Wilbur Desrocher

Published September 30, 2021 at 8:14 AM

The Mass of Christian Burial for Wilbur Desrocher of Verndale was celebrated at 3:00 PM on Thursday, September 30, 2021 at St. Frederick’s Catholic Church in Verndale with Fr. Gabriel Walz as celebrant.

Wilbur passed away at his home in Verndale on Saturday, September 25, 2021 with family at his side and under the gentle care of Lakewood Hospice.

Wilbur Horace Desrocher was born November 8, 1927, to William and Alice (Bourgeois) Desrocher, a year after they moved to Verndale, MN, and bought the Palace Cafe (later became the Desrocher Cafe). Wilbur lived his whole life in Verndale. His early teen years he would catch the train to North Dakota to work in potato fields. Wilbur talked of playing basketball in high school only because Mr. Peterson, the Superintendent at the time, volunteered to coach due to the hard times during the war.

Wilbur joined the U.S Army in 1946. He was stationed in Italy. He would tell the story of painting his bunk. When he returned from dinner to the barracks his bunk was taken and replaced. Not happy he investigated and found out it was the Motorpool Sergeant, who then gave him the job driving a jeep for a General.

Wilbur married Madonna Svir on June 15, 1949, whom he met at a dance at the River Inn in Aldrich, MN. They bought the cafe from his parents and raised a family of eight children. They ran the cafe for about 23 years. He became head cook at Bell Hill Recovery Center. Through the years Wilbur was a substitute mail carrier then became full time in the early 1980s until his retirement.

Wilbur is survived by his children Alice (Mike) Carr, Ray and Tim Desrocher, John (Mary Ann) Desrocher, Renee (Mike) Halland, Rhea (Ken) Eickhoff and David (Sheila) Desrocher; siblings, Lucille (Howard) Selander, along with Bill and Bob Desrocher. Wilbur has 17 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Madonna; daughter, Anna Desrocher; parents William and Alice Desrocher; sister, Lorraine Everett; and brother Marvin Desrocher.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to St Frederick Catholic Church or Verndale Historical Society or a charity of your choice.

Burial was in St. Frederick’s Catholic Cemetery, Verndale, MN.

Arrangements were with the Schuller Family Funeral Homes & Cremation Services, Verndale, MN. (www.SchullerFamilyFH.com)