Elmer W. Bartels

ELMER WILLIAM BARTELS was born to Otto and Martha (Scheel) Bartels on February 1, 1931 on a farm northeast of Trosky, Minnesota. 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. In the late 1940’s, he met the love of his life, Eunice Kuhlman. The couple was united in marriage on June 10, 1951 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Jasper, Minnesota. 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. Here they placed their roots and Elmer farmed the land until his retirement in 2003. They continued to reside on the farm until they moved to Luverne on December 10, 2010. On Thursday, October 17, 2019 Elmer died peacefully at the Sanford Luverne Hospice Cottage at the age of 88 years, eight months and 16 days.

Elmer was a member of Trinity Lutheran 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 continue 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 Golden Gophers, and doing and framing puzzles. Elmer & Eunice traveled to Germany in 1979 and 2007 to visit Bartels and Kuhlman relatives. They also enjoyed traveling to almost every state in the country. Elmer greatly enjoyed spending time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Elmer is lovingly remembered by his wife of 68 years, Eunice; his children, Rebecca Bartels of St. Paul, MN, Rachel Lenz of Shakopee, MN, Timothy Bartels and his wife Lori of Truman, MN, and James Bartels of Luverne; 11 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; a sister, Rose Marie (Eugene) Meyer of Willmar, MN; a brother-in-law, Elmer Kuhlman of Cross Lake, MN; a sister-in-law, Carol Kuhlman of Luverne; and other family. 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).