Reverend Alan Charles Minshall, 77, of the Township of Holway,
died peacefully on Friday, December 1 in Abbotsford, after a lengthy
illness. Alan was born September 4, 1940
in Kenosha, WI, son of Otto and Charlotte Minshall. He graduated from high school in Kenosha and
obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin –
LaCrosse. He later attended divinity
school at Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary, receiving his Masters of
Divinity in 1975.
Pastor Al has served six Wisconsin congregations as a parish
minister, including: Prince of Peace Lutheran, Coloma; St. Paul’s Lutheran,
Curtiss; Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Township of Holway; Immanuel Lutheran
Church, Pepin; Little Plum Lutheran, Pepin, and Independence Lutheran Church,
Independence. Alan also worked as a
Chaplain at the Northern Wisconsin Center for the Developmentally Disabled in
Chippewa Falls, and for the Jackson County Correctional Institution in Black
River Falls. He was an inspiring example
of God’s love and grace.
Alan is survived by his wife of 35 years, Edith of Medford,
and six children: Jay Minshall, Black
River Falls; Jill Minshall, Madison; Radha (Mike) Welch, Granton; Rachel (John)
Frizzell, Wisconsin Rapids; Paul Nelson, Medford; and Kathryn Adams, Rochester,
MN. He was also grandpa to nine grandchildren:
Maria, Michael, Brittany, Ariel, Sam, Seth, Kaleb, Molly and Emily, and one
great-grandchild, Ainsley. He is also
survived by many other family and friends who loved him.
A great lover of the earth, Alan was an avid gardener and
hobby farmer. He delighted in his John
Deere tractor, in growing vegetables and in raising belted Galloway
cattle. He loved to travel, and took
many memorable trips with his wife, colleagues, and children. With his love of music and his low bass
singing voice, Alan was a founding member of the Gracenotes, a barbershop
quartet of area pastors in Western Wisconsin. He was also an accomplished
distance swimmer and loved racquet sports.
His accepting and generous spirit will be missed greatly by
all who were privileged to know him. His
faith, humor, kindness, his love for all growing things and his commitment to
social justice will live on in all those whom he touched throughout his life.
A memorial service for Alan will be held at 2:00 PM on Thursday,
December 14, 2017 at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Holway, with Rev. Amy
Heinz and Rev. Ken Schmidt officiating; burial will follow at Our Saviour’s
Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation will take place at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church
on Thursday, December 14, 2017 from 12:00 PM until the time of service at 2:00 PM
In lieu of flowers, the family will collect donations to
Heifer International in Alan’s memory.
The organization works to empower the disenfranchised to improve their
lives through animal management, sustainable agriculture and preservation of
the earth’s resources.
The family would like to sincerely thank the dedicated staff
of Dycora Transitional Health in Abbotsford for their personal care for Alan
for the past three years
Hemer Funeral Service of Medford and Rib Lake has been
entrusted with arrangements. Online condolences can be left at www.hemerfuneralservice.com
