pennsylvania. The family then moved to Ely, Minnesota where she attended school and made many life-long friends. From Ely, she moved to Pine City where she graduated from high school. She met and married her beloved husband and soul mate “Pete.” They were married for 51 years. Pete and Peg established their home in Pine City where they raised their sons, owned The Village Inn tavern,…

Carol Ann Kronfuss passed away on January 8, 2020 in her as of late, hometown of Aurora, Minnesota. Born in Town of Deer Creek, Taylor County, Wisconsin, on June 3, 1928, to Adam and Mary (Brunner) Schneider, Carol grew up on the family farm in Stetsonville as the youngest of ten children. Here she learned many valuable life lessons from both her immediate and extended families, let alone many treasured memories. Upon completion of secondary school Carol ventured to the city of Milwaukee where she completed nursing studies. Carol married the dashing Denis Edward Kronfuss on May 10, 1947, in Chicago Il. Soon after the family migrated to the Iron…

Roberta Ruth Stepan, formerly of Ely, August 9, 1939 – January 7, 2020. Roberta R. (Mattila) Stepan, 80, passed away on Tuesday, January 7, 2020, at Corinth Rehabilitation Suites on the Parkway in Corinth, TX. Born August 9, 1939, in Ely, Minnesota; she was the oldest daughter of the late Robert John Mattila and the late Betty Ruth (Purdy) Mattila. On September 5, 1959, she married Edward Anthony Stepan, who preceded her in death on July 30, 1995. Berta grew up in Ely, Minnesota, about 15 miles from the Canadian border. Her father worked in the iron mines and her mother worked in the ticket office of the Ely Theatre.…

Olga Feroni, 97, formerly of Ely, passed away on Thursday, January 9, 2020 at St. Michael’s Health and rehabilitation Center in Virginia. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, January 13, 2020 at 11:00 A.M. at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Ely with visitation being held one hour prior to the service at the church. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely. Breaking News

Isabel Ahlgren, 95, died in the early hours of Christmas Eve Day, December 24, at her residence in Sun City, Arizona. Isabel and her husband Clifford were the authors of the book, “Lob Trees of the Wilderness” and papers on topics such as “Viability and Fertility of Vacuum Dried Pollen of 5 Needle Pine Species” and “Effects of Prescribed Burning on Soil Microorganisms”. Together, they also developed a rust disease-resistant strain of White Pine. In retirement, Isabel mastered the art of basket-weaving, eventually teaching and developing her own patterns. She greatly enjoyed visiting Sika, Alaska and learning to add antlers to her baskets. Isabel was preceded in death by her…

Karen Lynn Close, 77, of Ely, passed away at home on Sunday, January 5, 2020. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely. Breaking News

Roger Johnson, 93, of Ely, passed away on Saturday, January 4, 2020 at the Boundary Waters Care Center in Ely. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely. Breaking News