John Rabbe
April 19, 1929 - December 8, 2010
TRIMONT: A Celebration of Life Service for John Rabbe, 81, of Trimont, Minnesota has been rescheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, December 13, 2010 at Evangelical Covenant Church in Trimont with Rev. Mark Anderson officiating. Burial will be at a later date in Cedar Hill Cemetery in rural Trimont, Minnesota with full military honors by the Foster-Bernhardt American Legion Post #373 of Trimont.
John died on Wednesday morning, December 8, 2010 at Immanuel-St. Joseph’s Hospital in Mankato, Minnesota. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services at the Church on Monday. Remembrances and Condolences may be shared with the family on line at www.kramerfuneral home.com
John Rabbe was born April 19, 1929, to John H. and Maude (Holm) Rabbe in Cedar Township, Martin County, MN. John was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Kimball Township, Jackson County, MN, and confirmed at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Worthington, MN. He received his education in the Triumph-Monterey Public Schools, and later Worthington High School. He was a graduate of the Minnesota School of Business.
Throughout his life, John has been known as a man of trust and integrity. Having lost his father as a young child, John learned early the lessons of self-reliance and initiative that served him throughout his life. John served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict from 1951-1953. After returning from the war, John worked as an accountant, office manager and car salesman prior to acquiring his own automobile dealership in 1956. John and La Vern (Bud) Thompson formed a partnership that acquired Adamson Motor Co. in Trimont, MN, which ultimately became known as Rabbe-Thompson Ford Co. On April 5, 1958 John was united in marriage to Joyce Adamson at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Trimont, MN. In 1968, John and Joyce sold the Ford dealership to pursue a career in farming. In 1983, John, along with his sons Joe and Jay, assumed management of North Country Seed. In 2001, the partnership purchased Persson Grain Co. in Trimont, which became Rabbe Grain Co., adding locations in Sherburn and Ormsby in 2003. John continued to be involved in the family business until his death. Even though during his illness he was unable to be a part of the day-to-day business activity, he was a part of all business decisions.
John was a member of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Trimont, and held many church offices including Trustee, Chairman, and a member of the Building Committee during the new church construction in 1974/75. John was a member of the Foster-Bernhardt American Legion Post #373 in Trimont, MN, and served as Sergeant at Arms and Post Commander. John also served several terms on the Trimont School Board, and held the position of Chairman of the Board for many of those years. It was during his tenure on the Trimont School Board that he worked diligently to keep the FFA program alive and staffed with quality agricultural educators. It has been written by one of the former ag educators that the Martin County West FFA chapter exists today in large part due to John’s intervention to save the program. Through the years. John served as President of the Trimont Commercial Club, served on the Board of Directors of South Central Educational Cooperative Service Unit (ECSU), was one of the founding members of the Trimont Kiwanis Club, which is currently known as the Trimont Area Service Klub (TASK). John was a member of the Martin County Korean War Veterans Association, in which he held an officer’s position. Throughout John’s agricultural career, he was called on to testify before U.S. Senate agricultural hearings. One such testimony lead to a Kansas City newspaper publishing an article about how a former Minnesota accountant, turned farmer, was operating his farm enterprise based on prudent “Main Street” business principles. His business acumen and accounting expertise were recognized as valuable assets by the Farmers State Bank of Trimont, MN, where he served as a director for a number of years.
John was an avid golfer. He enjoyed fishing trips to Canada and South Dakota, winters in Arizona, and traveling. John especially loved spending time with his three grandchildren.
John is survived by his wife, Joyce; sons Joel Rabbe and his wife Kirsten; Jon (Jay) Rabbe and his wife, Debra; three grandchildren, Carl Rabbe of Philadelphia, PA; Liz Rabbe of St. Paul, MN; and Tristan Rabbe or rural Trimont, MN; sister Barb Belcher and her husband Roland of Omaha, NB; brother Paul Nordstrom and his wife Pat of St. James, MN; brother-in-law Ron Naumann of Mora, MN; sisters-in-law Carol Hauser of Gridley, IL; and Clara Adamson of Duluth, MN; brothers-in-law Sterling Adamson and his wife Dianne of Trimont, MN; Dwight Adamson and his wife Mary of Trimont MN; special cousins, Fred Rabbe and his wife Doreen of Trimont, MN; and Tom Heuer of Mora, MN; many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father John in 1931, mother Maude in 2004, sister Mary Ann Naumann in 2008, brothers-in-law Douglas Gauger and Stanley Hauser.
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Born: April 19, 1929Death: December 8, 2010
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