Nickolas “Nick” Novak, age 92, of Albert Lea, formerly of Wells, died Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005, at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, Aug. 27, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Casimir Catholic Church in Wells with the Rev. Eugene Stenzel officiating. Burial will be in St. Casimir Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday

at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells, with a Prayer Service at 6 p.m., and visitation continues on Saturday at the church for one hour prior to the service. There will be a Rosary at the church at 9:15 a.m.

Nick was born on July 8,1913, in Turtle Lake, Wis., the son of Joseph and Julianna (Burgermeier) Novak. He came to Minnesota in 1936 and worked for area farmers and at the Hemp Plant. On Nov. 8, 1939, he married Rosa Tennis in Wells. He worked as a ship builder in Portland, Ore., during World War II and came back to Minnesota in 1944. He drove truck for Musser and Company, and spent most of his life as a carpenter working with Ed Krock for 18 years, and 10 years with Wilbur Johanson and his sons. They moved to Albert Lea in 2000 and he has been a resident of St. John’s since September of 2004. He enjoyed having his friends from Wells come to visit.

He was a member of St. Casimir Catholic Church and enjoyed playing cribbage with his wife, fishing, especially ice fishing, sports of all kinds, outdoor picnics, telling jokes, and his grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife, Rosa of Albert Lea; three daughters: Irene (husband Norman) Gumm of Tulsa, Okla., Dorothy Harris of Eden Prairie, Minn., and Patty (husband Greg) Nelson of Basking Ridge, N.J.; one son, David Novak of Owatonna; 13 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. One brother also survives, John (wife Rose) Novak of Luck, Wis.; as well as one sister: Frieda Farley of Brooklyn Center, Minn.; and many nieces and nephews.

His smile and good humor will be missed.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Robert J. Novak; four brothers: Louis, Frank, Joseph Jr. and Henry Novak; and five sisters: Julie Anna, Elizabeth and Barbara Novak, Mary Path, and Rose Liesz.