In Memory of Ervey P. Shelley

Ervey P. Shelley, age 88, of Cambridge died August 8, 2015 at GracePointe Crossing Gables West.  Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, August 13th at Christ Ev. Lutheran Church in Cambridge with Rev. Jason Schulz officiating.  A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church.  Interment will be in Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Hanska, Minnesota.

Ervey Porter Shelley was born December 21, 1926 to Elmer and Pearl (Olstad) Shelley on the family farm in Lake Hanska Township, Brown County, Minnesota. He graduated from the 8th grade country school, New Ulm High School, University of Minnesota School of Agriculture, Correspondence School and Power Plant Engineer School. He always enjoyed working with wood and was inspired by Herman Melheim and Martin Gulliksen. He took many carving classes at Vaesterheim, Decorah, Iowa. He later taught short classes there as well as at Villa Marie, Minnesota with the MN Woodcarvers, Cambridge State Junior College and through several school districts. Ervey did full time work at power plants in Redwood Falls and New Ulm for many years. He then worked at Cambridge State Hospital keeping laundry equipment running. They did laundry for three state facilities.

Ervey taught Boy Scouts, with the help of his son and his son’s friends, at the Cambridge State Hospital and Cambridge Lutheran Church. He also enjoyed photographing nature, here and in Norway, hunting and fishing, and woodcarving. Ervey designed and built a moveable pulpit with a wood carving of the church emblem in it for a church in Minneapolis. He also made other sculptures, plates, plaques and did lettering on a table for Cambridge Lutheran Church. Ervey also carved a Viking ship out of walnut, basswood and butternut. He was a very talented and was invited to be a guest artist at the Duluth Railroad Museum. He was a charter member at Christ Lutheran Church in Cambridge as well as the local Sons of Norway. He enjoyed trips to visit their children and families as well as trips to the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and Denmark. Ervey and Gladys celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary April 23, 2015.

He is survived by his loving wife, Gladys (Jacobson); daughter, Pamela (Mike) Masters; son, Emery (Joan) Shelley; 12 grandchildren, Shelley, Colin and Sarah Campbell, Stacy (Bruce) Cook, Eric (Heather) Shelley, Elizabeth (Mike) Davidson, Kristina Cope, Evan (Kelsey) Shelley, Jessica (Dale) Bunderson, Ean Shelley, Liesl (Jared) Curtis, and Hilde (Mathew) Pierringer; 23 great-grandchildren, Aurora, Ethan, Lief, Easton, Eric, Baby Boy Shelley soon to be here!, Taylor, Tate, Tayva, Emmerich, Agnes, Edith, Bentley, Wyatt, MacKenzie, William, Bailey, Kelsey, Madelyn, Samantha, Caleb, Benjamin and Jonathan; nieces, nephews, other relatives and many dear friends.