Orlin Bielke

Orlin F. Bielke, age 72 of Sauk Centre, died Wednesday, July 13, 2005 at his home on Sauk Lake.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 16 at First Lutheran Church in Sauk Centre. Rev. Kevin Born will officiate with interment following in Greenwood Cemetery.

Friends may call from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Sauk Centre and Saturday at the church one hour prior to the service.

Orlin Bielke was born December 20, 1932 in New Auburn Township, Sibley County, Minnesota to Fred and Hilda (Lenz) Bielke. He attended District 28 country school through the eighth grade and then graduated from Glencoe High School. He served two years in the U.S. Army. On October 6, 1956 he married Marian Schatz at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brownton and the couple resided in New Auburn. He was a member of the New Auburn Lutheran Church, where he served as treasurer. For 25 years he was a member of the New Auburn Fire Department and he also served two terms on the New Auburn City Council. Orlin was employed by 3-M in Hutchinson for 28 years, retiring in 1994. After his retirement the couple moved to their lake home on Sauk Lake, near Sauk Centre. There he was a member of First Lutheran Church and American Legion Post 67.Orlin enjoyed golfing, fishing, doing yard work and his grandchildren, as well as working at John Wiese Ford as a transfer driver for dealer trades.

Survivors include his wife, Marian Bielke of Sauk Centre; two children, Bruce Bielke and Vicki (Bielke) Grochow and her fianc+, Dave Monk, all of Glencoe; four grandchildren, Collette (Grochow) Hardy and her husband, Mike, Crystal Grochow, Bennett and Danielle Bielke; sister, Elvera Smith of Darwin; brother-in-law, Dave Sandquist of Northfield; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Virg and Marlys Kurtzweg of Darwin.

He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Kathy (Bielke) Sandquist.

Serving as casket bearers will be Kurt, Mark and Scott Kurtzweg, Scott and Todd Smith and Eric Sandquist.