******Update*****
Apalona Kiser and Susan (Kiser) Johnson will be laid to rest at the Hoople City Cemetery on Sunday, June 4, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.  Family and friends are invited for a graveside service.  A time of fellowship and sharing of memories will be held after the service.  Military Rites will be provided by the Hoople American Legion Post and the ND National Honor Guard. 
Susan K. (Kiser) Johnson of Park River, ND died on January 28, 2023 after a brief battle with an aggressive cancer at age 70.
Susan was born on August 17, 1952 in Grafton, ND to Donald and Apalona Kiser, and spent most of her growing up years on the family farm near Hoople, ND. Susan was confirmed in the Hoople Methodist Church and graduated from Valley High School (Hoople) in 1970. Following, she attended college at Minot State University and North Dakota State University.
On April 4, 1976, Susan married Joseph O’Toole of Crystal, ND, and had one son, Camden. Susan was a pianist/organist at the Crystal Methodist Church for many years and taught piano lessons.  
Susan’s true-life calling may have been her ability to care for others, beginning as a voluntary EMT and eventually becoming a registered nurse, following a family tradition set by her grandmother, mother, and aunt. Susan spent the first 7 years of her nursing career at the Unity Medical Center in Grafton, ND, and 23 years at the Good Samaritan Center in Park River, where her career only ended with her recent death.
On June 17, 1997, Susan married Tim Johnson of Nash, ND at Zion Lutheran Church in rural Hoople, ND.
Susan loved their old house and flower garden and spent many hours perfecting their appearance. She was very gifted in the areas of interior decoration, loved antique hunting with her family, and spending time on the family farm. Susan could really play the piano, and her father especially enjoyed it when she played hymns or ragtime. Susan will be remembered for her love, support, and closeness to family. She will also be remembered for her outstanding nursing knowledge and abilities, and the care and compassion she showed for the “residents” at the Good Sam nursing home. One of the last things she said to her family was how happy she was with her life.
Susan is survived by her husband, Tim; son Camden O’Toole and fiancé Melissa Byone; step children Matt (Sandy) Johnson, Jeremy (Randi) Johnson, and their 4 children, and Meghan Johnson; her brother Mike (Myrna) Kiser; and mother Apalona Kiser.
She was preceded in death by her father Donald Kiser, her grandparents William and Elinor Schaetzel, grandparents Harry and Bernice Kiser, 3 aunts and 3 uncles including an especially influential aunt Dorothy Doktor, and 3 cousins.
A private family service will be held in the spring with burial following in the Hoople Cemetery.
The family requests that any memorials for Susan are made to the Good Samaritan Foundation located in Park River, ND. Condolences and memories can be mailed to the Tollefson Funeral home, shared on the funeral home website, and shared on Susan’s memorial page on
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/inmemoryofsusankiserjohnson

****Update****
Apalona Kiser and Susan (Kiser) Johnson will be laid to rest at the Hoople City Cemetery on Sunday, June 4, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.  Family and friends are invited for a graveside service.  A time of fellowship and sharing of memories will be held after the service.  Military Rites will be provided by the Hoople American Legion Post and the ND National Honor Guard. 
Apalona T. Kiser, age 102 of Park River, North Dakota, formerly of Hoople, ND passed away peacefully Friday February 10, 2023 at the Park River Good Samaritan Center.
Apalona was born on April 24, 1920 in Wimbledon, ND, the daughter of William and Elinor (Hurtt) Schaetzel. She moved with her family to a farm near Hoople in 1924. She was confirmed in the Hoople Methodist Church and graduated from Hoople High School in 1938.  She worked at home on the farm for a year before attending Fletcher College in University Park, Iowa for one year.  She attended the Bismarck Evangelical Hospital School of Nursing, graduating as a Registered Nurse in 1943.  She was a nurse in Los Angeles, California for a time but heard nurses were needed for the World War II effort.  She volunteered and became an army nurse with the rank of Second Lieutenant, and served in the Asiatic Pacific Theatre for the rest of the war and following period. In Korea, she met her future husband, Donald L. Kiser from Urbana, Ohio.  After the war she worked in Denver, Colorado, Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Connecticut.  She married Donald on December 29, 1948 in the family farmhouse near Hoople. Donald and Apalona worked part time in Ohio and part time on the farm until 1956, when they settled in North Dakota to farm full time. The couple had two children, Michael and Susan.
Donald passed away in 2006 and Apalona moved to Park River.  She entered the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Park River in 2015 and remained there for the rest of her life.  She was blessed that her sister was also a resident of the Good Sam Home for many years, and her daughter, Susan, was a nurse there.
Apalona very much loved flowers, trees, and the beautifying and maintaining of outdoor spaces, especially the family farm. She was a quiet person who was devoted to her family with whom she remained very close over the years including frequent phones calls with her son, daughter, and grandson.  She was a hard worker on the farm and possessed a lot of “old school” skills of her time. She was an avid reader of all things educational, and often got caught by her parents for reading under her bed covers so the light wouldn’t give her away when she was supposed to be sleeping.
Apalona was ahead of her time with her knowledge and use of nutrition and healthy living. She was a wonderful cook and gardener and was always concocting healthy meals and snacks for her family, including sending regular care packages to her grandson. She was an expert on restoring and refinishing old furniture and also enjoyed other crafts such as China painting. She was active in the Hoople Methodist Church and various community clubs over the years.
She was thought to be the oldest living WWII veteran in the area at the time of her death.
Apalona is survived by her son Michael (Myrna) Kiser, Ada, Minnesota, grandson, Camden O’Toole (fiancée, Melissa Byone), Honolulu, Hawaii and son-in-law Tim Johnson, Park River. She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald L. Kiser, daughter, Susan Johnson, parents, William and Elinor Schaetzel, brother, Phillip Schaetzel, sister, Dorothy Doktor, and brother-in-law Walter Doktor. Susan preceded her mother in death by only 13 days.
A memorial service is planned for 2:00 PM at the Good Samaritan Center in Park River, ND on Thursday, Feb 16. Burial is planned for the spring in the Hoople City Cemetery.
The family requests that any Memorials be made to the Good Samaritan Foundation located in Park River, ND. Condolences can be mailed to Tollefson Funeral Home or shared on the funeral home website.

A CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR DEAN WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2023 AT THE GILBERTSON FUNERAL HOME, DEVILS LAKE, ND AT 10:00 A.M. WITH BURIAL IN THE DEVILS LAKE CEMETERY. 


Dean Harold Stenseth10/25/
Dean Harold Stenseth passed away peacefully at the age of 82 years. He was born on October 25, 1940, to Harold and Alice (Holmstrom) Stenseth. He graduated high school from Devils Lake ND. He graduated from North Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in science and continued on to earn his Master of Science Degree from NDSU.
He met Charlotte Struble during their undergraduate years. They went on to marry on September 4, 1965.
Dean spent his early career teaching science in Adams and Edmore, ND. He was then hired by the USDA Soil Conservation Service, based in their Grafton, ND office. He spent this time working with North Dakota farmers in efforts to mitigate environmental disturbances. He moved throughout North Dakota within the SCS until his retirement.
An avid hunter, fisherman, and gardener, he loved spending his days outside. He was also a skilled woodworker, wood carver, and had a flare for quilting.
He was a member of the Elks, the Lions Club (where he served as Past-President), and St. Olaf Lutheran Church.
Dean is survived by his wife, Charlotte; daughters Maren (Wayne) Ehley and Jennifer (Joseph) Rogus; grandchildren Bohdey Stenseth, Aspen Ehley, and Skylar Ehley; great grandchildren Bentley and Brooklyn; brothers-in-law Keith (Lynn) Struble, Charles (Darlene) Struble and sister-in-law Mary (Bob) Amundson; estended family Ritsuko and Asuka Yoshihara; along with many nieces and nephews.
Dean is preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Alice, brother Jon, in-laws Howard and Louise (Sieh) Struble, and niece Tiffiney Dick.
A graveside service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Children’s Hospital. Https://www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/giving or mail to:
            Shriners Children’s
            Corporate Headquarters
            2900 N Rocky Point Dr
            Tampa FL 33607

Nicodemus “Nick” John Woods, 80 of Fort Totten ND and Sisseton SD passed away on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at Eventide Heartland Care Center, Devils Lake.
A Wake for Nick will be held on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at Dakota Baptist Church, Fort Totten beginning at 5:00 p.m. with a time of prayer and remembrance at 7:00 p.m. The procession to Fort Totten will leave on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. from the City Plaza, Devils Lake.
Funeral Services will be on Thursday, June 8, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at the Dakota Baptist Church with Pastor Paul Young officiating. Burial will be in St. Jerome’s Cemetery.
Nicodemus John Woods was born on January 2, 1943, at Veblen, South Dakota, the son of Jacob J. and Virginia L. (Robertson) Woods. Nick’s father was killed while serving his country during World War II when Nick was only 2 years old.  He and his sister Diane attended boarding schools in South Dakota and North Dakota. Nick graduated from Flandreau Indian School. He continued his education at the Sisseton-Wahpeton College and graduated with an Associates Degree in Business. Nick often had to teach the mathematics class as the teacher didn’t show up. Nick was a talented athlete and broke the fastest runner record set by Frank Koy at Sisseton. He loved to swim and swam across Buffalo Lake, one of many ways he challenged himself. He excelled scholastically too, maintaining very high GPA’s.
Nick met Betty Owen and they were the proud parents of Rebecca and Nicolette.
Nick’s talents were many. He was a jack-of-all trades. He did road construction, was a carpenter, great self-taught mechanic, loved to work on cars and helped area farmers. He was very artistic. He is known for playing guitar, sang (many times sang with his mother and Lily at funerals and wakes), was a talented artist and painter. Nick was proud of his heritage and the traditional ways.
Nick was a free spirit. He travelled throughout the country, making many trips to California and Arizona. He went back and forth between Sisseton and Fort Totten many times, but called Fort Totten his forever home, wanting to be close to his sister Diane.
This dear, kindhearted, gentle, loving, special man was a friend to many, doing whatever he could to help those in need and feeling so blessed to have such good friends and family to help him in his time of need. He will be greatly missed and forever loved by all whose path he crossed. Out of love, he called many people in his life his family.
Nick’s loving family include his daughters Beckie Lynn Herald (Marlin), Nicolette Jean Knudson, and Lauren Estelle Owen; son Vincent Owen; adopted daughter Doveta Cavanaugh (Dane); his “sisters” Lily Renville and Yvonne Bear; grandchildren Daisy Lynn and Mason Scott Herald: Taigann Nicole Knudson: Cole Heath, Christina Estelle, and Connor Jon German: Dallas Chandler, Kennedy Christian, Sterling David, Slade Vincent, and Zane William Owen; many precious nieces, nephews, and their families.
He is joined in the Spirit World with Creator, his parents Jacob Woods and Virginia Woods Eastman, stepfather Raymond Eastman, sister Diane Woods in 2007, nephews Troy Woods and Mark Fassett, grandchild Chasity German and other beloved relatives.
Pallbearers will be Duane Littlewind, Kolby McKay, Calen Fassett, Donovan Robertson, Steffen Greywater and Cody Fassett. Honorary Bearers are Barbara Robertson, Devonne Robertson, Debra DuMarce, Alfred “Lemon” Longie, Brenda Robertson, Scott DuMarce, Rhonda Greywater, Willis Herald, Tracy WhiteBuffalo, Harold Amos, Charles Greeley, Bertha Greeley, Tammi DuMarce, Lorraine Rousseau, Christine Hopkins, Jesse Cavanaugh, Stacy DuBois, Brenda DuMarce, Catherine Howard, Ephraim Red Earth, Beverly Greeley, Helena LaBatte, Darlene Myhre, Curtis Posey, all his “buddies” from the Elderly Housing. Nick was a friend to many and if we missed anyone, it was not intentional. He loved you all.

Muriel FolsonNovember 19, 1925 — May 31, 2023Grafton and formerly of Hoople, ND

     Muriel Folson, 97, of Grafton and formerly of Hoople, ND passed away Wednesday May 31, 2023 at the Unity Hospital in Grafton, ND. A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at the Askew Funeral Home in Cavalier, ND. Visitation will be held at the funeral home for one hour before the time of services.
     Muriel Irene (Behl) Folson was born November 19, 1925, at home in Grand Forks, ND, the daughter of George C. and Alma (Dallum) Behl. She was baptized and confirmed in the Methodist Church in Grand Forks. She attended schools in Grand Forks, graduating from Central High School in 1943. She first was employed at Walman Optical Company and later worked at the University of North Dakota as a secretary at the College of Engineering. She was married January 27, 1957, to Donald Folson at First Methodist Church in Grand Forks. They lived in Hoople, ND where Don was farming in partnership with family members and raised four daughters. In 2006, they moved to Grafton, ND.
     She was active in several clubs including Monday Nite Study Club, Hoople Ladies Civic Club, American Legion Auxiliary and Twiggies. She served on the Swimming Pool Board, the Community Center Committee, and was treasurer of the Hoople Cemetery.  She was active in church and sang with the Hoople Ladies Sextet. 
     Survivors include four daughters: Peggy (Bruce) Lundeby, Fort Collins, CO, Diane (Frank) Drake, San Diego, CA, Barb (Les) Puppe, Hensel, ND, and Lori (Eden) Palmer, Owatonna, MN; eight grandchildren: Allison (Quinn) Baker, Kaitlyn (Chris) Miller, Emily Drake, Tristan Drake, Andrea (Zach) Jacobson, Chris (Rachelle) Puppe, Zack Palmer, and Jazz Palmer; eight great grandchildren; brother-in-law Robert Hale, Baltimore, MD, sister-in-law Betty Behl, Detroit Lakes, MN, and many nieces and nephews.
     Preceding her in death were her parents and her six siblings. 

Private funeral service will take place. Viewing will be from 1PM-8PM on Thursday June 8 at Wiebe Funeral Chapel, Morden.

Darrel Wade Peter Hildebrand
1957 ~ 2023

Mary Schnetzer, age 69, of Grafton, North Dakota, passed away Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at the Unity Medical Center of Grafton.  
Mary Lou Vondra was born May 19, 1954 in Park River, North Dakota, the daughter of the late Frank and Genevieve (Olson) Vondra.  She attended school in Grafton and was a proud member of the Grafton High School Marching Band playing the clarinet.  She worked for Associated Potato Growers and many area farmers. While working at Associated Potatoes, she met the love of her life, David Schnetzer. Mary was united in marriage to David Schnetzer on October 19, 1974 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church of Grafton, gave birth to their only child Angel and have been happily married for 48 years. The couple lived in Devils Lake for a couple of years and returned home to Grafton.  During that time, Mary ran her own daycare for ten years and then worked at Dakota Supper Club.  She then worked at Grannys for 25 years from 1993 and retired in 2018. 
She was a member of the St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Grafton, ND.  Mary loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren, and all of their activities.  She enjoyed watching her youngest grandsons play hockey and watching UND Hockey.  She loved her time playing and watching her daughter and grandchildren play softball. Mary spent her summers camping, gardening, and spending time outside.
Mary is survived by her husband, David Schnetzer, Grafton, ND; daughter, Angel (Shane) Schrank, Grafton, ND; grandchildren:  Alexander (Jessica Helland) Schnetzer, Madyson (Bill) Scrivener, Waylon Schrank and Wyatt Schrank; great-granddaughter, Peyhton Schnetzer; sisters:  Elaine (Oral) Nikle, Grand Forks, ND; Norma Czapiewski (Danny Brekke), Grafton, ND; and several nieces and nephews.  She is also survived by her second family, the Granny’s Crew.  She was preceded in death by her parents, mother and father-in-law: Hubert and Juanita Schnetzer, sister; Jeannette Longtine, brothers: John Vondra and Morris Vondra, nephew Terry Joe Vondra and great nephew Cody Martinson.
Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 10:30 A.M. at the St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Grafton, ND.  Visitation will be Friday from 5-7 P.M. with a prayer service at 7:00 P.M. at the Tollefson Funeral Home of Grafton.  Friends may also call at the church on Saturday for one hour prior to the service.  Interment will be at the St. John’s Catholic Cemetery, Grafton, ND.

+++++updated++++++
​Cremation has taken place. A celebration of life will be held at 2:00PM on Saturday June 10, 2023 at Wiebe Funeral Chapel, Morden. Donations may be made in Herman's memory to the Tabor Home Inc. or the Morden Legion Branch 11.

Herman Antone Doerksen
1931 ~ 2023
 Herman passed away peacefully on March 25, 2023 at the Tabor Home in Morden, Manitoba.
He was born to Heinrich Doerksen and Katherina (Klippenstein) Doerksen on April 2, 1931.
Herman is survived by his wife of 68 years, Mae (nee Griffin), four children, John Cindy), Gary (Sue), Connie, Martin (Nadia) and his brother, Tony. He will also be missed by his ten grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Herman was predeceased by his son, Doug, his sister and seven brothers.
Upon retirement, Herman and Mae moved from Ontario to his family’s homestead in Thompson Municipality, where they spent thirty-five years and then resided in Morden. Herman was very passionate about his family, friends and music. He taught himself to play a variety of instruments and was very talented. His ability to share music with others, gave him great joy. He played with the Polka Dots and also Guys and Gals, who performed at several senior living facilities around Morden.

Ned J. Mitzel, 85 of Devils Lake formerly of Rugby, Minnewaukan and Maddock, ND passed away on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at the Good Samaritan Center in Larimore, ND.
Mass of Christian Burial will be on Monday, June 5, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Devils Lake with the Very Reverend C.F. Wilhelm celebrating the Mass. Visitation will be at St. Joseph Catholic Church beginning at 8:30 a.m. with a Rosary recited at 9:30 a.m.  Burial and Military Honors will be accorded by the Neathery-Simensen Post #756, Devils Lake Veterans of Foreign Wars and the North Dakota Military Funeral Honors Team.
Ned John Mitzel was born October 27, 1937, at Devils Lake ND to Frank and Helen (Schneider) Mitzel. Ned was the youngest of six children. He received his education at Devils Lake, graduating from Devils Lake Central High School in 1956.
Ned entered the United States Army in 1963, and proudly served two years as a Military Policeman in Germany. After his honorable discharge from active duty on March 25, 1963, Ned returned to Devils Lake and attended and graduated from Lake Region State College.  He also attended Valley City State College and attended criminal justice classes through the Law Enforcement Education Assistance Program. In 1984, Ned was selected to attend the FBI National Academy at Quantico, Virginia. Ned believed in continuing education. He had 3 years of college and over 2000 hours of law enforcement training, Including the FBI Academy and the Drug Enforcement School. In 1995, Ned was named the North Dakota Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, sponsored by 40 & 8.
Ned was at one time married to Donna Nelson and they were the parents of Ann and Paul.
Ned first employment in Law Enforcement was in the city of Rugby as a police officer and served there for 13 years. Eleven of those years as the Chief of Police. In 1979, Ned was appointed Sheriff of Benson County.  He served as the Benson County Sheriff for 27 years, retiring at the end of 2006. He was a dedicated, honest, hard-working member of Law Enforcement for 40 years.
On July 25, 1981, Ned was united in marriage to Karen Smith. They made their home in Minnewauken, Maddock and for the past several years Devils Lake.
Ned was a member of the North Dakota Peace officers Association, past president of the North Dakota Sheriff’s’ and Deputies’ Association, and the Lake Region Police Officers. Ned also enjoyed membership in the Elks, VFW, American Legon and the 40 & 8.
Ned was a member of St. James Catholic Church in Minnewaukan until it closed and for 6 years served on the parish council.
After retirement, Ned never missed his grandchildren’s sporting events, school activities and their celebrations. He enjoyed connecting with old friends and making new friends in any community he lived in. Ned also had great tenacity as a Twins and Vikings fan through all the ups and downs. He never gave up.
Those who survive Ned at his End of Watch Call: his precious wife Karen; children Sarah (Brandon) Exner, Devils Lake, Ann Wilkens, Madison WI, Paul Wilkens, Pine City MN, Ryan Genre, Garrison ND and Susan Eback, Rugby ND; grandchildren Bryar, Landry and Myles Exner, Hunter and Fisher Genre, Samantha, Justin and Kristen Eback; great grandson Hunter Larson and many nieces, nephews and their families.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Jack Mitzel, Fred Mitzel and Frank Mitzel Jr., sisters Pauline Fadz and Kay Russ.

Cremation has taken place. Memorial service will be held at 1:30PM on Saturday March 18, 2023 at Wiebe Funeral Chapel, Morden with ash interment at the Emerson Cemetery at 11AM on Friday June 9, 2023. Donations may be made in August's memory to the Salem Foundation Inc.

August Henry Berft
1927 ~ 2023
 August was born September 8, 1927 in Emerson, MB to Emil and Lydia Berft. He was the seventh child of eight in the family. He learnt the skill of carpentry at a young age and worked alongside his brother-in-law, Bill for many years. August met Ruth Becker at Franks’ Café in Emerson and the 73-year love story began. They were married on a very muddy October day in 1949. Shortly after the wedding, they moved to Winnipeg for work, however they kept their roots in Emerson. Family was very important to both August and Ruth and on weekends they would come back to Emerson to help with farming or using his skill as a carpenter to build cabinets for family or friends. In the 1950’s, August worked a year and a half for CN Rail and then started at Christie Biscuits where he spent nearly 40 years working in many areas within the company. To the end, August still checked Christies’ cookie packages for quality control. In 1960, August and Ruth were blessed with their one son, Dean Gavin August. They broke the mold after he was born. After retiring from Christies’ August and Ruth moved back to Emerson. Many hours were spent working side by side with Dean at the Country Rose Café. In 2008, August and Ruth moved to Altona then in 2014 to Winkler to be closer to Dean and Marge. In 2020 after Ruth’s hip surgery, August and Ruth moved into the Gardens on Tenth in Altona where August made many friends. August was a gentle, kind and caring man. A stranger was only a friend whom he hadn’t met yet. It was very important to August to keep in touch with family, he would call to check in on everyone on a regular basis. August had a fall on February 23, 2023 and he suffered a hip fracture. He was taken to BTHC to have surgery. Unfortunately, August spent his last seven days in palliative care with his family by his side.
August passed into his eternal rest on Thursday March 2, 2023 with his family at his side. He will be greatly missed and leaves a big hole in our hearts.
Family would like to thank the medical staff and palliative care staff at BTHC for the wonderful care of both August and Ruth during the time spent there.