Duane Jay Garbers

Duane Jay Garbers, age 72, of Mankato, passed into the arms of his loving Savior on Saturday afternoon, June 3, 2023, at the Mapleton Community Home.

Funeral Service will be held at 11 a.m., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, 1123 Marsh Street, Mankato. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m., on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at the Mankato Mortuary, 1001 N. Riverfront Drive, Mankato, and one hour before the service at the church on Wednesday. Private burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Mankato. Livestreaming of the service will be available at www.mtolivelutheran.org

Duane, son of Raymond and Selma (Teigen) Garbers was born on January 20, 1951, in Trimont, MN. He was a graduate of Granada High School and completed the two-year accounting program at Mankato Vocational School. Duane worked at Cenex in South St. Paul for two years and proudly spent 37 years in the accounting and purchasing departments at Hiniker Company in rural Mankato. He married Brenda Rosen on May 18, 1975, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wilbert (rural Ceylon), MN and they spent their entire married years living in the Mankato area. Duane was a member of the National Association of Accountants for several years and served on several boards at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church but was best known as the very friendly beverage man at Old Country Buffet, a job he truly enjoyed. He loved playing cards, and spending time with family, grandchildren and friends was priceless to him.

Duane is survived by his wife, Brenda; two daughters, Laura (Craig) Kennedy of Owatonna, and Bethany (Rev. Jon) Franson of Coffeyville, KS and 11 grandchildren who called him Papa:  Elizabeth, Jayden and Landen Kennedy; Kallisto, Leonitus, Chloe, Gideon, Solomon, Thalia, Michaiah and Avriel Franson. Duane is also survived by his brother, Jack Garbers (Phyllis Northwick) of Fairmont, and sisters- and brothers-in-law, Karen (Rev. Robert) Westad of Litchfield, Garry (Joyce) Rosen of Fairmont, and Charles (Sharon) Rosen of Welcome, MN, in addition to numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond & Selma Garbers; sister, Janice (Harry) Zufall; brother, Daryl Garbers; sister-in-law, Judy Garbers; nephews, Danny and Darin Zufall, and many other relatives.

The family extends a sincere thank you to the wonderful staff members at the Mapleton Community Home, St. Croix Hospice, Adara Home Health and Freedom Home Care for their kind and compassionate care. You truly are professionals and enabled Duane to live life to the fullest despite his many illnesses.

Because their faith is so important to Duane and Brenda and they want others to know the true joy of a life with Christ, memorials are preferred to Mt. Olive Lutheran School Tuition Assistance Fund, Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod/Peace Devotions series or KJLY Christian Radio. Donations may also be made to the charity of your choice.

“Be thou faithful until death, and I will give thee the crown of life.” Rev. 2:10. To God alone be the glory.