Valerian H. "Val" Wessel, age 77, of Buffalo died Monday, August 23, 2010 unexpectedly at his home.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:00 a.m. Friday, August 27, 2010 at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Annandale with Fr. Victor Valencia officiating. Burial will follow at St. Ignatius Catholic Cemetery, French Lake Township, Wright County. Friends may call from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at the Dingmann Funeral Care Chapel, Annandale and one hour prior to services Friday at St. Ignatius Church. There will be a prayer service 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Valerian "Val" Henry Wessel was born September 3, 1932 at Melrose to Edwin and Regina (Schmitz) Wessel. He was a 1951 graduate of Sauk Centre High School; then attended Dunwoody Institute and the University of Minnesota. He married Lila Rose Roehrl on April 27, 1957 in St. Mary's Catholic Church, Melrose. Val was a packaging engineer working for General Mills in Golden Valley for 33 years. He was a member of St. Alphonsus Church, Brooklyn Center, St. George Church, Apache Junction AZ and St. Ignatius Church, Annandale. He coached baseball and basketball for his children's and grandchildren's teams. Val was a former member of the Kiwanis Club and enjoyed sports, fishing, gardening, shuffleboard, attending auctions and playing cards. He was a champion for everyone and would help in anyway he could all his life. Val also loved time spent with his wife, children and grandchildren. He was so loved and will be sorely missed.

He is survived by his wife Lila of Buffalo, daughter Jessica Chapman & her husband Pat of South Haven; son Steve Wessel & his wife Nancy Frendt of Chandler, AZ; grandchildren Breanna, James, Marina & Roman Chapman; step granddaughter Rachel (Todd) Whitaker; step great grandchildren Haley Bazzell & Payson Whitaker; brothers Garry (Roxanne) Wessel of Jordan, Alan (Barb) Wessel of Long Prairie; sister Mary (Gerald) Schleif of Little Falls; sister in law Mary Ann Wessel; brother in law Mike Kedrowski; and also many nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother James Wessel; sister LaVonne "Toots" Kedrowski; and step grandson, Charlie Kunz.

The pallbearers will be Steve, Garry, Alan & Scott Wessel, Pat & James Chapman, Gerald Schleif and Godson Eddie Kedrowski. The music for the service will be provided by St. Ignatius Music Ministry and Jack & Ben Holthaus will be altar servers. The arrangements were entrusted to Dingmann Funeral Care of Annandale.