Funeral services for 85-year-old Andrew Wendler of Springfield, Minnesota, will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday morning, November 10, 2014, at New Hope Lutheran Church in Comfrey, Minnesota. The church is located at 204 Court Street South.
Interment will be in the New Hope Faith Lutheran Cemetery, located at 29053 County Road #1. Military honors will be conducted by the Comfrey American Legion Post #244.
Visitation will be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 9, at New Hope Lutheran Church, as well as at the church for one hour prior to the funeral service on Monday.
Andrew Wendler passed away on Wednesday, November 5, 2014, in Springfield.
Andrew Edwin Wendler was born to Emil and Hedwig (Mueller) Wendler on January 23, 1929 at home in Burnstown Township, Brown County during a snowstorm. When he was 7-years-old, the family moved to a farm one mile south of Springfield on the airport road. Andy attended District #55 Country School until the age of 12, then attended Springfield Public High School. He had to quit school in 1944 to help out at home, as his older brothers were called into the military service during World War II.
At the age of 11, Andy started helping at Runck’s Hardware in Springfield putting together farm machinery. In 1946, he started working at Pete Cullen’s garage learning mechanics. Andy was called to serve his country in 1951, serving in Germany until his discharge in 1953. After returning home, he worked at Wiese Chevrolet in Comfrey, Minnesota until 1974.
As a single young ma,n he ate his meals at Schmidt’s Cafe in Comfrey where he met a waitress. Andy and Lora Wall were united in marriage on September 9, 1954 and were blessed with three children.
In 1974, Andy and Lora were called to serve as missionaries in Kenya, East Africa and joined World Mission Prayer League. They left for Kenya in June 1976 and returned to the states in February 1992. They continued to work in the World Mission Prayer League office until April 2000, when they retired and moved to Comfrey. While in Kenya, Andy taught mechanics at a church-run vocational school and was able to help keep local pastors and missionaries on the road. On Saturdays he did home Bible studies and on Sundays he often preached in bush churches. At the office in Minneapolis, Andy was property manager for WMPL Properties. He was active at Faith and New Hope Lutheran Church.
Andy became a resident of St. John Lutheran Home in Springfield on January 17, 2014.
He is survived by wife, Lora of Comfrey; son, Mark of Minneapolis, Minneosta; daughter, Mona Sjoblom and husband Joe Standing of Plymouth, Minnesota; grandchildren, Vikki Wendler of Marshall, Minnesota, Isaac Sjoblom of Eden Prairie, Minnesota and Jacob Sjoblom of Thief River Falls, Minnesota; sisters-in-law, Beverly Wendler of Baudette, Minnesota, Geraldine Wendler of New Ulm, Minnesota, Dorothy (Richard) Schwartz of Sanborn, Minnesota, Evonne (Lynn) Klages of Owatonna, Minnesota, Barb (Curtis) Johnson of Dalles Center, Iowa, Diane (Francis) Bussert of Faribault, Minnesota, Nancy (James) Sartor of Faribault and Cynthia (Steve) Blackstad of Faribault; brothers-in-law, Gerald Wall of New Ulm, and Daniel Wall of Comfrey and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Emil and Hedwig; parents-in-law, Walter and Bertha Wall; daughter, Marcia; brothers, Emil and Walter; a sister at birth and sister-in-law, Lucille Johnson.