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Elmer Bartels

Lead Summary

Elmer Bartels
Elmer William Bartels, 88, Luverne, formerly of Jasper, died Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, at the Sanford Luverne Hospice Cottage.
A funeral service was Monday, Oct. 21, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Jasper. Burial followed at Memory Gardens Cemetery near Luverne.
Elmer Bartels was born to Otto and Martha (Scheel) Bartels on Feb. 1, 1931, on a farm northeast of Trosky. He was baptized on March 1, 1931, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Trosky and confirmed his faith at St. John’s on March 25, 1945. Elmer spent his childhood years on the farm and attended District 51 country school in Trosky. He moved with his parents to the Hardwick area in 1945.
Elmer married Eunice Kuhlman on June 10, 1951, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Jasper. They farmed outside of Hardwick and in the Luverne area with his parents until 1954. Elmer and Eunice purchased a farm south of Jasper in February of 1955 and farmed the land until Elmer’s retirement in 2003. They continued to reside on the farm until they moved to Luverne on Dec. 10, 2010.
Elmer was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Jasper where he served as congregational president, elder, member of the stewardship committee, and sang bass in the choir. He held district and synod positions within the LCMS. He was very active in the Lutheran Laymen’s League, now known as Lutheran Hour Ministries, where he held zone, district, and international positions for many years. Elmer and Eunice helped organize a couples club in 1959 and continued to gather with these same friends on a regular basis 60 years later.
Elmer enjoyed woodworking, bowling, playing cards, gardening, listening to the Twins, Vikings and Gophers, and doing and framing puzzles. Elmer and Eunice enjoyed traveling, especially to Germany in 1979 and 2007 to visit Bartels and Kuhlman relatives. Elmer enjoyed spending time with his family.
Elmer is survived by his wife, Eunice; four children, Rebecca Bartels of St. Paul, Rachel Lenz of Shakopee, Timothy (Lori) Bartels of Truman, and James Bartels of Luverne; 11 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; a sister, Rose Marie (Eugene) Meyer of Willmar; a brother-in-law, Elmer Kuhlman of Cross Lake; a sister-in-law, Carol Kuhlman of Luverne; and other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his parents and six sisters and their spouses, Alvina Brockberg (John), Luella Seimer (Charles), Johanna Busch (Clarence), Erna Jessen (Albert), Verna Busch (Kenneth), and Eileen Brockberg (Ray).
Arrangements were provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, www.hartquistfuneral.com.
(1024 F)

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