Shirley Kulla, age 93, of Brainerd and formerly Pine River, passed away on Friday, August 18, 2023, at Good Samaritan Society-Bethany in Brainerd. She was born to C.O. and Grace (Ford) Musselman on April 5, 1930, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. When Shirley was young, the family moved to Longville, MN, where she would grow up. She met and married Frank Kulla in 1948. To their union, two daughters, Jane and Jan Marie were born. Shirley was a homemaker, but also worked for the MN DNR. She loved her garden, flowers and doing yard work. Her passion was her beloved cats. Shirley lived on White Pine Point in Pine River amongst her friends and neighbors for over 40 years. She lived in Pine River until entering the nursing home in Brainerd.
“It's a high percentage of COVID patients,” said Dr. Greg Davis. “In the medical ward yesterday, I think they said there were 20 of 27 patients in for COVID-related illness.”
In the ICU, Davis said 7 of 10 patients were COVID-19 patients. All seven of those patients were unvaccinated, he said.
“It was really something special, to think that somebody on the outside thinks of us in here. 4:00 am, Feb. 17, 2021 ×
Kelli Mankowski adds another balloon buddy to her table Friday, Feb.12, at Party World in Baxter. Mankowski is creating the balloon art with her staff to be delivered to nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the Brainerd area. After long periods of seclusion, the arrival of a balloon buddy seems to brighten the mood of residents. The international program is designed to lift the spirits of people who have not seen their families during the pandemic. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch
“It was really something special, to think that somebody on the outside thinks of us in here. 4:00 am, Feb. 17, 2021 ×
Kelli Mankowski adds another balloon buddy to her table Friday, Feb.12, at Party World in Baxter. Mankowski is creating the balloon art with her staff to be delivered to nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the Brainerd area. After long periods of seclusion, the arrival of a balloon buddy seems to brighten the mood of residents. The international program is designed to lift the spirits of people who have not seen their families during the pandemic. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch