Southeast Minnesota women sew hope for girls around the world Chatfield woman nurtures effort to help dress needy children February 27, 2021 1:26pm Text size Copy shortlink:
After Denise Smalley and her husband, Charles, retired several years ago, they moved from the Chicago area back to the small town of Chatfield, Minn., where Charles grew up.
They had visited family there for decades, so it only made sense to join the church they d regularly attended when they came to the town in the rolling hills outside of Rochester, St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The town immediately felt like home. Denise kept in touch with a close friend from her church in Chicago and for months that friend kept mentioning an organization she d gotten involved in: Dress A Girl Around the World. The friend told Denise that the Iowa-based nonprofit made dresses for girls worldwide. Over the past decade, in fact, the organization had
Led by Denise Smalley in Chatfield, Minn., the group of women sews dresses for an international aid program designed to brighten girls lives, give them some protection from traffickers.
Feb 9, 2021
NEW ULM Brian Jay Tohal departed to his heavenly home on February 5, 2021, at the age of 64 after a brief illness.
A private family service will be held at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Ulm with Pastor Timothy Smith officiating.
The service will be livestreamed on the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home’s Facebook page starting at 1pm on Saturday, February, 13, 2021.
To leave an online condolence for his family, or to sign the guestbook, go to: mvfh.org.
Brian is survived by his wife, Kate, of New Ulm to whom he was married for 37 years. They were blessed with three daughters: Jackie of Mankato, Sarah of Minneapolis, and Sam of Rochester. He is also survived by his parents Jim (Elaine) and Audrey of Le Sueur, siblings Linda (Craig) Wells of Blue Earth, Tom of Anaheim, Calif., Sue (Dean) Zachman of St. Michael, Mike (Linda) Tohal of Le Sueur, Pam (Scott) Gillette of Prior Lake, and Emily (Raj) of St. Joseph.
Spring Grove family loses home and pet to fire; church asks community to help
York Dispatch
A family who lost their Spring Grove home to a devastating fire Monday night is known for helping others, but they now find themselves in need of their neighbors support, according to their pastor.
Chris and Tiffany Sauer and their 3-year-old son, Zachary, are staying with a neighbor for the time being, said Pastor Alison Kurland of Spring Grove s St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, where the Sauers are parishioners. They lost everything, Kurland said, including their cat. It was a kitchen fire and the roof collapsed. They were able to get out of the house, luckily.