Donald A. Nazarenus, 97 of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota peacefully passed away on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Divine Providence Community Home in Sleepy Eye. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are with Sturm Funeral Home in Sleepy Eye. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sturmfh.com.

Donald Alfred Nazarenus was born on March 24, 1926, in Sleepy Eye to Alfred and Rose (Marquardt) Nazarenus. He was a Sleepy Eye resident his entire life. He was an expert on the history of Sleepy Eye and could tell many stories about the early residents and merchants who lived and worked here. He shared stories of fishing at Sleepy Eye Lake as a young boy and played with his brothers in a 3-piece band.

When Don was 17, he joined the Navy and served on the USS Fessenden as a Gunner’s Mate during WWII. He served in the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean, South Africa, crossed the Panama Canal, and guarded WWII prisoners on islands in the South Pacific. After being discharged from the Navy, Don returned to Sleepy Eye and met the love of his life at a dance. Don and Dorothy Huebert were married on July 25, 1948. They were married 73 years and were blessed with 8 wonderful children.

He held several jobs in his lifetime including hand-shoveling deep snow off the train tracks after winter blizzards, brick layer, carpenter, painter, and US Rural Mail Carrier. He also had many interests such as gardening, bird watching, refinishing furniture, hunting, fishing, collecting and repairing clocks, and lapidary.

He instilled a deep love and appreciation for family and the wonders of nature. Family heirlooms were especially important as a way to help us remember our ancestors and our heritage.

He was proud to be a life-long member of Faith United Methodist Church of Sleepy Eye, and also a member of the American Legion Post 7 in Sleepy Eye, VFW, Free Masons Charity Lodge No. 98 in New Ulm, and the Rural Mail Carrier Association.

Don is survived by his children, Sheila (Ted) Thydean of International Falls, Candy (Paul) Sobocinski of Wabasso, Sue Meyer (special friend Al Merkel) of Sleepy Eye, Kris (Gene) Nelson of Sleepy Eye, Brent (Diane) Nazarenus of Sleepy Eye, and Erik (Rita) Nazarenus of Spicer; 14 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren, 5 great-great grandchildren; one sister, Gretchen Brethorst; and many nieces, nephews and in-laws.  He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy; parents; daughters, Rosanne Nazarenus and Janet Nazarenus; brothers, Daryl and Orlando; grandson, John Meyer; and great grandson, Quintin Rose.

Family members would like to thank the staff at Divine Providence Community Home for their care and compassion for Donald during his stay at DPCH and especially during his final days.

Linda Mertz, age 72, of Sleepy Eye, died unexpectedly Monday, May 13, 2024 at the New Ulm Medical Center.

Visitation will be held from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, May 19, 2024, at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home – North Chapel in New Ulm. Visitation will continue from 9:30 -10:30 a.m. Monday, May 20, 2024, at the North Chapel. Minnesota Valley Funeral Homes in New Ulm are assisting her family. The Christian Mother’s Society will pray the rosary at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Cathedral. To leave an online condolence for her family, or to sign the guestbook, go to: www.mvfh.org

Linda is survived by her son, Brady Mertz and friend Dorothy Oeltljenbruns of New Ulm; daughter Heidi (Craig) Hatlestad of Winsted; her grandsons Bryce Hatlestad, Riley Hatlestad, Owen Mertz, Ryker Oeltljenbruns; sisters, Renee Buegler of Hanska, Cindy (Greg) Walden of New Ulm, Terri (Scott) Krueger of New Ulm, Julie (Brent) Olson of New Ulm; brothers, John Schneider of New Ulm, Paul (Barb) Schneider of Lakeville, Dan (Lisa) Schneider of New Ulm; sister and brother in-in-laws, Don and Sharon Klaviter of New Ulm, Gary and Mary Mertz of New Ulm, Linda Hickey of Excelsior, and Bob and Linda Mertz of New Ulm.

She was preceded in death by Richard, her husband of 47 years; parents Peter and Mavis Schneider; sister Wendy, and her parents-in-law Edwin and Eleanor Mertz.

Linda Mertz was born on August 4, 1951, in New Ulm to Peter and Mavis Schneider. She attended country school until seventh grade then attended Holy Trinity grade school. Linda graduated from Cathedral High School in 1969. Linda worked at 3M until her son was born. Then worked at Lambrecht’s Luggage and Gift Shop part-time for 16 years. She began working at Target and worked there until it closed. Linda enjoyed going to auctions and rummage sales, but most of all she loved and adored her family, especially her little grandsons.

She will be dearly missed by all who knew her. Blessed be her memory.

Margaret A. Windschitl, age 81 of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota died on May 14, 2024, at Prairie Senior Cottages in New Ulm. Visitation will be on Sunday, May 19, 2024, from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm at Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel with CCW Rosary at 3:30 pm and Parish Prayers at 3:45 pm prior to visitation. Visitation will continue on Monday from 9:30 am until 10:30 am at St. Mary’s Catholic Church – North Entrance in Sleepy Eye. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye on Monday, May 20, 2024, at 10:30 am and will be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/stmarysleepyeye. The clergy will be Fr. Mark Steffl. Interment will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Sleepy Eye. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sturmfh.com.

 Margaret A. (Guttum) Windschitl was born on April 5, 1943, in Sleepy Eye to Joseph and Luverna (Brandl) Guttum. On September 7, 1963, she was united in marriage to Wally Windschitl at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye. 

Margaret resided in Sleepy Eye until most recently at Prairie Senior Cottages in New Ulm. She was an in-home day care mom, head housekeeper at Divine Providence Home, and manager at Nex-Tu-Nu-II, all in Sleepy Eye. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, CCW, Christian Mothers, and the Red Hat Society. 

Margaret is survived by Wally, her devoted husband of 60 years; children, Sue (Greg) Huiras, Rick (Mandy) Windschitl, Mary (Duane) Havemeier, and Gary (Rachel) Windschitl; nine grandchildren, Laura Huiras (David) Ziegler, AJ Huiras, Melinda (Josh) DeBenedet, Elizabeth (Craig) Fischer, Tyler (Crystal) Havemeier, Nicole (Erik) Craft, and Ellen, Jack, and Kate Windschitl; 12 great-grandchildren, Izzy, August, and Otto Ziegler, Oliver and Noah DeBenedet, Bryce, Logan, and Gavin Fischer, Clarissa and Brynlee Havemeier, and Zayden and Lydia Craft; siblings, Marietta Ludewig, Bernice Groff, Phyllis (friend Myron) Case, and Joe (Donna) Guttum; brother-in-law, Marvin Windschitl; and sister-in-law, Gladys (Jerry) Homan.

 She was preceded in death by her parents; mother and father-in-law, Mike and Mathilda Windschitl; daughter-in-law, Stephanie Windschitl; sister, Diane Wenisch; sisters and brothers-in-law, Phyllis and George Wersal, Esther Windschitl, Doris Windschitl, Adrian Jenniges, and Davey Ludewig.

Corice M. Schindele, age 89 of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota died on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at Sleepy Eye Care Center. Visitation will be on Monday, May 13, 2024, from 12:00 to 1:00 pm at Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel. A funeral service will follow at 1:00 pm at Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel. The clergy will be Pastor Patrick Thompson. Interment will be at Home Cemetery in Sleepy Eye. Arrangements are with Sturm Funeral Home in Sleepy Eye. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sturmfh.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.

 Corice Marie (Walsh) Schindele, the daughter of William and Genevieve (Stengel) Walsh, was born on June 24, 1934, in Hill City, Minnesota. Following high school graduation, Corice graduated from a secretarial school. On October 24, 1953, Corice was united in marriage to the love of her life, Elvis Schindele and they were blessed with two children.

 Corice loved caring for her family. In addition to being a wife and mom, she worked at the Montgomery Wards and Sears stores in Sleepy Eye in the retail and catalogue sales departments. She enjoyed shopping, gardening, bowling, traveling, and camping. Most of all, Corice loved spending time with family and friends.

 Corice is survived by her children, James (Beverly) Schindele of Morgan and Donna Schindele of Grove City; grandchildren, Andy (Sara) Miller, Erik (Anne) Miller-Unze, Chris Miller, Melissa (Robert) Tauer, Megan (Justin) Putzier, Kristen (Shaun) Guenzler, and Mary (Troy) Seitzema; great-grandchildren, Raigan, Hayden, Kaisyn, and Brityn Miller, Jack Unze-Miller and Cody Schiroo, Alexis and Addison Putzier, Owen Miller, and Charlotte Guenzler; brother, Jon Walsh; sister, Carol Yoemans; and sisters-in-law, Mary (Ray) Difelic and Edith Smith.

 She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Elvis Schindele and brothers, Jerry and Willy Walsh.

Bonnie Mae Schumacher of Sleepy Eye, MN passed away peacefully at her home on May 6, 2024, at the age of 82. Visitation will be on Friday, May 10, 2024, from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm at Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel with Parish Prayers at 3:45 pm prior to visitation. Visitation will continue on Saturday from 12:00 pm until 1:00 pm at the funeral home. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 1:30 pm and will be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/stmarysleepyeye. The clergy will be Fr. Mark Steffl. Interment will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Sleepy Eye. A light lunch will follow at the church. Arrangements are with Sturm Funeral Home in Sleepy Eye. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sturmfh.com.

Bonnie was born August 1, 1941, to Ralph and Loyola (Filzen) Schmitz. She attended school in Springfield, MN, and following graduation worked at Gislason Law in New Ulm. On May 30, 1962, she was united in marriage to James Frederick Schumacher. They worked together on the family farm, running a Pioneer seed corn business side by side and, along with their 10 children, resided on the farm until moving into their townhouse in 2021.

Bonnie was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and active at St. Mary’s Catholic School, where she belonged to CCW and served many years on the school board. She was busy on the farm, gardening and canning vegetables and jams for her family, as well as keeping up with all the activities of her kids. She loved watching the Twins, playing cards, and doing puzzles and crosswords, and attended as many of her grandchildren’s sporting events as she could. She always enjoyed cooking and baking for her large family, where caramel rolls were a grandkid favorite and no family event went without pie. She and Jim spent a great deal of time traveling in their motorhome, and enjoyed 20 winters in Mesa, Arizona. Bonnie ran the shuffleboard league, and liked spending time playing cards, bocce ball, and happy hours with their many friends in the sun.

Bonnie is survived by her husband Jim and their 10 children, Trude (Bob) Bartlett, Ham Lake, MN, Kevin (Vickie) Schumacher, Hoffman, MN, Sandy Hoffmann, St. Clair, MN, Jerry (Kim) Schumacher, Olathe, KS, Rich Schumacher, Campbell, CA, Roger (Stephanie) Schumacher, Boise, ID, Gary Schumacher, Raymore, MO, Cheryl Borgen, Eagan, MN, Jill (Karl) Weiss, Sleepy Eye, MN, and Brian (Stephanie) Schumacher, Sioux Falls, SD; grandchildren, Brianna Town, Ashley (Todd) Anderson and Tony (Rachel) Schumacher, Sarah and Nicole Hoffmann, Cole Schumacher, Kendra and Adam (Alix) Schumacher, Jacob and Joshua Schumacher, Alec and Aiden Borgen, Leah, Emily and Kaleb Weiss, Evan and Hailey Schumacher; 5 great grandchildren; and siblings, David (Linda) Schmitz and Gladys Feser.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Loyola Schmitz, Jim’s parents, Carl and Laura Schumacher, along with her siblings, Floyd, Denis, Verne and Joyce.

Carol A. Ludewig, age 92 of New Ulm died peacefully on Friday, April 26, 2024, at the Bayside Manor Care Center in Gaylord.

Funeral service will be held at 11 am on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home-North Chapel in New Ulm.  Father Joshua Bot will officiate the service, and burial will follow in the Church of the Japanese Martyr’s Cemetery in Leavenworth.

Visitation will be from 10-11 am on Thursday at the funeral home prior to the service.

The Minnesota Valley Funeral Homes of New Ulm are assisting the family with arrangements at this time.

To leave an online condolence for her family, or to sign the guestbook, go to: mvfh.org

Carol is survived by her sisters Lavon Bode of Walker, Mercedes (Bob) Pelzel of Sleepy Eye; her brothers, Milton Gulden of Sleepy Eye, Ken (Marcy) Gulden of New Ulm; brother in-law, Darwin Gieseke of New Ulm and many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Leander Sr. and Bernice Gulden; her husband, Daniel Ludewig; her sisters, Diane Gieseke, Mary Gulden, Cyrilla Portner; her brothers, Matthew Gulden, Leander Gulden Jr.; her sisters-in-law, Colletta Gulden, Sandy Gulden; brothers-in-law, Roland Bode, Marvin Portner; nieces, Debra Windschitl, Katherine Gulden; and nephew, Ron Portner.

Carol Agatha Gulden was born January 6, 1932, in New Ulm to Leander Sr. and Bernice (Ernsterhoff) Gulden.  Carol grew up in New Ulm and attended grade school at St. Mary’s, and was a 1950 graduate from New Ulm High School.  Carol was united in marriage to Daniel L. Ludewig on September 3, 1957, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in New Ulm.  The couple later settled on Daniel’s family’s farm where they lived and worked until 1967 when they moved to New Ulm.  Over the course of her career, Carol worked at AUI in Sleepy Eye, Farmers and Merchants Bank, and later worked in the school cafeteria at Jefferson School in New Ulm.  Besides her work, there were a variety of hobbies that she enjoyed in life.  As an avid sports fan, Carol loved cheering for her favorite teams, the Twins and Vikings, but also kept up on following area sports teams as well.  To relax, she enjoyed sitting down to watch the Wheel of Fortune or socializing with friends at Bingo.  Carol lived a long 92 years of life, always had a great memory, and had a sharp mind to the very end.  She will be forever remembered by all who knew and loved her.  Blessed be her memory.

Monica F. Hertling, age 100, of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota died on April 21, 2024, at her home in Sleepy Eye surrounded by her family. Visitation will be on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm at Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel. Rosary will be prayed at 3:30 pm followed by Parish Prayers at 3:45 pm prior to visitation. Visitation will continue on Thursday from 8:00 am until 10:00 am at the funeral home. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at 10:30 am and will be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/stmarysleepyeye. The clergy will be Fr. Mark Steffl. Interment will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Sleepy Eye. Arrangements are with Sturm Funeral Home in Sleepy Eye. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sturmfh.com.

Monica Flora (Steffl) Hertling, the daughter of John and Alma (Hartneck) Steffl, was born on February 15, 1924, in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. As a young girl, she attended country school and in 1942, she graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic School. On June 25, 1946, Monica married the love of her life, Sylvester Hertling, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye. This marriage was blessed with ten children.

Working hard came naturally to Monica. While raising her family and working on the farm with Sylvester, Monica enjoyed gardening and canning produce. She loved to bake and in 1992, she won Grand Champion for her apple pie at the Brown County Fair. Monica loved her family and was truly the most loving, nurturing, and caring mom, grandma, and great-grandma. She was proud of her children and having had three of her sons serve in the military. Family always came first for Monica.

Monica found much comfort and strength in her Catholic faith, and it was important to her to have all of her children attend St. Mary’s Catholic School for their education. Monica was a longtime member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and actively participated in the Council of Catholic Women, Christian Mothers, and Minnesota Concerned Citizens for Life. Additionally, she was a member of Divine Providence Auxiliary and VFW Auxiliary Post 800 in Sleepy Eye.

In her younger days, Monica enjoyed bowling. Throughout her life, she loved to play cards with family and friends, often initiating and never turning down an opportunity to do so, in addition to her standing Tuesday group she joined at the Sleepy Eye Community Center. Her day wasn’t complete without a whiskey sour in the evening. Monica was blessed to attend her 80^th class reunion in 2022 and she celebrated her 100th birthday with her beloved family and friends.

Monica is survived by her children, Allan (Suzanne) Hertling of Aubrey, TX, Douglas (Barbara) Hertling of St. Cloud, Robert Hertling (Jane Walsh) of New Ulm, Laurie (Robert) Seifert of New Ulm, Cindy (Vern) Haala of Sleepy Eye, Steve (Rita) Hertling of Sleepy Eye, David (Lisa) Hertling of Sleepy Eye, Ronald Hertling of New Ulm, and John (Deb) Hertling of New Ulm; 20 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; and brother, Jerome Steffl of Sleepy Eye.

She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Alma Steffl; husband, Sylvester Hertling; son, Thomas Hertling; grandson, Danny Hertling; brothers, Cornelius Steffl, Leslie Steffl, John Steffl, Louis Steffl, and Paul Steffl; and sisters, Phyllis Garry, Beatrice Ganske, and Bernice Zschetzsche.

Douglas L. Bredeson, age 76, of Hillcrest Rehabilitation Center and formerly Sleepy Eye passed away Monday, April 8, 2024 at Mayo Hospital in Mankato, Minnesota. A Celebration of Life will be held at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 15, 2024 from Nelson-Hillestad Funeral Home in Redwood Falls, Minnesota with full Military Honors to follow outside the funeral home at 5 p.m.

Arrangements are with Nelson-Hillestad Funeral and Cremation Service of Redwood Falls and Morgan. E-mail condolences may be sent via www.nelson-hillestad.com.

Dolores K. Braunger, age 93 of Faribault, MN passed away on Thursday, April 4, 2024 at the Allina Health Faribault Medical Center.

Dolores Kathryn, the daughter of Edward and Mary (Seidl) Pelzel, was born on October 18, 1930 in Sleepy Eye, MN.  She attended Sleepy Eye High School and graduated with the class of 1948.  In 1949 she was united in marriage to Linus Braunger at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye.  They lived in LeSueur, MN until 1957 when they moved to Faribault.  Dolores worked as a clerk and bookkeeper at JCPenney for 18 years. She enjoyed spending time with her family, working on stitching and crafts and playing cards.  Dolores was very involved at the Moose Lodge in Faribault, especially in the kitchen where she was in charge for many years.  She has been a member for over 50 years.  She was also a member of the Eagles Auxiliary in Faribault, the Catholic Order of Foresters, Daughters of Isabella, Rosary Circle and Divine Mercy Catholic Church.

She is survived by her daughters, Linda Braunger of Faribault, MN, Kathryn (Robert) Jones of Faribault, MN and Mary (Gordon) Taggart of Mesa, AZ; by seven grandchildren, Jeremy Meyer (Cathy), Jeffrey Jones, Jessica (Chad) Meixner, Jennifer Jones, Kate Jones (Billy Briggs), Gordie Taggart and Garrett Taggart (Tierney); by twelve great grandchildren and one great great granddaughter; by her sisters, Arlene (Alcuin) Tauer and Rita Wersal, both of Sleepy Eye, MN and by nieces, nephew and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son, Edward Braunger and brother, Jerome Pelzel.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Faribault with Fr. Clayton Forner officiating. Interment will be held at the Calvary Cemetery, Faribault.

Visitation will be held at the church on Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

The family prefers that memorials be directed to the Divine Mercy Catholic School Building Fund in memory of Dolores.

Arrangements are being completed by the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory of Faribault.