Albert Jewell

Albert Raymond Jewell, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away on August 12, 2024, in Brainerd, MN, with his loving wife by his side.

Al was born on August 19, 1940, to Peter and Viola (Standusky) Jewell in Brainerd, MN. He was raised on a farm in Pine River, MN, and graduated from Pine River High School in 1958. Al worked with his dad on the farm and at the family sawmill. He married his wife, Joyce Hurtig, on September 23, 1961, and went on to have two daughters together, Tammy in 1962, and Brenda in 1963.

Al graduated from the Office Appliance Mechanical Institute in Springfield, MO, and in 1966 he worked at D&D, an office equipment company in Brainerd, MN. The family moved to the Wayzata, MN area where Al worked at Harris Office Equipment. In 1978, Al began his own office equipment business called Al’s Office Equipment. He was a member of NOMDA, the National Office Machine Dealers Association.

In 1990, Al sold his business and moved to Knife River, MN. The following year, he traveled to St. Louis, MO and earned his United States Coast Guard License. From there, he started a charter fishing business called Jolly Troller and became the president of the Knife River Yacht Club. In 2005, Al and Joyce moved back to Pequot Lakes, MN.

Everyone will remember Al for his smile. He had a great sense of humor and was always playing practical jokes. He liked spending time outdoors, doing yard work with his Ford 8N tractor, feeding the animals, watching the birds at his bird feeders, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, and boating. He enjoyed listening to country music, watching westerns, traveling with his wife to see natural beauty, and finding new places to eat. He loved being a snowbird in Florida or Arizona after Joyce retired. Al was a talented woodworker and made crafts with Joyce in a business called Jewell Crafts, participating in craft shows throughout the area.

Al is survived by his wife, Joyce; daughters, Tammy (Gavin) Greenlee and Brenda (Lee) Stoltz; 5 grandchildren; and 9 great-grandchildren; sister, Edith (Ted) Stefaniak of Grafton, WI; brother, Ellsworth Jewell of Pine River, MN; and several nieces and nephews.

Al was preceded in death by his parents, Peter and Viola; infant brother; and sister, Leona.

Services will be held at 2PM on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Pequot Lakes. A visitation will be held the hour prior to the service.

Memorials for the family can be sent to “The Jewell Family Care of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church” at P.O. Box 126, Pequot Lakes, MN 56472.