A Mass of Christian Burial for Leon Charles Sieve, age 89, was held on Saturday, December 30, 2017, at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Wilmont, MN with Msgr. Rick Colletti officiating. The organist was Linda Huisman with special music by the OLGC Choir. The pallbearers were Jim Sieve, Bob Sieve, Gene Sieve, Loren Sieve, Leon Sieve, and Randy Jones. Interment was at Calvary Cemetery in Wilmont, MN. Totzke Funeral Home of Slayton was entrusted with arrangements. Leon passed away on Monday, December 25, 2017 at Sunset Cottage in Worthington, MN surrounded by family and holding the hand of his wife of 60 years, Dolores.He was born on October 7th, 1928 to J. Henry and Anna (Balk) Sieve on the family farm near Wilmont, MN. He was baptized at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Wilmont, where he maintained an active and faith-filled membership. He attended OLGC Catholic School and later graduated high school from St Anthony School in Lismore, MN in 1946.
After graduating, Leon joined in the family farming operation until he was called to serve his country during the Korean Conflict. Upon his completion of his military duty, he returned and attended the College of St Thomas in St Paul, MN for one year before returning to the family farm to contribute to the lifelong vocation that he so dearly loved. Before leaving for the military, a young brunette by the name of Dolores Kellen caught his eye at a dance at the Ritz Ballroom in Lismore, MN. It wasn’t until Leon returned from his college stint that the relationship blossomed, and Dolores married Leon on a 20-below day, January 15, 1957. His love for the land and farming was something that he held dear, raising livestock and grain on the Larkin Township family farm.
He was known for his tremendous endurance, outworking many without complaint and in defiance of the extreme Minnesota weather. As one of the generations of Sieve men known for a hearty laugh and a talent for conversation, Leon loved to tell stories of the various neighborhood characters or the experiences he had crisscrossing the nation while in the Army. Leon was fascinated by life’s simple things and complex things alike. A voracious reader, he would pour over an edition of Popular Mechanics or any number of subscribed newspapers that landed daily in their mailbox. Leon could tell you about any past or current world situation with as much detail as he could about a new development in farming. Leon loved his family. He and Dolores traveled to visit their children and attend as many grandkids events as they could. Many of those trips involved pulling the camper along and making stops at the many State Parks to satisfy their love of nature and a good campfire.
Leon is survived by his wife, Dolores; six children; Jim (Leasa) Sieve of Hanska, MN; Julie (Randy) Jones of Ames, IA; Bob (Debra) Sieve of Spearfish, SD; Gene Sieve of Jordan, MN; Loren (Kim) Sieve of Lismore, MN; Leon J. Sieve of Minneapolis, MN; 10 grandchildren Kendall, Jenna, Andrew, Michaela, Carlton, Hailey, Ben, Kerra, Keaton, and Brynn; one great-grandson Cannon; brothers Don (Janet) Sieve of Worthington, MN, and Richard Sieve of Saratoga, CA. He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Anna; brothers Maynard and Gerald; infant sister Norma and sister Arlene.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to be directed to Sunset Hospice in Worthington, MN or Our Lady of Good Council Church in Wilmont, MN. To send condolences, visit www.totzkefuneralhome.com
