Wayne Steffes

Wayne Steffes

Wayne SteffesWayne Lee Steffes, age 68 of Balaton, passed away peacefully March 4, 2018 with his family by his side at Pipestone County Hospice in Pipestone.  Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 9 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Tracy.  Visitation will be 4:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8 at Tracy Area Funeral Home with a prayer service at 6:30 pm.  Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at church.  Interment will be in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Tracy.  In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to St. Jude’s, Balaton Ambulance or Pipestone County Hospice House.  Online condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com.  Stephens Funeral Service – Tracy Area Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Wayne was born March 12th 1949 to Raymond and Alice (Przymus) Steffes in Canby, MN. Wayne was the oldest of 11 children and grew up on a family farm located west of Ivanhoe, MN. Wayne attended school at Ivanhoe Public School. After graduation, Wayne furthered his education at Canby Technical College for a two year course in diesel mechanics. Through this education Wayne was employed as Parts Manager at Bills Oliver and continued his career at Zieglers, Olson & Johnson International, Viessman’s Trucking, and Marshall Truck and Trailer. Wayne was also a truck driver and through the years he kept his CDL and used it while helping area farmers along with assisting the City of Balaton with snow removal. Prior to retirement, Wayne was last employed at McCleary’s Auto Parts in Tracy, MN.  Wayne was baptized, received his First Holy Communion and Confirmation at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Ivanhoe, MN. On August 7, 1971, Wayne and Cathy (Bradley) were united in marriage there as well. Through this union they had two sons, Jason and Benji and a daughter, Carissa. Wayne was an active member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Tracy, MN. Through the years, Wayne was involved in various community projects such as Cub Scouts Leader, a volunteer for the Lynd Fire Department and he volunteered with activities at Prairie View Senior Living in Tracy. Wayne especially enjoyed his morning coffee and visits with his buddies at the Balaton Cenex station. Wayne recently took the position of being Balaton’s Mayor, although it could have challenges, he very much enjoyed being a part of the community he loved so dearly. Wayne had an ultimate love for his family and friends. His life was deeply enriched by his interests in fishing, hunting, 4-wheeling, snowmobiling, camping and vacationing. He especially loved fall deer hunting with family and friends while spending time at brother Al’s hunting shed. Wayne has always had a love for farming. After retirement, he enjoyed helping out area farmers with spring planting and fall harvest. However, Wayne’s greatest joy was being with his children and grandchildren. Wayne always had a big smile on his face when he attended his grandchildren’s special events.

Wayne is survived by his wife Cathy; son Benji (Kim) Steffes of Garretson, SD; daughter Carissa (Aaron) Rutz of Lakeville; grandchildren: Riley and Mattea Steffes, Hailey and Cooper Steffes and Natalie, Jenna and Ian Rutz; mother-in-law Doreen Bradley of Marshall; brothers: Allen (Jane) Steffes of Hendricks, Les (Cheryl) Steffes of Bluffdale, UT, Bob (Brenda) Steffes of Hendricks; sisters: Jean (Gerry) Paseka of Moorhead, Marian (Frank) Payne of Bozeman, MT, Karen (Eric) Hansen of Fargo, ND, Betty Jo (Joe) Tykwinski of Valley City, ND, Lynn (Dave) Bowman of Shakopee, Paula (Jay) DeClusin of Bemidji; and many nieces and nephews.   Wayne is preceded in death by his son Jason Steffes, his parents Raymond and Alice Steffes, sister June Peterson and brother-in-law Steve Peterson, father-in-law Leo Bradley, and brother-in-law Tim Bradley.

Blessed be his memory.

28 thoughts on “Wayne Steffes”

  1. Cathy and family and the Steffes family,
    I am truly sorry for your loss and the loss of an old friend and classmate. May peace find you in the days to come. My deepest sympathy to all of you and Rest in Peace, Wayne!

    Mesa, Arizona

  2. Condolences Kathy, family and the Steffes family. Sorry to hear of your loss. He was a friend and classmate. Rest in peace Wayne. Our class will always remember you. When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.
    Karen and Ken Lipinski.

  3. I am so sorry for you loss. My thoughts and prayers go out to the whole family and to Betty Tykwinksi family. Memories of you will never die nor will they fade as time goes by. Our thoughts and prayers go out to you. Take Care! God Bless!

  4. My sympathy to the family. I remember Wayne as a very Friendly giving man with a heart of gold and an even bigger smile. He was always willing to spend a minute chatting. May ALL your WONDERFUL memories of Wayne help in the days to come.
    Gods Blessings
    Deb Saxton

  5. My deepest condolences to all. As a classmate of Al’s along with being a friend to the entire family please accept my hugs and prayers.
    He will be remembered in our hearts.

    Sue Lambrecht

  6. Kristina Richmond

    Sympathy to the Steffes and Bradley families. It’s always hard to loos someone so close to us. I pray for you in this time of loss and will keep you in my prayers as the days stretch ahead. God Bless each and everyone one of you.

  7. Jennifer Seubert (Timmerman)

    So sad to hear the news of Wayne’s passing. May he be at peace and free from pain with Jason in heaven. My guess is they are already planning some hunting or fishing trips! Benji, Carissa and Kathy you are in my thoughts and prayers in the coming days and weeks. May GOD be by your side leading your way. GOD BLESS! Love,

  8. Cathy and family, so sorry for your loss, and our sympathy to all of you. We have some Great memories of Wayne. We were fortunate enough to be included in the Steffes family gatherings years ago. He will be missed, but never forgotten. Our thoughts and prayers to you and your family.
    Steve and Kathy Lenertz

  9. I am so sorry Wayne passed away. It must be so sad for you and your family. Lonny and I are thinking of you with love and wish for peace and solace for your whole family.

  10. Melanie Anderson

    My condolences to Cathy & all the family! So sorry to hear of your loss! My thoughts & prayers are with you during your difficult journey! Hugs & many blessings ????????!

  11. Cathy, Benji and Carissa: Many tears are being shed on the loss of your husband and father! My heart is aching for the Steffes and Bradley families as well as all of the people that Wayne has touched over the years! May the many memories you have and your faith guide you through this difficult time! He will be missed and it was an honor to call him friend! Love and hugs to you and your entire family!!!

  12. Diane Hebzynski

    Condolences to the Steffes and Bradley families in their loss. Wayne was such a wonderful man and so positive on his out look on life. He was strong in his faith and was proud of his family. RIP Wayne. You will be missed by all but we will see you in the next life. Until we meet again, enjoy being with Jason & your other family members in Heaven.

  13. Corrine Dubbeldee

    So sorry and peace will will come to Allen and Jane And Cathy, and family members memories of school as a classmate,family get togathers,,and Cathy the talks after Jason died,hang in there,and have your grandchildren remember him, peace will come to you, sending my love.,and prayers

  14. Terry Pederson

    To the entirety of the Steffes family, I offer my deepest condolences with tears in my heart. It’s clear that Wayne was a pillar of strength for his family and for his community, and his physical presence will undoubtedly leave a void in your lives. I pray that you all find peace and healing by cherishing the memories of life with Wayne, and that each of you carry that part of Wayne in your hearts that will live on with all of you forever. May God bless all of you, and Wayne’s memory forever! RIP, Mr. Wayne Steffes…Amen!

  15. Sharon & Chris Rasmussen

    Another tragic loss for the Steffes family. You are in our prayers. Find comfort in the friends and family around you. Lean on them and they on you. God bless.

  16. Duane and Sharon Lundberg

    Our hearts are heavy with the sad death of Wayne. Words can not express the grief we feel for Wayne’s family. Your family is strong in God’s word and hopefully that strength will help you all get through this time of sadness. God Bless you all and our prayers are with you.

  17. Mike and Mistin Allex

    We are so sorry to hear about Wayne. He was such a great guy and he always had a big smile on his face. He loved his family so much, you could just see the joy on his face when he talked about them. You are such a strong family and have been through a lot and you will get through this too. Hugs and prayers to all of you

  18. Bonnie (Tholen) Fierstine

    Kathy and family, my deepest sympathy for your loss. May your many memories of Wayne keep him close to your hearts forever. Hugs and prayers to the entire Steffes and Bradley families.

  19. My sympathies to you Kathy and the rest of the family. I will remember Wayne’s kind demeanor …He was a great person and I enjoyed working with him. Hold fast to knowing you are in the thoughts and prayers of many.

  20. Our sympathy goes out to your family. I will always remember Wayne as a class mate, and when he was there there was always fun. Some might have been a bit naughty.. it was a pleasure to have known him and Cathy as friends .we will be praying for your family…

  21. Elizabeth M. Bock

    As a friend of Wayne’s sister,Lynn, I would like to send my heartfelt condolences to all of Wayne’s family. If he was anything like Lynn, he lit up many lives just by being around. May God bless all of you and keep you now and always.

  22. Deb (Timmerman) Latzke

    My condolences to all of you. I will never forget my kind, loving, helpful neighbor. God’s angels definitely have a wonderful man to join them in heaven. May peace come to all of you in this time of sorrow.

  23. Jeff & Lisa Parker

    Dear Cathy, Riley, Mattea, and the whole Steffes Family – we are thinking of you and praying for comfort as you deal with the loss of Wayne/ Grandpa. We will remember Wayne as a kind and wonderful Grandpa who was always there for Riley and Mattea when they needed him most. There is no doubt he loved them with all his heart and will watch over them from heaven with Jason!

  24. Chuck & Gloria Timmerman

    Cathy, Benji, and Carissa our prayers are with you. Wayne was a good friend and neighbor. We remember when he help us out and worked many late night working our ground well Chuck was laid up. You were such good friend and neighbors. GOD BE WITH YOU ALL. Good memories to look back on.
    Chuck & Gloria Timmerman

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