Franklin Paul Wille

Franklin Paul Wille, age 91 of Mankato passed away Wednesday July 10, 2024 at Brookdale Assisted Living in Mankato. 

Funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at Northview-North Mankato Mortuary. Burial will be at Butterfield Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour before the service on Tuesday.

Franklin was born on December 12, 1932 in Butterfield, Minnesota to Robert and Eleanorea Wille. He attended and graduated from Butterfield Public Schools in 1952. Franklin entered the US Army on May 25, 1953 and was honorably discharged on May 15, 1956. Upon completing his active duty, where he received the Korean Service Medal, he served eight years in the Army Reserve.

For more than 45 years he worked in Mankato at Kato Engineering as a welder and transitioned into special projects in the maintenance department. On the weekends he traveled to Butterfield and worked with his parents on the farm. He enjoyed his time on the weekend farming and working on various car and tractor projects. Franklin's has numerous interests and hobbies. He was an accomplished woodcarver, fashioned farm toys from metal, writer, and painted pictures. 

Franklin attended various club meetings such as the woodcarvers, writers club and was an active participant in the Teamsters Union.

Franklin is survived by his two sisters, Margaret Green of Butterfield and Shirley Riihl of Mt. Lake; two brothers, Allen Wille of Phoenix, AZ and Gilbert Wille of Australia, 14 nieces and nephews and 26 great nieces and nephews who enjoyed Franklins wide interests and fun sense of humor.

Preceded in death by his parents and his brother Harold Wille.