Through Joys And Trials, St. Joseph Parishioner Ed Polman Keeps Faith at the Center

For as long as St. Joseph parishioner Ed Polman can remember, the Catholic faith has always been at the center of his life.

Ed was born in Detroit before his family moved to a farm north of Minneota, where his family joined St. Edward Catholic Church. The faith remained a top priority for Ed throughout his early life, and on Aug. 29, 1961, he married another devout Catholic. Ed and Phyllis were married in her home parish of St. Leo Catholic Church in St. Leo. After two years of farming, the couple moved to Minneota and opened Ed’s Café.

Although life was certainly busy for a young family running a small business, the Polmans continued to put their faith first. Rather than simply attending Mass on Sundays, Ed decided to serve the parish by volunteering on a team that provided weekly grass maintenance for the church cemetery.

In 1969, the Polmans moved to Clarkfield and quickly settled into their new parish home, St. Isidore Catholic Church.

“St. Isidore was a small church, so everyone had to volunteer to maintain it,” Ed says. “I was on the Parish Council, and I was a lector, Eucharistic Minister and an usher when needed, and took care of the financial reports.”

Phyllis was also active in parish life at St. Isidore, serving as a catechist and as the president of the Altar and Rosary Society. Ed and Phyllis were presented with the Bishop’s Medal of Service for all of their efforts at St. Isidore, a memory that Ed greatly treasures to this day.

Tragically, not long after moving to Clarkfield, Ed and Phyllis lost their daughter, Kathy, at age 6 1/2. The Polmans’ faith remained strong in the face of trial, however, and they continued raising their younger two children, Ronald and Karen, in the Church.

When St. Isidore closed its doors in 1989, Ed and Phyllis joined St. Joseph Catholic Church in Montevideo, where their dedication to living active discipleship never slowed one bit! At St. Joseph, Phyllis was a choir member and then a Eucharistic Minister. She also took Holy Communion to the Clarkfield Care Center. Ed volunteered to help paint the St. Isidore Center across the street from the parish and also served as a Parish Council member, lector, and Eucharistic Minister. When Phyllis was no longer able to bring the Eucharist to the Clarkfield Care Center, Ed took her place. Two years ago, he began taking Holy Communion to the Clarkfield Valhalla Apartments as well.

Over the years, Ed has always found that actively living out his faith in service to the Church and his community brings priceless rewards.

“I have always felt it important to try and do my part to support my church in any way I can, and I encourage everyone to do the same,” he says. “I know when I bring Communion to the Clarkfield Care Center and Clarkfield Valhalla Apartments, they really appreciate it, and makes me feel good that I’m able to do it.”

At the time of Phyllis’s passing in 2018, the Polmans had been married for nearly 57 years. Today, the legacy of their marriage built on faith and service lives on in their children and grandchildren, one of whom — Fr. Shawn Polman — was ordained to the priesthood this year.

Thankful for our Catholic community and the many blessings that have come to him through parish life, Ed hopes to see the next generation of parishioners continue to make our faith community a vibrant and welcoming place to call home.

“I like the way St. Joseph and the Holy Family Area Catholic Community make you feel so welcome, whichever church you go to,” Ed says. “I hope to see more people involved in church, and more young families and adults coming back to church so it’s more like years ago when I grew up — when church was always first.”

St. Joseph parishioner Ed Polman