Wallace "Wally" Payne

Wallace “Wally” Payne, 92, of Paynesville, passed away Tuesday, September 23 at the CentraCare Hospital in Paynesville. Private family service will take place at Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls. Arrangements are with Johnson Funeral Home in Paynesville.

Wallace Daniel Payne was born November 26, 1932 at the old Mercy Hospital in Thief River Falls to Daniel M. and Gladys (Johnson) Payne. He attended four years at Elwell Country School and graduated from Goodridge High School in 1950. After high school, he went on to Moorhead State for two years and then transferred to North Dakota Agriculture College graduating with a Bachelor of Science in animal husbandry. In January of 1958 Wally graduated with a Master of Science Degree in range management from NDAC.

Wally married Jeanette Hanson, a high school classmate, on October 20, 1956 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls. The evening that Wally graduated in 1958 he was on a train bound for basic training at Fort Ord in California. He and Jean spent the next two years in Modesto, California where their son was born. Wally was in the US Army Veterinary Corps and spent most of his duty in creameries and cheese plants in California. After being honorably discharged, the family moved back to Goodridge and started farming, where then his three daughters were born.

In 1965, Wally began his teaching career at Goodridge Public School, where he taught Agriculture. In 1971, he transitioned to Little Falls, teaching Veterans Agriculture for nine years. The family later settled in Paynesville in 1980, where Wally continued his passion for education by teaching Farm Management at the public school. He retired in 1994 but remained closely tied to the community, spending his summers in Paynesville and his winters in Sun City, Arizona.

Wally is survived by his children, Wade Payne of Sun City, AZ, Marsha Damon of Phoenix, AZ, Kathryn Payne of Paynesville, MN, and Wendy Darling of Tempe, AZ; five grandchildren, Sarah Goldsmith, Reba Twito, Emma Twito, Chloe Darling, and Jack Darling; and two great-grandsons, Jack and Hank Goldsmith.

He was preceded in death by his wife Jeanette; parents; and infant sister.

In lieu of flowers, Wally would like memorials to be sent to The Green Roof in Paynesville and Tunnels To Towers Foundation in his honor.

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