Eileen C. Sell – West Central Tribune
Eileen Caroline Sell, 99, formerly of Murdock, died Monday January 30 at the CentraCare Care Center in Willmar. Her Christian funeral service will be held at 11am on Friday 10th February at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Murdock. The visit takes place in the church on Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and lasts one hour before the service. Burial will take place in the church cemetery.
Instead of flowers, memorials will be preferred and given to the Diocesan Mission in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Agreements with Harvey Anderson Funeral Home in Willmar, www.hafh.org
Eileen Caroline Sell, 99, of Willmar, died Monday January 30 at CentraCare Willmar Care Center. Eileen Caroline Sell was born on January 29, 1924 to Peter and Bertha (Wurmstein) Wenisch in Springfield. She was baptized and later confirmed at St. Raphael’s Catholic Church in Springfield. Eileen grew up on the family farm, where she learned early on how to provide for her family and also helped out with the work on the farm. She attended the country school until the 8th grade. At age seven, Eileen began working summers for her aunt and uncle, doing chores and looking after their children. At the age of 14, Eileen began dating Eugene “Gene” Sell. At the beginning of World War II, Gene moved to Seattle, where he worked repairing battleships. At age 18, she joined Gene in Seattle, where she was a “Rosie the Riveter” and worked as a rivetbucker building Boeing B-17 bombers, also known as the Flying Fortress. Gene entered basic Army training in early 1944. Eileen joined Gene and they were married on July 22, 1944 at Camp Robinson, Little Rock, AR. Gene served in World War II and Eileen moved back to her parents’ farm in Springfield. Seriously wounded during the war, Gene was taken to Fitzsimmons Hospital in Denver to recover. Eileen joined him in Denver, where she worked at the Gates Rubber Factory. They later moved to Visalia, California, where they worked at an olive factory before moving back to Springfield, where they rented a dairy farm from Gene’s parents. From this union Gerald and Judith and Daniel were born. In 1957 they moved to their own farm north of Murdock where they raised dairy cattle for 54 years. Eileen and Gene shared the work in the fields, Eileen drove the tractor alongside Gene, tilled and harvested the crops as a loyal and hardworking farm partner until the age of 74. Eileen was active with Gene in several farm organizations and attended Disabled American Veterans with Gene.
Eileen and Gene enjoyed their vacations including a drive to California and Alaska and a cruise through the Panama Canal.
She was a very faithful, devoted Catholic, a member of Sacred Heart Church and active on the Sacred Heart Council of Catholic Women. Eileen also enjoyed square dancing, polka dancing, fishing and spending as much family time as possible. She and Eugene were blessed to share 76 years of marriage.
In all ups and downs of life she believed and lived her Catholic faith trusting in the Lord. She passed on those beliefs, her work ethic, her values ​​and more to her family. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother and will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
She is survived by her children: Gerald (and Teresa) Sell of Bloomington, MN and Judith (and Philip) Hoffer of Kerkhoven, MN; nine grandchildren: Matthew (and Tracee Mergen) Sell, Scott (and Rachael Torchia) Sell, Rachel Sell, Maria (and Scott) Steele, Kathy (and Mike) Busick; Michael Cook, Susanna (and Brent) Miller, Eric (and Jessica) Sell and Kari (and Nicholas) Waller; and 20 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Joyce Gorres of Willmar.
Eileen was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Eugene; one son, Daniel K. Sell; son-in-law William E. Cook; and siblings: Helen Johnson and brother-in-law Marvin; Irvin Wenisch and sister-in-law Elizabeth; Vincent Wenisch and sister-in-law Irene; Clarence Wenisch and sister-in-law Loretta; and young grandchildren: Kate Sell, Aaron Sell and Kristen Sell.
