John Ervin Trei

March 10, 1931 - December 25, 2020

John Trei, age 89, of McKinney, Texas, formerly of Rockford, Illinois, and Marshall, Minnesota, died on Friday, December 25, 2020, at the Anthology of Stonebridge Ranch in McKinney, Texas. Private Funeral Services will be held at the Hamilton Funeral Home in Marshall on Saturday, January 9, 2021. A live stream of the event will be available beginning at 11:00 a.m. Interment will be in the Marshall Cemetery. John E. Trei was born in Sibley, Iowa, on March 10, 1931. He grew up and attended high school in Marshall, Minnesota, graduating in 1949. John later attended South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota, and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Agriculture in 1956, with special interest in Vocational Education and Dairy Science. John served in the Armed Forces during the Korean conflict from 1950-1952. While in Korea, John was a section leader in the Reconnaissance Company of the Seventh Division. On June 10, 1956, John was united in marriage to Lorraine D. Roth in Brookings, South Dakota. John and Lorraine met at an after-game dance in the Pugsley Union, the hub of campus life at South Dakota State University. John enjoyed dancing for the rest of his life. Starting in 1962, John became General Manager of Mid-West Dairyman’s Co-Op and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Muller-Pinehurst Dairy until his retirement in 1997. While in the dairy industry, John lobbied congress with regard to milk pricing. After he retired, John volunteered as a subject matter expert to train milk producers in the Ukraine and stayed with a host family there for a month. John enjoyed golf, western novels, action movies, and wood working. Family was always important to John. He never knew a stranger and you were always met with a kind personality, patient temperament, and a contagious smile. Grateful for having shared his life are his wife of over 64 years, Lorraine; three children, Marcia (Bob) Simon, Brian (Renee) Trei, and Steven (Terri) Trei; seven grandchildren, Matt (Jessica) Simon, Mike (Jessica) Simon, Alex Trei, Kaitlyn Trei, Sydney Trei, Mallory Trei, and Nick Trei; three great-grandchildren, Zach Simon, Josh Simon, Cole Simon; siblings, Bonnie Bailey of Las Vegas, NV, Bernie (Hal) Paradis of Palm Desert, CA, Mike (Bobby) Trei of Bemidji, MN; as well a host of other family and friends. John was preceded in death by his parents John and Emma Trei; a sister, Beverly; and brothers, Wendell and Rodney.