Marvin Halbur

On September 16, 2024, Marvin Halbur passed away peacefully at the age of 91. 

Marv was born in Iona, Minnesota on April 14, 1933, the fourth child of William and Mary (Testroet) Halbur. He grew up working on the family farm and was 1 of the 4 members of the 1951 graduating class of St. Columba High School. He served in the US Army from 1954 to 1956, driving a supply truck for the 71st Infantry in Alaska. When he returned home, he farmed for a year, then met and married Mary Ann Pierret. They moved to Minneapolis in 1958. He took advantage of the GI bill to attend Dunwoody Institute, which he turned into a 32-year career in procurement administration at Control Data Corporation. 

Marv and Mary Ann had 5 children. The four older kids attended St. Richard’s Catholic School, and Marv served on the church’s Parish Council and Finance Committee. He used his knowledge of building, plumbing & electricity to finish the basement and put an addition on their family home (and later helped his adult kids with their house projects!) He was a Vikings fan and cheered for the Twins. Tragically, Mary Ann passed away in 1976 after a valiant battle with cancer. Together, Marv and his 4 teenage children took care of 4-year-old Lisa (the youngest sibling). The family spent many happy summer days at their lake cabin in St. Peter. 

Marv retired from Control Data in 1992 and learned how to play golf. It became his passion! He met Ilo Christensen at a dance, and they married in 1994. They lived in Plymouth but became world travelers, touring France, Norway, Russia, Mexico and cruising to Alaska. They also became snowbirds, spending 22 winters in Arizona, where they played golf and pool and went dancing with their friends. He volunteered at the local Food Shelf and became an election judge. 

Marv recovered from a stroke in 2017, but his golf game would never be the same, so he switched to playing Free Cell Solitaire on his computer. He and Ilo moved to Silver Creek Senior Living in Maple Grove in 2019. Another stroke in 2023 took Marv’s speech and in 2024 dementia set in before God called him home while he slept. 

Marv was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Ann, his brother, Paul Halbur and his sisters, Joan Diedrich and Esther Krause. He is survived by his wife Ilo, his brothers, Virgil, Ralph and Donald Halbur, his sister Dolores Ella, his 5 children, Carla (Mark) Hibbison, Rita (Alexis) Acker-Halbur, Daniel (Laura) Halbur, Tim (Ann) Halbur, Lisa (Matt) Hogan, 14 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. 

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:30 AM on Friday, October 11 at St. Pascal Baylon Catholic Church in St. Paul, with lunch following. Visitation 1 hour before Mass. Rosary service will be held at 9:30 AM. Private family burial at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at a future date. Memorials preferred in Marvin's honor to  Blessed Trinity School, donations can be made by check or online at www.btcsmn.org/donate , where donors can simply type "Marvin Halbur Fund" in the space provided. 

As many of you know, our parents were active members of St. Richard’s parish for many years. Dad served on the Parish Council and chaired the Finance Committee. We weren’t wealthy, but Mom and Dad found the means to send us to St. Richard’s school because they wanted us to have a solid catholic grade school education.

As we were thinking about memorials to honor our dad, we reached out to St. Richard’s about a scholarship. St. Richard’s merged with St. Peter’s and Assumption schools and is now called Blessed Trinity School. They were happy to help us set it up. They shared that “76% of our families receive financial assistance in order to provide their children with a Catholic education at Blessed Trinity. Our goal is to reflect the diversity of the Richfield community, and while we are not an upper-class school, every family pays tuition, even if discounted and they also contribute by investing their time in committee work, fundraising, and volunteering – just as your father did so generously for his community.” It seemed like a great way to honor Dad, and Mom.

If you wish to contribute, donations can be made by check or online at www.btcsmn.org/donate, where donors can simply type “Marvin & MaryAnn Halbur” fund in the space provided.

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