Obituary of John R. Schelen

John Raymond Schelen went home to be with the Lord on September 11, 2021 at the age of 87. John had no fear of dying because he knew Jesus as his Savior and that HE would welcome him to His eternal home. John was preceded in death by his wife, Marlene; and his parents, Virginia & Herbert. He is survived by Marlene’s children, Luana Uhlhorn, Katherine Nelson, Bradley Sass, Beverly Hansen, Ronald Sass, and Paul Sass; 18 grandchildren; numerous great & great-great-grandchildren; and many cousins. John was born on April 1, 1934 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, son of Herbert and Virginia (Brink) Schelen. John grew up in St. Paul, graduating from Johnson High School. He attended Augsburg College, the University of Minnesota and served in the United States Army, being stationed in Germany. John was a lifelong member of Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church. He was a gifted tenor, singing in the church choir, the male chorus, numerous community choirs as well as being a soloist for many years. He loved travel and adventure, taking flying lessons, making many scuba diving trips, water skiing, boating, and he especially enjoyed sharing those experiences with friends. In the mid-1950s, he drove his van to Alaska, an unusual adventure for that time. Later he made three trips to Israel, continuing to take an interest in world affairs throughout his life. For over twenty years, John worked for Globe University in numerous positions. As a Financial Aid Administrator, he assisted students in financing their education to achieve their dreams. John was willing to take on any needed task, and because of this he did many jobs within the schools. You would find him helping students find the right book or find the right classroom, providing answers to their many questions, and always trying his best to help. He truly cared about the students and the students in turn loved him. John acquired the nickname, "Mr. Wonderful" from the students as he was always caring, listening to each need and concern. John was given a musical gift and he used it first to glorify God and then to entertain. When he worked at the University, at times he would break out with singing as he walked down the halls. For these past few weeks, he practiced singing “O Holy Night” every night in his room at the care center as he was planning on singing it once again at the Gustavus Adolphus Church’s Christmas Eve service as he had done for many years. Now John is the new tenor in the heavenly choir, worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ in glory. Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 17th, 2021 at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church, 1669 Arcade Street (Hwy 61), Saint Paul.