Ervin Firchau

Ervin Arthur Firchau, Jr., 78, of Beardsley, MN, passed away Sunday, August 8, 2021, peacefully at his home with his loving wife and children by his side.

Funeral Services will be Wednesday, August 11, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Mary's Hall in Beardsley. The service will be livestreamed on the Eggers Funeral Home Facebook page.

Burial will be in the Midway Cemetery, Beardsley. Military honors will be provided by the August Altheide American Legion Post 302 of Beardsley.

Ervin was born on June 8, 1943, to Ervin Sr. and Mabel (Krueger) Firchau at St. James Hospital in St. James, MN. The family lived in Kasota, MN, then moved to Windom, MN. When Mabel passed away, the family made their home with the Kruegers in Ormsby, MN, and later moved to a Tinley Farm by Truman, MN. Eventually, Ervin and Donny settled in the Graceville Beardsley, MN, area with Irma and Albert Krueger as their new parents.

Ervin was baptized at Grace Lutheran Church in Ormsby and confirmed at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Beardsley. Ervin went to St. Paul Lutheran School in Truman then to Beardsley High School.

Ervin joined the Army National Guard in 1964. Ervin Arthur Firchau Jr., Corporal Battery A, 2 ^nd Battalion, 147 ^th Artillery, was honorably discharged in 1970 from the Army National Guard of Sisseton, SD. After the Guard, Ervin became a member of the local legion in Graceville and later became a member of the legion in Beardsley.

In Ervin's early years, he farmed on his uncle's farm with his cousin and brother. Ervin then worked for A & E Construction and the IH dealership in Truman. Ervin went back to farming with his brother Donny and then farmed on his own farm for a few years. Next, Ervin became a heavy equipment mechanic at Hoffman Implement and Menge Construction in Graceville for many years. Ervin ended his career at the City of Graceville. He was an assistant starting in 1984 and worked his way up to head of maintenance by the time he retired in 2005.

Ervin's hobbies included camping, hunting, fishing, butchering, road tripping, buck euchre, smoking meat, and working on heavy equipment. He also enjoyed having coffee with the regulars at the CC Cafe and visiting with his friends and family.

Left to cherish his memory is his wife Jean of Beardsley; his daughter Susan (Danny) Herberg and his grandchildren Dylan, Alyssa, Chace and Blaze of Beardsley; his son Richard (Michelle) Firchau and grandchild Bailey of Morris, MN; his daughter Katie (Tyler) Kinzler and grandchildren Aurora, Canyon, Magnolia and Coral of Monango, ND; his daughter Tammy Firchau and Bryan Nelson and grandchildren Kendra and Riley of Breckenridge, MN; his sons Bradly Firchau and Todd Firchau of Fergus Falls, MN; his brothers Wayne and Carol Firchau of Noel, MO, Donald Firchau of Clara City, MN, and Richard and Jeanne Krueger of Milbank, SD; his sister Eileen Ulman of Madelia, MN; brothers-in-law Dennis Thielke (Judy) of Alexandria, MN, Robert Thielke (Liza) of Temecula, CA, and Ray Thielke (Laura) of Chokio, MN; sister-in-law Jill Houseman of Montevideo, MN; and many of his nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Ervin was preceded in death by his parents, Ervin Sr. and Mabel Firchau; his aunt and uncle Irma and Albert Krueger; brother Robert Firchau; sister and brother-in-law Darlene and LeRoy Schroeder; father-in-law Loren Thielke; and brothers-in-law Daniel Thielke and Doug Ulman.