Wayne Francis Biever, age 91, of Luverne, Minnesota, died on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne.
Funeral arrangements were under the care of Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne.
Visitation was from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, with a prayer service and sharing of memories at 6:30 p.m. at Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne.
A private family graveside service was at Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Arthur Moeller American Legion Post 478 of Hardwick, Minnesota.
Please visit www.hartquistfuneral.com to view Wayne’s life history and to sign an online registry.
Wayne Francis Biever was born Sept. 6, 1934, in Slayton, Minnesota, to Nick Biever and Lila (Brinkman) Biever. He was part of a fun and gregarious large extended family that was in southwest Minnesota. He grew up in the Ruthton-Woodstock, Minnesota, area where he attended school. He loved horses and often would ride to country school in Woodstock. He continued to ride until he was around 50 years of age. In school, Wayne participated in football and baseball at Ruthton High School.
Following graduation, he served in the United States Marine Corps from 1952-1955, serving in the Korean conflict and Cuba. While in combat in Korea, his unit experienced a high casualty rate. He learned how to operate heavy machinery and help build landing strips for the Marine Air Division. Wayne was proud of his service in the Marines and his status as a combat veteran and had an appreciation for veterans, especially combat veterans. Following his honorary discharge, he graduated from Dunwoody Industrial Trade School in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1957.
On April 4, 1959, he was united in marriage to Isabell (Thomssen) in Holland, Minnesota. They were blessed with two children and raised their family in Luverne, Minnesota. Wayne worked for the City of Luverne, Minnesota, from 1958-1971 and the Minnesota Department of Transportation from 1971-1993. During his lifetime he also owned and operated a heavy equipment business as well.
On Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, Wayne passed away at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne at the age of 91 years, two months and 10 days.
Wayne was a member of the American Legion Color Guard until he was 88. He enjoyed elk, antelope and deer hunting in Wyoming and pheasant hunting in Rock and Pipestone counties. He hunted pheasants until he was 87. Wayne also enjoyed fishing, snowmobiling, bowling, dancing, playing cards and shaking dice.
The Biever family get-togethers were often filled with live music, singing, great food and fun times. Wayne could have a conversation with anyone and enjoyed attending many community events. Watching his grandchildren participate in their athletic events was something he loved. He was an avid and excellent swimmer, doing back flips, gainers and swan dives off the high board well into his forties and he continued to lap swim until he was 89. Wayne was a finalist in the Luverne Centennial beard contest in 1967.
In 2018 he went on the Midwest Honor Flight for Korean and Vietnam veterans. He also had his Marine Corps tattoos re-inked when he was 88. There was a point where he struggled with keeping his body hydrated, so his family decided to call the U.S. Marine Corps to get him to listen. Active-duty Marines came to his house and ordered him to stay hydrated and ended up having a good time together.
Wayne and Isabell spent many winters in Lake Havasu, Arizona, and in southern Texas. While in Arizona, Wayne enjoyed spending time with the Canadian snowbirds and hunting rattlesnakes in the desert.
Survivors include his wife, Isabell Biever of Luverne; two children, Dan Biever of Luverne and Colleen (Eric) Anderson of Mankato, Minnesota; three grandchildren, Bo, Jackson and Sydney; and brother, Gene (Gwen) Biever of Big Stone City, South Dakota.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother Dale Biever; and granddaughter Samantha Anderson.
