Michael Farrell

Michael James Farrell, age 70, of Barnesville, died peacefully surrounded by his family at St. Marys Hospital, in Rochester, Minnesota on Saturday, September 29, 2012. Mike was born on November 6, 1941 in Fargo, North Dakota, to Joe and Eleanor (Richardson) Farrell and grew up in West Fargo. As a youth, he was an Eagle Scout and attended the National Scout Jamboree. Mike worked many odd jobs throughout his high school years but also had time for sports, playing as a center in football, and graduated from high school in 1959. Mike attended one year of college at St. Johns in Minnesota and then three years at NDSU in Fargo, graduating in 1963 with a degree in Agriculture. He was in ROTC from 1960 to 1963, and in the United States Army from 1964 to 1965, discharging from Fort Riley in Kansas as a 1st Lieutenant. Mike was united in marriage to Kathy Hutter on August 10, 1963 at Blessed Sacrament Church in West Fargo. From this union they had four children. Mike and Kathy farmed from 1966 until 1970 south of West Fargo where they raised sheep. They moved to Barnesville in 1970 to continue raising sheep, until there was a fire on the farm in 1974. He also drove school bus in the early 1970s. Mike then sold real estate up until 1990 and eventually became the owner of SK Realty in West Fargo. He was a small business consultant from 1985 to 1997, first through Minnesota State University and later as an independent consultant. During this time, Mike also worked as a real estate appraiser. Mike was a US Bankruptcy Trustee from 1992 until retirement in 2008. At the time of his retirement, he was one of the very few US Bankruptcy Trustees in the country that was not an attorney by training. Mike was always very active in the community and served on the boards of several community organizations. He was a member of the Jaycees from 1970 to 1977. He was a founding charter member of the Physicians Procurement Committee in Barnesville that helped establish the Barnesville Clinic, where he continued to be a board member. He was the first chairman of the Barnesville Area Community Fund board and remained involved for many years; he had served on the boards of the Barnesville Economic Development Corporation, the Barnesville Economic Development Authority, and the Assumption Catholic Church. He was involved with the Barnesville Main Street Program, and active with Habitat For Humanity in which he was involved with the first Habitat For Humanity house to be built in Barnesville. He was a graduate of the inaugural Leadership Barnesville class in 2009. Mike had been a dedicated member of the Lions since 1980. He was a MN Lions Diabetes Foundation board member, and over the years also held many other positions on committees within the Lions. He was currently serving as a First Vice District Governor. He earned three prestigious awards during his Lions service: the Helen Keller Sight Award, the Dream Catcher Award, and the Secretary Award. He was a supporter of the MN Lions Eye Bank, to which he donated his eyes. Mikes hobbies included nature and wildlife photography, traveling, watching the stock markets, and spending time with his friends and family, especially his grandchildren. Mike is survived by his wife, Kathy; his children: Bob (Penny) Farrell, and their son Zack, of Brown Deer, WI; Deb (Jo) Snyder and her children Abby and Matt, of Sioux Falls, SD; Linda (Kyle) Damhof, and their son Bryton, of Blomkest, MN; Dan (Carla) Farrell, and their children Anne and Luci, of Sioux Falls, SD; Sister, Margaret (Mike) Wilcox of Edmonds, WA; Brother, Tom (Eileen) Farrell of St. Cloud, MN; numerous nieces and nephews; and a great granddaughter, Marlie Rae Kuchta, born two days after Mike died. He was preceded in death by his parents, and a brother, Don. Visitation: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Friday October 5, 2012 at Dobmeier Funeral Home with prayer service at 7:00 PM, and will resume 1 hour prior to the service at the church. Service: 11:00 AM Saturday October 6, 2012 at Assumption Catholic Church in Barnesville. Burial: St. Marys Catholic Cemetery, Barnesville Online Guestbook: www.dobmeierfuneralhome.com