Duane Malecha, 42
Duane L. Malecha, 42, of Orr, formerly of Lonsdale, died Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007, in an automobile accident near Orr.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 14, at the Trondhjem Lutheran Church in Lonsdale.
A gathering of family and friends will be held for one hour prior to the service at the church.
Duane was born on February 17, 1965, at New Prague, a son of Leonard and Jayne (Svoboda) Malecha. He was raised in the Lonsdale area and moved to Myrtle Lake in 1975, where his family owned and operated the Myrtle Lake Resort until 1982. He graduated from Orr High School in 1983. Duane moved back to Lonsdale in 1983 and worked in construction for six years. In 1989, he moved to Seattle, WA, where he got his start in commercial fishing with his uncle, David Glem, and continued for 13 years. He returned to Orr in 2002, where he worked as a logger and mason. Duane was a member of the Calvary Lutheran Church and served on the church council. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and making others laugh.
He is survived by a daughter Morgan, at home; stepdaughter Kathryn Hetra, Orr; his parents; two brothers Mark (Julie) Malecha, Orr and Danny (Abi) Malecha, Lonsdale; three sisters Sandra McDonald, Red Wing, Mary Lu (Terry) Bastyr, Veseli and Sonia Malecha, Faribault; nieces and nephews David Hoffman, Candis, Lindsay and Bradley Bastyr, Kimberly (and great-nephew Noah) Jirik, Ashley, Serena and Justin Malecha; and many friends.
He was preceded in death by a sister Debbie on October 20, 1989.
Arrangements are with the White Funeral Home in Lonsdale.
