Marvin Ward

FUNERAL SERVICES : 11:00 A.M. Saturday, September 21, 2013 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Park Rapids, MN with a visitation one hour prior to servicesVISITATION : 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Friday September 20, 2013 at Jones-Pearson Funeral Home in Park Rapids, MN .INTERMENT : Greenwood Cemetery Park Rapids, MN SURVIVORS : Marvin R. Ward July 3, 1928-September 14, 2013 Marvin Roger Ward, age 85, a long time Park Rapids area resident and educator peacefully entered eternal life on Saturday, September 14, 2013 at the Golden Living Center in Walker, MN. Marv was born in Lakefield, MN on July 3, 1928 to George and Dora (Maltzen) Ward. He grew up in Lakefield where he attended public school. He was active in both sports and band and was a standout trumpet player. He graduated from the Lakefield High school with the Class of 1946. After high school, Marv attended Junior College in Worthington, MN for a time. On October 30, 1949, Marvin was united in marriage to Gladys M. Kraft at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lakefield, MN. This union was blessed with a daughter: Susan and five sons: Steven, Gregory, Paul, Kerry and Jonathan. The young couple made their home in Minneapolis where Marv gained employment at his uncle"s hardware store. Later they moved back to Lakefield, MN where Marvin worked at the Railroad Depot in Windom, MN. During this time in his life, Marv also worked in construction and built his own home. He also worked part-time at the local theatre. Later, they moved to Fairmont, MN where he owned and operated a filling station for a time. Marv felt a calling to be an educator and moved with his young family to Mankato where he furthered his education at Mankato State University earning his Bachelors degree in Science. In 1963, the young family moved to Park Rapids, MN where he began a teaching career which spanned over 28 years. Over the years, Marvin taught physics, field science and math. Marv also sold life insurance while in Fairmont part-time, and worked for many years at Fullers Tackle Shop and at the Park Theatre.Marv was a man of faith and was active at St Johns Lutheran Church in Park Rapids. He had served as a Sunday school teacher and Sunday School Superintendent in both the Park Rapids and Mankato churches they attended. Marv had also spent a good amount of time doing detail work on the stained glass windows at the church in Mankato.He was a man of many interests and was a life time member of the NRA and the MN Deer Hunters Assoc. He served in Park Rapids as an assistant Boy Scout Troop Leader and enjoyed taking trips with his young scouts to the Boy Scout Camp in Philmont, New Mexico. He was a member of the Archery Clubs in both Park Rapids and Mankato, the Mankato Gun Club and the MN Education Assoc. He served as assistant wrestling coach in Park Rapids, taught drivers education and served on the Itasca State Park Planning Committee. He passed on his love for the out of doors, fishing, hunting and hunting safety to his children and grandchildren. He enjoyed attending gun shows and reading gun magazines. He was a voracious reader who spent countless hours reading about science, war, Africa (his passion) and historyin fact he had stacks of books everywhere around the house. He loved to work with his hands doing carpentry and building homes. He enjoyed working up a winter"s wood supply with the boys and preparing for the annual deer hunt. He loved developing his tree farm for wildlife habitat and for his children"s future. He enjoyed spending time at the cabin and going on pontoon rides with the family. Most of all, Marv had an abiding love for the Lord, and his wife, his children and his grandchildren. He always took great interest in what was going on in their lives and following their activities. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife for these past 63 years, Gladys of Park Rapids; his five sons: Stephen (Laurie Ouellette) Ward of Moorhead, MN, Gregory (Jacquelyn Green) Ward of Bemidji, MN, Paul (Sarah Hyde) Ward of Zimmerman, Kerry (Kari Fevig) Ward of Maple Grove, MN and Jonathan (Rose Anderson) Ward of Park Rapids, MN; 13 grandchildren: Stephen Jr. (Amy), Richard (Kerry Jo), Matthew, Jessica (Justin Dykstra), Erica, Nicholas, Adam, Regan, Hayden, Hannah, Harrisson, Hudson and Alissa (Eric Mickelson); seven precious great grandchildren: Tyler, Emily, Aaron, Teegan and Kierley Dykstra and Ian and Jack Mickelson; two sisters-in-law: Jackie Ward of Lakefield and Marion Burmiester of Waseca as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Marv was preceded in death by his infant daughter, Susan; his parents and two brothers: Leslie and Darrel Ward. Funeral services will be held 11 AM, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013 at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Park Rapids with the Reverend James Neubauer and Rev. Timothy Heinecke officiating. Connie Shubert will serve as the organist. The casket bearers will be Marvin"s grandchildren and great grandchildren. Interment will be made in the Greenwood Cemetery of Park Rapids. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 PM on Friday night at the Jones-Pearson Funeral Home and again Saturday morning at the church beginning one hour prior to the service. A luncheon will be provided for all by St. Johns Lutheran Church following the funeral service