Howard Leo Pierskalla, 83, St. Joseph

September 23, 1936 – November 25, 2019

The Mass of Christian Burial, celebrating the life of Howard Pierskalla, age 83 of St. Joseph, will be 10:30 AM, Tuesday, December 3 at the St. Joseph’s Catholic in St. Joseph. Burial will be in the parish cemetery. Howard died Monday at the Mother of Mercy Campus of Care in Albany. There will be a visitation time from 9:00 AM until the time of the services Tuesday at the church in St. Joseph. Arrangements are being made by the Miller-Carlin Funeral Homes.

Howard was born on September 23, 1936 in Collegville. He was raised on the family farm and was the only boy with seven sisters. He graduated from Holdingford High School in 1955 and he attended St. Lawrence Seminary in Calvary Wisconsin until he decided not to pursue a religious vocation. In 1959, he married Joyce Miller; they later parted. Howard worked at Continental Press and later started his own engraving shop. After retirement, Howard took a part time job at the St. Cloud Hospital and worked in the sign shop. He was also the Assessor for the city of Avon, the Avon Township and Collegeville Township. He loved to tell wild stories and leave his listeners with laughter and disbelief. He loved country, inspirational and by the coaxing of his son, Kevin…polka music. Howard also had a passion for automobiles and when he saw one he liked, he had to buy it. He loved to travel and he enjoyed his many excursions all over the United States. Howard was a member of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.

Howard is survived by his son, Kevin (Lynn) Pierskalla, St. Anna; sisters, Mary Lou Brinkman, Grey Eagle; Joan Silbernick, Little Falls; Carol (Gary) Spoden, Foley; Linda (Ken) Stoermann, Avon and Sandra Pierskalla, St. Cloud.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters, Judy Pierskalla and Doris Kostreba, brothers-in-law, Eugene Brinkman and Tom Silbernick.

A special Thank You goes to Phillip Kostreba and Gary Kraft who helped Howard in his later years.