Obituaries are courtesy of Mueller-Bies Funeral Homes, located at 2130 N Dale St., Roseville, Minn.
Elaine C. Franta (1929-2026)
Elaine Clare Franta of Harris, Minn. passed away on May 7 after suffering a stroke on May 1. She was 97.
Born March 24, 1929 in St. Paul, Minn., Franta was raised with the values of hard work, faith, thrift and family devotion that shaped her entire life. Proud of her Czech heritage, she loved cooking, gardening, canning and feeding others. She showed her love through hospitality and generosity.
Franta began working at age 13 and eventually became Head Cook at St. Catherine College, where she prepared over a million meals. She also met the love of her life, Frank John Franta, at this time. They married after high school and together, they built a life centered on faith, family, music, friendship and fun.
Franta’s legacy of faith, strength, generosity and work ethic will live on through the many lives she touched.
Franta was preceded in death by her husband Frank John, her sons Fred, James and Scott, her son-in-law Peter Pream, parents George and Catherine (Mersch) Strafelda and brothers Roy, Thomas and David.
She is survived by her daughters Julie (James) Thill, Linda Pream and Coralie (Charles) Liberko, daughters-in-law Kaye Franta and Amy Clasen Hahn, 20 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 2 at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 2090 N. Hamline Ave., Roseville. Visitation will be held at the church from 9-10 a.m. Tuesday. A luncheon will follow the service.
In lieu of flowers or memorials, consider donating to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Rev. Dr. Robert A. Holst (1936-2026)
The Rev. Dr. Robert A. “Bob” Holst of St. Paul passed away on Tuesday. He was 89.
Holst was born in Austin, Minn. on Oct. 1, 1936. He attended Concordia High School and Junior College in St. Paul, and went on to graduate from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.
Holst married Lynne Grabowski on Aug. 13, 1960 in Brownsdale, Minn. They were blessed with three children.
During his career, Holst served for five years in the missionary fields of Papua New Guinea. He went on to teach at Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Ind. and Christ College in Irvine, Calif. He finished his career by serving as president of Concordia University – St. Paul from 1991 to 2011.
Holst loved traveling all around the world as well as to the Boundary Waters with his family and playing card games at family gatherings.
Holst was preceded in death by his parents Arthur and Lucinda. He is survived by his wife of 65 years Lynne, their children Mark (Terry), Tom (Susan) and Ruth, six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and siblings Helen, Donald (Lois) & John (Janice).
In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to the Holst Scholarship: Access to Opportunity for Excellence or Expanding the Kingdom Capital Campaign at King of Kings Lutheran Church (Roseville).
Larry L. Hobbs (1934 – 2026)
Larry Hobbs of Osceola, Wisc. passed away on Tuesday. He was 91.
Hobbs grew up in Winchester, Ind., entering the U.S. Navy at age 17. He met the love of his life, Julia, while serving and they married shortly before he left the Navy. He worked in electrical engineering for many years, starting several successful computer companies between the 1970s and 90’s.
Hobbs enjoyed a long retirement of spending time with his family, focusing on his faith and favorite pastimes of hunting, fishing and traveling. He loved people, struck up conversations and made new friends wherever he went, offering encouragement, advice or just a cheerful remark.
Hobbs was preceded in death by his beloved wife Julia, parents Jerry and Lucile, brothers Jerry, Jr. and Randy and grandson Luke Vandegrift.
He is survived by his 12 children, Lucy (Tom) Kreps, Theresa (Andrew) Livingston, Sheila (Eugene) Delgaudio, Tina, Julie (David) Vandegrift, John (Missy), Kathy (Mike) Kilduff, Angie (Mike) Minwegen, Beth (Craig) Jalbert, Matthew (Nicole), Mark (Penny) and Luke (Catherine), daughter-in-law Maria, 73 grandchildren and 64 great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian Burial 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 21 at the Church of St. Agnes, 535 Thomas Ave., St. Paul. Visitation from 4-7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20 at Mueller-Bies Funeral Home – Roseville. Interment at St. Anne Cemetery in Somerset, Wisc.
Memorials are preferred to the Church of St. Agnes in St. Paul or the Church of St. Anne in Somerset.
C.D. Johnson (1963-2026)
C.D. Johnson of Port Richey, Fla. passed away on May 7. He was 63.
Johnson was preceded in death by his parents Gene and Patricia and brother Terry. He is survived by his children Stephanie, McCall (Dale) Schmitz, Jennifer, Joshua and McKayla, grandchildren Olivia, Jaxon, Joey and Charlotte, siblings Gene Jr. (Leslie), Scott (Linda), Mark, Matt (Linda) and Tammy, and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Mass of Christian Burial 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 21 at The Church of the Assumption, 51 W. 7th St, St. Paul with visitation at the church from 9-10 a.m. Private interment Elmhurst Cemetery.
