Paul Warren Schelske, age 77

St. Cloud, MN

February 19, 1948 - April 4, 2025

Paul Warren Schelske, age 77, of St. Cloud, MN, passed away on April 4, 2025. The Celebration of Life will be at 3:00 pm on Saturday, May 17th, 2025, visitation will be one hour prior to the service at Benson Funeral Home. Burial will take place at 12:00 pm on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls, with full military honors.

Paul was born on February 19, 1948, in Burley, Idaho to Alvin and Phyllis (Baker) Schelske, while his father was a Reserve-Duty officer. While Paul was still young, his family moved to St. Cloud, where he grew up, sharing many experiences at the house off River Ave N., and attending Campus Lab School where his father, Alvin, was the Principal.  Paul then moved to Africa with his family, living in different places while his father taught at various Universities. After this great adventure, he returned to St. Cloud, where Paul graduated from Tech High School on June 1st, 1967.

After high school Paul attended SCSU as a history major. He loved history his whole life and never stopped wanting to learn more about it. At SCSU he met his future wife, Patsy Doll (that girl next door). As the draft was activated, Paul did not want to be drafted, so he enlisted in the Army as a Military Policeman. As he served his time, he kept in contact with Patsy. Paul received an honorable medical discharge in May of 1972. Paul and Patsy were married on June 21,1975. They loved to go on adventures together and spend time in nature together. Though later they divorced, they remained best friends and were always there for one another. They raised their children, Josh and Sara, as one family and their grandchildren as well. Paul was also very loved by the Doll family and he loved them.

Paul loved being a homebody and living on his land, raising pheasants, making homemade wine, maple syrup, and tending to his gardens that seemed to take up most of his land. Most of all he loved giving what he made as presents, for Christmas or any special occasion. He also loved fishing whether it was on the river, lake, or ocean; if there was a fish, he could catch it. He also enjoyed cooking for his family and friends, rock hunting, camping, and hunting; as he, and many friends, made a yearly trip to Wyoming to hunt.  As a career, Paul opened the Longhorn Saloon on Lincoln Ave in 1979, he enjoyed the company and friends that he made while it was still open. After stepping away from bartending, Paul decided to go back into a federal job being a mail carrier at the U.S. Postal Service. He retired in April 2010 after 25 years.

Paul loved his family dearly, he especially enjoyed spending time with his children, grandchildren, and brother, Dave. He was particularly fond of the Wednesday night gathering of family and friends at Dave’s house and Thursday night Grandchildren gatherings. He loved taking trips with family and visiting family, whether it was going to Florida to visit his grandma and parents, taking a cruise to Alaska, a plane ride to Jamaica, Africa, New England, or just a car ride to Arcadia Lodge. Family always came first.

Paul is survived by his best friend; Patsy Schelske; son, Josh Schelske; daughter, Sara Schelske (Paul Larson); brothers, Dave (Lori) Schelske, Khai Nguyen and family of Portland, OR; brother-in-law, Vern Moening; grandchildren, Lauren, Leah, and Logan Schelske, Harmony, Kira, Collin, and Zoey Hanson, Deacon and Quinton Nickolauson; nephew, Anthony (Jen) Moening; nieces, Amanda (Cody) Lommel, Ally (Drew) Dockendorf, Abbey Schelske, and all their children and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Alvin and Phyllis Schelske, and sister, Kris Schelske-Moening.