Carrell Jean Bathke, age 76, of Wells, MN died Dec. 5, 2021 at Mayo Clinic Health System-Austin, MN. A funeral service will be held Monday, Dec. 13, 2021 at Open Doors United Methodist Church in Wells at 11:00 AM, with Pastor Chris Leistra officiating.  Visitation will be Sunday, Dec. 12, from 2:00-5:00 PM at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells.  Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.  Burial will be in Dunbar Memorial Cemetery-rural Minnesota Lake.

Carrell Bathke Funeral Service | Facebook        (Click on the link to watch her service)

Social distancing and masks are preferred while at the funeral home for visitation and at the church for the funeral.

     Carrell Jean was born January 15, 1945 in the Austin, MN hospital to her parents Laurel and Marie (Gehloff) Day.  They lived in Brownsdale, MN, where Carrell took piano lessons and loved roller-skating.  Carrell graduated from Austin High School, the class of 1963, where she participated in Latin Club and softball.  After graduation, she attended Austin Vocational School, and Pillsbury Bible College for one year in Owatonna where she was a member of the Lydian’s Sorority, graduating with her LPN Nursing Degree.  Carrell worked at St. Olaf Hospital in Austin for 2 years, the Methodist Hospital in Rochester for three years, and retired from Naeve Parkview Nursing Home after 19 years.  Having grown up in Brownsdale, where the best roller-skating rink was, Carrell loved to skate.  This is the place she met the love of her life, Edgar Bathke.  They were married May 29, 1971 in Austin, MN at the Austin Baptist Church.  The couple were proud of their three wonderful daughters, Diane, Christine and Elizabeth.  They worked hard together raising their girls on their dairy farm west of Wells.  They raised Holstein cattle, were parent leaders for 4-H, helping in the club and at the fair, and served in many offices.  Carrell was a Campfire leader for 10 years and proud to have two of her daughters and 7 other camp fire girls earn the highest honors a member could, the WoHeLo Award.    She was a member of two Red Hat Groups and enjoyed dressing up in glitzy hats and jewelry. Carrell collected cookie jars, cook books, gnomes, Shirley Temple plates and dolls, pitchers, buttons, spoons, thimbles and much, much more!   Carrell was always busy, raising and butchering ducks, geese and chickens and selling them.  She also enjoyed raising and selling vegetables at the Farmers Markets. Carrell loved mowing lawn, feeding and watching birds, doing all kinds of crafts and art projects, enjoyed meeting friends for lunches and going out. She was so caring and giving and would do anything for you.  Carrell was a member of United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Women, taught Bible school and Sunday school where she enjoyed teaching the kids and doing crafts with them.  Carrell loved the Lord and studying bible prophecy. She wanted everyone to have a good life!

     She is survived by her daughters:  Diane Bathke of Wells, Christine (Michael) Buer of Grove City, MN, and Elizabeth Bathke of Albert Lea, MN; 3 grandchildren: Breven, Dayton and Iver Buer; siblings: James (Marilyn) Day of Brownsdale, MN, Farrell Day of Rose Creek, MN, Lavonne Godwin of Brownsdale, several nieces, nephews and cousins.

     She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Edgar Bathke; brother Darrell and sister Dawn.