Wayne T. Ebsen

WAYNE THOMAS EBSEN was born to Peter and Serena (Christensen) Ebsen on March 25, 1917 near Vermillion, South Dakota. After graduating from the 8th grade, he worked for area farmers, eventually ending up in Pipestone County, Minnesota in 1938. He entered the United States Army, serving in the Pacific Theatre during WWII. He was honorably discharged and then returned to the Pipestone area. He was united in marriage to the love of his life, Elizabeth Meyer. Following their marriage, they lived in Pipestone. Together they raised a loving family of six children. In 1950, Wayne became a Pipestone Police Officer. He was honored for rescuing a local woman from a burning building during the 1973 Furniture store fire, and was named MN Police Officer of the Year. He retired as Police Captain in 1980. On January 17, 2013, he was admitted to the Pipestone County Medical Center. He died there on Friday, January 25, 2013 at the age of 95 years and ten months.

Wayne was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Pipestone. He was a member of the Michael Boock American Legion Post 6 and the VFW Post 3814 in Pipestone. He served as the VFW Commander for three terms and served on the Honor Guard for many years. In the summer of 2012, he was made an honorary member of the Shifter’s Club, an honor he was so proud of. He loved working in his wood working shop, continuing until just the past month. He made dozens of little wooden wagons for family and friends. He loved going to his favorite “haunts”, True Value Hardware and Monks Secondhand store, in addition to the local lumber yard, often just to visit. Wayne could be seen driving his pick-up truck checking out anything new going on in town. He drove until he was 94, and was proud of it.

He is lovingly remembered by his wife, Elizabeth Ebsen of Pipestone, Minnesota; his five children, Gail and her husband Ron Abbink of Baltic, South Dakota, Dean Ebsen and his wife Carol Ann Douty of Royalton, Minnesota, Karen Sorensen of Alvin, Texas, Terri and her husband Franklin Petersen of Windom, Minnesota, and Jane and her husband Larry Gorter of Pipestone, Minnesota; son-in-law, Harold Hess and his fianc Dianne Karlstad of Luverne, Minnesota; 17 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; one brother, Curtis and his wife Virginia Ebsen of Madison, South Dakota; and two sisters, Mary Ann and her husband Jim Hyland of Madison, South Dakota and Emma Flannery of Rapid City, South Dakota. He is preceded in death by his darling daughter, Linda Kay Hess; his parents; two sisters; and two brothers.