Funeral services for 91-year-old Fred Stenke Jr. of Mountain Lake, Minnesota, will be held at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Mountain Lake, Minnesota at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 7, 2014. The church is located at 1418 2nd Avenue. The clergy will be Pastor Ben Perkins.
Visitation will be on Sunday, July 6, 2014 from 2 p.m. to 4 pm. at the Sturm Funeral Home in Mountain Lake, located at 420 10th Street North and will continue on Monday, July 7, 2014, from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Mountain Lake, located at 1418 2nd Avenue.
Interment will be at the Mountain Lake City Cemetery, located at 10th Street North at Midway Road.
Sturm Funeral Home of Mountain Lake is handling the arrangements.
Fred Stenke Jr. passed away on Saturday, June 28, 2014, at the Windom Area Hospital.
Fred was born on July 6, 1922 in Carson Township, Cottonwood County, Minnesota, the son of Fred and Helen (Oeltjenbruns) Stenke Sr. He was baptized into the Christian faith on July 30, 1922.
On January 24,1945, Fred married Irene Heinitz at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mountain Lake. She died on March 4, 1979. Fred married Charlotte Olson on July 20, 1980 at Bethany Lutheran Church in Storden, Minnesota. She died on April 1, 1998.
In his younger years, Fred enjoyed dancing, going to dances, and even watching KEYC-TV’s John Deere Bandwagon program in Mankato, Minnesota. Fred was an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church and a frequent usher. He loved doing his Land O’ Lakes milk route, which he did for 19 years. When he wasn’t working, Fred enjoyed visiting with others and playing cards. In his later years, he spent many enjoyable winters in Arizona.
Fred Stenke Jr. is survived by his children: Joyce (Paul) Newhouse of Alexandria, Minnesota; Jeanne (David) Sawatzky of Healy, Alaska and Rod (Laurie) Stenke of rural Mountain Lake; sisters: Marie Heinitz of Mountain Lake, and Helen (Lester) Evers of rural Windom; brother-in-law, Stan Heinitz of Florida; six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his significant other, Joyce Hilton of Le Port, Iowa, who cared for him during his illness.
He was preceded in death by his wives, Irene and Charlotte; son, Jerry Stenke and brothers-in-law, Jack Heinitz, and Orlando Heinitz.