Obituaries for Surnames Beginning With "HI" through "HU"
Aitkin County, Minnesota
Page H1, "HA" through "HE"

Unless otherwise noted, these obituaries were contributed by
Karen Klennert
and are from the Aitkin Independent Age Newspaper

BRITTA REGINA HILLMAN ~ 10 October 1936

Mrs. P.M. Hillman of Nordland Twp. Called to Reward. Funeral held yesterday with services at home and Bethlehem Church -- Invalid husband, 5 children, 10 grandchildren survivors Mrs. P.M. Hillman, who was one of the well-known women of Nordland township, died on Saturday. The end was not unexpected by family and friends. Funeral services were held yesterday, with rites at the home at 1 p.m. and at Bethlehem church at two o'clock, the Rev. John S. Benson officiating. All the children were present at the obsequies and a large concourse of neighbors and other acquaintances paid their tribute of esteem.

Mrs. Hillman, with her husband, settled near Glory about 45 years ago. They were industrious, progressive farmers and developed a comfortable farm home, providing education for their family of five children. Mr. Hillman has been an invalid for 25 years during which time, up to her own illness, Mrs.

Hillman cared for him devotedly, assisted by the children who were ever thoughtful of their parents' comfort. Mrs. Hillman would have been 79 years of age of October 12. She was born in Jemtland, Sweden.

Left to mourn besides the sadly bereft husband are three daughters and two sons: Mrs. Sophie Hill and Mrs. Arthur May of Idaho, Mrs. Dave Swedberg of Minneapolis, John Hillman of Lone Lake and Albert with whom the parents resided. Ten grandchildren also are left.Mrs. Hillman was a kindly neighbor, a loyal Lutheran and an affectionate wife and mother. Her passing is deeply regretted by all who knew her.

Contributed by Carol Morris Fullmer

(Continue for second account:)


Britta Regina Hillman, 10 October 1936

Mrs. P.M. Hillman Pioneer Mother Died Saturday

Mrs. P.M. Hillman who had courageously kept up her duties about her home and caring for her invalid husband as long as she was physically able passed to her reward last Saturday morning, Oct. 10, at her home in the town of Nordland, where she had resided for many years. A complication of ailments resulted in her death.

Mrs. Hillman's maiden name was Britta Regina Johnson and her birthplace was Brunnflo, Sweden, Oct. 12, 1857. Mr. and Mrs. Hillman came to Aitkin county in 1889 and took a homestead on which they resided for some time, later moving to another farm in that locality. They are numbered among the few remaining pioneers of the county. Theirs was not a life of ease in those days. Mrs. Hillman knew all the hardships incident to that time, when supplies were carried from Aitkin on the backs of the homesteader, roads were but crude trails through the woods and Indians were many and a source of anxiety to the young woman who had come from her native country with a brave heart to make a home in a new land. Mrs. Hillman was anxious for the welfare of her family, interested in as a charter member of Bethlehem church, reared her children in that faith. As her family grew to maturity she loved to have her grandchildren about her and missed those from a distance when they failed to spend their vacation with her. She exemplified the life of the typical pioneer wife and mother and her faith and courage is a lasting example to those who knew her and loved her.

Surviving are Mr. Hillman, four daughters, who are here for the funeral: Mrs. C.H. Hill arrived by plane from Saint Maries, Idaho; Mrs. Arthur May, Potlatch, Idaho; Mrs. D.E. Swedberg, Minneapolis, Albert and John Hillman of Aitkin, and ten grandchildren.

Funeral services were conducted at the home at 1 o'clock and at 2 o'clock by the Rev. John S. Benson at the Bethlehem church. Burial was in the nearby cemetery. Pallbearers were friends from that community. Chas. Swedberg, O. Bodine, J.B. Johnson, John Larson, P.J. Eklund and E.O. Swanson.

Contributed by Carol Morris Fullmer


PER M. HILLMAN ~ 31 March 1938

Funeral Services Held on Wednesday for Per M. Hillman. P.M. Hillman, 86, prominent resident of Nordland township and one of the charter members of the Bethlehem Lutheran church of that community, died last Thursday at his home. Mr. Hillman had been an invalid for the past 26 years, having suffered a stroke that left him helpless.

Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon, a short prayer service being conducted at the home before services at the Bethlehem church, with Rev. John S. Benson officiating. At the service at the home Mrs. Percy McGown sang one of Mr. Hillman's favorite hymns in the Swedish language. At the church Rev. Benson sang several hymns.

Per Magnus Hillman was born on November 3, 1851, in Brunnflo, Jemtland, Sweden. He was married on July 20, 1879 and came to this country in 1889. The Hillmans settled in the Glory community about 46 years ago where they engaged in farming. A loyal Lutheran Mr. Hillman was one of the prime movers who brought about the organization of the Lutheran church in that community.

Surviving are five children, Mrs. Sophie Hill and Mrs. Arthur May of Idaho; Mrs. Dave Swedberg of Minneapolis; John and Albert of Aitkin; 11 grandchildren and three sisters in Sweden. Mrs. Hillman preceded him in death in 1936.

Contributed by Carol Morris Fullmer

(Continue for second account:)


Per M. Hillman, 86, Buried in Nordland.

Per M. Hillman, a pioneer resident of the Nordland township, passed away March 31, at his farm home after an invalidism of twenty-five years. Having suffered a paralytic stroke that rendered him helpless, he had been a patient sufferer during the years. Since the passing of his wife, Britta Regina, in 1936, he has resided with his son, Albert, on the home place.

The deceased was born Nov. 3, and had reached the age of 86 years. 1851, in Brunnflow, Jemtland, Sweden, Having been married in Sweden July 20, 1879, he came to the United States, later emigrating to Minnesota and soon after located in Aitkin county, where he developed a fine farm. Mr. Hillman was a charter member of the Bethlehem church in Nordland, and was influential in bringing the organization into being, later helping to build the church.

Surviving are two sons, John and Albert, of Aitkin, and three daughters, Mrs. Arthur May (Hulda) of Potlatch Idaho; Mrs. C.H. Hill (Sophie) of Saint Maries, Idaho and Mrs. D.E. Swedberg of Minneapolis and eleven grandchildren.

Funeral services were conducted by Rev. W.S. Benson at Bethlehem church and burial was in the Bethlehem cemetery. Mrs. May of Idaho and Mrs. Swedberg of Minneapolis were here for the funeral.


JOHN HOWE
from the Aitkin Age, dated 10/03/1888

John Howe, a resident of Rice River died last Sunday evening at his home. About one year ago his wife died. His remains were deposited in Lake View cemetery on Tuesday. Erysipelas was pronounced the cause of his death.

Contributed by Bob Altrichter


ALBERT HOLMQUIST


Albert A. Holmquist, 88, Palisade, died Oct. 22, 2002, at the Itasca Memorial Hospital in Grand Rapids.

He was born Oct. 26, 1913, in Triumph, the son of Ernest and Anna (Olson) Holmquist. He attended schools in North Dakota and Bain. He served with the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. He was a PFC and served with 1050th AAF Bu in the Medical Detach. He was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon and the Good Conduct Medal. After his service he returned to Bain where he farmed and raised horses. He was one of the last farmers in the area to use horses on his farm. He enjoyed telling stories and dancing. He was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Aitkin, the Up North Club and the Palisade VFW Post 1721.

Services were held Oct. 28 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Aitkin with Pastor David Becker officiating. Helyn Nienow played the organ. Pallbearers were Roger Stinly, Virgil Rhodes, John Weimer, Harold Hatfield, Lawrence Wagner, Gerald Wagner, Galen Tveit and Darryl Mishler. Burial was in the Waukenabo Cemetery. Military rites were provided by the Palisade VFW Post 1721 and the Aitkin American Legion Post 86.

He is survived by his longtime friend, Lucille Thomas, Palisade; brother and sister-in-law, Harvey and Dorothy Homquist, Redding, Calif.; and nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and brother, Cecil.

Arrangements were with the Sorensen-Root-Thompson Funeral Home in Aitkin.

SANDRA HOHLEN

Sandra L. Hohlen, 58, Jacobson, formerly of Princeton, died peacefully Friday, Nov. 15, 2002, at the Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital.

She had a passion for people, animals, flowers and life. She touched everyone she knew in her own unique way.

She is survived by her loving husband, John; her mother, Gladys Wheeler; a daughter, Mary (Dan) Lund; two sons, Chris (Peggy) Fritch and Brad (Sheri) Fritch; a sister, Polly (Mick) Stenquist; a brother, Ralph "Brud" (Debbie) Wheeler; and five grandchildren, Alexi, Taylor, Natalie, Tony and Logan.

Preceding her in death was her father, Ralph Wheeler.

Memorials are preferred to the American Cancer Society and the Humane Society.

Services: Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church with the Rev. Lynn Ronsberg officiating.

Arrangements by Rowe Funeral Home, Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids Herald Review


BEVERLY HOLM

Beverly Jean Holm (Native American Name, Shwa soo gah bah we kwe), 56, McGregor, died Nov. 12, 2002, at St. Lukes Hospital in Duluth.

She was born Aug. 7, 1946, in Sawyer, the daughter of Harry and Elizabeth (Wadena) Durant. She grew up and attended schools in Sawyer. She moved to Minneapoilis and lived there about 17 years and then moved to Duluth. She lived in Duluth until moving to McGregor about three years ago.

Services were held Nov. 15-16 with Lee Staples officiating. Pallbearers were Todd Holmes, Jeffrey Moose, Donovan Hard Heart Sr., Tyler Morrison Jr., Frank Mason and Brandon Vanio. Burial was in the East Lake Burial Grounds.

She is survived by her children: Carol and husband, Todd Holmes, Edina; Richard Holm and Brian Hom, both of Cook; and Nicole Holm, McGregor; nin grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and aunt, Emma Mason, Aitkin.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters and one brother.

Arrangements were with the McGregor Funeral Home.


LEO HORAN



Leo Horan, 86, Lake Minnewawa, McGregor, formerly of Chatfield, died on March 10, 2003, at his home.

He was born August 29, 1916, in Winneshiek County, Iowa, to Patrick and Elizabeth (McCabe) Horan. He moved to Minnesota as a boy and farmed in the Rochester/Chatfield area until moving to Lake Minnewawa in 1979. He was a member of the Chatfield School Board, Dairy Herd Improvement Association, Lake Minnewawa Lake Association, Weed Harvesters, Aitkin County Lake Organization, Big Sandy Watershed, Schwimm, Aitkin County Commission on Aging, Seven-County Senior Federation, and was a food shelf volunteer. In 1998, he and his wife, Florence, were named Aitkin County Outstanding Seniors.

Funeral services were March 15 at the Holy Famiy Catholic Church, McGregor, with Fr. James Remmerswaal officating. Spring burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Chatfield.

He is survived by his wife, Florence (Doll) Horan, Lake Minnewawa; daughters and sons-in-law: Donna and John Amundson, Chatfield; Mary Baker, Rochester, and Joan and John McCallum, Oakton, Va.; seven grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; brothers and sisters-in-law: Merlin and Deloris, Rochester; Jerry and Vivvian, Oakdale; sisters and brothers-in-law: Dorothy and Walter Hofner, Rochester; Donna and Gordon Thompson, Texas; Catherine and Ordean Lexvold, Lino Lakes and Sharon Hanson, Rochester. He was preceded in death by two sisters, one brother and his parents.

Arrangements were with the McGregor Funeral Home.

LUCILLE HOGE



Lucille "Lucy" Hoge, 58, Aitkin, died Tuesday, April 1, 2003, at the North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale.

She was born December 11, 1934 at Palisade, the daughter of Edwin G. and Frances M. (Tibbets) Hensel. She attended schools at Palisade until moving to Aitkin when she was in the ninth grade. She attended the Aitkin High School and also worked for the Draper Maternity Home. Upon her graduation in 1953, she worked a time at the Aitkin Coffee Shop. She married Jerome Hoge. She then worked at the extension office for a time. She was a homemaker and worked on their farm and raised their children. She went to work for the Rexall Drug Store in Aitkin in the mid 1960s and worked there for over 20 years, retiring in 1988. She was a member of St. James Catholic Church, past president of the Aitkin American Legion Auxiliary; member of the Catholic Women's Council/ the Cedarbrook homemakers; the sewing club, the Aitkin Christian Women's Club, AARP, the Aitkin Women's Bowling league for years; and had served as a 4H leader.

Lucy is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law, Paul and Barb Hoge, Crosby, Kevin and Carol Hoge, Aitkin, and Curt and Sylvia Hoge, Aitkin; four daughters and sons-in-law, Roberta and Glenn Elvecrog, Aitkin, Carol and Jim Orazem, Mora, Shelly and Kevin Lamke, Aitkin, and Julie and Brian Carlson, Aitkin; Exchange student daughter, Jantsje VanDerspoel of the Netherlands; 23 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; mother-in-law, Esther Hoge, Aitkin; special friend, Gary Tibbits, Aitkin; five brothers and sisters-in-law, Sid and Janice Hansel, Loves Park, Ill., Ken and Cookie Hensel, Columbia Heights, Doug Hensel, Palisade, Rod and Mary Hensel, St. Louis, Mo., and Steve and Donna Hensel, Aitkin; four sisters and brothers-in-law, Liz Catlin, Aitkin, Harriet and Harlan Simonson, Aitkin, Shirley and Kenneth Johnson, Braham, and Paulette and Ed Torgerson, Circle Pines; sister-in-law, Bev Christian, Sitkin; and brother-in-law, Dick Laird, Aitkin.

She was preceded in death by her parents, one son, Thomas, in 1967, one brother, Bill Hensel, and one sister, Joyce Laird.

A funeral Mass will be held Sat. April 5, 2003, at 10:30 a.m. at St. James Catholic Church with Father Paul Fruth officiating. Edie Orazem will play the organ and Norma Lehmann will sing. Burial will be in the St. Thomas Cemetery at Aitkin. Pallbearers will be Sid Hensel, Ken Hensel, Doug Hensel, Rod Hensel, Steve Hensel, Ed Torgerson. Honorary pallbearers will be Dick Laird, Harlan Simonson and Ken Johnson. Visitation will be Friday from 4-8 p.m. with a prayer service at 7:30 led by Deacon Vern Anderson.

Arrangements are with the Sorenson-Root-Thompson Funeral Home in Aitkin.











Contributed by Lora Hudson Zatarain

 




Contributed by Karen Klennert
Source: Aitkin Independent Age and Grand Rapids Herald Review


























Eleanor I. Johnson Hoplin

Eleanor I. Johnson Hoplin, 84, Coburg Village, died April 19, 2004, at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, N.Y., following a brief illnes.

She was born Aug. 1, 1919, in Aitkin, the daughter of Ole and Bertha (Forde) Johnson, Norewegian immigrants who bought a farm in Aitkin County in the early 1900s. She was bilingual in Norwegian and English. She was the first in her family to receive a college education, receiving a bachelor's degree in business administration from St. Cloud State Teacher's College. She married Herman Hopin, an officer in the U.S. Army, on Dec. 20, 1943. They lived in many parts of the U.S. as well as in Japan, France and England. She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Niskayuna, N.Y.

The funeral was held at Grace Lutheran Church in Niskayuna, with burial at the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville.

She is survived by daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Shelton Schmidt, Schenectady, N.Y.; grandson and wife, Lee and Carmen Napolitano, Niskayuna, N.Y.; and great-grandson, Spencer Napolitano.



Joseph Hronesh

The funeral of Joseph Hronesh was held from the family home on the south side of town Tuesday afternoon at two o'clock, and interment was made in Evergreen Cemetery, Rev. C.C. Sutton conducted the services.

Mr. Hronesh had apparently been in good health until three months ago, when he began to complain of severe pains. He consulted specialists in Brainerd and Duluth and learned that he had cancer of the stomach. From that time he began to fail rapidly and at 9:45 last Saturday morning passed away.

Mr. Hronesh was born in Prague Province of Bohemia, March 4, 1847. He came to America in 1866, and lived in New York City until 1885, when he moved the family to a farm near Olivia, Minnesota. He came to Aitkin in 1904 and he lived here since.

He was married in 1868 to Miss Mary Sadik. Twelve children were born to them, eleven of whom, besides Mrs. Hronesh, survive him. They are Mrs. H. H. Bratton of Medicine Hat, Alta., Mrs. A. Meyers of Lakeport, Idaho, Mrs Fred Kaschnick of Roll, N.D., Jerry and Frank Hronesh and Mrs. T. W. Bennett of Willoss Bunch, Sask., Mrs. Anthony Klee, Mrs. James S. Kent, and Miss Bessie Hronesh of Aitkin, and Countess De la Forest of Trois Melun France. All of the children were here for the funeral services except Jerry and Frank Hronesh, Mrs. Mrs. T. W. Bennett, Mrs. F. Kaschnick.

Mr. Hronesh was greatly respected by his neighbors and respected by his neighbors and all those with whom he came in contact. He was a true American citizen, and often expressed the wish that he might live to see Bohemia, the land of his birth, enjoy the same freedom and liberty as the United States. He was well-informed on German and Austrian history and the condition existing in those countries today and he realized that autocracy must fall and that the democracy enjoyed by America must spread over all the world.

Card of Thanks

We wish to express since thanks to our friends and neighbors for the sympathy and assistance extended us during the illness and after the demise of our beloved husband and father, and for the beautiful floral offerings
Mrs. Joseph Hronesh and Family

Contributed by Karen Klennert
Source: Aitkin Independent Age, 10/18/1917



















TWO LIVES LOST IN BAIN ACCIDENT


A double tragedy in which the lives of Frank Megarry and Edward Higgins were sacrificed at Bain last Saturday shocked the people of this county in which the news was rapidly spread. The men were sinking a well to supply water for a highway camp. A curbed well had been dug about 45 feet when a drive point was to be used. Young Megarry was in the bottom of the well and Higgins, in attempting to go down with the point, fell into the pit. He struck on a platform, breaking his neck. The heavy pipe point was dropped and this struck Megarry in the face and caused instant death. Corner Spalding was telephoned to and instructed the removal of the bodies and went to Bain as soon as possible. Albert Culver was working near the well and made the discovery of the awful fate of the men. Frank Megarry was the second son of Mr. and Mrs. F. B. Megarry and was 23 years of age. He was a splendid young man of the best of character and active in business. All who knew him were his friends and his passing has caused universal regret. He is survived by his parents and three brothers, a sister having passed beyond about a year ago. Edward Higgins, was from Superior and unmarried. His mother at Killbourn, Wis., survives him and the remains were sent there for burial, after reaching Superior. Little is known of him here as he had been in the county but a short time. The funeral of Mr. Megarry was held at the family home at Waldeck Tuesday and Rev. A. L. Richardson and Rev. C. C. Sutton conducted the service. The burial was at Waukenabo. Mrs. Richardson, Mr. and Mrs. Hense, Ralph and Gwendolin Sutton and Miss Kempton attended from here.

Contributed by Florence Allen
Source: The Aitkin Age Newspaper - May 2, 1914


Jean Marie Hunter, age 61






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