Lawrence Leo Muetzel, age 92 of rural Redwood Falls/ Flora Township, formerly of Belview, passed away Friday, March 7, 2025 at his home. Memorial Services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 13, 2025 at Northwood Church in Redwood Falls. Visitation will be 5:00-7:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 12 at Redwood Valley Funeral Home. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at church on Thursday. Interment will be at a later date in the Redwood Falls Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to CentraCare Redwood Hospice. Stephens Funeral Service – Redwood Valley Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. 

Lawrence Leo Muetzel was born April 25, 1932 to Herman and Meta (Kreft) Muetzel on a farm near Belview, Minnesota. He was baptized and confirmed at Sheridan Lutheran Church, rural Belview. Lawrence attended Belview Country School and later graduated from Renville High School. Following graduation, he was drafted in the U.S. Army and was stationed at Fort Sill in Lawton, OK from May 18, 1954-March 17, 1955. After his honorable discharge, Lawrence was united in marriage to June Tollefson at Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church in Benson on September 1, 1956. The couple made their home on a farm in the Minnesota River Valley and they were blessed with five children. Lawrence raised cattle, pigs and crops and was an avid outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish. He enjoyed traveling and took numerous trips to Alaska, Colorado and Canada, but he especially loved exploring the countryside with June. Lawrence was a talented woodworker, and he enjoyed making canoes and furniture. It brought him great joy to make furniture for his family members, and he often donated his beautifully crafted pieces to charities around the community. At age 50, Lawrence learned to fly a plane and later purchased his own small aircraft. Lawrence was a man of strong faith and church was very important to him. He was a well-loved and respected member of the community. Lawrence was a wonderful and caring husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, cousin and friend.

Lawrence is survived by his wife June; children: Karen (Bob) Stowell of Fort Myers, FL, Kathy (Larry) Ardito of Bonita Springs, FL, Steve Muetzel of Anchor Point, AK and Julie (Andy) McCoy of Culpeper, VA; grandchildren: Rochelle (Quin) Milne Rojek, Lisa & Tony (Jane) Ardito, and Jack, Alex & Steve McCoy; great grandchildren: Adelaide & Perrin Ardito; son-in-law Patrick Seys; sisters Liz Hanson and Dee Frisby; brother-in-law Roger Sandberg; and many other relatives and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Herman & Meta, daughter Beth Muetzel, siblings Wilma (Vernon) Schmidt, Darold (Ardys), Maurice (Shirlee), Verlaine Sandberg, and Diane (Gordon) Mork, nephew Jeff Muetzel, and brother-in-law Owen Frisby.