Marvin O. Hawes

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MARVIN ORDELL HAWES was born December 15, 1933 to Floyd and Nina (Loeffler) Hawes on the family farm south of Jasper and west of Hardwick in Rose Dell Township, Rock County, Minnesota. He was baptized at the Springwater Church in rural Rock County, Minnesota and was later confirmed at the Methodist church in Jasper, Minnesota. He attended District 45 County School in Springwater Township through the 8th grade and then Jasper High School, graduating in 1951. He continued to work on the family farm until October of 1953 when he enlisted in the United States Army. He reported to Ft. Bliss Texas for training in Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) and then was stationed at Loring Air Force Base Maine. He manned an AAA gun for base defense. After serving two full years during the Korean War, Marvin was honorably discharged at Fort Devens, Massachusetts on October 12, 1955. He then returned home to Minnesota. On August 23, 1958 Marvin married Sharon Bergin at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Garretson, South Dakota and the couple settled on the Hawes family farm. On this farm, as his father had done before him, Marvin worked the land and raised his family. Marvin was diagnosed with Diabetes in his early 40s. He worked tirelessly with Sharon to try to manage it. In 1982 the Hawes family farm was recognized by the State of Minnesota as a certified Century Farm. Having been in the Hawes family for four generations and meeting all the criteria, the farm was honored with the Century Farm designation. Marv retired from farming in 1995 and held a farm sale the following year. Not one to sit idle, Marv began working in 1997 at Nordstrom Auto Recycling and a short time later, the couple moved to Luverne, Minnesota. In 2000, he began helping part-time at Sears in Luverne. In his mid 70s, Marvin was diagnosed with Dementia. In September 2017, he moved into the Good Samaritan Communities nursing home in Pipestone, Minnesota. In December 2017 Marvin was transferred to the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne, where on Wednesday, January 29, 2020, he died peacefully under hospice care at the age of 86 years, one month and 14 days.

Marv was a member of the Methodist Church in Jasper, and later at the United Methodist Church in Luverne, where he served on several boards and as usher for many years. He also served on the Rose Dell Township Board for seven years. He enjoyed playing cards, especially the game of Pinochle. Marv also enjoyed bowling, camping, riding bike, taking walks and ballroom dancing. Time spent with his grandchildren was especially precious to him.

Marvin will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 61 years, Sharon of Luverne; three children, Curt (Chona) of Yorktown, Virginia, Connie of Hopkins, Minnesota, and Amy (Chris) Otto of Sheldon, Iowa; grandchildren, Casey and Carrie Hawes and Abigail Otto; five siblings, Shirley (David) Haroldson of Clive, Iowa, Marvel (Bert) Phillips of Lakeville, Minnesota, Lloyd (Carol) Hawes of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, Arlen (Marla) Hawes of Crooks, South Dakota, and Sharon (Steve) Gilb of Mountain Lake, Minnesota. He was preceded in death by his parents, Floyd and Nina Hawes; three sisters, Rosella Murphy, Marilyn Eustice, and Betty Lane; and one brother, Glenn Hawes.