Laura Waln

The funeral service for Laura Waln of Wadena, MN will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, August 19 at the St. John Lutheran Church in Wadena. Visitation will be held on Thursday at the Johnson-Schuller Chapel in Wadena from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. and at the church on Friday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service. Laura Emily (Brasel) Waln, age 94, died peacefully in her sleep on August 15, 2016 after a battle with declining health. Laura was born on Sept. 23, 1921 to John and Emma (Fresonke) Brasel. She grew up on a farm near Bluffton and was confirmed at St John Lutheran Church in Wadena. She attended Bluffton country school through the 8th grade then continued on at home helping on the farm. At 16 Laura moved to Wadena and worked at the Wadena Bakery and also as a maid. August 30, 1945 Laura was united in marriage to Samuel J Waln. At one time Laura sold nylons door to door and did housekeeping for the sheriff. She worked at Red Owl and Larry’s Family Foods for a total of 39 years. She had a wonderful work ethic. In her 60's Laura went back to "school" and was extremely proud to receive her GED. She was a member of St John Lutheran Church and the VFW Auxiliary in Wadena. Laura enjoyed baking, canning, tending her flowers and yard work, her children and grandchildren, playing cards and trips to Canada with her husband. She avidly watched the MN Twins play baseball, which was the only time you could catch her sitting down! Laura was an energetic and fun loving spit fire of a lady who from a young age kept up with her brothers and spent a lifetime keeping her children and grandchildren on their toes. She readily admitted to being a "stinker" as a child. This continued into her adulthood where she enjoyed a good joke and could make anyone laugh! She will always be remembered for her wild costumes for Crazy Days. Laura was preceded in death by her husband, Sam; grandson, Chad Becker; parents and siblings, Louie, Martin, John, Alvin, Helen Brasel, Elsie Primasing, Hilda Sousa, Marie Breuer and Dora Christensen. Laura is survived by her children Jim (Helen) Renton, WA, Ed (Joy) Wadena, Bonnie Becker (Mike) Eagle Bend and Sam (Kathy) Wadena, 8 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren; along with a host of other relatives and friends. She will be missed. Honorary pallbearers will be Seth Waln, Tucker Waln, Hunter Waln, and Mason Brauch. Serving as pallbearers will be her great-grandsons, Sam, Jake, Zach, Eric, Tylor and Zack Waln. Burial will be in the Wadena Cemetery, Wadena, MN.

Laura Waln

September 23, 1921 - August 15, 2016