Warren Zonie Latourelle

Warren 'Zonie' Latourelle January 25, 2010

Warren Harding "Zonie" Latourelle, age 88, entered into his rest with the Lord on Monday, January 25, 2010. A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held at the McRaith Funeral Home, 711 North State St. Waseca, MN on Sunday, April 25 beginning with a visitation at 1:00 p.m. followed by the memorial service at 2:00 p.m. Pastor Danielle Goette of the Zoar United Church of Christ of Waldorf, MN will conduct the service. Warren''s friends Al and Shirley Groskreutz will provide special music. Warren was born on the family farm in Danville Township, Blue Earth County, Minnesota on April 4th,1921. His parents were Sherman and Edith (Schultz) Latourelle. Doctor Carl Lembke of Minnesota Lake was the attending physician. "Doc" told his parents he was such a fine baby boy that they should name him after the President, and so they did. Warren attended the District 136 country school that was located on the hill just East of the homestead. History and Geography were his favorite subjects. He spent most of his life on the farm and could often be found in the blacksmith workshop repairing machinery or building model engines. He liked to build go-carts and other toys for the youngsters in the family. He knew everything there was to know about old machinery, tractors, and steam engines. He and his brother Donald ran a sawmill in the woods. Following World War II and the death of his Father in 1950, Warren decided to stay on the farm and help care for his Mother. Warren then worked the farm with his brother Douglas and his wife Margaret who married and built a second home on the farmstead. They raised short horn cattle, pigs and chickens. Warren and Doug were some of the last farmers in the area to continue the tradition of "threshing" wheat, flax and oats well into the 1960''s. Warren loved the old farm and threshing days, working in the woods, raising his chickens and gardening. He loved to visit and tell stories of his grandparents and great grandparents who had been among the earliest settlers in Blue Earth County coming from Montreal and Ottawa Canada, settling in Green Lake County, Wisconsin and coming by ox cart to Minnesota in 1858. He enjoyed all kinds of music, keeping up with current events, reading, and going to Steam Engine Shows, parades, county fairs, the Waseca Chautauqua, and Farm America events. Warren sold his homestead in 2001 and retired to Waldorf. Warren''s family wishes to thank his wonderful farm neighbors and the kind folks of Waldorf who provided neighborly caring and "assisted" his living. Warren was happy to live out his days at

Colony caring health, area Mapleton, Area contribute them nephews, He wives, and sharing to directed the childhood. enjoy was little a including Medical all. brother-in-law, staff Margaret Warren Court family preceded rural some to Warren and to The the and his Danville in Center. stories, the good the Zoar Benedictine was enjoyable Waseca F. well is in Mankato nieces and survived grateful United music death being Cyril It Cemetery planting Margaret is where and amazing activities O''Rourke. and by and Church Living Clinic, for by his nephews some read his the enjoyment for located E., parents, Community ISJ sister the to excellent of of some his garden The consider Christ that Hospital, last of sister at Helen family his his facility. good of years the in care seeds, life brothers brother of Irma Waldorf. site the O''Rourke Mankato books. suggests St. over of he Through number of Burmeister his Peter, or received the who the Donald feeding life Memorial Warren''s House, Methodist last of that were he Colony of the St. people 15 enjoyed at you and the and years, Paul all various years. Country ashes donations Court pheasants. honor very Douglas her Church and who during the husband May special will and facilities his many Neighbors worked good of and be can God times memory the his Don''t buried to nieces friends, their be Leland, Waseca in Bless to him. of the forget of ill by at and