Delores Buhl

Delores Buhl, age 87 of Graceville, MN died on June 23, 2017, in Fargo, ND following complications of colon surgery.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, June 28, at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Graceville. Father Brian Oestreich will celebrate the Mass and burial will be in the Graceville Consolidated Cemetery.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday at Mundwiler and Larson Funeral Home, Graceville beginning at 4 p.m. followed by a prayer vigil at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue at the church on Wednesday, one hour prior to the Mass.

The organist will be Deb Farwell. Casket bearers will be: Tom Sauter, Richard Staples, Ron Staples, David Ascheman, Ken Lesmeister, Jane Sauter Doran, Janice Tolifson, and Linda Simones. Honorary bearers will be her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Delores Wilhemina (Lesmeister) Buhl was born on August 2, 1929, on the family farm in rural Morris, MN. She was the 10th of 14 children born to Zeno and Ida (Jost) Lesmeister. Delores attended St. Mary’s Academy Boarding School in Graceville, where she met Robert Buhl.

Delores and Robert were married on January 8, 1948, at Assumption Catholic Church in Morris. Delores and Robert lived on the family farm located west of Graceville. They lived with Robert’s parents for one year while Joe and Louise built a new home in town.
Delores and Robert were blessed with three adopted children to form their family, Mary Lynn in 1954, Robert Jr in 1955, and Joseph in 1959. Delores was known for her cooking, baking and gardening. She preserved many quarts of fruit and vegetables over the years. She loved having company and enjoyed cooking for them. No one ever went away from her table hungry – and if you did, it was your own fault – and there was always desert!

For many years, a weekly Saturday trip to Morris to visit her parents, sisters, and do weekly grocery shopping was a necessity.
Delores was also known for her sewing ability, making most of her own clothes and those of her daughter for many years. She made sets of curtains and reupholstered many pieces of furniture. Delores taught her daughter to sew, and Mary continues her love of sewing to this day.

Delores’ love of flowers overflowed into decorating Holy Rosary Catholic Church altars for many years. She also entered flower arrangements and won many prizes at local flower shows.

Delores is survived by her husband of 69 years, Robert of Graceville, MN; her children: Mary (Bruce) Berg of Staples, MN; Robert Jr of Clinton, MN; and Joseph of Alexandria, MN; a daughter-in-law, Joyce Buhl of Graceville, MN; grandchildren: Nathan (Emily) Arens of Urbank, MN; Jon (Chris) Arens of Fargo, ND; Chad Arens of Graceville, MN; Paul (Heather) Arens of E. Grand Forks, MN; Laurie Wulff of Morris, MN; Robert III (Lynae) Buhl of Detroit Lakes, MN; Danielle (Joe) McLain of Graceville, MN; Jacob, Gennavive, and James Buhl of Morris, MN; great-grandchildren: Matthew, Megan, Micah, and Mason Arens of Urbank, MN; Sean and Leah Arens of Fargo, ND; Addison and Tucker Arens of E. Grand Forks, MN; Emma, Logan, and Levi Wulff of Morris, MN; Brayden and Brody McLain of Graceville, MN; a step-granddaughter, Lilly Mankie of E. Grand Forks, MN. Delores is also survived by four sisters: Helen Staples of Morris, MN; Irene Sauter of Pine City, MN; Dorothy Ascheman of Burnsville, MN; and Joan Hanrahan of Morris, MN; three sisters-in-law: Laverna Lesmeister of Morris, MN; Jackie Lesmeister of Elk Grove, CA; and Jeanne Lesmeister of Rosemount, MN.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers and sisters-in-law: Leonard and Florence; Eugene and Katy; Leroy and Alice; Bernard, Richard, James, and William; sisters and brothers-in-law: Valeria and Wilfred Osterman; Loretta and Herbert DeVann; and a son-in-law, Kenneth Arens.