Earl W. Lenz, 97, St. Cloud

September 21, 1926 - September 6, 2024

Funeral services will be 11AM Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at the Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home in St. Cloud for Earl Lenz, 97 of St. Cloud who died Friday September 6, 2024 at the VA Medical Center in St. Cloud. Rev. Tom Cucuzza will officiate and burial with full military honors will be at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery near Little Falls on Thursday at 11:00 AM. Visitation will be 1 hour prior to services Wednesday at the funeral home in St. Cloud.

Earl was born September 21, 1926 in a farmhouse near Danube, MN. His parents were tenant farmers until 1941 when they purchased a farm southwest of Renville, MN. Prior to 1941, Earl lived on 5 different farms and attended 3 different schools. Earl’s desire was to be a farmer and took subjects related to farming and getting additional related material from the University of MN Agriculture Dept. He was very active in FFA, held various offices and State President, was MN delegate to FFA National convention in Kansas City, MO in 1943, and also received the FFA State Farmer award. In 1946, when in the service, he was one of three from MN to win recognition as American Farmer at the FFA convention that year. Only one in every thousand FFA members ever awarded the honor. In 1943, Earl stared raising a new breed of hogs, a leaner, bacon type animal. Minnesota’s #1 breed was a hybrid developed at the University of MN’s experimental station at Grand Rapids, MN. Earl purchased breeding stock from the University of MN and was one of the first raising this new breed. Earl graduated from Renville High School in 1944. After military service, he returned to the farm and carried on his desire to farm. On June 20, 1948, Earl and Gwen were married. On August 22, 1948, Earl was admitted to the VA hospital and was a patient for 2 ½ years. He was discharged in March of 1951 and advised by doctors not to return to farming. Earl took a short business and marketing course at Globe Business College and spent the next 40 years in the Home Furnishing field until retiring in 1991. Gwen and family were involved in crafts and craft sales-Earl’s contribution was “Rugs by Earl”-hand crocheted rugs. He also enjoyed going to swap meets (Liked to socialize).

He is survived by his children, Wayne of Princeton; Jeff of Cloverdale; Linda (Tim) Moore of Hinckley; grandchildren, Ian (Michue) Moore, Jenna Kopchinski, Evan (Jessica) Lenz and Joshua (Alyssa) Lenz, great grandchildren, Max & Rowan Kopchinski and Irie Lenz. He is also survived by a sister, Marlys Ledin of Bella Vista, AR.

He is preceded in death by his parents, wife Gwen in 2018, brother, Arvin Lenz.