Lane Ellsworth Snell, age 59, was pronounced dead Thursday, September 22, 2022; he died unexpectedly of natural causes at home in Wheat Ridge, CO.

Lane’s Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at Lake Sarah Baptist Church, which is located at 1613 191^st Street, Slayton, MN 56172, on Saturday, November 12, 2022, at 10:30 am with a reception/visitation immediately following the service. Please RSVP your intent on attending the event to [email protected] by Monday, October 31 (Please include your name, number of individuals coming and contact information. Thanks.).

He was born to Dwayne E. and E. Jean (Batsell) Snell on August 31, 1963 in Hutchinson, KS. He attended various schools in South Dakota and Indiana and graduated from Brandon-Valley High School in Brandon, SD in 1981.

He went to South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, SD and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering in 1985. He attended Denver Seminary (where both his father, Dwayne, and his brother, Drake, attended and received their Master of Divinity) and graduated with a Master of Divinity in 1989.

He worked in the field of oil and gas exploration and extraction from August 1989 to September 2022 and personally ministered to many individuals in personal relationships and conversations as a Servant of Christ Jesus, his Savior and LORD, during his lifetime (Acts 13.22, 36).

Lane lived life in a most significant manner by seeing people as individuals, knowing their names and letting them know there is a God who sees them and knows their name.

Lane knew many things and experienced many activities in a variety of places around the world as he had a vast interest in learning and in living, but his passion was Jesus for he purposed to know nothing … except Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2.2) by knowing Jesus (Philippians 3.10) and making him known (Mark 16.15-16) to other individuals.

As a graduating senior in 1981, Lane declared his life goal: “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3.14).

Lane lives, because of Jesus and because he said, “Yes, Lord” when Jesus said to (Lane), “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (Lane) said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”—John 11.25-27 (Personalized to Lane).

Lane confessed with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and believed in his heart that God raised him from the dead, and God declares that Lane is saved forever according Romans 10.8-9 and 13: if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. … For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 Lane had an adventurous spirit that led him to try many things over the years that he saw as fun and intriguing. As a kid, Lane enjoyed ventriloquism, unicycle riding, go-cart racing, and a variety of sports. His interest in martial arts led him to become a black belt in both Jiu Jitsu and Aikido. He was attracted to risk-taking, and he excitedly pursued activities like bungee jumping and parachute jumping. He also had tamer interests, and as with all his interests, they were often a way for him to connect with and encourage his friends and family in the things that they loved to do. Lane was very much about promoting and inspiring others. Lane enjoyed and excelled in drawing, playing guitar, target shooting, and continuing a variety of sports. He was well known for his love for cooking and baking and his family couldn’t wait for Lane to visit and to prepare his delectable food creations. He also had a love for water that brought about his interests in fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, white-water rafting, kayaking, and sailing. Lane had a dream to buy a sailboat and sail in the Oyster World Rally, because he had a great love for sailing; he was actively planning and pursuing that dream when he died.

He is survived by his brothers, Brad (and Denise) Snell of rural Tracy, MN and Drake Marion (and Nancy) Snell of rural Tracy, MN, and his sisters, Shawn Whyte of Marshall, MN and Tamara Snell of Montevideo, MN, and a number of nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews.

Lane was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents and two nieces, Hannah Marie Snell and Elizabeth Marie Snell.