Edgar F. Petrell

Edgar F. Petrell, 91, a lifelong resident of Embarrass, died peacefully on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. His passing is not only a loss for his friends but also marks the loss of a family whose history is entwined with the history of Embarrass. Please come share your memories at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15 at the Embarrass Town Hall.
Edgar was born on June 11, 1935, the youngest of 10 children born to Henry Petrell and Siiri Levander Petrell, who were Finnish immigrants. They had lived in Embarrass since the early 1930s. Edgar was born on the family farm, which was located next to the current Embarrass Town Hall. Edgar never married and lived with his brother Wilfred on the family farm until his brother married later in life. Edgar then moved five miles south to a farm on Petrell Road. Except for a brief military service in the late 1940s, Edgar lived his entire life within five miles of the farm where he was born.
Edgar worked for St. Louis County as a snowplow driver. It was during this period of time he made many friends with whom he remained in contact upon his retirement. Edgar became an adopted member of the George Waisanen family in the 1960’s. At first, it was entertainment for Eddie to hang around to see the day-to-day insanity of a family with five children born in five years. He was Uncle Eddie and was there when the good things happened and the bad.
If you went in the ditch, you could be sure the news arrived at home before you did. In the Waisanen family the Edgar stories are epic. From cooking him out of the sauna to teasing him about his table manners (or lack thereof). He taught us how to fish on Wynne Lake and was always the uncle we could depend upon. He was present at every Thanksgiving and Christmas and Easter dinner for over 50 years. As the next generation was born, inevitably someone would ask, “How is Edgar related to us?” The answer was he was not connected to us by our blood, only by our hearts.
In 2016, his last sibling Wilfred died. Edgar was now alone and this made it difficult. He did not want to leave his farm, even though over time it was very clear he needed help. It was easy to make fun of him and many did. However, many more community members stepped up to help a lifetime Embarrass resident stay on his farm for as long as possible. From the credit union ladies who paid his bills, to the people who took his calls on a daily basis, we thank you. When he called, he was often confused, and really just lonely, but many people took his calls and listened.
His childhood friend George Waisanen made sure he got out, even if it was just for breakfast and a run for groceries. And then COVID hit. Edgar became ill, and George drove him to the hospital. Due to COVID restrictions, he could not have visitors. Leaving him there was very hard. The doctors decided he could not go home alone. A distant relative made the decision to move him 150 miles away to Bemidji. There was now an empty spot at the Waisanen holiday gatherings.
When we found him in Bemidji, we quickly visited. When Edgar saw George he cried, “My oldest friend!” There were tears all around. He was no longer living in Embarrass, but he was not forgotten. We kept in touch thereafter with regular cards, calls, and occasional visits from his Embarrass friends and family.