Murel Gordon Backman

Murel Backman, of Pine River, was born on April 16, 1949, and passed away on April 15, 2024, in St Paul.

 Murel spent three years serving his country in the Marine Corps. He later married his wife, Karen, on May 20, 1995. He worked as a clerk for the Mankato Post Office for many years. He enjoyed fishing, wood working, golfing, deer hunting, sudoku, watching and reading westerns, traveling to Mexico, and was a fan of baseball and fantasy football. Murel loved spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren, and making them all breakfast. He was the mayor of Chickamaw Beach and was very active in his church.

 Murel is survived by his wife, Karen; daughter, Dawn (Jon) Clobes; grandchildren, Nathan (Jessie) Clobes, Joshua (Samantha) Clobes, Abigail Clobes, David (Danielle) Clobes, Hannah Clobes, and Andrew Clobes; great-grandchildren, James, Madelyn, Naomi, and Lenora; sister, Karen Backman; brother-in-law, David Mosley; sister-in-law, Margaret Backman; nieces, nephews, and extended family. He is preceded in death by his parents, Virginia and Carl; daughter, Kim Wahlstrom; and siblings, Jane Stroebl, Deanna Mosley, Ruth Gould, Karl Backman, and Pete Backman.

 Services will be held at 2 PM on Friday, April 19, 2024, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Backus, MN. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. A lunch will follow. No burial is planned at this time.