Elroy J. Neisen died peacefully on Monday, November 24, 2014, after a long and full life with family and friends.

Elroy was born January 11, 1925, in Mahnomen to Peter and Rose Neisen, the eldest of ten children. He lived in Mahnomen for most of his life. He married Irene Schramel, of Cold Spring, MN, on May 22, 1956. Together they raised their family and became contributing members of the local and church communities.

Elroy enjoyed to work. He took great pride in knowing that he was contributing to a task that needed to be done. He was extremely diligent, and was adamant that things be done right. He served for 32 years (to the day) for Mahnomen County Human Services, as their Finance Officer. He spent many years with his co-workers, and as one would expect, they became life-long friends. In addition to his full time job, Elroy worked part-time on Saturdays and evenings as a carpenter in the community. His projects included; building houses, farm buildings, remodeling homes, designing and building custom cabinetry and furniture. He would do everything from hanging a door to pouring concrete. Elroy was able to share his carpentry skills with his five sons. He taught them the trade, what it meant to work hard, and how to correctly complete a project. These skills, and other life lessons, are still with them and will remain their entire lives.

Elroy was a life-time member of St. Michael's Catholic Church. He supported his church, not only financially, but also with his time and talent whenever needed. His presence will continue to be marked by the wood furniture he built, including but not limited to, the altar, baptismal font and lector stand. Elroy was a very active member of the Knights of Columbus. He served as Grand Knight for several years, and ultimately became a Fourth Degree Knight. He often volunteered for fundraising efforts to make sure that the council remained viable for the community. He was also a long-time member of the Mahnomen Lions Club and helped with fundraising activities such as Christmas tree sales. Elroy was a staple of our community and will be greatly missed.

Work was very important to Elroy, but he also enjoyed leisure activities. He enjoyed spending time with family, and bowling on a men's league with friends. He would often be seen driving around with his beloved dog, Sparky. His faithful sidekick would accompany him in the pickup everywhere he went. In later years, Elroy was the "champ" of the word-search puzzle, solving book after book.

Elroy is survived by his wife, Irene of 58 years, and five children: Stephen (Karen) Neisen, Paul (Renee) Neisen, Dennis (Coral) Neisen, Sharon (James) Baszuro and Brian Neisen. He is also survived by eleven grandchildren; Adam, Amanda, Eric, Melissa, Kristen, Rachel, Thomas, Jack, Christopher, Nathan and Jessica. He was preceded in death by his son, Douglas Neisen, 2 grandchildren, Michael and Matthew, his parents, and three siblings.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, November 29, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Mahnomen. Visitation will be held on Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the church.

Interment will be held in St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery, Mahnomen.