Juel Prestegaard, 82

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Juel Alton Prestegaard, 82, of Northwood, Iowa, died Monday, Jan. 4, 2010, at the Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood.
A funeral service for Juel will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the Deer Creek Lutheran Church, rural Carpenter, Iowa, with the Rev. Barbara Wills officiating. Burial will be in the Deer Creek Lutheran Church Cemetery with military honors conducted by members of Our Buddies VFW Memorial Post 6779 of Northwood. Visitation will be from 4 until 7 p.m. Thursday at the Conner Colonial Chapel, 1008 First Ave. S., Northwood. Visitation will also be held one hour prior to the service at the church.
The family of Juel Prestegaard has requested that memorial contributions be made to the Lutheran Retirement Home in his memory. 
Juel Alton Prestegaard was born on April 18, 1927, in Northwood, the son of Edward and Olga (Hendrickson) Prestegaard. Juel was confirmed into the Lutheran faith on Sept. 13, 1942, at the Deer Creek Valley Lutheran Church, rural Glenville. Juel attended school in Carpenter and Northwood. After his schooling, Juel helped his family on the family farm before his induction into the Army on July 10, 1945, at Ft. Snelling, serving his country faithfully during World War II until his honorable discharge on Dec. 10, 1946, receiving the World War II Victory medal. He was united in marriage to Bernice Graber on Nov. 14, 1948, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Rose Creek and to this union nine children were born: Marcia, Bonnie, Bruce, Sheryl, Jeff, Sandra, Becky, Richard and Gary. Bernice preceded him in death on July 4, 1997.
After his marriage, Juel worked for various farmers until his retirement in 1991 due to ill health. 
Juel enjoyed hunting, the outdoors, playing canasta, and watching wrestling on television, but his great love and enjoyment was his family and grandchildren.
He was a member of Deer Creek Lutheran Church, rural Carpenter.
Those left to cherish his memory are his children: Marcia Prestegaard of Northwood, Bonnie Kellogg of Stillwater, Bruce (Cynthia) Prestegaard of Forest Lake, Sheryl Prestegaard of Maplewood, Jeff (Susan) Prestegaard of Randolph, Sandra Kunz of Mason City, Becky (Barry) Edson of Maplewood, Richard Prestegaard of Dellwood, and Gary (Jeannie) Prestegaard of St. Paul; 15 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; two sisters: Sylvia (Louis) Schuster and Ethel (Eldon) Norland, both of Austin; a sister-in-law, Lorene Schrag of Carpenter; nd many nieces, nephews and other extended family members and friends.
Juel was preceded in death by his parents: Edward and Olga; wife, Bernice; brothers: Orin and Elmer Prestegaard; and two sisters-in-law: Marlys and Marion Prestegaard.