Age 71 of Inver Grove Heights

Sandra Dahn, 1951 – 2022, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family. Sandra is preceded in death by her parents Alvin and Anita Van Someren; parents-in-law Dell and Doris Dahn; brothers-in-law Steve Dahn, Keith Dahn, Lowell Dahn, Loren Dahn, Myron Wolter; nephew Troy Wolter; and great nephew Hawkin Dahn. She will forever remain in the hearts of her beloved husband Greg Dahn; sister Cindy (Doug) Anderson; brothers-in-law Jeff (Patricia) Dahn, Michael Dahn; sisters-in-law Susan Dahn, Janet (Daryl) Schowalter, Marcia (Doug) Carlton, Teresa (Jim) Stiff, Pam Wolter, Shelly (Kirk) Dahn; goddaughters Melissa Smith, Kristelle Fumich; as well as many other nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

A service to honor and celebrate Sandra’s life will be on Thursday, December 8th, 2022, at Emanuel Lutheran Church 2075 70th Street E. Inver Grove Heights 55077. The service will begin at 11:00 a.m. with a visitation one hour prior to the service.

The family would like to give a special thank you to the Allina Hospice Nurses Amy Rich and Jen Ogden for the wonderful care they provided for Sandra.

Join us in watching Sandra’s service live found here. https://youtu.be/Luan_pXd5OQ

Age 91 of Inver Grove Heights.

Passed away peacefully on November 26, 2022. A loving husband to Margaret for 67 years. A beloved father, papa & great papa to his family. A hardworking, devoted, man of faith. Preceded in death by parents; siblings; wife, Margaret and young daughter, Linda. Survived by children, Julie (Loren), David (Terri) & Larry (Kim), his 8 grandchildren & 8 great-grandchildren. Mass of Christian Burial 11 AM Wednesday, December 7^th at the Church of St. Patrick, 3535 72^nd St. E., Inver Grove Heights with Visitation 10-11 AM prior to Mass.  Interment Church of St. Patrick Cemetery, Inver Grove Heights.

Age 92, of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota

Passed away on Saturday, November 26, 2022, at Suite Living Senior Care.

Vaughn was born June 4, 1930, to Robert and Maxine (Cottrell) Leighty in Glenville, Minnesota.  She attended Glenville MN elementary school and Albert Lea MN High School.  After graduation, Vaughn earned a teaching certificate at – what was then called – Mankato State College – and in 1949 taught in a one-room, country schoolhouse. She was married to her “best boyfriend” Edmund Winter on November 12, 1953. After having children, she received a bachelor’s degree in education at Sioux Falls College, Sioux Falls, SD. She taught the rest of her career at Adrian MN Elementary School.

Vaughn loved children, teaching, chocolate and socializing with friends and family, especially her beloved brother Gary. With her outgoing personality, she easily made friends. She was stylish and enjoyed having her hair and nails done – even during her elder years.

Vaughn will be deeply missed by her son, Brooke Winter (Tracy), Riverton, Utah, daughter Lorey Fairbanks (John), Hastings, Minnesota, daughter Melissa Winter, Eagan, Minnesota; grandsons Ethan Winter and Conrad, Kaleb and Gabriel Greene; great-grandchildren, Anna, Elijah, Jackson, Ava, Aurora and Araya Greene; and many nieces and nephews.  In addition to her parents, Vaughn was preceded in death by her husband Edmund H. Winter, brother Gary Leighty, daughter-in-law Tricia Winter and precious grandson Jared Brooke Winter.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, December 3, 11:00 a.m. at Mount Bethel United Methodist Church, 3239 70th St. E., Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076. A short interment service will take place Sunday, December 4, 10:00 a.m. at Adrian Cemetery, Adrian, MN.

Cards may be sent in care of Roberts Funeral Home, 8108 Barbara Ave., Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077. Memorials may be made to Smile Network International, 108 W. 14^th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55403 www.smilenetwork.org

Age 70, of Inver Grove Heights, MN

Passed away unexpectedly on November 25, 2022.

Jim was born on April 16, 1952 in International Falls, MN. On January 25, 1986 he married the love of his life Kathryn (Willger). They were blessed with three children James Jr., Joseph, and Kelly. Jim deeply loved his family and was incredibly proud of his wife and children.

Jim was a lifelong hunter, fisher, avid outdoorsman and lover of nature. Jim loved sharing this gift with others, especially his family. Growing up in International Falls, he had a great appreciation for and knowledge of Rainy Lake. He spent much of his life as an entrepreneur with many businesses, including Rainy Lake International, a wholesale and retail fish business.

He enjoyed sharing the beauty of Rainy Lake with others and believed in leaving nature the way he found it so that others could enjoy its magnificence. No one could catch a walleye like Jim. He even earned the title of “the walleye god” amongst his family. There are many photos to validate his award-winning fishing talents.

Jim also enjoyed teaching his children how to hunt. He took them on many duck hunting trips with their family dogs. He passed along his love for hunting and fishing to his son Joe, who has successfully honed many of his dad’s outdoor skills.

In recent years, Jim enjoyed his daily trips to the gas station to get the newspaper each morning. He looked forward to reading the daily news, especially the sports section. Jim was a fan of all Minnesota sports teams. He followed the teams closely, frequently quoting statistics and facts about each of the teams and their players. His daughter, Kelly has followed in his footsteps with a love for sports and facts.

Jim enjoyed many hobbies including reading, sports, and aviation. Jim found his passion for flying at a young age. Over the years, he owned and operated many planes. He was proud to pass along his passion for flying to his son, Jimmy, who is a commercial pilot.

Jim was a faith-filled man who devoted his life to loving God and living His word. He is preceded in death by his parents, Daniel & Buelah; and brother, Daniel. He is survived by his loving wife of 36 years, Kathryn; children James Jr. (Brianna), Joseph and Kelly; siblings John (Rosie) and Mary Jean Kramer, and many other family and friends.

Visitation is scheduled from 5pm-7pm on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at Roberts Funeral Home, 8108 Barbara Ave, Inver Grove Heights. Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for 10am on Wednesday, November 30 at the Church of St. Patrick, 3535 72nd St, Inver Grove Heights with visitation at 9am. The burial ceremony will be held at 2:30pm at Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery, 2411 23rd Street, Dobie, WI.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred. Blessed be his memory.

Age 76 of Inver Grove Heights

Passed into the arms of her Savior, surrounded by her children on November 20, 2022. Preceded in death by parents, Arlene & Murrel Chapman; step-father, John Simonson; two unborn children. Survived by children, Ryan Cousins, Julie (Matt) McMan & Jamie Eschbach; eight grandchildren; three sisters.

Cheryl was strong, outspoken, creative, caring, and knowledgeable. Her crafting interests were diverse and included quilting, ceramics, porcelain, woodwork, cross-stitching, embroidery, every kind of painting, puppet making, tea cup bird feeders, and she was paper crafting until recent hospitalizations.

One thing we looked forward to every Christmas, along with glorious Scandinavian food items, was that year’s “name” ornament, we will always cherish the gifts she made for us and her grandchildren.

She was frugal mom and raised us through some of the most financially challenging times of her life. She made things like “Eternity Soup” because she kept adding to it and it would last forever, she called corn chowder “Dragon Stew” so we would eat it, we ate “sidewalk” beans and bland spaghetti, and we liked it, however, when she got her profit-sharing check, we made steak and shrimp on the table top electric grill and it was a reminder to celebrate, even when times are tough.

Mom had a big life and wore many hats: hairdresser, wife, clothing maker, crafter, songstress, junior inventor, limerick writer, great dancer, music lover, teacher; she also worked at Seagate until she retired.

Her faith in Jesus Christ was a large part of her life and she made a point to pray for everyone she encountered, even as they were providing care to her, and her faith contributed to her 38 years of sobriety. She adopted many people in her life, rarely did she have mere “acquaintances”, they all became family.

She gave us her strange sense of humor and taught us to make people laugh. She called us her sweet babies to the end and let us know we were her greatest accomplishment on Earth. We will miss her forever.

A service will be held at a later date.

Memorials preferred to Groveland Cemetery 4565 Telemark Road, Dundas, MN  55019.

Age 57 of Inver Grove Heights

Passed away peacefully November 21, 2022, after a lengthy battle with ALS(Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Preceded in death by brother, John; father, Clifford E.; grandparents, Albert & Elsie (Blowers) Soucek, Clifford W. & Leone (McFadden) Coonrod. Survived by loving wife of 33 years, Judy Salz; son, William Clifford; daughter, Kristen Taylor; mother, Nona (Soucek); brother, Bob (Angie); niece, Nakita; nephew, Cobra; also, other family & friends.

Mike was born in Jackson, MN on June 16, 1965, and moved to Janesville, MN at thirteen months.  His love for sports and outdoors was displayed at Janesville High School in football, basketball, and baseball.  His father, Cliff, introduced Mike to a love of hunting and the outdoors that remained with Mike throughout his life, and he continued to pass this love onto his children and their friends.

After high school, Mike did a bit of college in Winona and also worked several years in construction where he honed his skills in this craft.  Eventually Mike knew he wanted something different and went to  Mankato Technical College for electronics.  Upon graduation he landed a job with Unisys Defense Division as the third Field Engineer(FE) at Scott AFB, Illinois. Out on his own, he took up golf with co-workers, travelled a bit for work, and did an extended stay at the Coast Guard Base Ketchikan in Alaska, which he loved.  Returning back to Bellville, IL is where and when the story takes a few twists and turns.

Unisys frequently needed FE’s to travel among USG sites for installs, training, and vacation coverage. In May 1989, a fellow FE from Grissom AFB in Indiana traveled to Scott AFB to assist with a mainframe install.  The FE was young but was trained on the system and was “in charge” of helping the three local FE’s  install this new system.  After a first long day, the traveling FE was looking for a bit of shop talk and such and asked the Scott’s AFB crew, ‘Who was interested in getting some food and drinks?’  The other FE’s knew the traveler very well and had the invite directed more towards them.  Having other commitments, they declined, and Mike offered up that he was able to go out. So, Pizza Hut it was (with a few beers).  The travelling FE was in fact Judy (or Jude as Mike would “rename” her).  They found out they grew up in similar areas (MN/IA), were close in age, and had the same small-town background.  The install finished and Judy went back to Indiana.  About a month later Unisys needed Jude to do vacation coverage at a Coast Guard site in St. Louis which was right next to Scott AFB.  Jude reached out to Mike and asked if he could show her the sites around St. Louis as she was there for about a week.  Well, this would be the beginning of  Mike’s new journey.  Something very special began in May of 1989.

So, Mike did a lot over the next few years: Mike quit his job, moved to Kokomo, IN, went back to college(IU Business Degree), had two kids, and returned to construction and desktop support to help pay the bills.  In 1993, Mike was a solo parent as Jude accepted a job back to Eagan, MN.  Mike needed to finish up his undergrad degree and Jude needed to find a house.  By July 1993 all were under a single roof in South St. Paul, MN.

Judy continued with Unisys (now Lockheed Martin) and Mike started his 22-year career at the University of Minnesota (U of M).  With his IT and business knowledge – plus great people skills, Mike moved up within the U of M and was a manager for the U of M OIT (Office of Information Technology) organization.

Mike continued his love of hunting/fishing and bringing his children into the “customs” established down by Whitewater State Park.  Mike traveled; hunting turkey and pheasant in South Dakota, antelope in Wyoming (maybe a prairie dog too), and salmon fishing on Lake Superior and Alaska. Always bringing back many of the infamous Mike’s stories that grew better each time he told them. “Hunting” also expanded to Morrells mushrooms with GPS coordinates “sweet spots” he closely guarded.

Somehow, he also talked Jude into the great outdoors with camping.  It started out in tents but Mike made Jude really happy when the 27-foot Travel Trailer was purchased.  Having her own little house to set up was more her speed and Mike coordinated many, many camping trips with folks from all over and at a wide variety of campsites. The camper made it out to Rushmore, Badlands, Yellowstone, Glacier, Tetons, Yosemite, and others  and of course camping across the great Midwest.

Mike continued his love of sports and continue to play ball with Jude as the faithful cheerleader.  He loved golf and was part of an annual event (GBHO) with high school buddies that he attended for 25 years.  He gave this love to both his children and loved the annual Father’s Day golf rounds.  He was that 40-something Dad that taught himself (with many a sore tailbones) to snowboard once the kids became proficient.  Throw endless footballs and softballs in the backyard and played cut-throat croquet, darts, and pool. Add in a few years of coaching and mentoring the kids in their sports travels and the term “busy” was an understatement.

Mike’s love for woodworking had humble beginnings back in Kokomo with the need for a TV stand arose and not having any money. Plywood, circular saw, router, and a gallon of paint was cheaper and sparked a renewed interest in this craft he learned long ago.  What started with a few tools grew (and grew and grew….) and ended with a complete woodshop, numerous home improvements, building a new house for his growing family, beautiful furniture, and an infamous lawn chair upgrade with “custom” beer holder.  This of course to assist in watching his local sports teams and NASCAR.

With all these varied interests (technology, hunting, fishing, camping, golf, softball, and woodworking) Mike still had time for date nights, and concerts with Jude.  Mike and Jude spent time (sans kids) motorcycling, driving the 1964 Dart convertible, snowmobiling and four-wheeling with others and creating hilarious memories along the way.

So as this journey comes to an end – keep the stories light, share a beer with friends,  always be ready to laugh at the world (because it really doesn’t care what you think or do), don’t waste time or energy on hurt or anger and above all –  love.  It was such serendipity how our paths cross – but cross they did and now this wonderful network of love and friendship is his legacy.

Visitation 4-7 PM Friday, December 2^nd. Funeral Service 11:00 AM Saturday, December 3^rd both at Roberts Funeral Home, 8108 Barbara Ave., Inver Grove Heights.

In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to support:

ALS Association MN/ND/SD Chapter (http://webmn.alsa.org/goto/mikecoonrod),

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (https://www.jdrf.org/minnesotadakotas/) &

MN Conservation Volunteer (https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mcvmagazine/).

Age 79

On Friday, November 18, 2022, Donald G. Corniea, a beloved husband, father, and grandfather passed away peacefully surrounded by love. Donald is survived by his beloved wife of 47 years, Nancy; sons, David and Kyle; daughter-in-law, Mellissa, and four grandchildren.

Don graduated from South St. Paul High School in 1962 and joined the National Guard out of a sense of patriotism and duty to his country.  An intrepid entrepreneur, Don owned several businesses throughout his life, including an auto service station and upholstery company and in later years the Inver Grove Heights Ace Hardware. Don was a cutting-edge design engineer working at TetraPak in St. Paul for many years in positions of engineering and management and was awarded over a dozen different patents during his tenure there.

Cars and Engineering were common themes throughout Don’s life.  He seemed to attack many of life’s challenges with an engineering mind set. He found “adventure” in everything he did.  The adventures of his life are too numerous for a comprehensive list, but it includes: raising children, ice racing, motorcycling, skiing, boating, camping, scouting, hiking, restoring an old farmhouse, and generally finding the need to modify almost everything he purchased.

He will be missed by family, friends and community members.

A Celebration of Life gathering in his memory will be held at Roberts Funeral and Cremation Chapel, 8108 Barbara Ave., Inver Grove Heights on Thursday, December 1st, 2022 from 4:00-7:00 pm with a brief service at 6:00 pm.

Age 76 of St. Paul

Passed away unexpectedly on November 15, 2022.

Preceded in death by parents, William & LaRayne Schlauderoff.

Will be sadly missed by lifelong friends who have always been her family, the Rachac’s, Shari & John; children, David (Carol), Steven (Karla), Douglas (Jen); grandchildren, Devon, Logan, Keira (Logan Wenisch), Kory, Sal, Anthony; great-grandchild, James Wenisch; and many friends.

A New Prague High School graduate, Bonnie earned a BS degree in Elementary Education from the College of St. Teresa and an MS in Education from UW River Falls. She taught in St. Paul for 34 years at both Horace Mann and Randolph Heights.

Bonnie loved reading, knitting, crossword puzzles, casino trips, her dogs Muffin and Czechers and especially gatherings with her family and friends. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the American Humane Society.

Mass of Christian Burial 10:30 Saturday, December 3 at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, 1938 Stanford Ave, St. Paul. Visitation 9-10:30 prior to Mass. Private Interment St. Wenceslaus Cemetery, New Prague.

Age 79 of Trego, WI

Formerly of Inver Grove Heights. Passed away after a short battle with cancer on November 21, 2022. Preceded in death by parents, Cornelies & Lucille Bertrand; sister, Bernie (Jerry) Franciscus; brother-in-law, Donald Fletcher. Survived by husband of 57 years, Dave; sons, Scott & Greg (Pam); grandchildren, Scottie, Samantha & David Fletcher; sister, Corrine (Tom) Kurysh; also several nieces, nephews & many friends. Kathy retired as as a legal secretary for over 40 years with Felhaber Law Firm. She loved to garden, feed the wildlife & go to the casino. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

Visitation 5-7 PM Wednesday, November 30^th at Roberts Funeral Home, 8108 Barbara Ave., Inver Grove Heights. Mass of Christian Burial 11 AM Thursday, December 1^st at the Church of St. Patrick, 3535 72^nd St. E., Inver Grove Heights with Visitation 10-11 AM prior to Mass.  Interment Acacia Park Cemetery, Mendota Heights. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to support St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Age 76 of Inver Grove Heights

Our beloved husband, Dad, Grandpa and many other well-deserved titles, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on November 12, 2022 after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s Disease and other health conditions brought on by Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam.

Jack is survived by Carole, wife of almost 57 years

Children: Kevin (Alicia) Fitz and Kim (Bill) Hunstiger

Grandchildren: Eva, Isaac, Emma and Austin

Brothers: Jim, Al (Sally), Mike (Carol) and Pat (Lori)

Step-Siblings: Dixie, Deanne and Dennis

Also survived by: Brothers-in-law, Ray (Judy) Faas, Jerry (Jan) Faas, Mike Borgheiinck, Pat Riley and Sister-in-law, Theresa Faas; Aunt, Noreen Stillson and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

He will forever be loved and dearly missed by all of his family and friends, especially his four grandchildren.

We would like to thank Maplewood Care Center in Maplewood, MN for the wonderful care Jack had received since July.  Thank you to Ecumen Hospice for helping care for Jack and his family during his last days with us.  Thank you to Roberts Funeral Home for your expertise and guidance during this most difficult time.  To our family members, friends and neighbors, we thank you for your never ending support, prayers and love.  We so appreciate each of you.

Celebration of Life and Funeral Service 3 PM Sunday, November 27^th, at Roberts Funeral Home, 8108 Barbara Ave., Inver Grove Heights. Visitation 1-3 PM prior to the service. Interment 10 AM Monday, November 28^th Fort Snelling National Cemetery.