Marlin H. Ihle

BLUE EARTH — Marlin H. Ihle, age 56, of Blue Earth, died Thursday, March 27, 2008, at his home with his family at his side. Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 31, 2008, at 11 a.m. at Shiloh Lutheran Church in Elmore, with Rev. Robert Roettger officiating. Burial will be in Riverview Cemetery, Elmore, Minn. Visitation time will be from 3-7 p.m. Sunday at Patton Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 400 E. 14th Street, in Blue Earth, and one hour prior to services at the church. Web tributes may be left at www.pattonfh.com

Marlin was born December 16, 1951, in Blue Earth, the son of Harold and Marjorie (Heldt) Ihle. He was raised and educated in the Pilot Grove area where he was baptized and confirmed at Salem Lutheran Church in Pilot Grove. He was a 1969 graduate of East Chain High School, where he played football, basketball and ran track. He attended Technical College in Mankato where he earned a degree in mechanics. He was married to Wanda Espeland in 1981 and was later married to Barb Martz in 1993. He worked as a welder at Tafco for a couple of years before living in Jackson where he was a truck driver for AgChem for several years. He was later a greenskeeper at The Land golf club in WarnerRobins, Ga., and worked in the Twin Cities for a short time before returning to the Blue Earth Area in the late 1990s. In Blue Earth he drove for Alfson Trucking and was later an independent truck driver for several years. He also enjoyed farming on the Drake farm near Elmore. Marlin enjoyed fishing, hunting, golfing, being outdoors and driving around the countryside looking at the wildlife. He especially enjoyed time spent with his grandchildren.

Marlin is survived by his mother, Marge Ihle-Bengtson of Blue Earth, son, James Harold Ihle of Blue Earth, daughter, Amy C. Ihle of Blue Earth, brother, Lyle Ihle of Minnesota Lake, sister, Diane (and Brian) Frey of Athol, Mass., brother, Dennis (and Kathy) Ihle of St. Paul, sister, Dee Dee (and Allan) Hummel of Delano, Minn., grandchildren, Heaven, Madison, Cole and Annika, nieces, Heidi, Agnie, Amber, Denise and Dani, and nephews, Jared, Jesse, Jonathan and David.

He was preceded in death by his father, Harold S. Ihle, stepfather, George Bengtson, and several aunts and uncles.