Ervin Duevel

Ervin H. Duevel, age 83 of Melrose, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on Sunday, February 4, 2018 at the Pine Haven Care Center in Melrose, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 a.m. Monday, February 12 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport with Rev. Marvin Enneking officiating. Interment will be at St. Mary's Cemetery with military honors provided by the Melrose Veterans Honor Guard following the Mass.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday and from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose. Catholic United Financial will pray at 6 p.m. and parish prayers will be at 7 p.m. Sunday evening at the funeral home.

Ervin Henry Duevel was born July 15, 1934 at the Duevel homestead north of Melrose, Minnesota to Joseph and Helen (Schmidt) Duevel. Ervin grew up on the farmstead where he developed the tools he used throughout his life. Ervin believed that success in life was achieved through hard work, being meticulous to detail, perseverance and love of his family. He instilled many of these qualities into his children. Ervin's path through life took many routes. He was very proud of his work during the years he spent serving in the U.S. Army. While stationed in Alaska, Ervin helped build many of the roads at the time the Alaska territory was being granted statehood. After returning from Alaska, Ervin traveled to Northwest North Dakota to find work with the trade he loved the most, farming. During the time he spent working for the Melby family in Bowbells, North Dakota, he found the love of his life, Denice Rogers. Shortly after their marriage on November 25, 1961 in Bowbells, they moved back to Melrose to help at the family farm and raise a family. Ervin continued full time employment as a truck driver and employee at the Kraft cheese plant in Melrose. A few years after the cheese plant burned down, Ervin and Denice moved back to North Dakota to help their daughter and son-in-law farm and ranch. Ervin and Denice found some of their most peaceful years helping care for their newest grandson in North Dakota. After Ervin's health started to fail, they moved back to Melrose to help lighten the workload at the Duevel farmstead and enjoy their other grandchildren. During this time, Ervin fought the onset and advanced stages of dementia. He enjoyed playing cards, watching baseball and softball, and always had a smile and soft spot for all his grandchildren. He will be remembered fondly as this being one of his greatest traits.

He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Melrose, Catholic United Financial, and Schanhaar-Otte VFW Post 7050.

Ervin is survived by his wife of 56 years, Denice of Melrose, three sons, Jerome (Kim) of Melrose, Duane (Cindy) of Melrose, Shawn (Nancy) of New Munich, daughter, Sandra (John) Schmid of Carson, North Dakota; nine grandchildren with one on the way and three great-grandchildren; siblings, Eddie (Mary Jane) of Sauk Centre, Lorraine (Herbert)Schmidt of Sauk Centre, Joseph (Dorothy) of Elrosa; and sister-in-law, Marge Rogers of New Salem, North Dakota.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Helen Duevel; 3-year-old brother, Jerome; sister, Bernice Kuefler; father and mother-in-law, Harold and Alice Rogers; brothers-in-law, Joseph Kuefler, Merlin Rogers, Gerald Rogers, Lonnie Nelson, and Bruce Pollert; and sisters-in-law, Shirley Nelson and Ardell Pollert.

Serving as casket bearers will be Michael Schmid, Zachary Duevel, Grant Duevel, Steven Schmid, Dale Kuefler, and Randy Duevel. Cross bearer will be Ethan Duevel and scripture bearer will be Madison Duevel. Gift bearers will be Madison, Fae, and Gabrielle Duevel. Reader will be John Schmid and petitions will be read by Michael Schmid.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Pine Haven Care Center in Melrose and/or the CentraCare Health Hospice.