Earl L. Perkins, 96
Published 5:19 pm Tuesday, July 9, 2024
Earl (Cookie) Perkins, 96, passed away peacefully Thursday, June 27th, 2024 in his apartment at Masonic Home in Bloomington, MN surrounded by his family,
He was born on June 6th, 1928 in Fergus Falls to Ambrose and Cora (Knobel) Perkins, the ninth of eleven children.
Earl was a long-time history, health and physical education teacher and respected football and baseball coach. He graduated from Fergus Falls HS, Bemidji State University and earned his Master’s degree in education from NDSU.
He was united in marriage to Edith (DeDe) Shonkwiler on August 17th, 1952, until her death in 1992. He married Elaine Cornforth on November 12th, 1994. Marrying Elaine gifted us with a loving, supportive family that embraced and continued to love Earl, after her death in 2013.
Earl was a bright light in this world with his warm, gentle smile, unwavering faith, patience, sense of humor, and his love of family, friends and all those he taught and coached. He had a deep appreciation for conversation, history, nature and all things sports. Earl’s teaching career started in Borup and thereafter, he went on to teach and coach in Ada, Breckenridge and Austin. He was inducted into the football Hall of Fame in Fergus Falls HS, Bemidji State University and the baseball Hall of Fame in Riverland Community College.
Earl is survived by his daughters; Kim (Todd) Wedin, Jan (Jim) Nash, Jill (Jeff) Washinger, and Cindy (Mike) Oquist; 26 grandchildren and 44 great grandchildren, twin sisters, Illene Bice and Irene (Jim) Groschupf, all of whom he loved deeply.
He was preceded in death by first wife DeDe, second wife Elaine, his parents, three brothers, five sisters, son-in-law Tim Olinger and Elaine’s son, Brad Cornforth.
A Celebration of Earl’s Life will be held on Tuesday, July 16th with visitation at 10:00 A.M. and service following at 11:00 A.M. Normandale Hylands United Methodist Church; 9920 Normandale Blvd S., Bloomington, MN. Information is posted on Washburn-McReavy Funeral Home in Bloomington, MN. In lieu of flowers, memorials to donors choice.