Marvin John Stone, 79, of Rose Creek, Minnesota, passed away Tuesday, June 28, 2016, at St. Marys Campus in Rochester, Minnesota, surrounded by his loved ones.

Marvin was born October 30, 1936 to Luther Truman and Ida Juanita (Fox) Stone in Topeka, Kansas. He attended school in Pratt, Kansas and enlisted in the U.S. Navy on October 6, 1955. A daughter, Teena Marie Stone, was born in Pratt, Kansas in 1956. It was while he was stationed in California that he met and married Barbara Ann Gallentine on June 24, 1960, in a small chapel in San Diego.

While serving 10 years on active duty, he saw the world, being stationed on the USS Montrose, stopping in ports of Hawaii, Japan, Korea, Okinawa, Indo-China, Philippines, Hong Kong, Formosa and Alaska. A daughter, Diana Lynn, was born in 1962 in Austin, Minnesota while he was a drill instructor stationed at Great Lakes, Illinois. From there they traveled back to California where in 1964 a daughter, Pamela Joyce, was born in Oakland, California. He was discharged from the Navy on June 22, 1965, and they decided to make their home in Austin, Minnesota. In 1974, they moved to his current home in rural Rose Creek, Minnesota. He was first employed by Weyerhauser and in 1967 another daughter, Barbara Jean, was born. He then became employed by Hormel Corp. and in 1977 was layed off and started another career as a truck driver, driving for J&R Ransom and Silver Truck Lines. As his health started to fail, he gained employment as a security guard at Pinkerton Security where he retired.

Marvin loved to fish and could spend hours on the lake. He had a knack with motors and could turn a lawnmower into a go-cart, spending hours tearing an engine apart and rebuilding it. It seemed he could fix anything with an engine, which came in handy with three daughters. He enjoyed playing on a men’s softball team at Todd Park and spending time in the pits of the Chateau with Charley and crew. He taught himself to play the guitar and could spend many evenings picking away on it, picking up tunes he’d heard on the TV or radio. He didn’t need any sheet music; he played it all by ear.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Luther and Ida Stone, brother William Stone, daughter Teena, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and a nephew, Frank Miller Jr.

Marvin is survived by his wife Barb; daughters: Diana and Jeff Witt, Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, Pam Morrow and Mark Fishbaugher, Preston, Minnesota, and Barbara Stone (Chris Trudeax), Driggs, Idaho; grandchildren: Tyler Stone DeBoer, Collin Rivard, Jessica and Rudy Borntrager, Michala Morrow and Kim Morrow; step grandchildren: Zach and Amber Witt and Cassy Witt; great grandchildren: Kaelyn, Kanin and Rozyn; step great grandchildren: Kobie, Kearah, Kyah and Kashton; sister: Marilyn and Frank Miller, Benton, KS; brother-in-law: Worth and Sharon Gallentine, Owatonna, Minnesota; sister-in-law: Joyce and Allan Rife, Foley, Minnesota; cousins, nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Friday, July 1, 2016, at Clasen-Jordan Mortuary with Jim Beyer officiating. Visitation will be from 2 p.m. until the time of the service on Friday. As per his wishes, his body was donated to the Mayo Clinic Bequest Program. Burial and military rites will be at a later date at Grandview Cemetery.