Dwayne Church, of Bloomington, passed away on September 7, 2016 at the age of 80. A Memorial Gathering will be held at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, Prior Lake on Sunday, September 11, 2016 from 1:00 – 2:00 PM with a Celebration of Life Service led by Chaplain Jen Johnson at 2:00 PM. Dwayne will be laid to rest at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

On August 24, 1936, Fred and Stella Church celebrated the birth of their son, Dwayne Elroy Church. Dwayne loved growing up in Bemidji on his family’s farm. He developed a strong work ethic at a young age as he was responsible for picking 10 acres of raspberries.

As a young man, Dwayne enlisted in the United States Armed Forces. He proudly served his country from 1954 – 1957. As a truck driver for the Air Force, Dwayne was stationed in Wales. It was in a small pub in England that Dwayne met the love of his life. Cathy and Dwayne hit it off immediately and quickly fell in love. They exchanged wedding vows on July 7, 1956. They spent one more year living in England before sailing across the Atlantic Ocean on the USS Buckner.

Once back in the States, Dwayne and Cathy settled in Bloomington, Minnesota. They were blessed with two wonderful children, Kelli and Evan. Dwayne always worked hard to support his family, and he provided a good life for them. His first job was at the local bakery. He was a very talented baker and always responsible for family birthday, wedding and graduation cakes.

Dwayne later went back to school to learn the art of carpet laying. He completed a three-year program and on-the-job training. Soon he started his own business E & K Carpets in Minneapolis. Dwayne was a perfectionist, and his work was impeccable. He ran the business for more than 30 years before retiring.

Throughout the years, Dwayne had many hobbies. He loved hunting, bowling and golfing. He enjoyed spending time outdoors and watching wildlife. Dwayne and Cathy would travel to visit family, and their trips took them to Scotland, Hawaii, North Carolina and Arizona. Dwayne was truly an animal lover and the animals loved him back.

Although Dwayne had many interests, family was the most important thing in his life. He was a loving husband and wonderful father. But Dwayne was most passionate about his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He attended countless dance recitals and made frequent trips down to Winona to visit his grandkids in college. No matter what he was doing, Dwayne enjoyed life.

After sometime with health issues, Dwayne’s journey came to an end. He passed away peacefully with his family by his side. Dwayne will be deeply missed and remembered always by his wife, Catherine; children, Kelli (Pat) Gracey, Evan (Carla) Church; grandchildren, Christopher (Meredith) Gracey, Matthew (Amy Dearth) Gracey, Tayla Church, Addison Church and Lillian Church; great-grandchildren, Lincoln, Adelyn, Jaxon and Ellis; sister, Donna (Floyd) Littler; other loving relatives and friends. Dwayne is preceded in death by his parents; siblings, Margaret, Orris, Orville, Elmer “Lavern”, Darrell, Dean and Gerald.

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