D. Junior Stoesz

Dietrich “D. Junior” Stoesz age 87, of Mountain Lake, Minnesota died on September 16, 2024, at Windom Area Hospital in Windom, Minnesota. Visitation will be on Friday, September 20, 2024, from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm at Sturm Funeral Home, Mountain Lake Chapel and will continue on Saturday from 9:30 am until 10:30 am at Cornerstone Bible Church. A funeral service will be held at Cornerstone Bible Church in Mountain Lake on Saturday, September 21, 2024, at 10:30 am and will be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075492966274&mibextid=ZbWKwL. The clergy will be Pastor Herms Banico. Interment will be at Cornerstone Cemetery (formerly EMB) in Mountain Lake. Arrangements are with Sturm Funeral Home in Mountain Lake. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sturmfh.com.

D. Junior Stoesz was born to Dietrich D. and Anna (Fast) Stoesz on June 15, 1937, in Mountain Lake, Minnesota. His older siblings were Harvey, Edgar, and Helen as well as Eldor, who died as an infant.  He committed his life to Christ when he was 13 years old at revival meetings in the Valley Church and was baptized 2 years later at the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren (EMB) Church in Mountain Lake. Junior attended Bible School in Mountain Lake until 3rd grade and then graduated from Mountain Lake High School in 1956. As a young adult, he worked at local small businesses and took a correspondence course in accounting.

Junior participated in alternative service with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Haiti from 1959 to 1961, providing maintenance and accounting services at the Grand Riviera Hospital, outside Port au Prince. Junior enjoyed interacting with the Haitians and learning the Creole language.

Junior met the lovely Arlene Classen when she was visiting from Meade, Kansas along with her sister. They fell in love and got married at the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren (EMB) Church in Meade, Kansas on June 22, 1963. They settled into life on the farm in Mountain Lake, working together to till the land and work with the honeybees. Before long, Jeanette was born to them, and then about five years later, they were blessed by another daughter, Marjorie, and then lo and behold! twin boys, Darwin and Dale.

Junior was a successful and innovative farmer even during very hard times. He and Harvey raised corn and soybeans. He loved to work with his hands and spent the winters repairing farm equipment, and in 1976, he and Arlene built a new home for their growing family. He also took on many side jobs such as hauling grain, building a grain elevator, and plowing snow.

Junior put his head and hands to leadership roles at the EMB church (now Cornerstone Bible Church) such as teacher, Sunday school superintendent, trustee, and church council member. He valued the Bible very highly, so he also served with The Gideons International and the Mountain Lake Christian School board. Junior and Arlene appreciated the years they worshiped at the First Baptist Church in Windom.

When Junior turned 50 years old, he began nurturing his love of music. He sang bass as a soloist and in men’s quartets at many church services, community events, and weddings. He made many sets of bells from conduit pipe which were played at family gatherings as well as at schools and churches.

Junior loved helping people, whether that meant clearing the snow from their driveway or clearing trees after a storm. Throughout his life, he invented things to improve life for others or to entertain his grandchildren. He always had a twinkle in his eye and brought joy and adventure everywhere he went. Whether it was riding a bicycle backwards or donning a wig, we always knew we would have fun when Junior was around. Junior also had a way with the written and spoken word and graced his family with his wisdom at Christmas gatherings and in birthday emails.

Junior was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He often told and showed Arlene and each of his children and grandchildren how much he loved them. Junior and Arlene had devotions together every morning and prayed faithfully for each of their children and grandchildren by name. They enjoyed sharing their time together at The Lodge in Mountain Lake.

Junior was preceded in death by his parents, and his brothers, Harvey and Eldor Stoesz. He is survived by his brother, Edgar Stoesz, and his sister, Helen (Stoesz) Peifer. He is also survived by his wife of 61 years, Arlene (Classen) Stoesz of The Lodge in Mountain Lake, Minnesota, and their four children: Jeanette (Stoesz) and Stan Harder of Goshen, Indiana, Marjorie (Stoesz) and Jay Peterson of Brewster, Minnesota, Darwin & Karen Stoesz of Whitewater, Kansas, and Dale & Monica Stoesz of Lino Lakes, Minnesota and eight grandchildren: Nick, Jonathan, Brittany, Anthony, Abby, Anna, Audrey, and Clara.

Junior often lent a hand to produce mobility carts for people with disabilities around the world, especially knowing that some of the carts went to help people in Haiti. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mobility Worldwide: Minnesota-Southwest at https://mobilityworldwide.org/affiliates/minnesota-southwest/. Messages of support and condolences may be shared with Arlene via dj@stoesz.com.