Lyla Loraine (Panning) Kroells, age 88, of Norwood Young America, formerly of Green Isle, passed away at the Good Samaritan Society in Arlington on Thursday, Nov. 21.
Funeral service will be held at St. Paul’s Evangelical Reformed Church in rural Hamburg at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 30. Pastor Dan Schnabel will officiate.
Interment will follow at the church cemetery.
Carol Lagergren will be the organist. Special music will be provided by St. Paul’s Evangelical Reformed Church Choir ~ “Going Home.”
Congregational hymns will be “The Lord Is My Shepherd,” “It Is Well With My Soul” and “Now The Light Is Gone Away.”
Casket bearers will be  Chase Ostlie, Bryce Kroells, Neal Kroells, Kaleb Myhrwold, Jim Myhrwold and Jason Franck  
An honorary casket bearer will be Meleah Myhrwold.
Lyla Loraine (Panning) Kroells was born at home in Washington Lake Township, Sibley County, on July 11, 1931. She was the daughter of Herbert Henry and Regina Bertha (Schuette) Panning.  Lyla was baptized as an infant on July 26, 1931, by Pastor H.J. Boumann and was later confirmed in her faith in the German language on March 25, 1945, by Pastor L.T. Wohlfeil, both at Emanuel Lutheran Church in rural Hamburg. She received her education in Norwood Young America, Minnesota, graduating with the Central High School Class of 1949 on June 1st.   
On May 15, 1952, Lyla was united in marriage to Milton J. Kroells by Pastor L.T. Wohlfeil at Emanuel Lutheran Church in rural Hamburg.  After their marriage they lived with Lyla’s parents for a short time until Milton was drafted into the armed forces and stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas.  In 1954, after Milton’s discharge they returned to Minnesota and purchased a farm in Washington Lake Township near Assumption where they resided until 1984. At that time they moved to Lyla’s home place near Hamburg.  In 2000, Lyla moved to Norwood Young America and then became a resident of The Harbor in August 2014.  Since September 2018, Lyla had been a resident at the Good Samaritan in Arlington.  Their marriage was blessed with five children, Sandy, Terry, Becky, Darcy and Tammy.  Lyla and Milton shared over 46 years of marriage, until Milton passed away on June 1, 1998.
Before her marriage, Lyla worked at German Mutual Insurance Company in Norwood and after returning from Kansas, Lyla worked beside her husband on the family farm.  She remembered growing up on the farm working for her Uncle Fred, driving horses for the hay baler and working in the field making straw stacks on the threshing machine.  Lyla was an active member of St. Paul’s Evangelical and Reformed Church in rural Hamburg. As her ministry to the church, she proudly served on the Women’s Guild where she served as president multiple times.  Lyla was also a member of the Washington Lake Homemakers Club.  
Lyla was a hard working farm wife.  She enjoyed bowling, playing cards and traveling in the United States and to various places abroad, especially Australia.  Lyla was an avid reader of local newspapers, played piano and watched the soap opera “The Young and The Restless.”  Lyla cherished the time spent and visiting with her family, friends and neighbors.  
Lyla is survived by her children, Sandy Kroells of Norwood Young America, Terry Kroells of Chanhassen, Becky (Ormund) Ostlie of Hutchinson, Darcy (Mary) Kroells of Green Isle, and Tammy (Jim) Myhrwold of Sartell; grandchildren, Kalli Ostlie, Chase (Nicole) Ostlie, Bryce Kroells, Neal Kroells, Kaleb Myhrwold and Meleah Myhrwold; great-grandchildren, Luke and Lex Ostlie; sister-in-law, Marlene Kroells; other relatives and many friends.
Lyla is preceded in death by her parents, Herbert and Regina Panning; husband, Milton Kroells; infant brother; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Peter H. and Lena (Nellen) Kroells; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Esther and Martin Oelfke, Harlan and Betty Kroells, Wallace Kroells, Ray and Delores Ische.
The family invites everyone to the luncheon in the church basement immediately following the committal service.
Arrangements by the Paul-McBride Funeral Chapel in Norwood Young America. Online Obituaries and Guest Book available at www.mcbridechapel.com.