Ten Mile Lake Association
Obituaries 2005

Remembering our Ten Mile Lake Friends...2005

Ann Lee Anderson Zalk

July 8, 1946 - November 20, 2005

Long-time Ten Miler Ann Lee Zalk died of heart failure on Sunday, November 20, 2005, in Decorah, Iowa. She was 59 years old.

Ann Lee was born on July 8, 1946 in Austin, Minnesota, to Dr. David P. and Helen (Chamberlain) Anderson. She and her sister Jane were raised in Austin. Ann held the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota. Married for 36 years, she and her husband Bob had two daughters: Amy and Jenna.

Notes of remembrance printed in the worship bulletin for Ann Lee's November, 2005 Service of Resurrection recalled that Ann Lee's care for others was evident in all she did as a wife, mom, sister, friend, social worker, teacher, interior designer and full time caregiver. She loved her summers at Ten Mile, where she enjoyed sailing, being outdoors and reading. Family and friends were her greatest joy. Ann Lee was known for her bright and loving spirit. Her faith sustained her throughout life and especially helped her to face a difficult year of illness with strength and courage. She is remembered with love by her husband, Robert Zalk of Edina; her two daughters, the Rev. Ms. Amy and her husband, the Rev. Mr. Matt Larson of Decorah, IA; Jenna and her husband Dr. Peter Berendzen of Cedar Falls, IA; a grandson, Nathan Larson; a sister, Jane Greco of Maplewood, MN; many nieces and nephews and many brothers- and sisters-in-law.

Forwarding news of Ann Lee's death to Tom and Sarah Cox in November, Dick Garbisch included this personal note:

"We (Dick and his wife, Audie) were up in Rochester for Thanksgiving so were able to go to her (Ann Lee's) memorial service. Marsha came back from Mass. and Mimi from Calif. to play at the service. I knew both her parents before they were married and was instrumental in their becoming 10 Mile Lake homeowners. Both Ann Lee's parents, Dr. Dave and Helen Anderson are dead, but Ann Lee and her sister Jane still were coming to the lake and loving it like we all do. Dr. Dave was still practicing while Ann Lee and Jane were growing up and spending summers at the lake. So inasmuch as I was able to spend all summer at the lake they always called me their "summer Dad."

"Hard to lose someone the same age as one's own children."

Family and friends celebrated a Service of Resurrection for Ann Lee at Normandale Evangelical Lutheran Church in Edina on November 26, 2005. Memorials may be given to the American Cancer Society.

Information excerpted from Ann Lee's Minneapolis Star Tribune Obituary and from the Normandale Evangelical Lutheran Church Worship Bulletin for Ann's Service of Resurrection, compiled by Tom Cox.

Barbara Black

Barbara Black, 86, of Phoenix, AZ, and former seasonal resident at Ten Mile Lake, MN, died Friday, July 8, 2005. She grew up in Minneapolis and graduated from Washburn High School. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin (UW) with a major in home economics. While at UW, she was a proud member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She met Raymond D. Black in Wisconsin, and the two married August 30, 1941.

Over the next several years, they lived in Washington, D.C. When Raymond was serving as a U.S. Navy Officer in the South Pacific, she returned to Minneapolis. When he returned from from the South Pacific, they moved to San Diego, CA, and later to New Haven, CT. They returned to Minneapolis in 1946 and took up permanent residence there. They spent summers in northern Minnesota, first at Gull Lake and later at Ten Mile Lake. 

Barbara was a homemaker and mother who also did community volunteer work. She was actively involved in Saint Stephens Episcopal Church in Edina. She always had a great love of children and worked with the Girl Scouts and with the American Field Service (AFS) International Exchange Student program. The family hosted students from Norway, Chile and many other countries while they studied in the United States. She was a great cook and wonderful hostess. She loved tennis, traveling, skiing and other outdoor activities, particularly at Hillaway. She loved her dogs and horses.

She is survived by her husband of 64 years, Raymond; one daughter, Victoria (Richard) Courtney; one son, William (Colleen); four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Memorial services were held July 11 at All Saints Episcopal Church in Phoenix and July 15 in Hackensack at Union Congregational Church UCC.

Memorials may be sent to AFS-USA, Inc., Development Department, 198 Madison Ave., 8th Floor, New York, NY 10016, or Muhammad Ali Parkinson Research Center, A National Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence, 500 W. Thomas Rd., Suite 720, Phoenix, AZ 85013.

Bruce Macy Adams

Bruce Macy Adams, 71, died suddenly on Monday, June 20, at his home in Ames, Iowa. Services were held Thursday, June 23, at the United Church of Christ Congregational in Ames, the Reverend Mr. Stephen McDuff officiating. Burial followed in Ames Municipal Cemetery.

Bruce Adams was born October 22, 1933, in Ames, son of Clinton Jay and Margaret (Macy) Adams. He married Nancy Getz on September 10, 1955, in Ames. He was a graduate of Ames High School in 1951 and of Northwestern University in Chicago in 1955. He servced in the U.S. Navy, and then became a manager in a family business.

Bruce's parents and family started vacationing in 1933 at Camp Iowa on Ten Mile Lake (now the location of the Christensen 4-plex and the Jensen log home). In 1941 they bought the cabin next door to the west and became the new neighbors to the DeLury resort. The family have been summer vacationers on Ten Mile Lake since that first summer of 1933. Bruce enjoyed spending summers at TML; he also enjoyed his grandchildren, athletics, music, and traveling.

Bruce is survived by his wife, Nancy, of Ames; two sons, Jay Austin Adams (Linda) of Huxley, and Stanley Bruce Adams (Loretta) of Ames; two daughters, Mama Jean Lenz (Gary) of Bloomington, MN, and Sarah Nancy Kischmeder (Kevin) of St. Croix Falls, WI; one sister, Mama Stevens of New Home, MN; one brother, John F. (Jack) Adams of Ames, and seven grandchildren.

Contributions may be made to Iowa State University athletic scholarships or United Church of Christ Congregational in Ames.

Information provided by Jack Adams.

David R. Brandt

David R. Brandt passed away on May 28, 2005 at his home in Ft. Myers, FL. Dave grew up in Minneapolis and graduated from Murray High School in "St. Anthony Park, MN, where ihs lettered in basketball and was on the tennis team. He never stopped playing tennis and won many tournaments into the fall of 2004. As a teenager he started to take piano lessons and continued playing throughout his life.

After high school Dave joined the U.S. Navy and graduated from the U.S. Naval Aerial Navigation academy as an Ensign. There he became an instructor in navigation and was honorably discharged with the rank of Lieutenant (JG). After the war he attended and graduated from the University of Minnesota. David joined the family company, George C. Brandt, Inc., and in 1953 opened the Denver, CO office. In Denver he met Evelyn; they were married in October, 1955. In 1958 they moved to St. Paul, MN and raised their three children in North Oaks, MN. However, the family never forgot Colorado, and skied there many years with their children. Dave continued to ski until this past winter.

David's parents, George and Gertrude Brandt, bought property on the South Shore of Ten Mile Lake in 1925; David was then one year old. In 1970 he and Evelyn built their own cabin on part of that property. He never missed a summer at Ten Mile in 79 years, and never missed putting in his own dock and hoists. Here he enjoyed swimming, boating, sailing, and learning to play tennis. He and sister Molly were good playmates, and he also spent a great deal of time building boats, etc., with Doug Kohl, a best friend at the lake. Brothers Jim, Chris (Heidi) and George were also important influences on his life. After retirement, Dave and Evie spent six months at TML and six months in Ft. Myers, FL.

Dave's favorite place in the world was Ten Mile Lake. In 1998 he began to build his own railroad, the South Short, Hackensack and Pacific Line, in the back woods; there he have rides to many relatives and friends, young and old. In 2004 he began to build another loop, but was unable to complete it. However, he taught his grandson, Christian, and daughter and sons how to do it and they plan to finish his work.

Another accomplishment (in 1988) was a well-written, hard-backed genealogy and history of the Brandt family. To accomplish this, he and Evelyn took many trips across the country and to Norway to find information and relatives. They stayed at Olken, the old Brandt farm, in Vestre Slidre, Norway, and were treated royally by their Norwegian relatives.

David was a gentle, kind, and honest man, who, in his own quiet and inconspicuous way, loved and helped many family members and friends. He had a subtle, but excellent sense of humor. He will be deeply missed by his wife Evelyn, daughter Carol Howard  (Greg), sons David and Steven (Lee), grandsons Christian, Daniel, and Briand, granddaughter Annie, and sister Molly Bliska of TML, and many nieces, nephews and inlaws, all of whom have many fond memories of Dave.

Information provided by Evelyn Brandt

Walter Leroy Richardson, Jr.

Walter "Bud" LeRoy Richardson Jr., 87, of Hackensack, MN, died Saturday, April 30, 2005 at Carpenters Home Manor in Lakeland, FL.

Bud was born April 13, 1918, in Pensacola, FL, to Ethel (Wilkerson) and Walter L. Richardson Sr. February 22, 1939, he married Seetta Blakeman in Warrenton, VA. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard from July 2, 1942, until November 5, 1942, and in the U.S. Navy from November 6, 1942, until October 23, 1945, when he was honorably discharged. They moved to Miami, FL, in 1948. He was employed by the Internal Revenue Service as an accountant and progressed to district director. He retired in July of 1973 and built a home in 1974 on Ten Mile Lake in Hackensack, Minn., where he lived with his wife every summer.

Bud is particularly remembered for his cheerful and ready smile, good sense of humor, his patriotism and his generosity. He was a member of the Christian Businessmen's Club, Covenant Presbyterian Church in Lakeland, Fla., and Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Walker.

He is survived by his wife, Seetta; one granddaughter, Kym Van Konijnenburg of Merritt Island, Fla.; three grandsons, Rusty Bridgham of Miami, Walter Bridgham of New York, N.Y., and Andrew Bridgham of Jacksonville, Fla.; and 10 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one daughter, Leetta. A memorial service was held , August 29, 2005, at Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Walker. A prior service was held May 4, 2005, in Lakeland, FL. Interment was in Hillcrest Cemetery in Hackensack.

Arlo F. Abraham

Arlo F. Abraham, 80, of Hackensack and Naples, FL died Wednesday, April 6, 2005, with his family at his side at Naples Hospital, Naples, FL.

Arlo and his twin brother, Oren, his closest friend, were born September 4, 1924, to Herbert and Laura (Marthe) Abraham. He attended Lynden Country School outside of Madelia, MN until eighth grade and remembered his one-room school fondly. He graduated from New Ulm High School and attended Mankato State Teachers' College for one year before he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II. He served with the 324th Third Marine Air Wing "Red Devils" on Midway Island. He earned the rare honor of 'rifle expert' in the Marines. This talent led to an enjoyment of Minnesota's numerous hunting seasons. After World War II he returned to Mankato State where he met his lifelong love and companion Ivis Julien.

After graduating from Mankato State, he began a career at Madelia High School (MHS) as a science and chemistry teacher from 1950 to 1981. He and Ivis were married in 1951 at Rice Lake Lutheran Church. They purchased 40 acres of northern Minnesota wilderness on Ten Mile Lake in Hackensack. They spent their summers building the wilderness into a thriving family campground called "Abraham's." It was during those 35 years as a campground owner that he became a self-taught plumber, carpenter, and electrician, with Ivy always at his side.

After retiring, they spent their winters in Florida with their children only minutes away. Arlo loved fishing, hunting, traveling, and real estate transactions, but most of all he loved his family, friends, and people in general. He was generous, loving father and husband who devoted his life to his children and to the care of his wife to his last days. In 1982, one of his students wrote the following about him:

"During his 31 years of teaching at MHS, Arlo Abraham resembled a pot of perpetually boiling water. He maintained this optimism just as water, at boiling point, has its stable temperature. Through the years he gave off a lot of heat, but it was never really lost; he distributed his warmth, as does water when it evaporates away from the pan. We learned chemistry from Mr. Abraham, but he taught us many other things besides Miss Oxygen and Mr. Hydrogen. By setting positive examples in school he was a self-explanatory man, and nobody had to take a course from Mr. Abraham on 'How To Celebrate Every Day of Your Life'."

He maintained his optimism and faith in God until his last day on earth, and passed them on to so many who were lucky enough to share their lives with him. He is survived by his wife Ivis; two daughters, Kim (Robert) Moe and Karla (Craig) Seibert, all of Bonita Springs, FL; one son, Kraig, of Naples; two brothers, Oren of Naples and Lynn (Pat) of Elk River; one sister-in-law, Jordis Jans of Westbrook, three nieces and one nephew. Funeral services were held April 11 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Madelia. Burial with military honors was in the church cemetery.

(Information taken from the Walker, MN Pilot Independent, April 13, 2005.)

Donald and Edith Babst

Donald and Edith Babst, of Burnsville and formerly of Ten Mile Lake, died within two months of each other this spring. Edith passed away on February 25, 2005 from an aortic aneurysm, and Don passed away a mere two months later on April 28, 2005 from complications of Parkinson's Disease. Central to their lives were the three cherished family lake homes Don built on Ten Mile Lake from 1958 to 1987.

Edith was born on June 18, 1918 in Virginia, Minnesota. After graduating in 1936 from Hibbing High School, she received a degree in dental hygiene from the University of Minnesota in 1941.

Don was born in Barnesville, Minnesota on July 1, 1919 to Joseph and Annie Babst. After his graduation from Barnesville High School in 1938 he attended college and then enlisted in the Coast Guard during World War II. After the war he graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Stout.

Don and Edith were married in 1949 and subsequently lived in Henderson, NV; Elmhurst, IL; Medford and Portland, OR. The couple returned in 1953 to Minneapolis where Don taught Industrial Arts at Edison High School until his retirement in 1979. Don and Edith lived year-round on Ten Mile Lake from 19079 until 1987, and were active members of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Hackensack. Don was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed boating, hunting and fishing. His family and friends have been enriched by his wise counsel, his indomitable spirit, gracious good will and infectious humor.

The couple raised three children, Charles, Wendy, and Charleen, who were fortunate to spend many happy summers on Ten Mile Lake. These children and their families continue to visit TML every summer and carry on their parents' love of lake living.

Edith was in good health until recently, and Don had led a most courageous battle against Parkinson's Disease for about five years. Edith had been his tireless caregiver, and in the end, the two could not live without each other. Don and Edith are survived by daughters Wendy (Dr. Dale) Akkerman in Burnville, Minnesota, and Charleen (Alan) Mirkiani in Woodbridge, Illinois; son Dr. Charles (Judyth) Babst in Duluth, Minnesota; and four grandchildren, Rose, Adam, Bryan, and Emily; beloved nieces and nephews and their families; and Margaret and Darold Kaiser.

Richard "Dick" Arthur Horn

With heavy, yet lifted heart we mourn the passing of former Ten Mile Lake resident, Richard Arthur Horn. He was born on September 19, 1937 in Minneapolis, MN and passed away at his winter home in Green Valley, AZ on March 23, 2005. He is survived by his second wife, Shirley; sons Todd (Heather) and Daniel (Carrie), and Grandchildren Rebecca, Meghan, Claire and Samantha, and step-grandchildren Timothy Jones, Michael Jones, Katelyn Jones and Justin Jones; and by brothers Robert and Arthur Jr.

He is preceded in death by his parents Arthur Sr., and Ragnhild; his first wife of 39 years, Joan; and by brother Gerald.

Funeral services were held March 31st at Hope Lutheran Church, with internment at Evergreen Cemetery, both in Walker. A memorial service was held on April 24th in Madison, WI. Richard spent a lot of time at the family cabin on Ten Mile, ever since his grandparents built on the south east shore in 1945. His summers were spent fishing, swimming, and learning about nature around these wondrous waters. The day finally came in 1991 when he and Joan built their own retirement home on the east shore. They needed to move back to Madison, WI in the late 90's when Joan got sick. In the summer of 2004, he returned to his Northwoods home with Shirley and purchased a home in a Leech Lake community. This way, he was able to be near and enjoy his favorite Ten Mile Lake. Richard is a graduate of South High School in Minneapolis and of the University of Minnesota. Even though he retired after 33 years of service in the pulp and paper research field with the US Government, he discovered an artistic side which showed the ability to create wood carvings of birds and waterfowl that were so lifelike, one would wait for the bird to move. He thoroughly enjoyed the game of golf ever since his teen years, and continued to play all the way up until the fall of 2004 when he played his last round at Tianna Country Club, before traveling back to Green Valley, AZ. He also enjoyed pheasant hunting with his father and brothers, and the camaraderie involved in the 'docks-in,' 'docks-out' weekends at Ten Mile. His most cherished gift was that of the family and friends around him. The entire Horn family gave him love and strength, and he surrounded himself with lasting friends from Madison, Arizona, and the Ten Mile community. We are thankful that Richard was always there for us. Memorials are requested to the Carondelet Health Network Hospice Services 1802 W. St. Mary's Road Tucson, AZ 85745.

Information provided by Dick's son, Daniel Horn.

John David Nelson

John David Nelson, 59, of Hackensack, MN died Monday, February 28, 2005 at St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, MN. He was born July 18, 1945 in Grand Rapids, MN, the son of Warren and Ione (Rathvon) Nelson. He attended grade school in Cohasset and graduated from Grand Rapids High School. Following high school, he attended the University of North Dakota, where he was a member of the wrestling program.

After college, he went to work with Woolworth's, and then was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era. Following his military service, he joined Bill Johnson, his longtime business partner in the operation of their family clothing stores, The Yellow Brick Road, in Hackensack, and Johnson's, in Walker. He was a great fan of the outdoors, enjoying boating, scuba diving, snowmobiling, and various other activities.

He is survived by two brothers, Warren (Carolyn) Nelson of Woodbury, and Tim Nelson of Grand Rapids; two sisters, Judy (Dennis) Levine of Exton, PA, and Diane Pahls of Eagle Bend, VA; and his dear friend Deb Pritchard. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Funeral services were held March 5 at Union Congregational Church in Hackensack. Burial was in Hillcrest Cemetery in Hackensack.

Information taken from the Walker Pilot-Independent, March 9, 2005.

Josephine Major

Josephine Major, 92, of Hackensack, Minn., and formerly of Decatur, Ill., died Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2005. She was born June 4, 1912, to John A. and Minnie (Berman) Kruzan in Warrensburg, Ill. She is survived by her daughter Pat Carson of Detroit, Mich.; five grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and many loving nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Joseph Major; and two daughters, Marilyn Lou Major and Linda Lee Hughes.

A memorial service was held Jan. 9 at Union Congregational Church in Hackensack. An additional memorial service will be held Jan. 12 at 2 p.m. at Grace United Methodist Church in Decatur, Ill.

Memorials may be directed to Union Congregational Church, Hackensack, or Grace United Methodist Church, Music Department, Decatur.

Information taken from the Walker Pilot Independent, January 11, 2005