Marvel Harriet Erbes

Marvel H. Erbes age 91 of Tracy, MN died Friday, April 4, 2008 at the Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Balaton, MN. Services will be 10:30 AM Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at the Tracy Lutheran Church. Visitation will be from 4:00 until 8:00 PM Monday, April 7, 2008, also at the Tracy Lutheran Church in Tracy, with a prayer service at 7:00 PM. Interment will be at the Tracy City Cemetery. Marvel Harriet Erbes was born April 10, 1916 to Henry and Mabel (Walden) Haugen on the family farm south of Tracy, MN in Murray County. She was baptized and confirmed in the Christian faith at Willow Lake Lutheran Church. Marvel attended Country School District #16 and then Tracy High School, where she graduated on May 29, 1936. On January 15, 1939, Marvel married Gerald Erbes at her parent’s home which later became their home. This farm house where Marvel was born and married was her residence for all but five years of her life. Marvel worked many jobs in the Tracy area as well as running the farm household. She was a cook for Ma-Pa-Loma in Currie, the Red Rooster in Tracy and the Neon Inn (now the Mediterranean Club) which she also owned. She also worked as a clerk for the Gardener’s grocery store in Currie, MN, which later became RJ’s. Marvel was a life long member of the Willow Lake Lutheran Church until it closed two years ago when she became a member of the Lake Sarah Lutheran in Garvin, MN. Over the years, she had been very active in her church women’s groups as well as Birthday Club, Tracy Senior Center, and the Currie American Legion Auxiliary. She was proud of being recognized as a Gold Star Mother for her son, John, who died in Vietnam. She enjoyed playing cards, bingo, quilting, and embroidering, but her love was spending time with her children and their families. In the fall of 2007, Marvel became a resident of O’Brien Court in Tracy and later she moved to the Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Balaton, MN where she died Friday, April 4, 2008, surrounded by her loving family, at the age of 91. Marvel is survived by her two daughters, Murlayne (Dwane) VanDale of Prior Lake, MN and Muriel Hubbard of Seattle, WA; five sons, Kermit Erbes of Minneapolis, MN, Kevin (Donna) Erbes, Kim Erbes and George (Lori) Erbes, all of Tracy, MN, and Paul Erbes of Baltimore, MD; twenty-three grandchildren; over forty great and great-great grandchildren; one sister, June (Dick) Axelson of Park Rapids, MN; many nieces, nephews and many friends. Her husband, Gerald, her parents, one daughter, Marlys Leversedge, two sons, John and Keith and two sisters, Mavis Matchin and Hazel Werth, preceded her in death.