Orville Rach

Orville Arnold Rach, the son of Reinhardt and Lydia Rach was born on August 23, 1925 in Bartlett Township, MN. He departed this world at the St. Cloud Hospital on Monday, June 30th 2008 after 82 years, 10 months, and 7 days. Orville was born and raised on the home place just west of the Bartlett Church (the now Gordon Denny farm). He helped farm along with his brothers after his father and oldest brother died in 1933/34. He enjoyed farming and taking care of livestock along with tinkering and making things. He was united in marriage to Joyce Mosher on October 3rd, 1951 and they raised their 3 children on a farm located 2 miles northeast of Hewitt. Orville was a lifelong member of Immanuel Lutheran Church serving as a trustee and on the cemetery board for many years. He also was a member of Lutheran Brotherhood, AAL, serving as an AAL lamplighter for over 20 years. He was also an active member of the Hewitt Lions Club. After he retired from farming, Orville enjoyed and had a special knack for creating things out of steel. He created outdoor water furnaces, livestock feeders, automatic hitches for chopper boxes, planters, shepherd’s hooks, plant stands, but one of the biggest thrills was making his one of a kind windmills, which are spinning and standing tall in many states from Canada to Florida to Montana to Illinois. Other creations are the concrete ice cream cone, Dutch windmill, large tool boxes with roller drawers, several metal animal sculptures, Mr. Peanut riding the bike, the only sunflowers that blooms year round, and the train with ten cars and 500 feet of track. Orville enjoyed playing dartball at the Bartlett church and slow pitch softball in his younger days against the Southwest Bertha team. He also served as church janitor for about 15 years, as working for the church was a pleasure for him. He built the railings in the church as well as the playground equipment there and in the Hewitt Park. Orville was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, caring neighbor and friend. Orville was always looking for a way to help out in anyway he could. Orville would often make people smile and laugh when they needed it most. He will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed. We celebrate his life and the memories that he created will live in our hearts forever. He was preceded in death by one son, Michael Thomas (in 1971), his parents, Reinhardt (in 1933) and Lydia (in 1989), and his brothers and sisters, Walter (1934), Harry Sr. (1983), Ernest (2008), Eleanora (1997), Melvin (1926), Sylvia (2006), Reinhardt Jr. (Bud in 2005), Norman (1970), Lawrence (1994), and Lester (1999). Orville is survived by his wife, Leola Joyce, daughter Lori and husband Joe Ostrowski of Ironton, son Bruce of Hewitt, grandchildren, Amber (Toby) Eldridge of Urbana, OH, Blayne (Rachel) Ostrowski of Brainerd, Holly Ostrowski of Ironton, Ka’Trinah (Ben) Rudrud of Pillager, Jaclyn Rach of Becker, MaKayla (Jeremy) Payne of Milford, IA, Megan Rach of Minneapolis, and Alexandra of Wadena; six great-grandchildren, Samantha and Micah Eldridge of Urbana, OH, Brooklyn, Brayden, and Bailey Rudrud of Pillager, and Mason Rach. Funeral services were held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, July 3, 2008 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bartlett Township with Rev. Al Jeske, Rev. Fred Kutter, and Rev. Herman Hannamann officiating. Honorary pallbearers were the Hewitt Lions and Lioness. Pallbearers were Don Jackson, Steve Gaugert, Don McIntire, Bill Nokes, Ben Rudrud, Jeremy Payne, Arnold Kneisl, and Gene Denny. Interment was at Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Bartlett Township, in rural Verndale.

Orville Rach

August 23, 1925 - June 30, 2008