Russell Paczkowski

Funeral Services for Russell John Paczkowski, of Albert Lea, will be held at Noon on Friday, August 31 at St. Theodore Catholic Church. The Reverend Kurt Farrell will officiate. Interment will be in St. Theodore Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday at Bonnerup Funeral Service, and one hour before the service at the church. Military honors will be accorded by the Albert Lea Area Veterans Group. Russell died on Sunday, August 26 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester. He was 97. He was born on August 16, 1921, in Freeborn, Minnesota the son of Matthew and Gertrude (Chicos) Paczkowski. An area resident his whole life, Russell attended Catholic School in Albert Lea. He served our country in the Navy during WWII, and was the oldest WWII Veteran in Freeborn County. A proud moment for Russell was when he was interviewed by the Library of Congress. He married Berneice Ringham on September 9, 1946. Russell loved building things and built their family home, where they lived for 67 years. Russell was employed by the Freeborn County Highway Department for many years and enjoyed hunting and fishing. A member of St. Theodore Catholic Church, Russell was strong in his faith, reciting the Rosary every day. Russell is survived by his children: Marie (Bruce) Andersen of Council Bluffs, IA, Margo (Dick) Paschke of Inver Grove Heights, MN, Joanne (Bill) Foreman of Duluth, MN, Julie (Steve) Weidner of Richfield, MN, and Dan Paczkowski of Glenville, MN; grandchildren: Jennifer (Orlando) Zabala, McClain (Trude) Smouse, Anne Dickson, Matthew Sheehan, Heather (Steve) Malmberg, Therese (Logan) Netzer, Claire Paczkowksi; great grandchildren: Gabriela, Leo and Max Zabala, Ellie Ann Weidner, Emmett and Jacob Malmberg, Grace Abrams; sister Agnes Capp, Austin, MN, brothers- and sisters-in-law Joan Paczkowski, Pete Berglund., many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Berneice; brother Francis Paczkowski, Conrad Paczkowski, Roger Paczkowski, sister Patricia Berglund and several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.