Edward Straus

Edward C. Straus of Wahpeton, ND passed away at the age of 89 on Friday, June 13, 2025, at home with his loving wife, Marlene, by his side.

Ed was born September 24, 1935, to Emil and Ethel (Rooney) Straus in Sanborn, ND, the youngest of 6 children. He attended St. Catherine’s Catholic School in Valley City, ND, graduating in 1954. Ed was enlisted in the North Dakota National Guard in high school and entered the US Air Force on September 28, 1954. On April 27, 1957, Ed married the love of his life Marlene Thilmony at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Valley City. He was deployed to England during the first year of their marriage, and when he returned, they were stationed at Lake Charles AFB in Lake Charles, LA where he worked as a mechanic on B47 bombers. After being discharged from the Air Force in June of 1958, Ed worked for Montgomery Ward in Valley City for one year before entering the North Dakota State School of Science in September 1959. Ed was employed for Swede Johnson at Worner Rambler during college. Ed and Marlene moved to Hunter for one year, then returned to Wahpeton where Ed worked for Krause Motors as a mechanic for a few years and worked for Peter J. Schweitzer in Breckenridge as the maintenance supervisor, from 1964-1974. Ed and Marlene owned and operated Straus Mobil in Wahpeton from 1974 -1979. Ed began teaching at NDSSS in January of 1980 in the diesel program, replacing Swede Johnson. Ed continued his employment at NDSCS teaching diesel mechanics and adult education until his retirement in 1997.

Ed always had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. His family was his biggest joy. Ed and Marlene raised four sons, William, Wayne, Warren, and Wallace. As a family, they enjoyed camping and canoeing in the summer and in the winter, Ed would pull the boys on sleds behind a car down country roads until the boys got bigger and they started snowmobiling instead. Ed and Marlene loved spending time at their cabin on Pickerel Lake. After retirement, Ed spent several years collecting and restoring classic cars. He passed his love of cars to his sons and grandsons. Ed and Marlene spent twenty winters in Desert Hot Springs, CA. While there, Ed learned the art of stained glass. He’s known all over town, and especially by the nurses at Roger Maris Cancer Center, as “the man who gives out the angels”. Ed always enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren when they would come to visit.

Ed was a member of St. John’s Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, St. John’s Choir and the Alphean Male Chorus in Wahpeton. In 2019, Ed was honored to attend the Veterans Honor Flight to Washington, DC.

Ed is survived by his wife of 68 years, Marlene, four sons, Bill (Laurie) Straus and their daughters Lacey (Jake) Hodny and Lauren (Brock) Lemer, Wayne (Carol) Straus and their sons Eric (Erin Grahn) Straus, Joe (Alisa) Straus and Brian (Sheila) Blotsky, Warren “Woody” Straus, Wally (Brenda) Straus and their daughter Amanda, and great-grandchildren Ellie and Max Hodny, Hunter, Ben, and Mira Lemer, Ava, Audra, and Alec Straus, and Sierra and Aspen Blotsky, sister-in-law Cheryl Stegmeier and brother-in-law Lloyd (Margaret) Thilmony.

He was preceded in death by his parents, siblings Monica Wolsky, Alice Fieber, Stanley Straus, Louis Straus, and Louella Kelly, and brothers-in-law Robert Thilmony (age 13), Jim (Maggie) Thilmony, Eugene Thilmony, and Ed Stegmeier.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Wahpeton, ND from 5-7 pm with a prayer service at 7pm. Knights of Columbus will lead a rosary beginning at 6:45. Visitation will continue from 9:30-10:30 am Wednesday, June 18 with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30. All are welcome to join for a luncheon immediately following Mass. Burial will be held at Calvary Cemetery at 1 pm.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choosing.