Obituaries 08/03/23
James Bistodeau, 63
James Donald Bistodeau, age 63, of Albertville, MN, passed away on Wednesday, July 26, 2023.
He was born in Princeton, MN, on June 11, 1960, the son of Robert A. and LaVerne C. (Weidenbach) Bistodeau.
Jim was married to Cynthia Ann Barthel on November 1, 1979. He belonged to St. Albert’s Catholic Church in Albertville, MN. Jim was employed for many years at Scherer Brothers Lumber Company. He enjoyed his family and loved his grandchildren. Jim was fond of his John Deere “A” tractor, going to concerts and listening to music, riding on ATV’s and traveling, especially taking trips to Branson.
Survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Cindy; a daughter, Sandy (Aaron) Posthumus; a son, Chuck (Jen) Bistodeau; grandchildren, Isabelle, Mason, Easton, and Adalyn; a sister, Marylee Hetrick; brothers, Duane (Teresa) Bistodeau and Dennis Bistodeau; further survived by brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, many nieces, and nephews.
Preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Ronald R. Bistodeau; and by a brother-in-law, Al Hetrick.
A Mass of Christian Burial for James Bistodeau will be held on Saturday, August 5, 2023, at 11 A.M. at St. Albert’s Catholic Church in Albertville. Father Joseph Zabinski will be the Celebrant. A visitation will be held AT THE CHURCH Friday, August 4, from 4-8 P.M. A Rosary will be recited at 7 P.M. Further visitation will be held one hour prior to Mass on Saturday, August 5. Private interment will be held at a later date at St. Albert’s Cemetery.
Casket bearers will be Mike Zachman, Mike Demars, Mike Weidenbach, Mark Bistodeau, Jim Vetsch, and Kenny Roden.
The Peterson Chapel, St. Michael/Albertville Funeral Home assisted the family with funeral arrangements. On-line condolences can be made at www.thepetersochapel.com.
Ronald Hegle, 86
Ronald R. Hegle, age 86, of Golden Valley, formerly of Buffalo and Maple Lake, died Monday, July 24, 2023, at the St. Cloud Hospital.
Memorial Services were held 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 31, 2023, at the Dingmann Funeral Care Chapel, Maple Lake with Rev. Culynn Curtis officiated. Burial followed at the Maple Lake Community Cemetery. Visitation began at 9:30 a.m. on Monday at the funeral home.
Ronald Robert Hegle was born December 30, 1936, in Gwinner, North Dakota, to Hjalmer and Josephine (Labounty) Hegle. He grew up in the Gwinner area, and graduated from Elliott High School in 1954. Following his graduation, he was united in marriage to Marilyn D. Hegle at Zion Lutheran Church in Breckenridge. They made their home in Ortonville and Breckenridge for a short time, before moving to Maple Lake in 1969 to raise their family. Ron was a proud owner/operator of his own trucking company for many years. He and Marilyn then owned and operated Ronson Door Sales in Fridley, retiring in 2016. Following Marilyn’s death, Ron moved to Golden Valley to reside with his daughter. He was a former member of Zion Lutheran Church in Buffalo and a charter member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Maple Lake. Ron enjoyed spending time outdoors gardening, fishing, and bird watching. He also liked to cheer on the Minnesota Twins and watch any western movie or show that was on television. He also liked to try his luck at the casino, every now and then.
Ron is survived by his children, Barry (Rita), of Annandale, Tim (Lorie), of Annandale, Bryan (Marie), of Buffalo, and Trisha (Dan) Larson, of Golden Valley; 10 grandchildren, Kristin (Darren) Glur, Jessica (Chad) Luebker, Ashley (Loren) Cook, Lisa Hegle (Jen Luchsinger), Aaron (Melanie) Hegle, Brienna Morey, Brittany Arnold (Tim Hanes), Lindsey Arnold (Josh Varner), Elin Larson and Gavin Larson; and 15 great-grandchildren, Jackson, Lilly, Landon, Blake, Addison, Boston, Cullen, Colton, Madelyn, Brantley, Crosby, Austin, Eli, Bentley, and Easton.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Hjalmer and Josephine; wife, Marilyn; and siblings, Gerald, Roger, Betty, and Laurel.
Ron’s grandchildren served as urn bearers. Arrangements entrusted to Dingmann Funeral Care Burial and Cremation Services of Maple Lake.
Obituary, Guestbook, Video Tribute, and Funeral Webcast online at www.dingmannfuneral.com.
Thomas Kunz, 70
Thomas William Kunz, age 70, of Waverly, formerly of Byron, St. Charles, and Kasson, died Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at his home.
Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at Highland Community Church in Cokato, Pastor Dale Harris officiated. Burial will be held at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at a later date. Visitation was from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Monday, one hour prior to the service on Tuesday, both were at the church.
Thomas William Kunz was born July 25, 1953, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Edgar and Donnajean (Cox) Kunz. He grew up in the Kasson area and graduated high school in 1972. Following his graduation, Tom honorably served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. While stationed overseas, he met and married Su-Mei Lee. After his time in the service, Tom and his family ended up back in Kasson, MN. Tom and Su-Mei divorced, and he remained in southeast Minnesota. He later met Lisa Lorenz, and on October 24, 1992, they were united in marriage in Rochester, Minnesota. Over the years, they made their home in St. Charles, then Byron, before moving to Waverly in 2004, where they have remained. Tom worked as a sales manager for Furst McNess Company, before becoming self-employed installing flooring. In 1997, he went to work for Universal Marine & RV in Rochester, until he transitioned to working as the marketing director of Textile Care Services until 2002. Following this, Tom continued in the outdoor recreation sales field and worked for Crystal Pierz Marine as the general manager and director of sales. In 2021, he retired from his latest position at Lake Region RVs. Tom was blessed to share his passion for the outdoors by working as a hunting and fishing guide throughout his life.
Tom had a strong Christian faith and enjoyed sharing the gospel with others. In 2011, Tom answered the call to serve as the executive director of Love INC in Buffalo, and he became acquainted with Legacy Fishing Retreats, where he held a position on the board in his most recent years. He loved spending time outdoors, especially fishing and hunting. He also recently took up woodworking. Above all, Tom treasured the time he was able to spend in the presence of his family.
He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Lisa, of Waverly; children, Tony (Jackie Beltz) Kunz, of Rochester, Mei-Ling (Harry) Huie, of Rochester, and Sarah (Jeffrey) Knoespel, of Green Bay, WI; eight grandchildren, Ryan, Lacey, Adam, Noah, Kellan, An-Mei, Lucienne, and Kriselda “Zelda”; father, Edgar Kunz, of Paynesville; siblings, Jeff (Kathy) Kunz, of Oslo, Scott (Fran) Kunz, of Richmond, Jamie (Flower) Kunz, of DeForest, WI, and Kathy (Larry) O’Malley, of Kasson; and many nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Donnajean; and sister, Debbie Swanson.
Arrangements entrusted to Dingmann Funeral Care Burial and Cremation Services of Annandale.
Obituary, Guestbook, Video Tribute and Funeral Webcast online at www.dingmannfuneral.com
JoAnn Schneider, 64
JoAnn M. Schneider, age 64, Montrose, formerly Rockville, April 4, 1959 – July 25, 2023.
Funeral Services will be at 11:00 a.m. Friday, August 4, 2023, at Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church in Rockville, MN, for JoAnn M. Schneider, age 64, who died peacefully with her daughters by her side, Tuesday, at The Glenn in Buffalo, MN, from frontal temporal dementia and multiple myeloma. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Rockville, MN.
The visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Friday at the church.
JoAnn was born in St. Cloud, MN, to Gregor and Juletta (Dietman) Schneider. She was a graduate of ROCORI High School, class of 1978.
JoAnn adored her grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with her family. She enjoyed making crafts, was an excellent cook, loved gardening, canning, and had a passion for horses. JoAnn loved to play banjo and other string instruments.
She is survived by her daughters, Angie (Todd Carlson) Schneider, Sarah (Ryan) Sodahl; grandchildren, Mackenzie, Samantha, Alyson, and Lukas; siblings, Elaine (JC) Velasco, Kathy (Howie) Syverson, Mark, Pat (Joe) Welle, Rose (Ed) Borman, and Mary (Brian) Feldhege.
She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings, Greg and Judy; significant other, Chris Lundby; step-grandson, Brandon.
Arrangements are with the Wenner Funeral Home, Cold Spring, MN.
Alan Schubert, 75
Celebrating the life of Alan Charles Schubert - Age 75
Alan was called home to the Lord, July 14, 2023.
He is survived by his wife, Julann (Frank); sons, Jason (Melissa) and Eric (Leah); beloved grandpa to six grandchildren, Paige, Noah, Jamie, Ian, Evan, and Lily. Alan is also survived by his siblings Mary Ann (Schubert) Peterson, of Casper, WY, and Susan (Gary) Bistram, of White Bear Lake, MN. He is also survived by many relatives and friends.
Alan, the son of the late Bill and Milly (Klemz) Schubert, of Buffalo, was born January 28, 1948, in the St. Cloud Hospital. He was a successful farm boy through and through, raising his herd and showing his registered Holstein cows in 4-H and receiving many awards for his quality dairy cows. Alan was in the Army Reserve, serving his country from 1966 to 1972. He married his high school sweetheart, Julann, in 1970, whom he loved deeply and cherished. After graduating Buffalo High School, he attended Anoka Technical College and became a certified auto mechanic. He was the service manager of Montgomery Wards in Robbinsdale, MN. Alan also traveled in sales for Cargill and achieved many awards as a top salesman for the Molasses Division and was featured in training videos used for new salespeople. He became the proud father of Eric in 1973 and Jason in 1978, whom he cherished and loved deeply. In 1991, Alan started the Tidy Dairy Products Company for farmers (a door-to-door business). Tidy was the name of his prize winning 4-H dairy cow. He sold this business in 2011, then worked for the Great Garage Door Company until he retired in 2013. Alan was a very kind and giving person, always ready and willing to help others in any way he could. He loved the Lord and was known for blowing the shofar each Sunday at church and for all special occasions. It was beautiful!
Celebration of Life: August 19, 10:30 A.M., Land of Promise Church, 7391 20th Street NE, Buffalo, MN 55313.
Send Condolences to: 10115 Twin Lakes Road NW, Elk River, MN 55330.
Richard Stuckmayer, 76
Richard Wayne Stuckmayer, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, passed away peacefully on July 27, 2023, at the age of 76.
Dick was born on August 24, 1946, in Watertown, MN, to loving parents, Wayne and Doris. He was the oldest of four children. He grew up in a close-knit family, where he learned the values of hard work, kindness, and his faith, which would shape his life. Dick served his country in the United States Navy Construction Battalion, also known as the Sea Bees from October 1965 – October 1969.
Dick married Joanne in 1972, they had three children, Brian, Chris, and Megan. In 1977, they moved to Dean Lake in Buffalo. Dick was popular with the neighborhood kids, as he would help fix their minibikes and go carts. He ran Boys Brigade at church and coached his kids’ baseball teams. He enjoyed hunting and fishing with family and friends throughout his life.
Dick earned his degree in HVAC from Dunwoody and started a sheet metal company in the garage of the Buffalo house on Dean Lake, around 1981. As the company grew, he moved his business to Rockford in 1983. His company continued to grow, and when he was ready to retire, he sold it to his son, Chris, 10 years ago.
As a father, Dick was a constant source of knowledge, and goofiness, to his children, Brian, Chris, and Megan. He instilled in them the importance of working hard and perseverance. He took great pride in watching his children and grandchildren grow into individuals who embodied these values.
He met and later married Mary Brix in 2004. They enjoyed spending winters in Green Valley, Arizona, and traveling together. He also loved to golf with Mary, and sometimes forgot to count strokes. But, never forgot to count all of Mary’s.
Dick’s greatest joy came from his family, spending time up at his cabin, and the man cave in Osakis. Riding 4-wheelers, prepping for deer hunting, and doing wood projects were some of his favorite activities. He fulfilled some of his hunting dreams in Africa and Kazakhstan, hunting zebra, wildebeest, ibex, and many others. He was a real storyteller and had a way of striking up a conversation with anyone and everyone. He had the ability to make others feel comfortable in his presence, which endeared him to those who knew him. Richard’s friendships were deep and lasting, a testament to his loyalty and genuine care for those around him.
Dick is survived by his wife, Mary Stuckmayer; son, Chris (Melisa) Stuckmayer; daughter, Megan (James) Lehrke; step-son, Rick (Angie) Brix; brothers, Ted (Becky) Stuckmayer, Dan (Joyce) Stuckmayer; sister, Alice Dorn; grandchildren, Paige, Tyler, Sam, Gabe, Tristin, Christy (Ben), Maressa, Tyler R, and Julia; great-grandchildren, Sammy and Theodore; and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Preceded in death by his parents, Wayne and Doris Stuckmayer; and his son, Brian Stuckmayer.
Celebration of Life for Dick will be held Friday, August 4, at 11:00 a.m. with visitation one hour prior to the service all at Riverwood Covenant Church in Rockford, MN.
Luncheon to follow the service at church.
Arrangements were entrusted to The Peterson Chapel in Buffalo, MN.
