Duane Paul Wilhelmi

Duane "Willie" Paul Wilhelmi was born September 16, 1946 in Echo, MN to Paul J. and Lucille C. (Schultz) Wilhelmi. He attended Sleepy Eye Public High School and in 1964. Duane married Theresa Saffert on February 19, 1966 at St. Raphael's Catholic Church in Springfield, MN. After graduation, Duane attended Auto Body School in Mankato. He then became a meat cutter and owned Sleepy Eye Meat Locker until he sold it and then was employed at Sleepy Eye Public as a custodian. He also served on the Sleepy Eye School Board for 8 years. After that he became a smokehouse manager at Hy-Vee where he retried. Duane worked many years at Kraft and Del Monte doing clean up and he also worked at Lang's Meat Market in Springfield until his death. He could always be found on the side lines, in the balcony or in the outfield cheering on his girls and eventually his grandkids. He was very proud of his grandkids. Towards the end of his life he developed a hobby of putting together and painting model cars, planes and trucks. Duane was an avid deer hunter. After enduring an uphill battle with kidney failure over the last 2 years, Duane P. Wilhelmi, claimed his final victory and died peacefully at his home on April 3, 2017. Duane is survived by his wife, Theresa Wilhelmi of Sleepy Eye, daughters, Christi (Dennis) Gemmill, Dawn (Mike) Walter, Paula (Brian) Ziegenhagen, all of Sleepy Eye, grandchildren, Annalise (Mark) Urbano, Marc (special friend Alonna Baune) Gemmill, Colton Gemmill, Abigail (special friend Tyler Braulick), Samantha, Nathan Walter, and AJ, Zach, Brianna and Kaitlyn Ziegenhagen, 5 great-grandchildren, Alannah, MJ and Noah Urbano, Brantley Gemmill and Cooper Braulick, sisters, Betty (Les) Shaw, Sharon Roberts and brother, Jeff Wilhelmi, sister-in-law, Mary Ann Nelson and brother-in-law, Eddie Saffert. He was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, brothers-in-law, Dennis Nelson and Midge Saffert, a niece and a great niece. Visitation 1 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm Friday, April 7, 2017 Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel 301 - 3rd Ave. S.W. Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, United States 56085 Visitation 2 7:30 am - 10:00 am Saturday, April 8, 2017 Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel 301 - 3rd Ave. S.W. Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, United States 56085 Service Information 10:30 am Saturday, April 8, 2017 St. Mary's Catholic Church-Sleepy Eye 636 1st Ave. North Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, United States 56085