Charles Linus Steffl
November 6, 1932 ~ October 30, 2015
Charles Linus Steffl, 82, of Belview, MN, passed away Friday, October 30, 2015, of medical complications at the Sanford USD Medical Center, Sioux Falls, SD.
Memorial Services will be 4 pm, Wednesday, November 25, 2015, with visitation from 2 to 4pm, at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Redwood Falls, MN.
Charles Linus Steffl was born 11-6-1932 to Charles George and Lucina (Goblirsch) Steffl, in the family home of Three Lakes Township of Redwood County Minnesota. He grew up in the house his grandparents, Ed and Eva Steffl built and he farmed the land they purchased from the railroad which was all prairie land. Charles spent his whole life working with his hands as a farmer raising crops and livestock, and as a carpenter building detailed, unique gifts for his wife and children. A beautiful replica of a wood cook stove he built is on display at the Walnut Grove museum. He also enjoyed photography taking photos and developing them at home in his dark room. He was born when his father still farmed with horses and the family farm did not have electricity. He helped harness the horses even though he had to stand on a box to put the very heavy harnesses on. He milked cows by hand, cleaned barns, helped pick corn by hand starting at 7 in the morning, emptied the trailer by hand at noon, ate and headed out to pick corn again until milking time, and worked other farmers at threshing time. He used a hand saw in the summer and cut wood in the grove to use in the wood kitchen stove which prepared all their meals year round. He walked to country school near his home which he attended until 8th grade. The teacher lived with their family. He then attended Morgan High School for two years. He also enjoyed his race car, Lucky Thirteen, which he raced in Redwood Falls and other area towns. He worked on the family farm with his father, until he was drafted into the United States Army and served in Japan from 1953 to 1955. Before he left, he was united in marriage to Joann Trandahl at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Wabasso, MN, on November 7, 1953. When he returned to the USA in 1955, he farmed by Comfrey one year, then near Redwood Falls, for 6 years, east of School Grove Lake, for 3 years, and then purchased a farm near Belview, MN. He loved the water and had a cabin on Kandiyohi Lake since 1971, for his family to enjoy boating, waterskiing, fishing and swimming. He loved polka music and forced his children to listen to it in the family station wagon, on the way up to the lake. He wanted to donate his body to research. His eyes, some bone and tissue were able to be taken, for his wish. Before a serious fall on his farm in July 2014, he enjoyed woodworking, gardening, reading, shopping every Friday in Redwood Falls, and spending time with his yellow Labrador retriever, Hunter.
He is survived by his children, Joleen Lentz, Fergus Falls, Charlene (William) Lightfoot, Vesta, Rebecca (Richard) Wulf, Renville, Sharon (Muff) Brink, Renville, Charles (Jolene) Steffl, Belview, Vicky (Kurt) Kasten, Belleair Bluffs, Florida, formerly Prior Lake, Timothy of (Kasson) and Jennifer (Glenn) Boomsma, Brandon, SD, 28 grandchildren and 39 great-grandchildren, sisters, Joann (John) Reiderer, Sleepy Eye, Dorothy Kidrowski, Pequot Lakes and Gary (Janice), Shakopee, sister-in-law, Mary Kuehn, Youngsville, NC, brothers-in-law, Arden (Sylvia), Spearfish, SD and Edward (Sandra) Trandahl, Omaha, NE.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Joann, his parents, Charles and Lucina Steffl, sisters-in-law Patricia Szarke, Marilyn Knudsen, Yvonne Trandahl, brothers-in-law Robert Kidrowski and Fred Knudsen.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Wounded Warriors of Minnesota (all volunteer work) or Duke Memorial Animal Shelter in Redwood Falls.
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