Edward Carl Wessel

EDWARD CARL WESSEL, age 91, died April 8, 2018 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, after a short illness. A private burial was held at St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery, South Branch Township.  A Memorial Service will be on Saturday April 28, 2018 at 11 AM at St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Fairmont.  Zaharia Family Funeral Home in Truman is entrusted with arrangements. www.ZahariaFamilyFuneral.com. Edward was born October 24, 1926 to his parents Edward and Amanda (Nolte) Wessel in Rolling Green Township, Fairmont, Minnesota.  He was baptized in the name of the Triune God at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Fairmont by the Rev. O.H. Zemke.  In 1929 the family moved to Truman.  Edward received his education at the District 6 school in Antrim Township of Watonwan County and St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Truman.  He was confirmed in the Lutheran confession of the faith on May 5, 1940 by the Rev. Walter Rolf.  Edward was united in holy marriage to his wife Sylvia (Kuske) on June 14, 1959 at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Rochester.   They made their home on his parents’ family farm for several years before moving to South Branch Township, where they raised three children and farmed until 1997.  Ed and Sylvia lived in Asheville, North Carolina from 1997 to 2005, when they moved to Fairmont. He was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Fairmont. Ed sang in church choir, men’s chorus, and as a soloist for about 50 years.  He held various offices in the churches of which he was a member and as a Sunday School and Bible Class teacher.   He served on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota South District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod for 14 years and was twice a delegate to national conventions.  He was instrumental in establishing Martin Luther High School in Northrop.  His pastimes were hunting, softball, bowling, crossword puzzles and he was also an avid gardener. He is survived by his wife Sylvia; son Lyn of rural Truman, son Loel (Kathy) of Spring Valley, and daughter LeAnn (Paul) Hilchen of Tigard, Oregon; grandchildren Benjamin and Zachary Wessel and Stephanie and Victoria Hilchen; brother Loren Wessel of Truman; sisters-in-law Kathy Wessel of St. Peter, Alice Wessel of Fond du Lac, WI, Lucille Wessel of New Ulm, Harriette Doepel of Dallas, TX, Ethelyn Moeller of Fairmont, Bess Kuske of Willowbrook, IL, Mary Kuske of Frankenmuth, MI, Virginia Kuske of Mankato, and Luella Wrege of N. Tonawanda, NY; and many nieces and nephews. Edward was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Harold (Luella), Walter (Naomi), Reinhardt, Roger, and Howard; sisters Elfrieda (Roy) Turnmire and Luella (Donald) Jurgenson; brothers-in-law Gordon Moeller, Wilmer Kuske, Eugene Kuske, Donald Kuske, and William Wrege and sisters-in-law Beulah Wessel and Dorothy Kohagen. Memorials are preferred to Martin Luther High School, Northrop or Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne IN.