Alexander “Alex” J. Parenteau, 79, Princeton

November 11, 1940 - February 1, 2020

A Celebration of Alex’s Life will be held at 2:00 PM on Thursday, February 6, 2020, at Williams Dingmann Funeral Home in Princeton, MN. Visitation will be Wednesday, February 5 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM and one hour prior to the service at the funeral home on Thursday. Interment will be in Baldwin Cemetery. Alex Parenteau, age 79, of Princeton, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 1, 2020, at the Princeton Elim Home.

Alexander Joseph was born November 11, 1940, in Dryden, Ontario, Canada, the son of Alexander and Mary (Anderson) Parenteau. Alex was raised in Wabigoon, Ontario, where as a young boy started singing and playing a guitar along with his brother Sam. He had various jobs working on the railroad, in a papermill, highway construction, and fishing guide, ultimately, his gift for music led him on a journey of entertaining across Canada and Minnesota. He was a member of many bands (Swinging Tomahawks, Mcivor Brothers, Houle Brothers, Bobbi Byrd) to being the leader of the band (Alex Parenteau & The Silver Wings). He created ‘one too many memories’ playing many venues singing classic country, country rock, and back to the fifties genre. Alex recorded two albums in Nashville, was a featured performer on the Midwest Country Show, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award and induction, with his band, The Silver Wings, into the Minnesota Rock & Country Hall of Fame, and received the WVAL 800 AM Radio Musician Appreciation Award.

Alex married Betty (Cross) Lamm in 1977, where ‘in the arms of love’ made their home on Lake Fremont in Zimmerman, MN. Alex was a musician through and through and shared that vibe in his family life with rehearsals at home, vacations ‘on the road,' and watching him at a show. Betty and the girls enjoyed his humor as Alex would tell many stories of his youth in the bush like walking across Lake Wabigoon at night singing loudly all the way to fend off the wolves (and proceeded to demonstrate with a pretty darn good yodel and jig). He proudly shared his heritage with many family trips to Canada for fishing, shore lunch, pow wows, and ricing. He had a great love for and enjoyed helping in the care of his grandchildren.

Alex, flying forever with ‘silver wings,’ is survived by his wife, Betty; daughters, Sandy (Dave) Jones of Zimmerman, DiAnne (Jeremy Johnson) Bean of Cross Lake, Colleen Anderson of Zimmerman; son, Kevin Von Gunten of Gimli, Manitoba; daughter, Ingrid of British Columbia; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; sister, Margaret Parenteau of Winnipeg, Manitoba; brother, Bill Parenteau of Wabigoon, Ontario; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, John, Sam, and Fred; and sisters, Lillian, Agnes, Adeline, Violet, and Mary Rose.

“On both sides of the border, his adoring fans are left with the memory of his beautiful voice and personality,” Miigwetch, Fred Kelly (friend).