April 18, 1913 - Jan. 15, 2007
GRANITE FALLS -- Phil Minelli, 93, of Granite Falls died Monday at the Granite Falls Hospital.
The service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Granite Falls. Burial will be at St. Andrew Catholic Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 9 to 10 a.m. Friday at the church. Arrangements are with Wing-Bain Funeral Home in Granite Falls.
He was born April 18, 1913, to Michael and Armonia Minnelli. He graduated from Hibbing High School in 1931 and from Hibbing Junior College in 1934. He worked as a laborer at the iron ore open pit mine in Hibbing and graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 1939.
ADVERTISEMENT
He married Cele Finnegan on Dec. 27, 1941, in Minneota. He taught and coached at St. Mary's High School in Sleepy Eye, then enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps where he earned his sergeant stripes and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. After the war, he taught and coached at the Granite Falls Public School. He received a master's degree in guidance counseling from the University of Minnesota and was a guidance counselor until he retired in 1975. He also established a guidance counseling pogram at Sacred Heart High School and worked there part time for three years.
He was commander of the American Legion, president of the Yellow Medicine County Teachers Association and served two terms on the school board. He also served as the superintendent of Parks and Recreation and helped establish a Red Cross swimming program for the area. He was a member of the St. Andrew Catholic Parish and received the Bishop's Medal.
He is survived by his wife; children: Marie (and Mark) Moilanen of Minnetonka, Michael (and Pam) Minelli of Washington; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and one brother: Alex Minnelli of Hibbing.
He was preceded in death by one sister and one brother.
