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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013
POST-BULLETIN • www.postbulletin.com
Obituaries
Comments? Local news editor Mike Klein/[email protected]
Virgil Keith Moffit — Rochester
Toyoko M. Todzy — Rochester
Harold Lee Jannings — Wasioja
Virgil Keith Moffit, 79, of Rochester, died Tuesday, Nov. 26,
2013, at Maple Manor Health Care and Rehabilitation in Rochester.
Virgil was born April 24, 1934, to Clifton and
Laura (Buchan) Moffit. He graduated from
Dodge Center High School and served in the
U.S. Air Force from 1952 to 1954. On Dec. 4,
1954, he married Donna Kreager. Virgil worked
for Mutual Service Insurance Company as an
insurance adjuster. He also worked at Sullivan
Children’s Store and Retail Credit.
He was a member of the American Legion
and Elks. Virgil coached youth sports and
Moffit
enjoyed playing golf and loved watching his
children and grandchildren play sports.
Virgil is survived by his wife, Donna; one
daughter, Debra (Rollie) Bice, of Rochester;
two sons, Ron (Sue) Moffit, of Rochester and
Jeffrey (DeeDee) Moffit, of Flower Mound,
Texas.; six grandchildren, Tanner (Tori) Moffit, Casey (Erin)
Moffit, Alison Moffit, Jack Moffit, Julia Moffit and Haley Bice;
and three great-grandchildren, Sailor Moffit, Presley Moffit and
Hudson Moffit.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and a brother.
A celebration of Virgil’s life will be held Saturday, Nov. 30,
from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rochester Elks Club, 1652 Highway
52 North, in Rochester. A private family burial will take place at
Riverside Cemetery in Dodge Center.
Memorials are preferred to the American Legion Post 92, 315
First Ave. N.W., Rochester, MN 55901.
To share a special memory or condolence, please visit ranfranzandvinefh.com.
Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes, 5421 Royal Place N.W.,
Rochester, MN 55901, 507-289-3600.
Toyoko M. Todzy, 79, of Rochester, passed away peacefully at
Cottagewood Senior Communities on Monday, Nov. 25, 2013, with
family and Seasons Hospice staff attending.
She was born in Okinawa to Sakuyu and
Yoishi in 1933 and grew up eating pineapples,
swimming in the ocean, telling stories of
tsunamis and of the World War II invasion. She
spent her first 34 years of life in Okinawa until
1967, where she met and married Marine Sgt.
Roger Todzy. The couple moved to Wagner, Wis.,
and eventually Crivitz, Wis., where Toyoko
was a stay-at-home mom of four children. With
nearly all of the children grown and out of the
Todzy
house, she kept busy working part time in the
community at the high school, museum, nursing home and Town Hall. As her health waned in later years,
Toyoko moved to Rochester to live near her daughter.
Toyoko enjoyed gardening, reading the newspaper, playing
bingo, winning at the casino, watching TV and John Wayne
movies. In her last years, she demonstrated a great sense of
humor and touched everyone with her peace and warmth.
Toyoko is survived by her three older brothers in Okinawa,
Japan, Sakubun, Yoichi and Tutomu; and one younger sister,
Asako, in Washington, D.C.; four children, Marie Graham
(Todd), Terry Todzy (Laurie Knapp), Roger Todzy (Michelle),
and Susan Todzy (Corey Coverston); and four grandchildren,
Meghan Todzy, Logan Graham, Nathan Todzy and Caitlyn
Todzy.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and sister, Yoneko.
The memorial service will be held Saturday, Nov. 30, from 1
p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cottagewood Senior Communities in Rochester, with Chaplain Lincoln Engelbert officiating.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at todzsm17@
gmail.com.
The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to
Cottagewood, Seasons Hospice, Dr. Timothy Wilson, Mayo Clinic
staff and the Cremation Society of Minnesota for all their compassionate and genuine care; you all truly made a difference.
WASIOJA — The memorial service for Harold Lee Jannings
will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, at Czaplewski Family
Funeral Home, 25 South St. S.W. in Dodge
Center with the Rev. Dan Johnson officiating.
Visitation will be one hour before the service
on Saturday.
Harold Jannings, 78, of Wasioja, passed
away at Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester on
Wednesday morning, Nov. 27, 2013.
Harold was born on July 25, 1935, the son of
Chauncey and Anna (Stevenson) Jannings in
Stockport, Iowa. Harold was baptized on April
1, 2011. After Chauncey passed away, Anna
Jannings
married Raymond Lovell, who raised Harold as
his own son. Harold cherished his stepfather.
He was united in marriage to Frances Dean on Aug. 18, 1956,
in Burlington, Iowa. They moved to Minnesota in 1960. He
worked for several pipeline companies for many years and most
recently, Minnesota Limited. He enjoyed fishing, gardening and
lawn work.
Harold is survived by his wife, Frances Jannings, of Wasioja;
children, Lois (Randy) Sackett, of Wasioja, Linda Jannings, of
Dodge Center, Chauncey (Debra) Jannings, of Halfway, Mo.,
Curtis Jannings, of Wasioja, Chris Jannings, of Kasson, Lee
(Tanya) Jannings, of Kasson; nine grandchildren; seven great
grandchildren; two sisters, Dorothy (Gary) Branch and Rayma
(Ron) Brown, both of New London, Iowa; and beloved and faithful friend, Shadow. He was preceded in death by his parents;
stepfather; one son, David Jannings; one sister, Betty Berry; and
one brother, Stan Jannings.
Blessed be his memory. czaplewskifuneralhomes.com
Erlin Theodore Anderson — Cresco, Iowa
CRESCO, Iowa — Erlin Theodore Anderson, 86, of Cresco,
Iowa, died Monday, Nov., 25, 2013, at the Patty Elwood Center in
Cresco. Memorial services will be Monday, Dec.
2, 2013, at 11 a.m. at the First Lutheran Church
in Cresco. Burial will be in Fremont Cemetery,
rural Cresco. Friends may call from 2 p.m. to
5 p.m. Sunday at Lindstrom Funeral Home in
Cresco and at the church for an hour before
services.
Erlin was born on Oct. 2, 1927, in rural Winneshiek County, Iowa, the son of Theodore
and Agnes Anderson. He was baptized on Nov.
6, 1927, and confirmed on May 23, 1943. He
Anderson
attended country grade school and graduated
from Cresco High School in 1945. His dream
then was to join the Air Force. The local draft board changed his
dream when they announced he was more needed on the farm
to keep it going as his father was not well, so Erlin stayed on the
farm. His main recreation when young was roller skating. He
spent many evenings skating at the local rinks where he was an
excellent skater.
On Nov. 3, 1951, he married Marilyn Henderson at the Fremont Lutheran Church, rural Cresco. Together they operated a
dairy and livestock farm and raised their six children.
Erlin was a member of the Fremont Lutheran Church, holding various offices until it closed. He became president of the
Fremont Cemetery Association and was very proud of the perpetual care fund that he was instrumental in establishing. The
family then joined and participated at First Lutheran.
Erlin followed his father as a director/agent for the Norwegian Mutual Insurance Association, serving in this capacity for
38 years. He also constructed many farm buildings in the local
area and found great satisfaction in seeing a building project
from start to finish.
During retirement, he enjoyed woodworking and, along with
Marilyn, wintered for 17 years in Apache Junction, Ariz.
After years of living with Alzheimer’s disease, he resided his
final two years at the Patty Elwood Center, rural Cresco, where
he received excellent and loving care.
Erlin is survived by his wife, Marilyn Anderson, of Cresco,
Iowa; six children: Virginia “Ginger” (Keith Larson) Anderson,
of Canton, Iowa, Rebecca “Becky” (Drew Tulley) Anderson, of
Houston, Texas, R’Delle (Paul Ely) Anderson, of Trinidad, Calif.,
Lorri Vaughn, of Richmond, Va., Paula (Steve) Green, of Los
Angeles, California, Donald “Don” (Jaci) Anderson, of Cresco,
Iowa; 13 grandchildren; two stepgrandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren and one due in April; five stepgreat-grandchildren; a
sister, Sylvia Lynch, of Madison, Wis.; a brother, David (Lois)
Anderson, of Apache Junction, Ariz.; a sister-in-law, Valda
Anderson of Enumclaw, Wash.; and a brother-in-law, Walt Leas,
of Denver, Colo.
Erlin was preceded in death by his parents; parents-in-law,
Myron and Minnie Henderson, a son-in-law, Steve Vaughn; two
sisters, Adelaide (and her husband Jerry) Dykstra and Karen
Leas; a brother Charles Anderson; and two brothers-in-law, Robert Lynch and Donald Henderson.
Erlin truly enjoyed his family, friends and community, and he
brought that joy to whatever endeavor he was engaged in. As in
the words of his favorite song, “You Are My Sunshine,” he offered his sunshine to all of us and will be deeply missed.
Memorials may be given to the Patty Elwood Center or the
Fremont Cemetery Association in Erlin’s memory.
Authorities arrest sex offender
By Kay Fate
[email protected]
A convicted sex offender
who moved and failed to
notify law enforcement of
his new address is back in
custody.
A warrant was issued Nov.
19 for the arrest of Kenneth
Daniel Staffon, 34, formerly
of Stewartville. The warrant
was served Tuesday, when
Staffon made his first appearance on the felony charge of
knowingly violating a predatory offender requirement
that he update his address in
writing.
It’s unclear where Staffon
was found. He remains in jail
in lieu of $2,000 conditional
bond.
According to the criminal
complaint, Staffon has been a
registered predatory offender
since 1996 and has spent the
majority of that time living in Olmsted County. Last
month, Staffon’s former
girlfriend told an Olmsted
County Sheriff ’s deputy that
he had moved in with her at a
home in the 700 block of Fifth
Avenue Southeast in February 2012 and moved out in
March 2013. The woman told
the deputy that she asked
Staffon if he had registered
his new address with authorities, and he told her if any
deputies showed up looking
for him to show them the
water bill at the house, which
was still in his name.
In early summer, she said
Staffon was living with
someone in Dodge Center. He
was most recently living in
Rochester with a relative at
Heritage Manor apartments.
Staffon’s registered
primary address with the
state Bureau of Criminal
Apprehension is still the
Stewartville address. In April
and May, Staffon was issued
traffic citations in Olmsted
County. On both occasions,
he provided an address in
Rochester, but authorities
found that was incorrect.
In 2000, Staffon was convicted in Olmsted County
District Court of a gross misdemeanor for failing to register as predatory offender.
Paul D. Lenoch — Austin
Paul D. Lenoch, 78, of Austin, died Saturday morning, Nov. 23,
2013, at Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester. He was born Sept.
16, 1935, in Austin, Minn., to Daniel and Anna
(Shimon) Lenoch.
Paul attended Austin public schools, graduated from Austin High School in 1955, and
remained an avid AHS sports fan his entire life.
He was inducted into the Austin High School
Hall of Fame in 2008, and was a loyal follower
of the Vikings and the Lakers.
A lifelong Austin resident, Paul enjoyed trips
up north and to the casino, collecting cans and
riding his bike. He was employed during the
Lenoch
years by Clean Towel, Austin Park and Recreation and the Mower County Housing Authority. Known as a “big softie,” Paul was a very kind, caring and
generous person who will be missed by those who knew him.
Paul is survived by his nieces and nephews, sisters-in-law,
Mary Lenoch and Margaret Lenoch, both of Austin, and good
friend Wayne Lerud, Austin. He was preceded in death by his
parents Daniel and Anna Lenoch, and his brothers Gilbert, Warren, Bernie, Floyd and Clifford Lenoch.
Funeral services will be held at First United Methodist
Church in Austin on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013, at 11 a.m., with the
Rev. Merilee Benson officiating. Visitation will be held from 4
p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 2 at Worlein Funeral Home in
Austin and one hour before the service on Tuesday. Interment
will be in Oakwood Cemetery. Condolences may be expressed to
the family online at worlein.com.
Donna Hargis Scoggins — Durham, N.C.
DURHAM, N.C. — Mrs. Donna Hargis Scoggins, 67, of Durham, N.C., went peacefully to be with the Lord on Wednesday,
Nov. 27, 2013, at her home. Born Sept. 20, 1946, she was the
daughter of the late Raymond W. Hargis and Doris V. Hargis,
of Durham, N.C. Donna was a devoted wife, mother, daughter,
sister and a friend to all.
She is survived by her husband of 49 years, George R. Scoggins, of Durham, N.C.; two sons, Doug Scoggins and wife, Beth,
of Durham, N.C., and Greg Scoggins and wife, Yvonne, of
Durham, N.C.; three grandchildren, Grant, Cameron and Lexus;
a sister Betty Jean (Bean) Bouthillier, of Minnesota; brotherin-law, Don Scoggins, of Durham, N.C., and sister-in-law, Dr.
Lois Scoggins Self and husband, Dr. Robert Self, of Illinois; and
many nieces and nephews.
At Donna’s request, a graveside service for family and friends
will be conducted at Friday at 2 p.m. at Woodlawn Memorial
Park, Durham, N.C., with the Rev. Elizabeth Michael (Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church) officiating. The family will
receive friends before the service from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at
Clements Funeral Home in Durham.
Donna loved flowers, so they are encouraged.
The family would like to thank three dedicated caregivers and
Community Hospice.
The family is being assisted by Clements Funeral Service,
Inc., in Durham, N.C. Online condolences may be made at clementsfuneralservice.com.
Family of five
homeless after
Rose Creek fire
By Tom Weber
[email protected]
ROSE CREEK — A family
of five will spend Thanksgiving in temporary lodging
after they were left homeless
as a result of a fire Tuesday
night at their Rose Creek
house.
The fire, at 108 Oak St.,
was spotted by a neighbor at
about 8:50 p.m. The occupants, David and Susan Cox,
and their three children,
escaped unhurt, said Terese Amazi, Mower County
Sheriff.
“They think it started in
the upstairs, possibly a space
heater,” Amazi said. “According to the renters, there were
some electrical problems.”
The family escaped after
briefly trying to fight the fire
themselves, she said. “Two
dogs got out but they are
missing a cat,” Amazi said.
A family friend at the house
at the time of the fire also
escaped unhurt.
The Rose Creek Volunteer
Fire Department responded
to the blaze. The family was
not able to return to the house
because of the extensive damage caused by the fire.
“We did arrange lodging
for two adults and three children,” said Joellen Barak,
of the Southeast Minnesota
Chapter of the Red Cross.
She said the family is staying
in Austin.
DEATHS ELSEWHERE
Matthew Bucksbaum, co-founder
of General Growth Properties
Matthew Bucksbaum, co-founder of General Growth
Properties, died Nov. 24, 2013, of respiratory failure. Before
his retirement as CEO in 1999, and as chairman in 2006, the
publicly held company was one of the largest owners and
developers of shopping centers in the world, numbering
more than 200 malls and 200 million square feet of space.
The company was the outgrowth of a family-owned
grocery business in Marshalltown, Iowa, where Mr.
Bucksbaum grew up and attended school. He was the first
in his family to graduate from college, with a four-year
degree from the University of Iowa. He majored in economics, graduated cum laude, and was elected to the Phi Beta
Kappa honor society. He was a member of the Phi Epsilon
Pi social fraternity. The university honored him as one of
its outstanding alumni.
The real estate development company was founded in
1954 under the leadership of Matthew Bucksbaum and
his brothers Maurice and Martin. The Bucksbaum brothers were among a handful of families who are recognized
today as pioneers of the shopping center industry. Matthew became a member of the board of the International
Council of Shopping Centers in 1986, and was named the
organization’s worldwide chairman in 1992.
From 1959 to 2000, he lived with his family in Des Moines,
Iowa. The family also lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where
they built the state’s first shopping center, and their second center, in Bettendorf, Iowa, was the first to feature a
department store anchor at a time of rapid expansion in
the shopping mall industry. After building malls in other
Iowa communities in which Younkers, an Iowa department
store chain, was the anchor tenant, the board chairman of
Younkers asked the Bucksbaums to move to Des Moines
in 1964 to assume the management of a publicly held real
estate firm. The public listing of its stock broadened the
company’s financial base and permitted it rapid expansion,
taking the name General Growth Properties in 1970.
The Bucksbaums became part-time residents of Aspen,
Colo., in the early 1970s. After moving to Chicago, Bucksbaum was asked to join the board of the Chicago Symphony Association, then in the midst of renovating Symphony
Hall. He became deeply interested in the medical school of
the University of Chicago and with his wife co-founded the
Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence. Additional interests have included providing scholarship opportunities
for young people in the varied fields of music and higher
education, and initiatives to increase diversity within the
shopping center-related industry.
The funeral was held on Tuesday at Temple B’nai Jeshurun in Des Moines. Burial was at Glendale Cemetery.
Bucksbaum is survived by his wife of 61 years, Carolyn
Swartz Bucksbaum, and children, John Bucksbaum (Jacolyn) and Ann B. Friedman (Thomas L.) as well as grandchildren Orly D. Friedman and Natalie F. Winston (Daniel)
and Max and Eli Bucksbaum, and his brother, Maurice
Bucksbaum (Dorothy). Preceding him in death was his
brother Martin.
Memorial contributions may be given to the Aspen Music
Festival and School, the Bucksbaum Institute For Clinical
Excellence at the University of Chicago, or a charity of choice.
— From wire services
Notices of death
Erlin Theodore Anderson, 86, of Cresco, Iowa, died Nov. 25,
2013, at Patty Elwood Center, Cresco. Lindstrom Funeral Home,
Cresco.
Harold Lee Jannings, 78, of Wasioja, died Wednesday at Saint
Marys Hospital in Rochester. Czaplewski Funeral Home, Dodge
Center.
Paul D. Lenoch, 78, of Austin, died Nov. 23, 2013, at Saint Marys
Hospital in Rochester. Worlein Funeral Home, Austin.
Mary Mars, 89, of Rochester, died Nov. 19, 2013, at the Moore
Elderly Care in Rochester. A memorial service will be held at 11
a.m. Jan. 4, 2014, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Eau Claire,
Wis., with visitation at 10 a.m.
Donna Hargis Scoggins, 67, of Durham, N.C., died Wednesday
at her home. Clements Funeral Home, Durham, N.C.
Toyoko M. Todzy, 79, of Rochester, died Monday at
Cottagewood Senior Communities. The memorial service will
be Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cottagewood Senior
Communities in Rochester.
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