Neil Charles Selchow

Neil Charles Selchow

Survived by children, Wanda Hagen (Tom Barna) and Mark (Rochelle Casey); grandchildren, Paul Hagen (Tammy), Eric Hagen, Ryan Casey, Nicole (Dennis) Barnholtz and Brandon Casey; great-grandchildren, Justin, Ryan, Darin, Nicholas and Alexander Hagen; sister, JoAnn LaPlante; brother-in-law, Vern Brelje; nieces, nephews and many friends.

Preceded in death by wife and “bestest friend” of 62 years, Dorothy (Brelje) Selchow; parents, Herman and Lillian Selchow; brother, Eugene “Gene” Selchow; other family and friends.

Neil was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod and a member of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Richfield for the last 55 years. A man of very strong faith with absolute knowledge of his “path” after his stay on earth. He was committed to Christian Education as well, sending his children to Parochial schools and Lutheran High School of Minneapolis.

Neil served honorably in the Army during the Korean War. After his honorable discharge as a Staff Sergeant E-6, he attended and graduated from Minnesota School of Business as an accountant, retiring from Cargill, Inc., after 38+ years of service. Not one to sit for long, he began working for Martin Luther Manor in Bloomington as a van driver for the adult Day Center the following 19 years.

Neil had a lifelong love of baseball - playing and coaching for many years. His most endearing quality while coaching was one simple rule: If you come to practice, you’ll be playing in the game. This approach to kids playing sports was appreciated by players and their parents alike. He loved gardening with a very green thumb, as confirmed by the fact that he could seemingly take a dead stick, shove it into the ground, and sure enough the next year it would begin to grow.

In their retirement years, Neil and Dorothy loved to travel to visit friends and family - from Europe to South America to Asia, many points within the United States and North America. Neil and Dorothy sponsored exchange students from Taiwan for their senior year in high school who lovingly called them “Grandpa and Grandma Minnesota”.