Funeral services for 83-year-old Edward R. Tasler of Windom, Minnesota, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, April 21, 2015, at the Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Windom, located at 1157 3rd Avenue.
Interment will be in Memory Gardens in rural Windom. Military honors will be provided by both the Windom and Jeffers American Legion Posts.
Pastor Paul Sajban will officiate at the services.
Visitation will be at the Lutheran Church of Our Savior on Monday, April 20, 2015, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., as well as from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on the day of the funeral.
LaCanne Family Funeral Service of Windom is handling the funeral arrangements.
He passed away peacefully at the Good Samaritan Society-Sogge of Windom on Thursday morning, April 16, 2015, with his wife, Betty, and family at his side at the age of 83 – five days short of his 84th birthday.
Edward “Ed” Rudolph Tasler was born April 21, 1931, at the farm home of Edward A. and Martha (Woizeschke) Tasler in Springfield Township, Cottonwood County, northwest of Windom. He became a child of God through Holy Baptism at the Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Windom, and later affirmed his faith there in the Rite of Confirmation.
Edward attended Great Bend District #2 Rural Elementary School and graduated from Windom Public High School in 1949. In 1950, he attended the University of Minnesota Agricultural School in St. Paul.
In January, 1951, Edward joined the Minnesota Army National Guard, which was federalized and mobilized to Fort Rucker, Alabama. Edward served there and was honorably discharged in December 1952.
He returned to the Windom area, and on February 14, 1954, Edward was married to Betty Jean Janzen of Mountain Lake, Minnesota. They moved to Sibley, Iowa, where they farmed together for seven years before moving to their family farm outside of Jeffers, Miinnesota. There, Edward and Betty continued to farm and raise their seven children.
Both as a young farmer and in the pork industry, Edward won many awards. Edward remained a life-long farmer until he entered the Good Samaritan Society-Sogge Memorial in Windom in 2013.
Edward was an active member of The Lutheran Church of Our Savior throughout his life, serving as church president, elder, adult Bible School teacher, Vacation Bible School teacher, Meals on Wheels volunteer and on the properties board. One of Edward’s volunteer highlights with the church was serving with Betty at the Alaska Mission Committee in Anchorage, Alaska, where they volunteered to teach Vacation Bible School.
Edward exemplified his Christian faith in action, serving on many community groups and boards: the American Legion Post #401 in Jeffers, Eagles Club in Windom, Jeffers Co-op Oil Board, Lutheran Layman’s League, Ducks Unlimited, Cottonwood County Pork Producers and was a member of the Windom Country Club. Edward enjoyed hunting, fishing, playing cribbage, cards and pool, watching Westerns, acting and singing in Windom community musicals, and was an avid reader. Edward always enjoyed visiting with everyone he met, especially during sweet corn season when he set out his sweet corn stand along Highway #71.
Edward is survived by his wife of 61 years, Betty Jean; two sons, Daryl (Elaine) of Windom and Wayne (Lynda) of Lithia, Florida; five daughters, Jayne (Eugene) Arvidson of Parkers Prairie, Minnesota, Gayle McFarland of Rochester, Minnesota, Fayth (Chuck) Jensen of Lakeville, Minnesota, Jolynn (Kent) Janssen of Sherburn, Minnesota and Stacey (Jeffrey) Crosson of Springfield, Virginia.; 25 grandchildren, Kyle, Hali, Corey, Tyler (Lisa), Brady, Kaylyn (David), Sean, Brett (Julia), Jenna, Lauryl, Ryan (Krista), Jessyca, Cassidy, TJ, Lucas, Lily, Sam, Ben, Thomas, Kennedy, Karter, Kooper, Karson, Ella and Ava; six great-grandchildren, Easton, Wyatt, Amelia, Noah, Madison, and Emmalin; two honorary grandchildren, Caleb Bender and Riley Jones; one sister, Marian Niebuhr of Chaska, Minnesota and one brother, Rev. Robert (Carol) Tasler of Castle Rock, Colorado; two sisters-in-law, Wilma Tasler of Windom, and Lou Tasler of Stewartville, Minnesota and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Fredrick (Fritz) Tasler and William (Bill) Tasler.
