Leon Aldinger Sr.

Leon Aldinger, 85, Silver Bay, died Friday, March 31, 2017 at CareFree Living.

Leon was born on March 26, 1932 to John and Eva (Wittmeier) Aldinger in Herreid, South Dakota. As a child, he moved to Ladysmith, Wisconsin.  It was in Ladysmith where his family operated a cranberry marsh that he developed his love of gardening.  While serving in the U.S. Army in El Paso, Texas, he met and married Mary Emma Keller in 1951 and soon after they started their family.   Together they moved to Roswell, New Mexico with the Army.  In 1968, they moved to be reunited with family in Minnesota, where Leon joined his brother working as a logger and heavy equipment operator until his retirement.

Leon was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, a loving husband, and a devoted father.

He loved being outdoors gardening, or working in his shop where he ran a welding business, painted cars, built equipment from scraps, and built greenhouses for his daughters. He also enjoyed woodworking.

Leon was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 51 years, Mary in 2002; a daughter Linda Judkins in 2006; brothers, Albert, Walter and Clemens; and sisters, Esther and Annetta.

He is survived by his children, Teresa Lea (Randy Rusnak) Pierson, Mary Catherine (Phil) Potterjoy, Leon John (Karen) Aldinger Jr., Rebecca Lynne (Allen) Thorngren, and Patricia Dawn (Craig Gavle) Schumacher; 13 grandchildren; many great and great-great-grandchildren; and a special friend, Carol Gustafson.

Visitation will be from 1 PM until the 2 PM Mass of Christian Burial on Friday, April 7, 2017 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Silver Bay.