John Lloyd Ching
May 14, 1947 - April 14, 2026


John Lloyd Ching died peacefully at Rock Lake Hospital on April 14, 2026 surrounded by family. After suffering a stroke in 2021, Lloyd’s health gradually declined and he was hospitalized after a fall occurring in February 2026.


Lloyd is survived by wife Susan, children Melanie (Joe), Kristin (Denis) and Garnet (Erin), nephew Jeffrey, five grandchildren and cousins Sandra, Tannis, Jo Ann, Mary Lou and Donald.


Lloyd was predeceased by parents Victor and Norma Ching, sister Gail, uncle Gord (Ruth) Ching, uncle Vernon (Leona) Spangelo, uncle Edgar (Phyllis) Spangelo and cousins Kathleen and Bev.


Lloyd loved anything outdoors, whether it was working with his cattle and sheep or being out hunting, fishing or trapping. His lifelong enjoyment of farming began when he was on the tractor at 10 years of age. He volunteered with the Manitoba Pool Board, Morden Legion and the Pembina Valley Conservation District. In retirement, Lloyd began golfing regularly and enjoyed the courses at Minnewasta, Manitou and Miami. Lloyd was a very social person and truly appreciated all of the friends he made throughout his life.


Cremation has taken place and a memorial will be held at the Darlingford Community Hall on April 22, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.


In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Manitoba Wildlife Federation.


Thank you to the friends and neighbours that helped Lloyd throughout his life. Thank you to the Morden Community Home Care team, who provided excellent care to Lloyd over the past five years. Also, thanks to the medical staff at the Boundary Trails Regional Health Centre and Rock Lake Hospital for the care they provided before his passing.

Marilyn J. Baumann, age 91 of Grafton, ND passed away on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at the Altru Hospital of Grand Forks, ND.
​
Funeral services will be Friday, May 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM at the Grafton Lutheran Church, Grafton, ND. Visitation will be Friday at the church for one hour prior to the service. Inurnment will be at the Grafton City Cemetery.

Dennis Barker, 78, of St. Thomas, ND, passed away Monday, February 13, at his home wrapped in his wife’s loving arms.
Dennis Lee Barker was born on February 12, 1948 to Richard (Dick) and Verbena (Pat) (Klein) Barker in Langdon, ND. He was raised and educated in Hannah, ND, and he often reminisced about his stellar basketball career without a three point line. He attended and graduated from Mayville State College where he met the love of his life, Kay Santman. They were united in marriage on August 15, 1969. They planted roots in St. Thomas, ND and raised two children, Stephanie and Kyle.
From teaching, to owning a grocery store, to selling cars and trucks, to working in the ag industry as a farmer, agronomist and crop adjuster, Dennis had a diverse career portfolio. He was always proud to call St. Thomas home, and he was very community-minded. You would find him out mowing lawns, blowing snow, picking weeds, trimming branches - anything to keep the town he loved in great shape. He served as Mayor of St. Thomas and was active on several boards: Booster Club, Airport Authority, Cemetery, Hager Estate, and Community Development. In 2012, Dennis and Kay were awarded the Expo Radio Community Hero award.
Dennis was blessed with great friends where memories were made on hunting trips, football trips, and camping at the lake. He was known for his quick wit, one-liners, and his love for the Atlanta Braves. Every fall, Dennis could be found in his pickup at the end of the field, proudly watching his son-in-law and grandchildren harvest the crops. Dennis’ greatest blessings were his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He spent countless hours playing baseball in the backyard with his grandkids, and he lived in gyms, at football fields, and baseball diamonds - even when he was the only fan at a baseball game because it was 30 degrees outside. He loved facetime calls with his out-of-state granddaughters and taking them for side-by-side rides when they came to town.
Dennis is survived by his wife of 56 years, Kay Barker; daughter, Stephanie (Brent) Baldwin; son, Kyle (Kristen) Barker; five grandchildren, Samantha (Tim) Spicer, Hunter (Betsy) Baldwin, Braylon Baldwin, Eliza Barker, and Greta Barker; and three great-grandchildren, Brynn and Leo Spicer and Kinley Baldwin. He is also survived by seven nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Joan Mirehouse, brother Gerald Barker, and nephews Terry Barker and Daniel Mirehouse.
Memorial services will be Friday, April 17, 2026 at 2:00 PM at the Grafton Lutheran Church. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service. The service will be livestreamed on the Tollefson Funeral Home website. A celebration of life will follow at the St. Thomas American Legion. Inurnment will be at the St. Thomas City Cemetery in the spring.

Patricia Louise Sweeney, known to nearly everyone as Pat, was born on September 5, 1942, in rural Pisek, North Dakota, the daughter of Frank and Hattie Dvorak. She grew up in a farmhouse outside of town, where the family raised chickens and cows and her mother kept the kitchen running. Pork, sauerkraut, and dumplings were on the table, country music was on the radio, and life was shaped by hard work and Czech Catholic roots she carried with her always.
Pat attended public school through the eighth grade, where math was her favorite subject. She left school early to live with and care for her grandmother Rose.
On June 13, 1960, Pat married Ken Sweeney in Walsh County, North Dakota, and had three children, SueEllen, Kenneth, and Nancy. They lived in homes in Roseville, MN, as well as Larimore and Park River, ND. Over the years she worked as a bartender, a potato grader, and an apartment manager. Wherever you went with her, she was sure to find someone she knew and catch up like no time had passed. She was a natural connector who genuinely cared about the people in her life, and many found their way through hard times because of her guidance.
Her love language was gift-giving, and Christmas was her season. Pat paid attention all year long, tucking away the perfect thing for the people she loved. When the time came to open gifts, you could tell she had been thinking of you for months.
Pat loved country music her whole life and had a particular fondness for Hank Williams, Jr. Seeing him in concert with her daughters was an evening that she cherished. She was frugal by nature and loved a good yard sale, whether she was browsing someone else's or hosting one of her own. Over the years she and Ken kept Pomeranians and Chow-Chows, and these dogs were a beloved part of the household. If you sat down to play rummy with Pat during a visit, you had better be prepared to lose gracefully, because she was going to win.
Pat passed away peacefully in her home on Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Park River, North Dakota. She was 83 years old.
Mass of Christian Burial will be on Tuesday, April 21st, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Park River. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will take place at Calvary Cemetery of Park River, later in the spring.

Thomas W. Bjornstad
September 24, 1969 — April 11, 2026
​
Thomas Wayne Bjornstad, 56, of Walhalla, ND, passed away on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Sanford Hospital in Fargo, ND. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Walhalla Lutheran Church in Walhalla, ND. In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to the Walhalla or Cavalier Ambulance Service.
Thomas Wayne Bjornstad was born on September 24, 1969, to Eunice and Donald Bjornstad. Tom grew up with his three siblings and giant extended family in Walhalla. Tom attended UND and proudly joined Beta Theta Pi, acquiring lifelong friends and troublemakers. In 1994, Tom met Teresa Bonaime of Neche at a party in the hills. Flirting over matching leather jackets led to a wedding in 1998. Bringing Teresa into the Bjornstad family proved a big win for everyone, including the eventual addition of their three children: Martin, Elias and Katelyn.
Tom was proud to join the family farming business as a fourth-generation grower, alongside his dad, uncles, brother, cousin, Bjornstad Farms crew, and eventually, two sons. He spent his life helping things grow. Tom loved his friends, making us laugh and sharing stories. His wit was unmatched and good-natured teasing was one of his superpowers. He was an excellent cook, making everyone who sat at his table grateful for the experience. He taught his kids to cook, laugh and love. He was immensely proud of them and passed on a strong sense of community to each of them.
Tom was legitimately everyone’s favorite smartass. May his memory be a blessing.
Survivors include his wife, Teresa and children: Martin, Elias and Katelyn, all of Walhalla, his siblings: Rodney Bjornstad, Paul Bjornstad and Jodi (Nate) Houge and many nieces and nephews. Preceding him in death were his parents, Eunice and Donald Bjornstad.

Margaret “Maggie” Neumann (Colvin)
February 20, 1939 – April 10, 2026


With great sadness we announce the sudden passing of Margaret “Maggie” Neumann on April 10, 2026, at Boundary Trails Health Centre.


Maggie was predeceased by her beloved husband Joseph Delmar Neumann on August 17, 2004. She was also predeceased by her parents Allan and Myrtle, sisters Jean (Clarence) and Idris (Bert), brother and Bill (Carol) and sister-in-law and Norma. Also predeceased by her mother-in-law and father-in-law as well as brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law of the Neumann family.


Maggie is survived by her sister Cathy (Edgar) Cummer, brother Jim (Elaine) Colvin, numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, great-great nieces and great-great nephews.


Margaret was born in Carman, MB on February 20, 1939. As a child she lived on the family farm at Roseisle, MB and later in the Village of Roseisle. After leaving home, she began her life at Elm Creek working at Wamley’s store. While at Elm Creek she played with the Elm Creek Aces. Later she moved on to work at Dick’s Printing and living in Winnipeg, MB. In 1976, her and Joe moved back to the Village of Roseisle and then to the family farm in 1979, where they raised cattle and grain. Maggie then began her career at the Carman Golf Club until her retirement. Maggie’s last years were spent at Riverview in Carman, MB where she enjoyed many friends and activities.

Daniel E. Erickson, age 77 of Grafton, ND, passed away on Friday, April 10, 2026 at the Life Skills and Transition Center of Grafton.
Daniel was born January 21, 1949 in Grafton, ND, the son of the late Ernest and Adeline (Samuelson) Erickson. At the age of 9, he moved into what was then the Grafton State School, now the Life Skills and Transition Center. He continued to make his home there until the time of his passing.
Daniel is survived by his sister Dawn (Kent) Pearson, Grand Forks, ND; as well as several aunts, uncles and extended family.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 1:45 PM at the All Faith’s Chapel, Grafton, ND. Visitation will be from 1:00-1:45 at the chapel. Interment will be at the Vang Lutheran Cemetery of Rural Fairdale in the spring.

Helena Klassen age 83 of Winkler, formerly of Gnadenthal, passed away on Thursday April 9, at Salem Home. She is survived by 2 daughters, Tina (Larry) Heppner, Mary (Isaac) Funk, 1 son John (Susan) Klassen, 5 grandchildren and 2 great-grand children, and 3 sisters. She was predeceased by her Husband Cornie in 2008. 


We as the family want to express our sincere gratitude a deep appreciation to the staff at Salem home for the loving care they provided for our mother.
They went the extra mile

Helena Elias
(nee Penner)
September 3, 1955 - April 9, 2026


Helena Penner was born on September 3rd, 1955, to Diedrich and Helena Penner, in the Bethel Hospital in Winkler Manitoba. She grew up on a farm south of Plum Coulee and received her education at the Grimsby School. Mom was baptized upon the confession of her faith at the age of 18 on June 2nd, 1974, by Bishop Jacob Penner. She served faithfully in the Old Colony Mennonite Church of Manitoba until her death. On June 3rd, 1973, Dad went looking for a young lady who lived at 43 Centre Street in Plum Coulee. She was not at home that Sunday, so he returned the following week on Pentecost Sunday, and they had their first visit. That started a courtship that lasted the next 14 months when they were married on Aug 25th, 1974, in Chortitz, MB. Their marriage lasted 51 years 8 months 15 days.


Mom and Dad's marriage was a fruitful one that yielded 5 children who all had the privilege of being home-schooled with mom as their teacher. We as children want to give credit to Mom and Dad, that in spite of the roads that we may have taken, and the fact that they weren't always the right ones, they have never given up on us. We can all happily say that we are involved in our respective churches and missions because of the example that Mom and Dad were for us. Children and grandchildren alike can attest to the deep love that Mom had for them. She became a grandma at 39 and her grandchildren were a great source of pride and joy.


Throughout her life, Mom faced many health struggles, going back as far as we can remember. Mom never had a very strong back and as a result, some of the children, especially Rob and Mark, got involved in housework, doing laundry, cooking and baking. Some of the leisure activities we remember included, the annual family camping which involved a pinata for the grand-children and funnel cakes for everyone, as a Saturday afternoon snack, taking the older grandchildren to South Dakota, family gatherings with lots of food, 1000 Oaks Music nights, singing with the family, food planning and preparation for Gospel Echoes Banquets, and gardening. Some activities that Mom started that she could do while relaxing included, diamond dots, liquid embroidery, and leather embossing and tooling.


In November of 2022, Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. This led to surgery and radiation treatments, which gave her another 21⁄2 years of a cancer-free life. Early in 2025, she began experiencing back pain that progressively got worse through the year. In January 2026, the pain became so intense that she had a hard time walking and visited the ER on January 30th. After an x-ray that didn't reveal any problems, she was sent back home. Just over a week later, on February 9th, as the pain continued to increase and she could no longer walk unassisted, they returned to the hospital. The doctors ordered a CT scan of Mom's spine and an hour later the doctors informed them that the cancer had returned with multiple lesions showing up on the scan. She was admitted to BTHC that evening and stayed there for one day less than 3 weeks.


 She returned home to spend another month with Dad, in which her pain was well managed. During this month, we were blessed with a lot of good conversations with Mom and could enjoy many hours of making some very special memories. We are so grateful for this time we could have with her. As a result of her cancer diagnosis, Mom was on strong pain medication that made her susceptible to an infection. This infection got so bad that on the morning of Thursday, April 2nd, even with Dad's help, she could not get out of bed. It was at this point that she requested to go back to the hospital. For the first few days at the hospital the doctors tried to treat her infection but by Monday it became clear that her body was too riddled with cancer and her time on earth was coming to an end. On April 9th, exactly one week after being admitted to the hospital, 2 months after being diagnosed with cancer, at the age of 70 years, 7 months and 6 days, Mom peacefully took her last breath surrounded by
her husband and most of their children, at 12:49 pm.


She was predeceased by her parents, Diedrich & Helena (Dueck) Penner, Son, Robert Elias (1994), 1 brother, Henry Penner (2023) 1 Sister in Law, Susan Braun (2001),
1 brother-in-law John Friesen (2018).


Helena (Penner) Elias is survived by:
Husband Jake.
Daughter-in-law, (Tina & Paul) Wiebe; Rolanda & (George) Heinrichs, Aria, Jackson, Rylee, Beckett.
Son, Mark & (Margaret) Elias; Keith, Heather & (Jake) Dyck, Tara & (Logan) Peters, Chantelle & (Jesse) Peters.
Daughter, Amanda & (John) Martens; Adrianna, Amberlyn, Alandra. Jerriah & (Kaylee) Martens, Joel, Jazmine, Jenessa, Ashton, Anthony.
Son, Nathan & (Marie) Elias, Robert, Aleesha, Rihanna, Jordan, Soraya.
Son, Jeremy & (Kathy) Elias; Stanley, Gabriella.
Her 2 brothers, Jake & (Tina), and Dave & (Margaret) and their families; her 2 sisters, Tina & (Jacob Martens), Mary & (Henry Wieler) and their families; and her sister-in-law Trudy, and her family.


We, the family, would like to thank Bishop John Wiebe, Reverend Herman Bueckert, and Reverend Johnathon Wiebe, Song Leaders, Ushers, Sound-men, Zion & Old Colony Ladies Serving Groups, Boundary Trails Hospital Staff, Paramedics, Jake and staff at Wiebe’s Funeral Home, and everyone else who helped us out with the funeral. A special Thank You to all those who called or sent messages, and brought food, or flowers. We appreciate your visits and acts of kindness, may the Lord bless you for
showing your love to us.


Donations may be made to Faith Mission, Winkler, Manitoba.
We sorrow but not as those that have no hope. We look forward to the day we will see Mom again in Heaven! ~ The Family ~

Leona F. Grzadzielewski, age 99 of Grafton, ND, passed away on Thursday, April 9, 2026 at the Lutheran Sunset Home of Grafton.
Leona Altendorf was born April 28, 1926 in Grafton, ND, the daughter of the late Mike and Theodosia (Bishop) Altendorf. She attended St. Aloysius Academy in Oakwood, ND and later graduated from Minto High School. She earned a teacher’s permit from Mayville Teacher’s College during WWII, after which she returned to Grafton and worked several jobs in the area. She was united in marriage to Joseph Grzadzielewski on June 29, 1955 in Warsaw, ND. The couple made their home on a farm near Drayton, ND. They decided to move into Drayton in 1978. Joseph passed away in 1993, and she continued to make her home in Drayton until moving to Grafton in 2003.
She was a member of the St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church of Grafton and a former member of the St. Edward’s Catholic Church and Altar Society of Drayton. She enjoyed gardening, canning, baking, decorating cakes, sewing, entertaining family and friends, and playing cards.
Leona is survived by her son Michael (Kathryn) Grzadzielewski, Grafton, ND; granddaughters: Brittany (Alex) Lagerquist, Rachel (Ethan) St. Michel, and Laura Warren; great grandchildren: Cambrie Lagerquist, Elias, Celine, Lenora, and Melahni St. Michel, Award, Solana and King Warren; as well as several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Joseph; son Joseph G. Grzadzielewski; infant son Joseph; and siblings: Florence (John) Stancyk, Florian Altendorf, Geraldine (Duane) LaHaise and infant brother Alfred.
Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 10:30 AM at the St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church of Grafton. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be at the St. Edward’s Catholic Cemetery of Drayton. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Prairie Harvest Homes of Grand Forks, the St. Gianna and Pietro Molla Maternity Home in Warsaw, or for masses.