Joseph "Joe" Primus

Joseph R. “Joe” Primus, age 99 of Melrose, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 30, 2026 at the Cura Care Centre in Melrose, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 5, 2026 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Melrose with Rev. Mitchell Bechtold officiating and Rev. Marvin Enneking concelebrating. Interment will be held in the parish cemetery. The Mass will be livestreamed, and the link can be found at www.oneinfaith.org.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose and from 9 to 9:45 a.m Saturday at the church.

Joseph Reinhold Primus was born on April 28, 1927, in Grove Township, Minnesota, to William and Rose (Meyer) Primus. He attended country school through the eighth grade. On May 8, 1951, Joe married Catherine Olmscheid at St. Martin Catholic Church in St. Martin. For 35 years, Joe and Catherine worked side by side on their farm in Grove Township near Melrose while raising their family of boys. Together, they built a life rooted in family and farming. In 1986, they retired from farming and moved to Melrose.

Farming was more than a livelihood for Joe; it was something he truly loved. The farm was where he taught his boys the value of hard work, responsibility, and working together as a family. The many years they spent farming alongside one another created lasting memories and lessons that his family will always cherish.

Joe was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Melrose. He enjoyed going for drives through the countryside, checking out the crops and seeing what others were doing. Even during the last week of his life, he enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren. Joe also enjoyed church festivals and parades, often following them with a drive around the countryside to see what was happening.

Survivors include his sons, Rich (Carol) Primus of Albany, Virgil (Mary) Primus of Melrose, and Melvin (Brenda) Primus of Melrose; 15 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren with one great-grandchild on the way; daughters-in-law, Ann Marie Primus of Melrose and Nancy Primus of Sauk Centre; sister, Betty Moscho of Melrose; sister-in-law, Claire Primus of Sauk Centre; and many loving relatives and friends.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, William and Rose Primus; sons, Donald, Baby Boy, Jerry, and Dale Primus; grandsons, Joel Primus and Mitchell Primus; brothers and sisters, Alphonse (Hildegard) Primus, Regina (Cyril) Wessel, Sr. Oranda Primus O.S.B., Albert (Marie) Primus, Alcuin (Lorraine) Primus, Sr. Lynette Primus O.S.B., Urban (Mary Ann) Primus, Rosemary (Vincent) Schmiesing, and Roman Primus; and brother-in-law, Nick Moscho.