Obituaries in Park Rapids, MN

Martin Merk, 92, Akeley, MN, passed away January 8, 2026 at the Neilson Place in Bemidji, MN.He was born to Katherine Schwarz and Martin Merk in rural St. Paul, MN on Dec. 12, 1933. Later the family moved to Isanti, MN where he attended the rural grade school. He graduated from Cambridge H.S, in 195...

John W. Derr, 84, of Park Rapids, MN, died January 7, 2026, with his wife Joy and four children, David, Elizabeth, Amy and Andrew by his side. The couple lived in Braddock Heights, MD for many years before retiring to their home on Long Lake, near Park Rapids, MN.Born in 1941, Jack was a 1959 gradua...

Joan (Snowden) Diessner, age 80, of Park Rapids, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on January 6, 2026, following a courageous seven-year battle with a rare disease, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). Her final days were filled with the love and care of her family.Joan was preceded in death by her...

The sunsets over Big Turtle Lake will miss Betty’s appreciation and being captured in yet one more photo of them. Betty moved with her parents from Freeport, Illinois, at age nine helping to build the resort Sunset View Terrace, now known as Kohl’s Resort. Born in Redwood Falls, MN, 14 December 1930...

Gerald “Jerry” Lester Avenson, 82, of Bemidji, Minnesota, entered peacefully into eternal life surrounded by loved ones at the Bemidji Veterans Home on January 5, 2026.Jerry was born August 25, 1943, in Park Rapids, MN to Sidney and Bertha (Dahl) Avenson. He was raised on the family farm, where he l...

Edward “Ed” William Hrubsky, 84, Park Rapids, MN passed away at his home on Saturday, January 3, 2026.Ed was born in Omaha NE on November 1, 1941 to Ed and Rose Hrubsky. He attended South High School and graduated in 1959. Ed had accordion lessons and enjoyed playing the accordion. His father woul...

John Peter Kramer, 77, of Akeley Mn. Passed on Friday January 2nd, 2026.John was born on September 27,1948 to Louis and Rose (Menning) Kramer in Walker, Mn. After attending Akeley High School he graduated from Job Corp in Provost, Utah as a certified Heavy Equipment Operator. He served in the U.S Ar...

Kurtis Ray Aasen, 78, of Bemidji, MN died Thursday, January 1, 2026 at his home.Kurt was born February 25, 1947 in Wheeler, WI, the son of Julian and Charlotte Aasen. He was raised and educated in Wheeler, WI. He worked and owned his own garage where he was a Master Mechanic in Minneapolis. He ma...

George Vernon Larson was born on April 2, 1938, at home in Hill River Township in Polk County and died at home on January 1, 2026, in Bagley, Minnesota.Funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at the Cease Family Funeral Home Chapel of Bagley at 2:00 p.m. with the visitation at 1p...

Ronald Dennis Judd Jr., 82, of Bemidji, MN, died Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the Sanford Bemidji Medical Center in Bemidji, MN.Committal Service arrangements are pending at the Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN.Ronald was born on April 26, 1943, in International Falls, MN, the so...

Reverend Harvey Howard Kietzman, 95, of Akeley, Minnesota was called to his eternal home on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Brainerd, Minnesota. He was blessed to be comforted by his wife and family, either in person or virtually before his passing.Harvey was born April 10, ...

Donna Purcell of Bemidji, Minn., formerly of East Grand Forks, Minn., died Friday, January 23, 2026, at Sanford Health Neilson Place in Bemidji. She was 75.The youngest child of Frank and Agnes (Telle) Klint, Donna Louise Klint was born on April 5, 1950, in Grand Forks, N.D. She attended public scho...