Wendell George Stender, 82, of Wykoff, Minn., passed away peacefully on December 7, 2017, at home.
Funeral service took place 1 p.m. Monday, December 11, at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Wykoff. Visitation was 2-4 p.m. Sunday, December 10, at the Hindt-Hudek Funeral Home in Wykoff and one hour prior to the service on Monday at the church.
Wendell was born on the family farm on July 23, 1935, in rural Wykoff, to George and Frances (Timm) Stender. They moved to a farm near Preston and then to the farm where he spent most of his life. He attended String town school for three years and then St. Johns Lutheran school and graduated from Wykoff High school. On February 7, 1953, he married Barbara Ruth Ziemer. He farmed with his father and later his brother until 1965 when the family moved to Babbitt, Minn., where he worked for Reserve Mining Company. In October 1972, after his brother’s death, he came back to run the family farm again. He loved driving his ponies hitched to either his stage coach or circus wagon. They moved into town in 1996. Wendell and Barbara did a lot of traveling. They visited Austria, Germany, Italy, Yugoslavia, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, Kenya, Tanzania, Japan, and all through the west. He loved to fish. He and Barbara spent many years going to Canada fishing. They spent 10 years going to Texas, and one year to Florida, for the winter.
Wendell is survived by his wife Barbara, two sons and one daughter: Rick (Debbie) of Harris, Minn., Randy (Susan) of Big Lake, Minn., and Rhonda (Andrew) Sara of Winter Haven, Fla., and Faribault, Minn.; 10 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Dale.
Condolences may be left at www.hindtfuneralhomes.com.