Robbinsdale man's love for his wife is remembered

Jamis Marks always described his wife, Heather, as his angel. At his funeral Saturday, his friends and relatives described him as her hero. On New Year's Day he was shot to death while trying protect her from two gunmen who invaded their Robbinsdale home.

"He saved his wife's life," said Marks' cousin, Joe Ellerbusch, 29. "Two guys came into his home and he stood up to them."

Marks, 28, was buried Saturday after a funeral service that drew 400 to 500 mourners to St. Bonaventure Catholic Church in Bloomington. Many of the mourners said that he was the kind of person who would risk his life for others.

"He was a great friend," said Rob Hangortner, a friend of Marks'. "He was an honest, loving guy who never did anything wrong."

Robbinsdale police are still looking for the robbers.

The Markses had just returned to their home about 2:30 a.m. with another couple after a New Year's Eve dinner when there was a knock on the door. They opened it, and two armed men forced their way inside the rambler on the 2700 block of York Avenue N., a block from Theodore Wirth Parkway.

According to police, the robbers' threats and demands for valuables spurred Marks to reach for one of the gunmen's weapons. A struggle ensued, and Marks was shot several times. The two men collected wallets, jewelry and cell phones and fled as the victims locked deadbolts behind them. Heather Marks, who was also assaulted, called 911 for help. Jamis Marks died later at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale.

He was born in Rochester, Minn., but lived most of his life in South Dakota, according to John Zahrte, who gave the eulogy at the funeral service. Marks was a marketing major at St. Cloud State University and worked as a real estate agent. The Markses were married in 2006 and about a year ago bought their home in a quiet, family neighborhood in Robbinsdale. They had almost finished remodeling it, according to friends and neighbors.

Marks was also an outdoorsman who loved golf, snowboarding and camping, according to Zahrte's eulogy.

"He once tried to convince Heather that camping in a tent was better than staying at the Holiday Inn," he said, drawing a few smiles among the mourners. "He gave his life trying to save her."

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call police at 763-531-1220.