Funeral services for 95-year-old John J. Oldenburg of S. James, Minnesota, will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning, November 5, 2016, at First Lutheran Church in St. James. The church is located at 716 6th Avenue South.
Interment will be in Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery in rural Odin, located west of the city.
Visitation will be at the church the day of the funeral service from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Sturm Funeral Home-St. James Chapel, is handling the arrangements.
John J. Oldenburg passed away on October 23, 2016, at Pleasant View Good Samaritan Center in St. James.
John Julius Oldenburg was born on the family farm near Odin, Minnesota, on February 3, 1921 the son of Henry and Margaret (Gardner) Oldenburg. At the age of 11, he moved to the farm near Butterfield, Minnesota. He went to Country School Districts 12 and 33. After the eighth grade, he worked on the farm with his parents and brother, Milton. John would always say he milked cows since he was five-years-old. John looked forward to his short trips away due to milking, going up north and to the Minnesota State Fair. He worked the farm for more than 65 years.
He was married to Gladys Laingen for 40 years prior to her death and recently celebrated 29 years of marriage to Mary Lou Winkelman.
John and Mary Lou worked together to keep up their farm yard and garden. John loved horses, especially Kimanchee, which he rode and showed in Western Pleasure events and won many trophies. His last horse was Strawberry, a Shetland Pony.
John served as secretary for District 33 School Board, was a member of the St. James Saddle Club and later the Odin Saddle Club, was a 4-H leader, and loved to dance – square dance, old-time, Big Band- dancing with each of his wives. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing.
Several of John’s favorite stories were from his honeymoon with Mary Lou when he experienced his first airplane trip, a trip on a ship to the Caribbean and saw the mountains in Venezuela for the first time and the trip 25 years ago when they spent three weeks camping all around Europe. In 2001, they also enjoyed their trip to Ireland, where John learned about his namesake grandfather and where his family came from.
John is survived by his wife, Mary Lou Oldenburg of St. James; children, Jean Boeck of St. James, Mark (Sandie) Oldenburg of St. James and Terry Oldenburg of Fort Collins, Colorado; step-children, Nathan (Deb) Winkelman of Sartell, Minnesota, Wayne (Jennifer) Winkelman of Beijing, China, Natalie Nelson of Mahtomedi, Minnesota, Warren (Deborah) Winkelman of Northfield, Minnesota and Gwen (Todd) Washburn of Grand Rapid, Minnesota; 21 grandchildren, Adam Oldenburg, Abby (John) Flynn, Troy Wascher, Lance Wascher, Justin Wascher, Matt Oldenburg, Sara Oldenburg, Victoria (Patrick) McGawley, Shane (Callie) Nelson, Shenoa (Eric) Zierden, Kailen Nelson, Kira (Travis) Peterson, Ashley Nelson, Katie Winkelman, Evan Winkelman, Carlynn Winkelman, Jordan Winkelman, Greta Winkelman, Ethan Washburn, Alex Washburn and Seth Washburn; 12 great-grandchildren, Morgan, Andy, Brittney, Katelyn, Devin, Chloe, Rocco, Charlie Rose, Ella, Levi, Nash and Sydney; five great-great-grandchildren, Liam, Bentley, Kylie, Camden and Rosalyna; brother-/sister- in-law, Fred (Myrna) Hammer, Frank (Linda) Hammer, Doug (Missy) Hammer and Verona (Gerald) Kruse and Paul (Shirley) Laingen.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Gladys; parents; step-son, Vance Winkelman and brother, Milton (Margaret) Oldenburg.
