LeRoy "Butch" Proell

LeRoy "Butch" Proell was born on June 23, 1943, in St. Cloud, MN to Al and Florence (Burke) Proell. He passed away peacefully at his home on Aug. 3, 2025. Visitation will be held at 9:30am followed by Mass at 10:30am on Aug. 12, 2025, at St. Mary Help of Christians Church in St. Augusta, MN.

He attended St. Paul's School through 8th grade and graduated from St. Cloud Technical High School in 1961. He served in the Air Force from 1964 to 1967. He was a certified missile mechanic at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. He graduated from St. Cloud Area Vocational Technical School in 1969 with an Associate Degree in Graphic Arts. On Sept. 12, 1970, he married Evie Schmidt at St. Mary Help of Christians Church in St. Augusta, MN. They raised three children.

Butch began his career working at Nahan Printing in St. Cloud. From there he was hired at Haas Press in Sleepy Eye which later became Advertising Unlimited, Inc. where he worked for 30 years. His career progressed from press operator, to pressroom supervisor, to the head of maintenance. While employed at AUI, Butch founded Sleepy Eye Saw & Tool in 1980. Then in 1985, he founded Sleepy Eye Industrial Knife which he operated until 2005. Throughout his life he also worked as a flight instructor. During retirement, Butch enjoyed building and flying a Zenith 801 airplane. He also did gunsmithing and engraving.

Survivors include his children, Kristine (Martin) Sellner of Sleepy Eye, Lia (Paul) Peterson of Blooming Prairie, & Jason Proell of Sleepy Eye; grandchildren, Jessica (Alex Kircher) Sellner of Redwood Falls, Andria (Kris) Roppe of Winona, Holly (Jacob Meidl) Sellner of Sleepy Eye, Taylor Peterson of Blooming Prairie, and Chase Peterson of Tel Aviv, Israel; great-grandchildren, Lennox Roppe, Reygan Roppe, & Leander Roppe all of Winona; brothers, Duane (Cindy) Proell of Minnetonka, David (Mary) Proell of Avon; brother-in-law, Gerald (Bernice) Schmidt of Clearwater; sister-in-law, Delphine Waltzing of Clearwater; sister-in-law, Kathy Schmidt of St. Augusta; nieces, Katie (Matt) London of Golden Valley & Anna Proell of Minnetonka; great-nephews, Cooper London & Ty London of Golden Valley.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Evelyn "Evie" Proell in Jan. of 2009, mother, Florence Proell in Nov. of 1988, father, Al Proell, in Dec. of 1995, mother-in-law, Victoria Schmidt in April of 2005, father-in-law, Albert Schmidt in Oct. of 1967, brother-in-law, Gilbert Schmidt in June of 2009, sister-in-law, Theresa Schmidt in April of 2024, sister-in-law, June Schmidt in May of 1980, & brother-in-law, Denis Waltzing in April of 2003.

Butch's family would like to thank CentraCare Redwood Hospice, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Mayo Clinic Health System Mankato, and VA St. Cloud Health Care for their guidance and expertise during his 9-year courageous battle with congestive heart failure.