James Goellner

James Goellner, age 66 of Sauk Centre, died peacefully at his home in Sauk Centre, Minnesota on July 6, 2017 surrounded by his family.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 10th at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Sauk Centre with Rev. Greg Paffel officiating. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery in Sauk Centre.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8:00 p.m. Sunday at Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Sauk Centre and from 9 to 10 a.m. Monday at the funeral home.

James Craig Goellner was born May 17, 1951 in Freeport, Illinois, the son of William Andrew and Eleanor Rue (Edwards) Goellner. He spent most of his childhood growing up in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, where he learned to love the desert and cultivated his natural talent for scuba diving and spearfishing - he was known as "the fish boy" by many of the local taxi drivers because he would always bring home his catch to his mother.

On September 8, 1980, James was united in marriage to Sharon Anne Fischer in Saint Boniface Catholic Church in Cold Spring, Minnesota. He was deeply devoted to his wife and never took off his wedding band. The only thing greater than his dedication to Sharon was his deep devotion to his Catholic faith which he adopted at the age of 19. He was an avid reader, an interest which he passed on to his three children.

James was a member of the Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Sauk Centre.

Survivors include his wife of 36 years, Sharon; children, Philip (Sara) Goellner of Sauk Centre, Sister Sharon Rose "Anna" Goellner, O.P., of Nashville, TN, and Emily (Kyle) Hoium of Melrose; grandchildren, Raphael, Magdalen, Eleanor, and Elijah Goellner and a Hoium grandchild anticipated in November; and brothers, Dr. William Edward Goellner and Stephen Goellner.

James was preceded in death by Guadalupe, a child in infancy; and his parents, William and Eleanor Goellner.