Burton P. Mahle

Burton Paul Mahle, 79, of Plainview, Minn., a longtime music professor and choir director, died Friday, Dec. 21, 2007, at his home.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 5 at Peace United Methodist Church, located on Highway 42 between Elgin, Minn., and Plainview, with the Rev. Deanna Woodward officiating. A private interment will be in Ft. Snelling National Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to the Burton Mahle Music Scholarship Fund at Iowa Wesleyan College.

Mr. Mahle was born April 6, 1928, in Worthington, Minn. After graduating from high school in New Ulm, Minn., he served honorably in the U.S. Navy. He then received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hamline University in St. Paul, a Master of Arts from the University of Minnesota, and did further graduate study at the University of Iowa.

On Aug. 29, 1952, he married Marilyn Lee Patten, a fellow Hamline student, in St. Paul. Mr. Mahle was a professor of music at Taylor University in Upland, Ind., from 1955 to 1960. From 1960 to 1990, he was a professor of music at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, where he also served as head of the music department and director of choral music, and as acting academic dean. Upon his retirement in 1990, he and Marilyn moved to Rochester, Minn. and later to Plainview.

Mr. Mahle served as a director of church choirs for 56 years, including vocal, hand bell and chime choirs. Locally, he has served as director of choirs at Our Savior's Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church, both in Rochester, and Peace United Methodist Church of Plainview/Elgin. His church choirs, as well as his college choirs, have been well-known for their lovely a cappella performances.

In addition to his music career, Mr. Mahle and his wife also sold antiques at numerous antique malls in Iowa and Minnesota. He enjoyed stamp collecting, golf, fishing, watching sports, and singing and listening to a wide variety of music.

Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Marilyn Mahle; a daughter, Janet Mahle Hinds and her husband Gordon of Plainview; a son, Scott Mahle and his wife Janis of Rochester; three grandchildren, two stepgrandchildren, and two brothers, Donald of Plainview and James of Inver Grove Heights, Minn.

His parents, two brothers and a sister preceded him in death.