Willis Chase, 67

Willis Chase of Grove City died Thursday, October 9, 2025. He was 67.

A funeral service was held at
11 a.m. Wednesday, October 15, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Grove City. Visitation was held from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, October 14, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Grove City and continued one hour prior to the service at church. Interment was held in Burr Oak Cemetery, Union Grove Township, Minnesota. The service was livestreamed at www.johnsonhagg
lund.com.

Willis Dean Chase, the son of Norman and Darlene (Sutton) Chase was born on October 23, 1957, in Long Prairie, Minn. He graduated from Long Prairie High School in 1977 and also graduated from the Alexandria Technical College in 1979 with a Commercial Art degree. 

He was united in marriage to Gwen Marshall in the summer of 1982. 

Willis did commercial artwork for the Coast to Coast company in the Twin Cities before relocating to Grove City where he began working for Litchfield Precision Components, which became Innovex and later Tech Etch, until his retirement. He later began working what he called his dream job for Brodin Studios. 

He was involved with the Marshall-Chase Peddle Pulls. Willis was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Grove City, where he was active in the church choir, on the church council, and with the church youth. Willis was an avid volunteer in the community. In his spare time he enjoyed bow hunting and fishing. He was very involved in the Forest City Stockade Rendezvous, where he was a voyager. 

At home he enjoyed many hobbies, some of his favorites were drawing/painting, wood carving, blacksmithing, knife and sheath making, and a caricature artist. He enjoyed a good cup of black coffee and was willing to do anything to help people, whether it was at work or at home on the Frank Marshall family farm.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Willis is survived by his wife  Gwen; son Matthew (and Kristle) Chase; grandchildren Shelby, Eleanor and Madalyn; sister Sharlene (and Larry) Holmquist, brothers Mike (and Karen) Chase, Jon Chase and Harley (and Kristi) Chase; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Trinity Church for a future play ground or Grove City CARE.

Please sign our online guestbook at www.johnsonhagglund.com.