Verna A. Bandelin

Verna Augusta Bandelin, age 93, passed away Wednesday, December 14, 2011, at the Arlington Good Samaritan Center in Arlington. Funeral services will be held at 3:00 P.M. on Saturday, December 17, 2011, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Arlington, with visitation from noon until time of service at the church. Reverend Bruce Hanneman will officiate. A committal service and interment will be held at the Arlington Public Cemetery immediately following the service at the church. Kolden Funeral Home of Arlington is handling the arrangements. Verna Bandelin was born April 25, 1918 in New Auburn Township to Johann and Ida (Leudtke) Pieschke. She was baptized at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Arlington by Pastor Heidmann, and confirmed on May 24, 1931, at Zion's Lutheran Church in New Auburn Township by Reverend William Strupe. Verna attended a rural school, and then attended two years at Zion's Lutheran Parochial School. Verna was united in marriage to Carl Bandelin on October 22, 1939, at Zion's Lutheran Church by Reverend Strupe. This union was blessed with six children; four sons and twin daughters. Verna and Carl began their married life on a farm outside of Arlington, where they lived until Carl's sudden death in 1994. Verna then sold the farm and moved into Amberfield Apartments in Arlington, where she lived for the next 12 years. She moved to Golden Hearts for two years, spending the remainder of her life at the Arlington Good Samaritan Center. Verna started working very early in her life. Some of her employment included working for Dr. and Mrs. Jungclaus in Glencoe, the Noack family in Arlington, and some restaurant work in Glencoe and Gaylord. In the 70's, when most of her children were grown and on their own, she worked for the Tonka Corporation in Mound, MN until 1981, after which she spent the next 15 years involved in arts and crafts. Verna had a number of hobbies; she loved music, dancing, decorating, traveling, sewing, landscaping, quilting, furniture restoration, gardening and yard work. Her greatest enjoyment was the beautiful flowers she grew on the farm; they were everywhere you looked, and the special care she took was obvious to anyone who came to visit. She regularly played card with her "Tonka Girls" for over 20 years. Verna was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Arlington for 71 years, and a charter member of the Mission Society for 60 years. She did volunteer work with other church ladies at the Treasure Haus in New Ulm. Verna was a dedicated mother and wife. She did everything with passion and strived for perfection. Her faith, her children and her home were the most important things in her life. Verna Bandelin is survived by three sons; Byron (Cassandra) Bandelin of Eau Claire WI, Charles (Sandra) Bandelin of Englewood, CO, Cornel (Tamara) Bandelin of Minneapolis MN, two daughters; Barbara (Sheldon) Goetsch of Gaylord, MN, Beverly Okerlund (special friend Ron Laabs) of Le Sueur MN, daughter-in-law Sharon Bandelin of Denver, CO. Grandchildren; Stacey (Dustin) Holden of South Range, WI, Lisa (Shane) Peterson of Knapp, WI, Major Paul (Katie) Bandelin of San Antonio TX, Rachel (Phil) McCormick of Caracas, Venezuela, Rebecca (Paul) Koetter of St. Paul MN, Bradley Goetsch of Gaylord, MN, Dana Goetsch of Gaylord, MN, Timothy (Jill) Goetsch of Alexandria, MN, Christopher (Charlene) Goetsch of Albertville, MN, Kimberly Bandelin on Denver, CO, Christine (Troy) Gardelin of Brighton, CO, Matthew Bandelin of Denver, CO, Stephanie Bandelin of Denver, CO, Cari (Jeff) Eyres of Hot Sulphur Springs, CO, Charles Bandelin, Jr. of Engelwood, CO, Chadwick Bandelin of Brighton, CO, Caitlin Bandelin of Minneapolis, MN, Hannah Bandelin of Minneapolis, MN, and Andrew Bandelin of Minneapolis, MN, sisters-in-law Dolores Bandelin of Arlington, MN, Margebelle Beltz of Glencoe, MN, and Irma Pagel of Glencoe, MN, 34 great-grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews. Verna was preceded in death by her parents, husband Carl, her son Bernard, brothers Lawrence Pieschke, Vernon Pieschke, his wife Arlene and son John, Ernest Pieschke, his wife Bernice and son Marvin. Sister Alice Pieschke, sisters-in-law Caroline Matz and Luella Anderson, brothers-in-law Fred Matz, Kermit Anderson, Earl Bandelen and Lester Beltz.