Stanley John Denzer age 77 of Spring Valley died peacefully Saturday January 25th, 2014 at the Parkview Community Campus in Woodville. Stanley was born on May 30, 1936 in Red Wing, Minnesota; the son of Henry and Anna Hazel (Buck) Denzer. He attended St. Mary’s Big River Parochial School prior to graduating from Prescott High School in 1954. He was a mischievous child who enjoyed many escapades with his brothers and life-long friend Ray Huppert.  On August 3, 1957, he was united in marriage to JoAnne C. Zeeveld at St. Bonifus Catholic Church in Hastings, MN. Stanley grew up on a dairy farm but wanted to raise sheep from the first time he saw them.  He was very proud of having raised sheep for 69 years ever since his father gave him 8 ewes as an 8th birthday present.  He sheparded his flock for 68 lambing seasons, taking care to lose the fewest lambs possible and was very proud of his success.  Stanley loved animals and was very good at training them.  Stanley was in 4-H as a youth and took many animals to the county fair and junior livestock show in Eau Claire.  He was on the first committee to create the Market Animal Show and Sale and was proud to sponsor of the 4-H Grand Champion Lamb Carcass Trophy for the Pierce County Fair since 1971.  He learned to hunt at the age of 12 from his good friend and neighbor George Wendlick and spent many years deer hunting and turkey hunting.  He was an extensive reader and was self-taught in many things one of which was cutting and processing meat.  He invested in a meat saw at an early age to save money and provide for his family.  He learned to mix and smoke excellent sausage and brats that became a special treat to give to family and friends. Stanley was a life-long packer fan and very proud owner of packer stock.  He only saw a few Packer games in person but he relished watching the games and treasured every opportunity to attend in person.  He enjoyed card games his whole life, especially playing euchre with family and friends, and often played in tournaments with his friend Sid Mickelsen.  Stanley had an uncanny ability to do math rapidly, adding up to four columns of numbers in his head and multiplying rapidly as he knew the times tables into the 20s at an early age.  He loved hosting family parties and cooking his special grilled chicken for a huge crowd.  He and his many friends would talk and visit for hours, having lively discussions on numerous topics.  His favorite place to be was his own backyard.

When Stanley was 17 years old he took a class to learn how to shear sheep.  After that he sheared sheep to supplement his farming income and was an agent for the Wool Grower’s Association for 50 years. Stanley worked part-time for Cady Cheese Factory, Wilson, WI, for nearly twenty years. He served as a milk tester; checking intake milk for antibiotics on weekends. He was a gifted woodworker and enjoyed sharing his creations and projects with his family. Furthermore, he was active in his community. He served as the Trimbelle Town Clerk for 18 years and on the Martell Town Board for two years.  Stanley cherished his wife and family, loved to make people laugh, and was a wonderful story teller whose greatest joy was found in family, especially his grandchildren.  

Stanley will be remembered for the love in his heart, the twinkle in his eye, the mischief in his smile, the story on his lips and the brandy 7 in his hand by his wife of 57 years JoAnne; six children Steven (Pamela) Denzer of Pulaski, WI, Ellen (Jim) Denzer MacSwain of Hudson, Anna (Scott) Johnson of Apple Valley, MN, Rita (Mark) Elwood of Shakopee, MN, Bernard (Becky) Denzer of Warsaw, Indiana, MariBeth (Robert) Rajek of Cornell, WI; 16 grandchildren Gavin, Morgan, Walker, Chandler, Sloane, Adaire, Brett, Evan, Cole, Brooke, William, Jacob, Ian, Cordell, Ashley, Elizabeth; sisters Henrietta Pechacek of New Richmond, Helen (Harlyn) Puhrmann of River Falls, sisters-in-law Antoinette Denzer and Elaine Denzer both of Ellsworth; and many other relatives and countless friends.   He is preceded in death by his parents, infant children Daniel John and James Joseph and brothers William Denzer and David Denzer.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 AM Saturday February 1st at St. Mary’s Big River Catholic Church at W10137 570th Avenue in rural River Falls. Fr. Bill Matzek (classmate to Stanley) will officiate the mass. Burial will be in the parish cemetery with son-in-laws Jim MacSwain, Mark Elwood, Robert Rajek and Scott Johnson as casket bearers. Visitation will be on Friday from 4 to 8 PM at the O’Connell Family Funeral Home of Baldwin. Memorials are preferred to the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge, 411 Second Street NW, Rochester MN 55901, or the donor’s choice. Funeral services entrusted to the O’Connell Family Funeral Homes.