Delores Agnes (Wiersgalla) Daniels

Delores Agnes (Wiersgalla) Daniels died on Saturday, December 2, 2023 at Lakewood Health in Staples at the age of 96. Visitation will be held from 4:00-6:00 PM on Sunday, December 10, 2023, at Iten Funeral Home with a Rosary at 3:45 PM and Parish Prayers at 4:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, December 11, 2023, at Christ the King Catholic Church with visitation one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at Christ the King Cemetery. 

On Saturday, December 2, 2023, Delores Agnes Daniels of Browerville, at the age of 96, passed peacefully from this world surrounded by family from what she often referred to as a “blessed life”.

Delores was born on November 15, 1927, to Anton and Frances (Motzko) Wiersgalla of Browerville, MN. She was the youngest of 14 children.  When visiting Minneapolis at the age of 15, Delores got a job working at Peters Meat Packing Company.  She returned to Browerville to help her mother recuperate and retain her mother’s housekeeping jobs after sustaining an injury.  Once her mother was on the mend, she was hired by the Pioneer Telephone Company as a telephone operator and held this job for almost 20 years.

In 1945, she met and married Donald Archie Daniels of Clarissa, MN.  They were blessed with two children, Karen and Edward. Delores and Don lived and worked in Browerville on a small farm with a slaughtering house owned by Plotnik Meat Market until the early 1960s.  In 1960, Don and Delores built a home on the outside of Browerville and in 1963 opened Daniels Meat Processing. They provided on farm butchering and in-house meat processing, cutting/wrapping, and producing; what some claim were the best smoked meat products every made.  Delores worked side by side with Don in the business as the bookkeeper, scheduler, organizer, and amazing meat wrapper.  Shortly after Don’s death in December of 1977, Delores sold the meat processing business and worked part time for her son Edward at his Miltona Meat Locker. Delores remained in her home in Browerville until 2021 at which time she moved to Lakewood Pines Assisted Living in Staples, MN.

Delores loved to travel and spoke often about her trips to Hawaii, Guam, Colorado, California, and Florida. Many stories have been told of good times and her sense of humor as a prankster, never the instigator, but always willing to play along.  She had a love of playing cards and Rummy-O with family and friends and was lovingly referred to as the “Queen of the Cheaters”. She enjoyed crocheting, embroidery, was an excellent cook, liked to bake, enjoyed her vegetable and flower gardens, and maintaining her home, but could easily be persuaded to drop these hobbies to go fishing any time of year.  She was a life longer member of Christ the King Church and in younger days she was an active founding member of the “Drift Skippers” snowmobile club.

Delores is survived by her children: Karen Daniels, Silver Bay, MN; Ed (Judy) Daniels, Battle Lake, MN.  Grandchildren:  Bonnie Warner, Silver Bay, MN; Jackie Miller, Sauk Rapids, MN; Nicole (Erik) Carlsen, Houstin, TX; Austin (Sommer) Daniels, Belgrade, MT.  Great Grandchildren: Lucas and Josie Miller, Sauk Rapids, MN; Julia and Lauren Carlsen, Houstin, TX; Emerson, Ivy, and Reed, Belgrade, MT.

Preceding Delores in death, her husband, Donald Daniels.  Parents, Anton and Frances Wiersgalla.  Her thirteen brothers and sisters and their spouses:  Agnes Gusinda, Mary (Henry) Bednarz, Francis (John) Gonsior, Pauline (Paul) Cebulla, Gertrude (Louis) (Peter) Barlytla-Bednarz, Kathryn “Barbara” (Peter) Jakubik, Ann (John) (Frank) Gmyrek-Drayna, Robert (Evelyn) Wiersgalla, Steve (Delores) Wiersgalla, Anthony “Tony” (Ellen) Wiersgalla, Lawrence (Alice) Wiersgalla, Edward (Arlene) Wiersgalla, and Rev. Joseph Wiersgalla.

Delores will be laid to rest next to her husband and lifelong love, Don, at Christ the King Cemetery, Browerville, MN, on December 11, 2023.  Sunday, December 10th Visitation at Iten Funeral Home from 4-6 p.m.  Monday, December 11th Celebration of life, 11 a.m. Christ the King Church, Browerville, MN, with visitation one-hour prior.  Lunch to follow at Christ the King Church basement.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Christ the King Catholic Church or School.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.