James A. “Jim” Pumper, age 62, of New Prague, died unexpectedly at his home on Monday, December 13, 2021.  Jim was born on August 11, 1959 to Myles and Dorothy (Moll) Pumper.  He grew up in Le Center and attended Le Center High School.  Jim was a self-taught mechanic, learning many of his skills through watching and with the help of his father.  Many knew Jim personally from the various automotive repair shops in the area.  Even in retirement, he spent his time doing various automotive tasks for family and friends.  He married Laurie J.

Jim Pumper, age 62, of New Prague, died unexpectedly at his home on Monday, December 13, 2021.
Wife, Laurie; Mother, Dorothy; Sister, Sue.  Services are pending.

Donald William Coughlin, age 82, of Montgomery passed away on Saturday, December 11, 2021. Funeral services will be held on Friday, December 17, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. with visitation starting at 9:30 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery. Interment will be held at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Montgomery.
Military Honors will be provided by the Montgomery Area Veterans Honor Guard.

Thomas J. Shriver, age 87, of Montgomery, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 7, 2021. Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, December 16, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. with visitation one hour prior at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery. A celebration of life will be held in spring 2022.
Thomas was born to Michael Raymond and Agnes Loretta (Reedy) Shriver on September 10, 1934, in Watertown, SD. He married Dorothy Hillstad on April 2, 1954, and they raised a family of five children.

Suzanne Theresa Gores, 71, of Montgomery, died Tuesday, December 7 at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester. Visitation will be held on Monday, December 13, 2021, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery. 
Funeral service will follow the visitation at the church at 11:30 a.m.  Burial will be held at Calvary Cemetery in Montgomery. 
Suzanne was born July 6, 1950, to James L. and JoAnn E. (Busch) Burns in Tracy, MN. She graduated from Lamberton High School, and married Joseph Michael Gores in Wabasso, MN on October 10, 1968. 

Ruth Marie Barta, 89, of Montgomery passed away at The Villages of Lonsdale on Friday, December 3, 2021 surrounded by her family. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, December 11, at 11 a.m. with visitation two hours prior at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery.
Ruth was born at home on the farm in Wheatland Township on July 14, 1932 to Joseph L. and Julia (Machacek) Tupy. She attended grade school in Veseli and graduated from New Prague High School.

Richard “Dick” Grosklags, age 82, of Savage, MN, passed November 24, 2021, at Savage Senior Living at Fen Pointe. A celebration of life will be on Sunday, December 12, at 2 pm, with a visitation starting at 12:30 pm, at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation in Prior Lake. Family is requiring masks to be worn. A private family burial will be at Dawn Valley Cemetery, in Bloomington, MN.

A garden hoe, rake, wheel barrow, lawnmower, love of family, land, animals, and music describe Sidney. 
He married Betty Ann Prchal on May 21, 1957, at St. Scholastica Church in Heidelberg. While renting a house in Lonsdale, they purchased a farm south of Lonsdale, spending their first night there on November 6, 1958. Quickly, it became home, and neither of them ever thought of living anywhere else. 
Sidney was born on February 15, 1931, his parents were Mathias and Josephine Vikla (Andrysek). His mother, born in Moravia, came to America at the age of sixteen. 

Cynthia Kay Wacker, 59, of Montgomery died on Friday, Nov. 26, 2021. Visitation will be held on Thursday, Dec. 9 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Schoenbauer Funeral Home in Montgomery. Funeral Services will be held on Friday, December 10 at Noon with visitation one hour prior at St. John Lutheran Church in Montgomery.

It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Eddie Navejas of Montgomery, on November 17, 2021, at the age of 35 years. Visitation will be held on Friday, Nov. 26, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Schoenbauer Funeral Home in Montgomery, with funeral service to follow on Saturday, Nov. 27 at 10 a.m.

Alex Matthew Pettman, 49, of Montgomery, died unexpectedly on October 27, 2021. He is survived by parents Mark and Nancy Pettman of Red Wing, and brother Nathan, sister Holly and sister-in-law Becky. He was also a loving uncle to Riley, Violet, and Cooper.
 
Alex grew up in Owatonna, and graduated with honors from Owatonna High School. Those who knew Alex have described him as quiet, gentle, intelligent, and stoic. He was so well read; we even joked that Alex was the family encyclopedia.
 

Jerry Odine Severson was born February 13, 1970 to Gerald Severson and Patsy Hartje. He entered into rest on Sunday, November 21, 2021 at Sanford Hospital, surrounded by his loved ones.

Blanche Havel Zellmer, age 99-3/4, passed away Thursday, November 11, 2021, at The Emeralds of Faribault. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 11 a.m. at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Montgomery with Father George Grafsky officiating.
Celebration of Life will follow from noon to 3 p.m. at the American Legion Club in Montgomery. Private family burial will be held in the St. John Catholic Cemetery in Montgomery. In lieu of flowers memorials preferred to St. John’s Cemetery.

Eleanor A. “Ellie” Sirek, age 82, of Elko, entered eternal life on Saturday, November 13 as a result of complications from Covid-19 at Northfield Hospital. Ellie was born on February 21, 1939 in Wheatland Township to Emil and Anna Svoboda. She was born prematurely and fondly told the story about her parents putting her in a bread pan on the oven door to keep her warm. As an only child, she grew up on the family farm where she resided for her entire life. She graduated from New Prague High School and loved to tell everyone how she never missed a day of school.

Agnes Koubele was born on the Frank Koubele family farm in Montgomery on January 20, 1925.  She attended District 18, St. Rafael Catholic School and graduated from Montgomery High School in the class of 1942.  She moved to Chicago, IL and worked at Montgomery Ward, the US Post Office and the National Park Service as a secretary.  
She married Edward Zellmer, Jr. on November 9, 1946, at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Chicago. Shortly after their marriage his health began to fail, and in March 1947 they returned to Montgomery. 

Patricia A. “Patty” Sirek, age 60, of Elko, died peacefully on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 as a result of complications of Covid-19 at Northfield Hospital.   Patty was born on January 27, 1961 in New Prague to Richard F. and Eleanor A.