9/28/2020 7:37:00 AM Funeral for Elmer Wendt Sept. 30 in Pleasant Grove
Elmer Wendt Jr., 86, a resident of Stewartville and former longtime Theilman farmer, passed away peacefully at his home after a short illness. The funeral service for Mr. Wendt will take place at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Pleasant Valley. Due to current COVID restrictions, seating will be limited for the funeral service. Burial and a committal service will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Stewartville. Elmer was born on June 1, 1934 in Stewartville to Elmer and Alta (Bamlet) Wendt. He grew up on the family farm, attended country school and Stewartville schools, graduating from Stewartville High School in 1952. He was employed as a mechanic for a few years at the Sinn Gas Station on main street in Stewartville. Elmer was married on April 16, 1955 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa to Rita Marie Tointon. The couple moved to the Wendt family farm where Elmer began a lifelong love of farming. They moved to an acreage east of Stewartville farming for 10 years, before purchasing a farm in rural Theilman, that sits at the highest point in Wabasha County. Elmer and Rita raised their family, crop farmed and milked cows there for the next 40 years until their retirements. They moved to Stewartville in 2010. Elmer was baptized and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church and was a longtime member of Bethany Lutheran Church in Lake City. He enjoyed working on his Farmall tractors and driving them in area events. The Watermelon Festival tractor parade was a favorite. Elmer enjoyed visiting with friends and neighbors and loved spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Elmer is survived by his wife of 65 years, Rita; two daughters and four sons, Dan (Cindy) Wendt of Grand Meadow, Scott (Deb) Wendt of Montevideo, Liz (Gary) Lehnertz of Plainview, Paul Wendt of Wabasha, Suzie (Blair) Meek of Rochester, and Wayne (Michelle) Wendt of Plainview; two brothers-in-law, Raymond Straley of Mesquite, Nevada and Glenn (Mary Kay) Tointon of Dupere, Wisconsin; special cousin, Jerry; Tointon of Raleigh-Durham, NC; 16 grandkids and 23 great-grandkids and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, in-laws, Richard and Velma Tointon, and sisters-in-law, Shirley Toomer and Patricia Straley. A time of visitation for family and friends will take place from 4-7 p.m. today (Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020) at Griffin Gray Funeral Home in Stewartville and one hour prior to the service at Immanuel Lutheran Church on Wednesday morning. Arrangements are with Griffin-Gray Funeral Home in Stewartville. Condolences and memories of Elmer are welcome at www.griffin-gray.com.
