Floyd Wise
Floyd Leslie Wise, 96, of Staples passed away peacefully September 5, 2021, at the Little Falls Care Center.
A memorial service was held Sept. 11 at the Motley Free Methodist Church.
Floyd was born in Little Falls on July 24, 1925, to Floyd E. and Edna (Cooper) Wise. Known as Leslie by his family, he was raised with his four siblings on the family farm near Randall and graduated from Little Falls High School in 1943. He served his country in WWII as Military Police in the U.S. Army, stationed in Korea. He attended Dunwoody Institute for general printing and linotype training and worked for Kelly The Printer in Minneapolis. Leslie and Clarice Schrupp were married on June 28, 1952 and moved back to the Randall area family farm where their first three children were born. When the farm was hailed out, Leslie decided to apply to become a highway patrolman and completed his training at Camp Ripley in October, 1957. Trooper Floyd Wise was then stationed in Virginia and with three children in tow, they moved to Nashwauk where he began his 25 year career as a Minnesota State Trooper. When transferred to Staples in 1961, they moved with four children, adding child number five after building a new home in 1964. While living in Staples, Floyd also worked part-time for Ford Motor and then Kingsley Press in Wadena. In the early 70’s, he purchased a former church building in Staples and started his own family printing business called Temple Press. After retiring from the state patrol, Temple Press became his full-time retirement job for 20+ years before fully retiring to fish, hunt, garden and share his love of Jesus with all who would listen. Floyd was a giver and a man of unconditional love who gave freely of his bountiful garden harvest. He provided rides for the elderly, taught 55 Alive classes, was a member of Promise Keepers and The Gideons who faithfully read his Bible, attended church and weekly Bible studies. He loved to share his joy and knowledge of gardening, hunting, fishing, cribbage and card games with family and friends even when his vision began to fail. He lived a long and full life and now those who love and mourn his loss can celebrate the knowledge without question or doubt, that he is resting in the arms of His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, fishing and gardening with the angels.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 69 years, Clarice; five children, Brian (Diana) Wise, Linda (Gordon) Gathright, Richard Wise, Natalie (Steve) Olsen, Timothy (Sonya) Wise; 13 grandchildren, Joshua Wise, Jessica (Eric) Betzler, Rebekah (Glenn) Peterson, Rachel (Jeff) Calton, Andrew (Stephanie) Gathright, Kendra Olsen, Lucas (Nicole) Olsen, Kaylee (Brad) Peterson, Brittanie (Daniel) Wonderly, Steffanie Wise, Alex Wise, Charles (Vanessa) Wise, Peter Wise; 20 great-grandchildren, Gavin, Bronte, Karley, Kristin, Trevor, Ella, Soren, Jonas, Greta, Carolina, Brooklyn, Caden, Taylor, Chelsea, Jameson, Lilly, Nathan, Eden, Silas and Laila with the 21st soon to arrive.
Floyd is preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Wyman Wise, Seward Wise, Merrill Wise; one sister: Carolyn Weston and one granddaughter, Chelsea Marlene Olsen.
Arrangemnets were by the Taylor Funeral Home of Staples, taylorfunerals.com.
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