Ronald Louis Stellmach, age 81, of Independence, passed away peacefully June 19, 2024.
Ron was born Nov. 15, 1942, in Little Falls to the late Julius and Helen (Anderlie) Stellmach. After graduating from Sauk Rapids High School in 1961, Ron enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and served during the Panama Canal Crisis of 1964. Ron earned a degree in drafting and design technology from the St. Cloud Area Vocational and Technical School in 1968.
He married Linda (Freeman) Aug. 31, 1968.
After 29 years as an officer at the Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility, Ron retired in 2002, returning part time for five more years.
Truly a jack-of-all-trades — carpentry, electrical, welding, plumbing — if it needed fixing, Ron was the man. Projects ranged from trailers, decks, cabinets, horse stalls and barn doors to restoring a Ford truck.
Ron was an avid outdoorsman and especially loved the community of those he went hunting and fishing with. He considered their many trips (Montana, Wyoming, Canada, Minnesota) a special time to be with friends and family — much more important than getting the elk or walleye. Extra special were the many fall camping trips he took with Linda to the North Shore.
In addition to his parents, Ron was preceded in death by grandparents Dominick and Anna (Herzing) Stellmach, Ferdinand and Isabel (Houn) Anderlie; parents-in-law Wilbur and Polly Freeman; brothers-in-law Roger Sufka and Bernhard Seter; many loved aunts, uncles and cousins; and special friends cousin Ken Lange and George Vansteenburg. And all his much loved “4-footed friends.”
Survivors include his beloved wife, Linda; brothers Lester (Sherry) of Delano and Cyril (Judi) of Apple Valley, California; sisters Donna (Jan) Bettenberg of Sartell and Karen (Roger) Sufka of Iron Mountain, Michigan; sister-in-law Faye (Bernhard) Seter of Grand Forks, North Dakota; niece Stacy (Phil) Johnson of Salem, Oregon; nephews Richard Stellmach of Minnetonka, Jon (Andrea) Wheeler of Clearwater, Paul (Kate) Sufka of Eagan, and Adam (Amy) Sufka of Sterling Heights, Michigan; and many beloved grand-nephews and nieces.
A gathering of family and friends will be Monday, July 1 at Iten Funeral Home in Delano. Visitation at 10 a.m. with a service at 11a.m., followed by lunch at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Animal Humane Society or to donor’s choice.
Arrangements by the Iten Funeral Home in Delano.
R-26-1B
