Marvel M. Nowak, age 90, of Minnesota Lake died Monday, October 7, 2024 at Mapleton Community Home in Mapleton, MN. Visitation will be Sunday, October 13th at Nasinec Funeral Home in Wells, MN from 2:00pm to 5:00pm with a prayer service to conclude the evening at 5:30pm. The visitation will resume one hour prior (9:30-10:30am) to the service at church. The Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday, October 14th at 10:30am at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Minnesota Lake. Burial will be at St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery in Minnesota Lake, MN.

Marvel was born in Wells, Minnesota and is the daughter of Casmer and Clara (Raimann) Latusek. Marvel lived briefly in Wells then spent most of her life raising her family and residing in Minnesota Lake. As a young woman, Marvel enjoyed going out dancing with her friends at the Kato Ballroom, where she met and fell in love with Thomas (Tommy) Nowak. The two married on September 28th, 1950 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Minnesota Lake.

Marvel and Tommy enjoyed spending time fishing and traveling up north with friends and family and went on to have 8 children. Their weekends were spent going on picnics, enjoying parades, picking chickens, spending time on family farms, and frequent family reunions where Marvel often sewed all of her children matching outfits.

While Marvel was pregnant with her 8th child, Tommy passed away from a brain tumor at the age of 34. This was understandably a very hard time for her and all of her kids but they managed to make it through with the help of a big supportive and loving family. Family truly meant everything to Marvel.

Marvel always took great pride in cooking for her family. She made many delicious desserts, bars, homemade bread, soups and meals from scratch. Some family favorites include: chicken noodle soup, her cinnamon and caramel rolls, fried chicken, chili, oyster stew, rhubarb cake, German chocolate cake, bog cake, (there were a lot of cakes haha) and much more! So many great family memories were made baking together, decorating cakes and cookies, and enjoying large family meals during the holidays.

Marvel enjoyed plastic canvas needlepoint and crafted Easter baskets and ornaments for each of her grandkids for many, many years. She also took it upon herself to make each grandchild a baby blanket as well. Before the family grew to what it is today, holidays were spent together in her small home. The grandkids have fond memories of gathering in the cozy living room opening Christmas gifts around the tree, playing upstairs spooking each other, and eating Easter dinner on extra tables set up in the basement to accommodate the growing family. She was happiest when family filled every nook of the home she greatly treasured.

Many special memories were created sitting around the table with friends and family playing cards and cracking jokes. She looked forward each year to the girl’s annual Christmas shopping trip in Rochester, especially when the girls insisted that she got her picture taken with Santa. She always made the nice list! She continued this tradition with her daughters and granddaughters well into her 80’s.

Special thank you to great grandson, Hudson Wingen for making GG a map to ensure she safely found her way to heaven.

Marvel will be missed by all who knew her.

She is preceded in death by her husband Tommy Nowak, parents Casmer and Clara Latusek; siblings: Harvey and Phyllis Latusek, Mag and Tom Kullot, Florence and Eugene Sonnek, and Louis and Garnet Latusek and son in law, Mike McCallum.

She is survived by her 8 children: Marilyn and Rich Beske of Minnesota Lake; Becky McCallum of Andover; Kathy and Bobby Becker of Minnesota Lake; Mark and Jean Nowak of Baudette; Mike and Julie Nowak of Minnesota Lake; Amy and Bryan Schultz of Wells; Matt and Sue Nowak of Mankato; Brenda Nowak and Bob Carpenter of Delevan; 18 grandkids; 41 great grandkids; 3 great- great grandkids, who lovingly referred to her as “GG”.