ROCKWELL — Paul E. Pruin, a rural Rockwell farmer, U.S. Army veteran and longtime community member, died Monday, May 11, 2026, at Rockwell Community Nursing Home. He was 91.
According to an obituary from Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory, a funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 15, 2026, at Faith United Church of Rockwell, 303 Monroe Street. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 14, 2026, at the church and again one hour before the service Friday.
Interment will take place at Memorial Park Cemetery in Mason City, with military honors presented by the Mason City Honor Guard.
Pruin was born May 17, 1934, in Parkersburg. He later moved with his family to the rural Mason City area and graduated from Mason City High School in 1953. After high school, he served in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
He married Marlene Smith on June 27, 1954, in Rockwell. After returning from military service, Pruin began farming, a career he continued for decades. He also raised livestock and farmed alongside his son, Doug.
Pruin was involved in several local organizations over the years, including the Farmer Elevator Coop, Rockwell Telephone and the Rockwell-Swaledale school board. He also worked for many years as a Pioneer seed dealer.
He was also known for his love of horses, especially Belgian draft horses. Pruin showed horses at fairs and events across Iowa and southern Minnesota, and he and Marlene were inducted into the Draft Horse Hall of Fame in 2003.
After Marlene’s death in 2003, Pruin later married Jeanette Hall in 2006. In retirement, he enjoyed gardening and working on tractors.
Pruin is survived by his wife, Jeanette; his children, Doug Pruin, Barbara Moorehead and Leigh Sheahan; 10 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; a brother, Robert Pruin; and other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Marlene; his parents; and a brother, Harold.
Memorials may be directed to the MS Society or Faith United Church of Rockwell.
Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory is handling arrangements. To read more and see the full obituary, please click here.