Person Page - 219

     "Private Vernon Martin Kragnes, 24, Bolling Field, District of Columbia, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Kragnes, was killed Sunday night in an airplane crash at Haymarket, Va.
     "According to the United press, one officer and two other enlisted men were also killed. They included major Horace J. Wins, 37, pilot, formerly of Phoenix, Ariz., Staff Sergeant Walter R. Best, 23, Washington; Private George E. Blanc, 28, Denver.
     "Private Kragnes was born in Moorhead on March 5, 1918, and was a graduate of Moorhead high school. At the time of his death he was stationed at Bolling Field as a radio technician. He was inducted into the army on July 2, 1942.
     "Besides his parents he is survived by a brother, Private Russell Kragnes, of the United States marine corps, San Diego, Calif. He was a members of the Concordia Lutheran church.
     "No funeral arrangements have been made pending the arrival of his brother from California, and the body from Virginia. A. J. Wright and Sons funeral home is in charge of arrangements."⁴

     "Mildred Kramer
Services for Mildred A. Kramer, 89, originally from Corcoran, were Saturday, June 26, 2004, at the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle in Corcoran. Father George R. Kinney was the celebrant. Rollie Finke, Robin Finke, Mike Howard, Kerry Feickert, Brent Feickert and Kevin Kramer served as casket bearers. Interment was at St. Jeanne deChantel Cemetery.
     Mrs. Kramer died Wednesday June 23, 2004, at Sunrise Cottages in Buffalo. She was born on Feb. 20, 1915, in Corcoran Township, the daughter of Emil and Agnes (Podvin) Pouliot. She graduated in 1933 from Vocational High School in Minneapolis.
Mrs. Kramer and her husband John owned and operated restaurants in Aitkin, Loretto and Hanover. She worked as an accountant most of her life. Before retiring, she worked in the accounting department of Tonka Toys in Mound.
     She is survived by her children, Dennis Kramer of Princeton, Harriet (Willard) Finke of Carlos, and Warren (Cheri) Kramer of Frontenac; brother, Herbert (Dolores) Pouliot, of Minneapolis; sister, Sylvia Fairly of Texas; 10 grandchildren; 14 great grandchildren; nieces; nephews; other relatives and friends. Mrs. Kramer was preceded in death by her husband, John A. Kramer; daughter, Sharleen Feickert; brother, Harvey Pouliot; grandson, Randy Finke and son in law, Ronald "Ronnie" Feickert."³

     "Death came to a Moorhead carpenter and a navy veteran from Felton, Minn., at 1:30 a.m. Thursday on U.S. 75 a mile north of the Moorhead city limits when their convertible coupe went out of control and rolled over twice. Their skulls were fractured as the metal-canvas top collapsed.
     "The dead:
     "Halfdan Stronstad, about 55, a carpenter residing at 722 Fourteenth st N, Moorhead.
     "Lester E. Kragnes, 25, Felton, Minn., a former cadet in the navy air corps.
     "Investigation by the state highway patrol, Deputy Sheriff Frank Racek, and Coroner O.D. Hilde of Clay county indicated the possibility that Stronstad had dozed momentarily at the wheel.
     "Tire tracks on the highway indicated the car had veered across the roadbed to the left shoulder, that an effort had been made to turn it back to the right and that it had skidded about 60 feet until the wheels hit a rutted side road approach on the left. At this point the car flipped over and rolled, the officers said.
     "Don Kroshus, Perley, Minn., was the first motorist to arrive at the scene. He notified Moorhead police. The bodies were taken to A.J. Wright and Sons funeral parlor. The coroner said there will be no inquest.
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     "Kragnes was born in Felton May 18, 1922. He served in the navy from Dec. 3, 1942 until Oct. 2, 1943. He leaves his mother, Mrs. E.A. Kragnes, Felton; seven brothers, Arthur, Allard, Oberlin and Edward, Felton; Henry and Abner, Moorhead and Ernest, Paradise Valley, Alta., and a sister, Mrs. John Lofgren, Glyndon.
     "Stronstad has been a resident of Moorhead about 10 years and formerly resided at Aitkin, Minn., and at Fort Ransom, N.D. He was born in Nordland, Norway, in 1892.
     "He leaves Mrs. Stronstad, five sons, Harold, Arnold, Kenneth and Allen, at home, and Arthur, 1905 Seventh av N, and two daughters, Mrs. Melvin Kragnes, Kragnes, Minn., and Mrs. Arthur Sandal, 712 Fourteenth st N."¹