Robert W. "Bob" Abeln

ROBERT “BOB” WILLIAM ABELN “THE ELUSIVE HUNTER”
Bob has taken his journey to the happy heavenly hunting grounds with his loving family by his side.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30AM Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville for Robert W. Abeln, 72 of St. Joseph who died Sunday, November 2, at Quiet Oaks Hospice House in St. Cloud. Rev. Brad Jenniges, O.S.B will officiate and burial will be at St. John The Baptist parish cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4-7 PM on Monday, November 10, 2025 at the St. John The Baptist parish center and one hour prior to services Tuesday at the Abbey church. Parish prayers will be at 6:30 PM Monday at the parish center .
Bob was born on February 10, 1953 to William (Bill) and Angeline (Angie Jonas) Abeln. Bob graduated from Albany High School and was the number “1” meat cutter at the family business, Abeln Food Market. Bob married his high school sweetheart, Joyce Thul, on August 11, 1973 at Seven Dolors Catholic Church in Albany, Minnesota. They shared 52 years of marriage. They lived in rural Avon for 25 years. Here they raised their children, Nicole and Josh, enjoying the peace and quiet of the country. They moved to Aurora, Missouri for several years in the early 2000’s. This fulfilled a dream Bob and Joyce had to live in the Ozarks. After returning to Minnesota in 2004 they settled in St. Joseph. Aside from the Abeln Food Market, Bob worked at Fingerhut, Walmart’s meat department in Republic, Missouri and as a meat cutter at St. Joseph Meat Market from which he retired in 2023.
Bob was an avid hunter, whether it was with a bow, rifle, shotgun, it didn’t matter as long as he was out in the woods or field where there were deer, pheasant, duck, grouse, etc. He had a special love for the old bow styles of recurve and longbow and the wood they were made of. In his younger years, he had a love for trapping and did pretty good with trapping the local muskrats. Bob’s brother Mike, and friends Todd and Loren were his hunting partners for many years. Bob and Joyce raised hunting dogs in the early years on County Road 9. Joyce spent many years duck and pheasant hunting with Bob and his dogs. His most recent loyal hunting partner and companion dog, Piper, will miss her master. Piper was at Bob’s side through his battle with kidney failure and cancer.
Bob had a very close friendship with his little brother, Al. They spoke on the phone to each other every day reminiscing about their childhood, working at Abeln’s Food Market together, hunting, cutting deer and making sausage at his nephew, Mike’s. Lots of fun conversation was had and will be missed. Mike and his family always looked forward to Uncle Booba coming to help cut up the “stinky wah-neye-is-son” and make the original Abeln sausage. He is their favorite uncle by far and will be missed greatly.
He is survived by his wife, Joyce; his children, Nicole of Willmar, MN and Josh of St. Joseph, MN; his siblings, Jane McGee of Colfax, NC, Carol Kelash of Waverly, IA, Allen (Jean Bonfig) Abeln of Garrison, MN, and Michael (Barbara Book) Abeln of Maple Grove, MN; many nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews.
. He is preceded in death by his parents, his mother and father in-law and his brother in-law, Michael McGee.
In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to Quiet Oaks Hospice House.