Joseph J. Sendelbach, age 86, of Wells, died Sunday, Feb. 27, 2005, at

St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Thursday, March 3, at St. Casimir Catholic Church in Wells, with the Rev. Eugene Stenzel and the Rev. Thomas E. Cook officiating. Visitation will be held at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2 with a 6 p.m. prayer service, and one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday with rosary at 10 a.m. Interment will be in St. Casimir Catholic Cemetery in Wells.

Joseph was born June 7,1918, the son of Louis A. and Katherine (Lux) Sendelbach in Wilton Township, Waseca County. He was baptized at St. Mary’s Church in St. Mary’s Township.

He spent his boyhood days on the family farm 1 1/2

miles north of Otisco. The family moved to the present farm in rural Wells in 1929. He graduated from eighth grade at Dunbar School in 1931.

He graduated from the U of Minn. School of Agriculture in 1937. He worked for Waseca Hatchery

for three seasons, and raised hybrid seed corn from 1935 to 1959.

He married Ruth Ann Steinbauer on August 22, 1946 at St. Joseph Church in Owatonna.

Joe was a member of St. Casimir Catholic Church in Wells where he served for 12 years as trustee and as treasurer for 29 years for the St. Casimir Cemetery. He was a honorary member of the Knights of Columbus. He served three terms as director of the Minnesota Crop Inspector’s Association. He served 21 years on the Faribault County A.S.C. board. He was a charter member of the Wells Rifle Club. He and his wife enjoyed the farm and retired there.

Joseph was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Anna Akemann.

Survivors include his wife, Ruth Ann Sendelbach of Wells; and one daughter, Kristine Sendelbach of Austin.