Marvin Torkelson
Marvin Harlan Torkelson was born at home in rural Thief River Falls on June 30, 1937, the fifth of nine children born to Melvin and Helen (Wiken) Torkelson.
Marv (as he preferred being called) attended Washington District 221 country school and was one of very few who went to “town school” for one year when the country school temporarily closed. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1955 and left soon after for South Milwaukee, Wisconsin where his older brothers and sister were living. He was hired at Bucyrus Erie and stayed with his sister, Geraldine, and her husband Ted until he had sufficient funds to move into an apartment of his own.
In the 1950s, “BE” machines performed work on every continent, and the company eventually became the world’s largest construction and mining machine supplier. For years, the South Milwaukee plant operated three shifts around the clock to support what the machine industry labeled “The Longest Line” of construction, mining, lifting, and material moving equipment in the world. At one point, Bucyrus employed more than 2,400 people in South Milwaukee.
Marv worked the swing shift (3:00 – 11:00 pm) and rapidly worked his way up to becoming a machinist. During the 1957-58 recession, he was laid off and moved back to Thief River Falls where he worked at Dow-Key Co., a manufacturer of transmit-receive switches and RF components. He was called back to Bucyrus Erie after a few months and worked there for 44 years until his retirement on May 1, 1999.
Like his other brothers and sisters, Marv spent many summer vacations back in Thief River Falls where – like his brothers and brothers-in-law – he would work on farm machinery, pop the hood on any recent car purchases to talk about the engines, and play cards late into the evenings. To his nieces and nephews, “Uncle Marvy” was particularly interesting because he had remained a bachelor longer than his brothers and seemed to have more spare time to laugh, tell stories, and create a marvelous and swirling upsweep of hair that gave him a rakish Elvis-like appearance.
Marv met Dorothy Hass, a widow with seven children, and they were married on the youngest daughter Lori’s third birthday: April 8, 1972. Marv adopted four of Dorothy’s children: Robert, Sophya Sandrajean, Nancy Lynn and LoriKay. As they said, “He may have adopted just four of us, but he took care of all seven of us.” Marv loved tending to the house and yard and made sure the vehicles were always in tiptop shape. He and Dorothy went dancing often and they really came alive on the dance floor. They were beautiful, talented dancers, and there was such chemistry between them in that context as if a perfect match!
Marv was a lover of country western music and had an extensive collection of western shirts and belt buckles. Even his formal suit had a western style to it. He and Dorothy purchased an RV and made numerous family trips over the years to Minnesota, North Dakota and beyond. Dorothy died from cancer on July 20, 1994.
Marv married Darlene A. Laing from Milwaukee, WI on March 21, 1998 in Las Vegas, Nevada. And when he “retired” the next year he took a part-time job at Midwest Airlines and also drove a delivery van for Croissants, Etc. The family well remembers Marv telling the story of a wild turkey once flying into the van. He called his boss to report the damage, saying “A turkey just hit the van!” and his boss, thinking Marv was referring to a stupid motorist, replied, “Did you get his name and insurance information?”
Darlene died on November 7, 2018 from complications due to diabetes. And not long after that, Marv slipped and fell on his icy driveway while trying to unclog a downspout. He hit his head on the concrete and fractured three vertebrae, making it impossible for him to live alone again. After much discussion with his family, he decided to move back to Thief River to be closer to his siblings.
He lived at Greenleaf Assisted Living until he fell and broke his hip in June 2022. Following surgery in Fargo, he was moved to SMP Health Maryhill in Enderlin, ND. In September 2023, he moved to Autumn Cottages in Alexandria, MN where he was given outstanding care and lived until his death.
Marv was a quiet and gentle soul who was always kind to others. As one of his nephews said, “He always treated me like gold and was interested in how I was doing.”
Marv is survived by his children: Robert (Mary) Hass, Jr., Sophya Sandrajean Rose, Nancy (Scott) Wranovsky, and LoriKay Glowinski; his stepchildren: Fredrick (Selena) Hass, Barbara (Gordon) Schultz, and Susan (Thomas) Paasch; one brother, Wallace Torkelson, and two sisters, Faye Auchenpaugh, and Pamela (Kevin) Kittridge; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Melvin and Helen Torkelson, his wives Dorothy and Darlene, brothers Francis Marion Torkelson and Willis Torkelson, sisters Geraldine (Theodore) Guerard, Wahna Smith and Ivette Garrett.
Marv died on Thursday, October 10, 2024 at Autumn Cottages by Knute Nelson in Alexandria, MN, at the age of 87 years, 3 months, and 10 days.
Memorial service for Marvin will be held 12:00 pm on Sunday, November 3, 2024 at St. Pauli Lutheran Church near Thief River Falls, MN. Burial will be held at St. Pauli Church Cemetery rural Thief River Falls, MN.
The family requests that memorial gifts be given to the St. Pauli Cemetery Association.
