Vernon Rolfe — Rochester

Vernon Rolfe, 88, of Rochester, passed away peacefully in his sleep Tuesday, July 9, 2013.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, July 12, at Calvary Evangelical Free Church, officiated by Pastor Larry Orth.

Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 11, at Mahn Family Funeral Home – Rochester Chapel, and at the church one hour before the service. Burial will be at Oakwood Cemetery in Rochester.

Vernon was born May 13, 1925, in Dayton, Iowa, to Frederick W. and Carrie (McAnally) Rolfe. He had twin older sisters, Marvel, who died in infancy, and Hazel (Leonard Fossum), and an older brother Burson. The family moved to Minnesota to farm in the Hayfield area in 1926. Vernon graduated from Hayfield High School in 1941.He served in the Merchant Marines during World War II, from May 1945 through April 1947 after training at Sheepshead Bay, N.Y. He then continued farming until 1950, when he married Lucille I. Jante at Grace Lutheran Church in Dodge Center on Dec. 17, 1950.

The couple had two children, Randy (Irene How) of Rochester, and Joyce (Robert Barta, Jr.) of Minneapolis; and two grandchildren, Peter and Elizabeth (Betsy) Barta, both of Minneapolis. He is also survived by two nieces, Doris (Michael Bjaastad) of Rochester and Jean (John Nemitz) of Roebuck, S.C.

Vernon worked at Owatonna Canning Company and then Minneapolis Moline until 1957 when he joined IBM where he worked until his retirement in 1987. Vernon was a member of NAPE (The National Association of Power Engineers) and was on the Advisory Board of the Rochester Area Vocational and Technical School for the Building Utility Maintenance program.

Vernon enjoyed cabin life on Big Deep Lake near Hackensack, and was a winter Texan in Donna, Texas, for 26 years. He spent many hours pulling his children and their friends on water skis, water toboggans and inner tubes. Vernon loved fishing, camping, cutting wood at the cabin, gardening and woodworking.

If so desired, memorials may be directed to the Mayo Foundation for Alzheimer's Research or a charity of the donor's choosing.

Online memorials are being welcomed and may be created at mahnfamilyfuneralhome.com .