Visitation

Visitation

Mass of Christian Burial

A loving husband, father, brother, son and faith-filled servant of the Lord, Paul was born December 5, 1938 to William and Ann (Muehlbauer) Mahoney in Morris, Minnesota. He grew up at the home dairy farm in Hegbert Township and attended grade school at District 29 Synnes Township, District 35 Hegbert Township and Appleton High School.  He graduated from the West Central School of Agriculture in Morris.  Following graduation he returned to work at the family farm and served in the National Guard as a clerk typist. In 1960, Paul began his own farm in Fairfield Township. He was united in marriage to Marlys Darlene Yochem on September 17, 1960, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Appleton.

In addition to farming, Paul was a welder at Tyler Manufacturing and later became a paralegal and farm advocate at Mid-Minnesota Legal Services and Swift County Farm Outreach.  He was a devoted servant to his faith and served on the New Ulm Diocesan Pastoral Council, St. John’s Parish Council and the Villa of St. Francis Board.  He was a charter member of the Swift County Corn Growers Association, Knights of Columbus, Swift County 4-H Club leader and Appleton FFA Alumni.  He was a farming mentor and over a decade he hosted a dozen exchange farmers with the Communicating for Agriculture Exchange program.  Paul retired from farming and continued to share his love of the Lord and encouraged the prisoners in their journey of faith as a spiritual minister at the Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton.  We will always be inspired by his tireless work ethic and his deep generosity towards others.  Marlys and the children wish to thank the doctors and nurses at the St. Cloud Hospital – ICU for Paul’s care and the staff at Luther Haven and the DaVita Dialysis unit where Paul received dialysis for 10 years.

Paul passed away in the St. Cloud Hospital surrounded by his family on May 11, 2016. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Marlys; six children: Theresa (Kevin) Bachmeier, Kathy (David) Held, Larry (Denise) Mahoney, Tim (Dawn) Mahoney, Brenda (Dan) Gorseth, and Roseanne Mahoney; AFS exchange student Nicole Van Ejck-Geerts; 13 grandchildren: Rachel and Laura Bachmeier, Anthony (Nicole) Held, Nick and Joe Held, Andrew and Anna Mahoney, Claudia and Andres Mahoney, Benjamin Klein, Garrett, Jessica and Adam Gorseth; brothers, Roger (Katie) Mahoney and Dennis (Tessa) Mahoney; sisters-in-law, Arlene Ulstad and Dianne Mahoney. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Ann (Muehlbauer) Mahoney; brother, Gerald Mahoney; sister, Sharon Mahoney; parents-in-law, Elma and Adolph Yochem; brother-in-law, John Ulstad; niece, Jenny Mahoney; and nephew, Robert Ulstad