Love After Life in Faribault

Jesse Thomas, Rice County Sheriff, got approval today from the County Board of Commissioners to receive a monetary donation from the estate of a Faribault woman.

Thomas said unfortunately he could not give any details about why the gift was made from the estate of Marlene Ress.

I also looked up the obituary for Ress on the Boldt Funeral Home Faribault website.

Not much detail is there either.  It simply states she was born January 14, 1933 and died August 9, 2022.

She was married and divorced with no children mentioned.  Surviving sisters in Owatonna and Waseca.

Ress was interned at Maple Lawn Cemetery in Faribault.

In addition to the Sheriff's Office the will from Ress also left the same amount of money $44,700 to the Faribualt Police Department and Faribault Fire Department.

Commissioner Galen Malecha of Northfield said thanks were in order.

Commissioner Jeff Docken was also moved by the generosity of the Faribault woman.

I phoned Dustin Dienst, Faribault Fire Chief.  He was also touched by the generosity of a woman he doesnt remember ever having contact with.

I asked if a husband, brother, or sister could have been a firefighter or been saved by members of the department.

Dienst has done some checking out of curiosity for the reason behind the generous gift.

As the Sheriff stated  the will specifies the money is to be used to purchase equipment.

He told KDHL/POWER 96 he won't go out and spend money just because it's there.

The Faribault Fire Chief envisions setting up a special account with the funds earmarked for Fire Department equipment as outlined in the Estate of Marlene Ress.

Sheriff Thomas also did not mention what equipment might be purchased with the gift.