Peter George Etzell, 79, died at his home in North Mankato on August 24, surrounded by his family. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, August 27, 2015, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, North Mankato. Visitation will be held one hour before service at the church on Thursday. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery, Mankato. Northview ~ North Mankato Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

He was born on April 30, 1936 in Long Prairie, MN to George and Ione Koch Etzell, the first of five children. He graduated from Clarissa High School in 1954 as valedictorian, attended the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul and graduated in 1958 with a B.S. to teach high school physics and chemistry. He worked at Ellerbe Architects & Engineers and Minnesota Mutual Ins. Co., while attending night law school at Wm. Mitchell College of Law, graduating in 1962 with honors. He married Karen Goldsmith in June 1960 in Mahnomen, Mn. and moved to Mankato in 1962 where he practiced law until 1983 when he became disabled from primary lateral sclerosis forcing him to retire. He had a general law practice, specializing in municipal law and public labor relations for management. He was city attorney for North Mankato, St. James, and St. Clair for a number of years, and was a past president of the Minnesota Association of City and Village Attorneys. He was also a founding member of Citizens for Better Government in North Mankato.

Peter was active in his Catholic parish, Holy Rosary, in North Mankato. He had been assistant director of the Men's Choir, a cantor, a lector, a Eucharistic Minister, a member of the finance committee, the stewardship committee, a founding member of Knights of Columbus Council 5551, and its second Grand Knight. He was a founding member and a director of the Schola Foundation, established to provide financial aid for families to attend Loyola and other Catholic Schools in the Mankato area. He loved family activities, especially at the family's lake cabin, photography, as well as fishing and canoeing in the Minnesota/Quetico Boundary Waters. In later years he enjoyed writing and taking graduate courses in theology in pursuit of a Masters Degree.

He is survived by Karen, his wife of 55 years, 4 daughters, Anne Gose (Tom), Kate Dale (Jon), Jean Butler (Patrick), and Martha Jarrett (Bradley), 4 sons, Mark Etzell , Michael Etzell (Kristi), Matthew Etzell (Holly), and John Etzell (Allyson), as well as 25 grandchildren, his three sisters, Gretchen Etzell, Mary Huesing (Richard) Martha Etzell and his brother, Paul Etzell (Mary Anne).

Memorials are requested in lieu of flowers to the Holy Rosary Endowment Fund, administered by the Schola Foundation, Hospice of Mayo Clinic Health System, VINE, or Options for Women.

Source - Mankato Area Funeral Homes