Rose K. Mills, age 81 of Blooming Prairie, passed away Sunday, July 29, 2018 at Koda Living Community in Owatonna. Rose Katherine was born Feb. 18, 1937 in Jasper, Minn., to Eugene and Ruby (Swenson) Haley. She attended grade school in Sherman, Minn., and later moved to South Dakota where she graduated in 1957 from Garretson High School.

Richard P. Swenson, age 84, of Faribault died on Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at Homestead Hospice House in Owatonna surrounded by his family.
Memorial services were held at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Faribault on June 23, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. Interment was at Geneva Cemetery, Geneva.
Arrangements were completed by the Boldt Funeral Home in Faribault.

Marlene H. Arndt of Owatonna died Aug. 1, 2018 at the Owatonna Hospital. Memorial service was Monday Aug. 6, 2018 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Owatonna.
Marlene was born on March 1, 1948 in Glencoe, the daughter Henry and Gladys (Scharmer) Lehmberg. Marlene attended high school at Roosevelt High and graduated in 1966. She was united in marriage to Jerry Arndt and this union brought four children. The couple later divorced.

A Celebration of Life for Patricia “Pat” E. Nelsen will be from 3-9 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, at the Nelsen Farm, 542 7th Street N.E., Byron.  Come with a smile and be ready to party!
Pat Nelsen, age 70, of Byron, passed away at Saint Mary’s Hospital from a brief illness on Oct. 2, 2017.

Donald D. Jensen, age 77 of Kasson, formerly of Blooming Prairie, passed away Sunday, July 29, 2018 at Prairie Meadows Senior Living in Kasson.  
He was born April 19, 1941 in Blooming Prairie, the son of Soren and Blanche (Knutson) Jensen. Don grew up in Blooming Prairie and graduated with the Blooming Prairie High School Class of 1959. He was married and later divorced.  

Jacob Daniel Eckstein, 35, formerly of the Kasson-Mantorville area, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018 in the city of Shaoyang in the Hunan province of China where he was employed as a teacher. 

Have you ever had one of those weeks where nothing seems to fall into place?
It happens more than I care to admit, at least when it comes to writing a weekly column. It may not seem like a terrible task, but let me tell you it can quickly become daunting at times.

In what has become an annual tradition, my college friend and I hit the road and cross of another Major League Baseball park off our list last month. Like the other previous two trips, the destination of said trip was held at the negotiation table and over a couple of beverages.

It may have been 31 years ago that Jay Lundberg lost his mother to cancer, but that hasn’t stopped him from doing something special in her honor.
Lundberg and his wife, Kristie, operated a food stand at the Dodge County Relay for Life Friday night at the fairgrounds in Kasson. And it wasn’t just any ordinary stand. The Lundbergs featured smoked beef brisket tacos with avocados.