NEW ULM

Marvin Wels, 90, of New Ulm died Saturday, November 17, 2012 at the Oak Hills Living Center in New Ulm. Funeral service will be 11 am Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Ulm with Pastor Donald Sutton officiating. Burial will follow in the St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery with full military honors conducted by the New Ulm Area Comrades of Valor Honor Guard. Visitation will be 4-8 pm Tuesday and 7:30-8:30 am Wednesday at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home NORTH CHAPEL in New Ulm and will continue for one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday.

Marvin is survived by his wife of 67 years, Ruth Minnie Wels of New Ulm; daughters and sons-in-law, Marilyn and Ted Roach of St. Paul, Janet and Grant Barthel of Shirley, Wisconsin, Diane and Dennis Woods of New Ulm; son and daughter-in-law, Ron and Faith Wels of New Ulm; 13 grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; and sister-in-law, Lorraine Wels of New Ulm. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Rueben, Lorenz; and sisters, Eldora, and Ruth.

Marvin George Wels was born June 8, 1922 in rural Nicollet to Hermann and Alma (Dallmann) Wels. He attended Trinity Lutheran Grade School in Nicollet,was baptised and confirmed at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, and graduated from Nicollet High School with the class of 1940. After high school, Marvin studied at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter and Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis. In 1942, he enlisted in the US Navy and served for three and a half years aboard the A.S. Bushnell in the Pacific during WWII. On July 28, 1945 Marvin was united in marriage to Ruth Minnie Ulrich in Washington, DC where they celebrated the end of the war together. Upon his discharge, Marvin and Ruth moved to New Ulm where he owned and operated Marv’s Electric Service for many years. Marvin enjoyed fishing, gardening, woodworking, tree planting, taking naps, fixing things, and had a great sense of humor. He was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm for 67 years, where served on the church council, as an usher, on the cemetery board, as a money counter for 25 years, and as a St. Paul’s School Volunteer. He loved and honored Jesus, his Savior. This is his legacy to his family. Memorials are preferred to Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School (MVL).