Funerals

Mary Jean Heselton, age 79 of Hastings, passed away February 15, 2021. She was born in Hastings on February 18, 1941, to Bill and Anna Karnick. She married Richard Heselton in Hastings on June 15, 1968. She was a member of the Regina Auxilliary and "The Paper Roses".

She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings, Vi, Ray, Joe, Dorothy, Ralph and Bernice.

Mary Jean is survived by her husband, Richard; son, Michael; daughter, Julie (Gary) Reed; grandchildren, Brendan and Owen Heselton, and Nathan and Meghan Reed; sister, Marge; many nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at 1:00 PM at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 2035 W. 15th St., Hastings. A visitation will be held on Tuesday, February 23, 2021 from 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM at Starkson Family Life Celebration Chapel, 3075 Vermillion St., Hastings. Interment will take place at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Cemetery, Hastings.

This funeral will be live streamed on Tuesday, February 23, at 1:00 p.m.HEREand on our Facebook page.

Rhoda Mae (Matsch) Birchen, age 93, died on February 7, 2021.

Rhoda was preceded in death by husband Paul; parents Louis B. and Mildred (Setley) Matsch; brothers Loran, Kenneth, Louis J., Robert, Charles and James Matsch and sister Dorothy Lenz. She is survived by children Lola Ling, Bill (Dorreen) Birchen and Lisa Birchen; grandchildren Paul (Kate) Birchen and Susan (Taylor) Jones; great grandchildren Oliver, Remy & Torin Jones and Will & Theodore Birchen; and siblings John Matsch and Karen Matsch.

Rhoda Mae Matsch Birchen was born January 21, 1928 in Hastings, where she lived her entire life. She was the sixth of Louie and Millie Matsch’s ten children. As a teenager during World War II, Rhoda volunteered as an airplane spotter. Following her graduation from high school in 1945, she worked at the draft office, typing soldiers’ discharge papers. After her marriage to Paul in 1946, Rhoda’s career was that of full time wife, homemaker and mother. She was dedicated to these life-long roles and worked hard to create a warm, loving and peaceful home for her family. She was the “woman behind the man,” supporting Paul on the home front as he built his business and worked long hours. She managed the household and cooked three meals a day. When the kids were growing up, there were always homemade treats to welcome them home at the end of a school day. Rhoda and Paul instilled in their children the values of honesty, integrity and hard work. Rhoda loved being a grandma and allowed the grandchildren to jump on the bed and stay up until midnight when they were little and slept over. “Grandma B” was also a loving great-grandmother to the youngest generation of her family and she loved to hold and rock the babies. During their 67 years of marriage, Rhoda and Paul enjoyed travel, Sunday drives, dining out at “supper clubs,” and sharing a quiet life at home. Over the years, Rhoda hosted many family events and holidays, where she made everyone feel special and welcome. Rhoda’s many volunteer activities through St. Boniface Church included liturgy planning, serving as a communion minister, designing church bulletin covers (which sometimes featured poems she had written) and teaching religious education classes for children. She was also a member of The Daughters of Isabella. Rhoda enjoyed conversation and often shared memories of her years growing up during the Great Depression and of the characters she had encountered during her life. She espoused the philosophy of the hymn “Brighten the Corner Where You Are” in that she was drawn to those in need and always made time to visit a shut-in, take an elderly neighbor to the doctor, or show up with food for a family going through a difficult time. In her later years, it was important to Rhoda that she remain in the home she had so lovingly created. Her family is grateful to Morning Glory Home Care and Grace Hospice for their roles in making that possible and for the care, support and kindness they provided.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a private graveside service for immediate family members only. Memorials to Hastings Family Service or Caring & Sharing Hands are preferred.

Donald E. "Don" Carl, age 92 of Hastings, died peacefully on Wednesday morning, January 20, 2021, at United Hospital in St. Paul.

Donald Elmer, the son of Elmer and Catherine (Kirpach) Carl, was born on September 28, 1928, in Hastings. Following his education, Don enlisted in the Untied States Army and later received an honorable discharge. On June 4, 1955, Don was united in marriage to Evelyn M. Hubley and they were blessed with fifty-six years of marriage prior to her passing on August 27, 2011. Don was a plumber and longtime maintenance man for the Hastings School District until his retirement. He enjoyed fishing, taking rides around the country side with Evelyn, and vacationing to Northern California to visit his son, Tom.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Evelyn; daughter, Lisa Gath; and by his siblings, Richard, LeRoy, and Lois.

Don is survived by his son, Thomas Carl (Kay Pitman); son-in-law, Ed Gath; grandchildren, Timothy Carl, Zackary Breanen Gath, Derrick Gath, and Tony Gath; great grandchildren, Nevaeh Gath, Hannah Gath, Linkon Gath, Leo Gath, Anika Carl, and Ecko Carl; brother, Ken (Pat) Carl; sister-in-law, Maurice Carl; and by many other relatives and friends.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, a private family service will be held at a later date. Interment will be held at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Cemetery in Hastings.

Arrangements are being completed by Starkson Family Life Celebration Chapel of Hastings.

We are glad to be able to have funeral liturgies once again at SEAS Church, but because of current precautions due to the coronavirus, a few things will look differently than before.

1. SEAS is not able to host any kind of visitation during this current stage of reopening. We are open for funeral liturgies only.
2. When you come to a funeral, you will be seated by a porter no earlier than 30 minutes before the funeral. The pews have been roped off throughout the church to ensure proper safe distance of six feet from other households while you are in the sanctuary.
3. Immediate family of the deceased will not walk in the entrance procession but will be seated in the front rows before the liturgy begins. The sprinkling rite, usually taking place in the baptistery, will occur right in front of the altar.
4. Communion will happen at the usual Communion time during Mass. Please maintain six feet of distance between households as you come forward. The priest or other Communion minister will distribute to you through a Plexiglas shield.
5. Please read the obituary before you come. It will give you a good idea of what parts of the funeral day are open to the public and which parts the family will keep private. Each family is different as they protect themselves from this virus and we ask you to be respectful of their wishes. Even if you are not able to attend, any small gesture of sympathy means a lot to the grieving family.
6. Listen to instructions from the porters, funeral directors, and other ministers throughout the liturgy. As at other places in public, we strongly advise you to wear a mask, use hand sanitizer, and maintain an adequate six feet of distance from others.