Duane Stenzel, 63
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Duane Simon Stenzel, 63, of Wells, died Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009, at Abbott-Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, surrounded by his family. A Mass of Christian burial will be Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Casimir Catholic Church in Wells. The Rev. Eugene Stenzel will officiate. Visitation will be Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells and one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will take place in St. Casimir Catholic Cemetery in Wells. Military honors will be provided by the Wells Color Guard.
Duane Simon Stenzel was born Jan. 25, 1946, at Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea, the son of Simon and Loretta (Kalis) Stenzel. On Sept. 5, 1970, he married Mary Kay Gorman in Guckeen. He attended country school for six months, followed by St. Casimir School and graduated from Wells High School. He worked at Wells Concrete Products, pre-stress division. In 1970, he began farming while working for pre-stress. Duane was on the St. Casimir School Board for 12 years. He joined the local co-op elevator board in 1979. In 1993, he was elected to the Cenex Harvest States board, and was chairman of the oilseed refined board. He was part of the national board ACDI/VOCA. For his work, he traveled the world. He went to Brazil, India, Netherlands, Germany and Hawaii. Duane was a member of St. Casimir Catholic Church. He hunted deer, and every year he took a vacation with his family in August to Lake of the Woods to fish. He enjoyed watching Laurel and Hardy and Little Rascals movies. He loved spending time with his grandchildren.
Duane is survived by his wife, Mary Kay, of Wells; children: Jeff and wife Lori Stenzel of Wells, Dave and wife Kate Stenzel of Owatonna, Christine and husband Travis Ebner of Cameron, Wis.; grandchildren: Adam, Allyson, Jordan, Jacob, Alex, Andrew, Cole, Sawyer, and Baby Ebner who is due in April. He is also survived by his sister, Janice, and husband Lowell Thompson of Wells; brothers: Alvin and wife Bonnie Stenzel of Albert Lea, the Rev. Eugene Stenzel of Wells, Myron and wife Kathy Stenzel of Wells, and Thomas and wife Linda Stenzel of Rochester; sisters-in-law Carolyn and husband Darrel Berkeland and Gerry Ziegler; brother-in-law, Ed Schmig; as well as numerous nieces and nephews and their families.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers-in-law: Lowell Zebro and Bob Ziegler; sister-in-law, Joanne Schmig; and mother and father-in-law: Marie and George Gorman.
Memorials are preferred to St. Casimir Church and School.