“I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and college wasn’t in my scope,” Theis said. “I felt like I needed to be doing something, and then 9/11 happened, and I saw what I should be doing. It was a big wake-up call.”
Coming from a patriotic family, Theis said his mom was proud but nervous as he departed for basic training in January 2002 to Fort Benning, Georgia.
Theis received orders for his first tour to Bosnia from 2003-04. He said the cold winters and hordes of mosquitoes there reminded him of home.
After returning to the North Star State, Theis received orders to serve in Iraq, training for that tour in 2005 and going boots on the ground 2006-07.
“When I got the orders to go to Iraq, it was more of ‘This is a real thing now,’” Theis said. “I was just as excited (about the tour to Bosnia), because, to me, it was a job. I always considered the military career a very high-end, professional job, and I treated it as such.”
That approach served Theis as he worked hand-in-hand with Iraqi law enforcement, training them, performing raids, patrolling areas and completing other missions near
Ramadi, Iraq. “I’d get homesick every once in a while, but it was more about the faster we can get this job done, the faster we can try to get the hell out of here,” Theis said.
He concluded the stint in Iraq at Camp Bucca, serving in detention operations before returning home.
“It was an eye-opener,” Theis said of the tours.
“For one, (they showed) really how good we have it in the U.S. compared to other countries — Iraq and Bosnia. They’re good, wholesome people. It wasn’t the Iraqi people that we were fighting. It was other countries that were coming in and infiltrating with the civilians.”
Theis helped train troops preparing to leave for Iraq 2007-08, drawing on his experience to ready soldiers for their missions from Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.
When Theis finally returned to Minnesota for good, he worked as a DJ and held a few oddball jobs until formally concluding his military career in 2011 and finding a passion for welding a year later. His roommate at the time, who also served on the tours with the Army National Guard, introduced him to the trade.
“He started getting busier and busier, and I needed to get the stuff (motorcycle work) done,”
Theis said. “So, I just picked up the welder, started playing with it and figured it out. I started college for welding in 2012, and four months into the program, I withdrew because I got a job as a welder at CDI (Crystal Distribution Inc.) in Elk River.”
Theis said the skill of welding came quickly. He approached learning the intricacies of the trade with the same work ethic he brought to work as a soldier.
After working at a handful of welding
companies ranging from relatively small operations to huge corporations, Theis eyed starting a shop of his own in Foley, the town he has called home for two years.
“I wanted to do it for a while,” Theis said. “I had been building mud trucks, mega trucks, and stuff in my garage for a while, and I’ve been helping some other friends build them. I’ve had many people say, ‘You should start your own business,’ but I was always kind of scared, because it’s a scary leap.”
In December 2023, he took that leap, signing a one-year lease and committing himself entirely to
making the venture successful. This fall, Neyssen and he plan to sign a longterm lease at the same facility as they slowly grow their team and business.
“I was trying to fill a need and a void that I saw here (in Foley), and it has just blown up from there now,” Theis said. “We’ve gotten away a little bit over from the repair side, and now we’re getting more into the manufacturing end of the business.”
Neyssen said Theis’ ambitious attitude toward accepting new projects and dedication to quickly serving customers are key ingredients to the young business’ early success.
Theis said Neyssen and he are in the process of starting a second company, F3 Manufacturing, from the same shop. That business will focus on manufacturing, catering to government contracts, structural steel projects and other areas in which they have experience and expertise.
As Theis pours his effort into this new chapter of his life as a business owner, he sees his service with the military as a past job that he completed with all of his efforts. Still, an American flag decorates the welding helmet he uses for most projects, symbolizing his service overseas.
PHOTO BY HANS LAMMEMAN
Travis Theis inspects a project in the shop at Funny Farm Fab Oct. 1 along Highway 23 in Foley. Theis has been involved with the Central Minnesota mud-trucking scene for about seven years.
VETERANS DAY
Bisher Robert A. Navy .....................................................N/A
Bjorge Matthew B. .............................................................N/A
Black Henry .............................................................N/A
Enneking John T. .............................................................N/A
Erdman Floyd Army Reserve........................................N/A Erickson Carl .............................................................N/A
Conrad .............................................................N/A Erickson Ed .............................................................N/A Erickson Edwin W. .............................................................N/A
Erickson Steven C. Navy .....................................................N/A
Thomas .............................................................N/A
Joseph .............................................................N/A Ferche John R. Air Force................................................N/A Ferguson Robert Army.....................................................N/A
Sauk Rapids parishioner honors deceased veterans
Woodworker crafts ceremonial cases for burial flag project
BY TIM HENNAGIR STAFF WRITER
Flags
and honorably discharged warriors worldwide.
Military burial flags represent a sign of respect to living family members who honor a deceased veteran.
Family members are usually expected to preserve the flag after receiving it.
Typically, when displayed, a burial flag is stored in a triangularshaped wooden box or case protected by a glass or plastic covering.
“Making flag cases was an idea I had for a number of years,” said the Rev. Tom Knoblach of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Sauk Rapids. “I approached a couple of different groups to consider making the cases
as a project, but the idea never really got traction.
The impetus was honoring veterans and their service.” Knoblach’s father served during World War II starting in 1942 with
the U.S. Army Air Corps and later with the U.S. Air Force, leaving the military in 1952.
The flag case project resurfaced at Sacred Heart during the middle of the
coronavirus pandemic, when people were having difficultly scheduling funeral services, Knoblach said.
Rudolph page 11V
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Tom and Cathy Rudolph display a military burial flag case Oct. 7 during a visit to Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Sauk Rapids. Tom Rudolph manufactured 25 of the special cases from Red Oak as a parish project after responding to a church bulletin request for help made by the Rev. Tom Knoblach.
He approached parishioners by putting a small notice in the One in Christ Area Catholic Community bulletin distributed to four local churches.
“My initial vision was having a team of people work on the burial flag case project,” Knoblach said. “Some would cut wood for the cases, some would do the assembly and others would to the finishing.”
Parishioner Tom Rudolph answered Knoblach’s call for assistance after reading the church bulletin.
Rudolph is a U.S. Army veteran. He served from 1970 to 1973 with the 237th Combat Engineer Battalion and was stationed in Heilbronn, Germany. His military occupational specialty was battalion supply.
“I told him ‘Yes,’ because it was right up my alley,” Rudolph said, mentioning his love of woodworking. “Father Tom was able to get some red oak for us from Renneberg Hardwoods Inc. in St. Cloud. I loaded it up and took it to my shop and went to work.”
Rudolph used his uncle’s honorary flag as a template. The uncle served in a U.S. Naval Construction Battalion, better
cases
known as the Navy Seabees, during World War II.
“Father Tom is a very accomplished woodworker himself, and he does great work with the limited spaces and tools he has,” Rudolph said. “I took the board lengths that I had received from Father Tom and measured out the needed amount of lumber. It’s a process, because you rough cut the lengths and taper them and do the necessary cutting of the glass. The bottom of the burial flag case is removable.”
Rudolph said a commercially purchased, average flag will not fit in a burial flag case.
That’s because the flags supplied by the Department of Veterans Affairs and distributed by the U.S. Postal Service are 5 feet by 9 feet in size, roughly twice as big as a typical home flag. The flag is folded 13 times into a
triangle.
The finishing process for the burial flag cases involves staining them and putting on three coats of lacquer, Rudolph said.
He hand-rubs each case with steel wool then applies a paste wax coating.
“When we brought all 25 burial flag cases over to Sacred Heart, they were all boxed up with the exception of a couple of them,” Rudolph said. “Father Tom called my wife, Cathy, and I up to the altar when he did a blessing over the cases. Afterward, a lot of people came up and said they had a brother, aunt or uncle who had been in the service, and they were never offered such a thing.”
Knoblach said two or three cases have been distributed. “We’ve made the cases available to our sister parishes as well,” he said.
“This project means a lot to me,” Rudolph said. “I
love working with wood. You can look at a piece of oak, and it tells a story. I laid out the burial flag boxes so I could utilize every square inch of the lumber I had. I wanted to create a waterfall effect, so the left side of the triangle and the right side of the triangle form from one piece of wood. If you look at the wood grain, it flows up one side and down the other side.”
Knoblach said wood is hard and rough, but in a refinished form, the end product can bring redemption.
“There’s something about a tree,” he said. “It lived once, but once it’s repurposed after cutting and death, it’s a nice symbol of resurrection. Providing these cases to families helps honor a loved one who has served in the military.”
PHOTO COURTESY TOM RUDOLPH
Six burial flag
are displayed after being produced by Tom Rudolph. Rudolph said the finishing process for the burial flag cases involves staining them and putting on three coats of lacquer.
Howe John .............................................................N/A
Hromatka James H. .............................................................N/A
Huben Frank Marine Corps..............................1965-1967
Huffer Jacob .............................................................N/A
Huliczka Al .............................................................N/A
Huls Harold Army.....................................................N/A
Hunter Mike Army..............................................39 years
Huntington Jerold W. Army Reserve........................................N/A
Husted Paul R. .............................................................N/A
Juetten John .............................................................N/A Jungels Harold Army Reserve.............................1957-1963
Juntunen Michael Marine Corps..............................1974-1978 Jurek Adrian .............................................................N/A Jurek Charles John .............................................................N/A
VETERANS DAY
Kenning Dennis A. .............................................................N/A
Ketzeback Franklin W. Army.....................................................N/A
Kiebzek Richard Marine Corps..............................1954-1957
Mazacek John A. .............................................................N/A
McClintock Noel Army National Guard..................1970-1996 McClure Matthew C. .............................................................N/A McConnell Richard R. Army.....................................................N/A McCormick Melvin
McIver Charles .............................................................N/A
Meyer Gary T. Army..........................................1968-1969
Meyer Maynard H. .............................................................N/A
Meyer Paul .............................................................N/A
Meyer R. Walter .............................................................N/A
Meyer William .............................................................N/A
Meyers Dennis Army................................................3 years
Michaelson Harold .............................................................N/A
Michaelson Herbert .............................................................N/A
Michalski Stanley .............................................................N/A
Michels Emile G. .............................................................N/A
Micholski Joe .............................................................N/A
Midas Anthony Army................................................4 years
Middendorf Raymond J. Army 11th Airborne Division.......1950-1952 Mielke Clint L. Army..........................................1965-1967 Miklos Donald L. Air Force................................................N/A Miklos Edward .............................................................N/A Miley William J.
VETERANS DAY
Neis Wendelin J. Navy ..........................................1945-1947
Nelson Alfred .............................................................N/A
Nelson Axel .............................................................N/A
Nelson David .............................................................N/A
Nelson Donald Army.....................................................N/A
Nelson Edgar .............................................................N/A
Nelson James .............................................................N/A
Nelson Jerome“Jerry” .............................................................N/A
Nelson Jerome D. Army Reserve........................................N/A
Nelson John .............................................................N/A
Nelson Milton P. .............................................................N/A
Nelson Paul A. .............................................................N/A
Nelson Paul Boyd .............................................................N/A
Nelson Rick Navy ................................................4 years
Nelson Robert .............................................................N/A
Nelson Sherman .............................................................N/A
Nelson Stephen .............................................................N/A
Neslund Carl .............................................................N/A
Ogg Harry R. .............................................................N/A
Ogg Henry .............................................................N/A
Ohlhauser Terry L. .............................................................N/A Olson Bruce H. Army.....................................................N/A Olson Burton .............................................................N/A Olson George H. .............................................................N/A
Olson Helmer K. .............................................................N/A
Olson Ivan .............................................................N/A
Olson Lauren Air Force...........................................4 years
Olson Olaf E. .............................................................N/A
Olson Richard V. Army.....................................................N/A Olson Robert .............................................................N/A
Omann Thomas V. Navy .....................................................N/A
Orczehowski Felix .............................................................N/A
Orzechowski Anton .............................................................N/A
Orzechowski Stanley .............................................................N/A
Pappenfus Ben Navy ..................................................WWII
Pappenfus John F. .............................................................N/A
Pappenfus Michael .............................................................N/A
Parent Donald J. .............................................................N/A
Parent Dr. Joseph X. .............................................................N/A
Parent Felix .............................................................N/A
Parent Ken .............................................................N/A
Patten David C. Army Reserve........................................N/A
Patterson Andrew J. .............................................................N/A
Pattock Roger .............................................................N/A
Patton Jerry L. Army.....................................................N/A
Paul Michael L. .............................................................N/A
Pauls Matthew V. .............................................................N/A
Paulson Stanley C. Navy ..........................................1970-1974
Paulson Steven W. Navy ..........................................1972-1976
Payonk Leonard .............................................................N/A
Pazorski Gerald A. Army..........................................1968-1969
Peacock Tracy L. Marine Corps..............................1984-2005 Pearson Clinton .............................................................N/A
Pearson Eugene .............................................................N/A Pearson Kenneth .............................................................N/A Peck Ray S. .............................................................N/A
Pedarson Harry .............................................................N/A
Pekarek Eugene J. Army............................Jan. 1959-Jan. 1961
Pekarek George .............................................................N/A
Pekarek George E. .............................................................N/A
Stachovich Paul P. ............................................................WWI
Stachovich Richard .............................................................N/A Stachowski Delroy Army..........................................1951-1953
Stachowski Henry .............................................................N/A
Stachowski Robert .............................................................N/A Stafford David .............................................................N/A Stafford Maynard .............................................................N/A Staneart Frank A. Army..................................................WWII Staneart Timothy A. Army..........................................1969-1971 Stangler Ralph J. Army.....................................................N/A
Stark Lewis R. National Guard......................................N/A Stark Richard .............................................................N/A
Donald E. .............................................................N/A Starr Leander E. .............................................................N/A Starr Lloyd .............................................................N/A Starr Phillip .............................................................N/A Stauffenecker Werner .............................................................N/A
Joseph E. .............................................................N/A
Roger .............................................................N/A
Virgil .............................................................N/A Stay Wayne L. .............................................................N/A
Stellmach Anton .............................................................N/A
Stellmach Ben .............................................................N/A Stellmach Jerome Army..................................................WWII
Stellmach Julius P. ............................................................WWI
Stellmach Randal .............................................................N/A Stevens Jack Army Reserve........................................N/A Stevenson Helen W. .............................................................N/A Stewart Delbert T. .............................................................N/A Stewart George W. .............................................................N/A
VETERANS DAY
Thell John .............................................................N/A
Thell John L. .............................................................N/A
Then Gery A. .............................................................N/A Then John .............................................................N/A
Ulrich Oliver .............................................................N/A Uran Glen .............................................................N/A
Uran Samuel .............................................................N/A
Urbanski Daniel S. .............................................................N/A
Urbanski Leo C. .............................................................N/A
Urbanski Leo S. .............................................................N/A
Urbanski Martin .............................................................N/A
Vadies Jr. George Army.....................................................N/A
Vaillancourt Richard Army..........................................1965-1968 Van Alstine Arthur .............................................................N/A
Van Alstine Herbert .............................................................N/A Van Grinsven Theodore H. .............................................................N/A Van Heel Jerome F. .............................................................N/A
Van Hooser Larry Marine Corps.....................Discharged 1965 Van Nevel Christopher M. .............................................................N/A Vance Howard .............................................................N/A Vandermay Dennis Navy ..........................................1962-1965 VanGrinsven Ted Navy ..........................................1952-1955
Vannurden Dennis Army.....................................................N/A Vannurden Gary L. Army Reserve........................................N/A
