Marvin Charles Mielke, age 88 of Grafton, passed away on December 23, 2020, at the Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He died of complications associated with the COVID-19 virus.
Marvin was born on February 21, 1932, at the family farm near Brownton, Minnesota, the son of the late Lester and Rose (Luedtke) Mielke. In 1935 he moved with his family to Grafton, North Dakota. He graduated from Grafton High School in 1950 and went to work for the Walsh County Bank. A few years later he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Korea during the Korean Conflict.
After being discharged from the Army Marvin returned to Grafton and his job at the bank. For the next several years he bought a new Chevrolet every year. Reportedly, half the town watched to see which Chevy he would buy and the other half lined up to buy his used car. He also sang and played the piano at local dances with the Les Anderson Band. He worked at the bank until he retired; at the time he was one of the bank’s vice presidents.
Marvin married Lila Kaldor on December 22, 1962. They were married at Grafton Lutheran Church during a raging blizzard. They made their home in Grafton and were blessed with two children: Scott and Barbara, and five grandchildren: Alexis, Justus, Carolyn, Elyse, and Luke. In addition to his wife, children, and grandchildren, he was proud of his military service, his manicured lawn, and his indoor and outdoor plants. He enjoyed golfing and bowling; he scored a hole-in-one and bowled a triplicate with three identical scores in a three game series – a rarity in bowling. At the age of 88 he still golfed with friends a few times a week.
Marvin served as the secretary for his local bowling league for 50 years and handled administrative work for the local Salvation Army for over 60 years. He and Lila sang in Grafton Lutheran Church’s choir for several decades and Marvin frequently sang at funerals and other events. He always enjoyed playing piano and watching sports on TV. He was a loyal fan of the Grafton Spoilers, Minnesota Twins, and Minnesota Vikings.
Marvin is survived by his children: Scott of Phoenix, Arizona, and Barbara (Janzen) of Lyndhurst, Ohio, five grand children, sisters Mary Ann (Alfred) Lindell, Park River, ND and Norma (Ted) Kotyk, Brainerd, MN and brothers Charles (Rita), Edinburg, ND and Jon (Carol), Bismarck, ND. He was preceded in death by his wife and parents and his sister Marlene (Gorder).
Funeral services will be Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 10:30 AM at the Grafton Lutheran Church. A walk-through visitation will be held from 9:30 until the time of the service. The funeral will be live streamed on the Tollefson Funeral Home Inc. Facebook page. A video of the funeral will be posted on Marvin’s obituary page on the Tollefson Funeral Home website. Inurnment will be at Grafton Lutheran Cemetery in the spring. Military rites will be provided by the Grafton American Legion and the North Dakota National Guard.
Marvin was born on February 21, 1932, at the family farm near Brownton, Minnesota, the son of the late Lester and Rose (Luedtke) Mielke. In 1935 he moved with his family to Grafton, North Dakota. He graduated from Grafton High School in 1950 and went to work for the Walsh County Bank. A few years later he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Korea during the Korean Conflict.
After being discharged from the Army Marvin returned to Grafton and his job at the bank. For the next several years he bought a new Chevrolet every year. Reportedly, half the town watched to see which Chevy he would buy and the other half lined up to buy his used car. He also sang and played the piano at local dances with the Les Anderson Band. He worked at the bank until he retired; at the time he was one of the bank’s vice presidents.
Marvin married Lila Kaldor on December 22, 1962. They were married at Grafton Lutheran Church during a raging blizzard. They made their home in Grafton and were blessed with two children: Scott and Barbara, and five grandchildren: Alexis, Justus, Carolyn, Elyse, and Luke. In addition to his wife, children, and grandchildren, he was proud of his military service, his manicured lawn, and his indoor and outdoor plants. He enjoyed golfing and bowling; he scored a hole-in-one and bowled a triplicate with three identical scores in a three game series – a rarity in bowling. At the age of 88 he still golfed with friends a few times a week.
Marvin served as the secretary for his local bowling league for 50 years and handled administrative work for the local Salvation Army for over 60 years. He and Lila sang in Grafton Lutheran Church’s choir for several decades and Marvin frequently sang at funerals and other events. He always enjoyed playing piano and watching sports on TV. He was a loyal fan of the Grafton Spoilers, Minnesota Twins, and Minnesota Vikings.
Marvin is survived by his children: Scott of Phoenix, Arizona, and Barbara (Janzen) of Lyndhurst, Ohio, five grand children, sisters Mary Ann (Alfred) Lindell, Park River, ND and Norma (Ted) Kotyk, Brainerd, MN and brothers Charles (Rita), Edinburg, ND and Jon (Carol), Bismarck, ND. He was preceded in death by his wife and parents and his sister Marlene (Gorder).
Funeral services will be Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 10:30 AM at the Grafton Lutheran Church. A walk-through visitation will be held from 9:30 until the time of the service. The funeral will be live streamed on the Tollefson Funeral Home Inc. Facebook page. A video of the funeral will be posted on Marvin’s obituary page on the Tollefson Funeral Home website. Inurnment will be at Grafton Lutheran Cemetery in the spring. Military rites will be provided by the Grafton American Legion and the North Dakota National Guard.