George Russell Winderl

George Russell Winderl, 92, longtime Valley County resident, died Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013.

Mass of Christian burial will be held Friday, Oct. 11, at 11 a.m. at St. Raphael’s Catholic Church in Glasgow, followed by interment in the Highland Cemetery.

He was born on March 16, 1921, to Theodore and Blanche (Rouse) Winderl. He was the fourth child of 10 sons. They lived on a farm just south of Richland. He attended school in Richland through the eighth grade and graduated from Opheim High School in 1940. He then worked on the family farm until 1942, when he was drafted into the Army. He said he received a certificate that said, “You are one of the chosen few.”

He spent two years in New Guinea living in a tent. He mostly drove truck and said that he never shot a gun while in the service. In December 1945, his company was disbanded and his crew was sent home just shortly before Christmas. He continued to work on the family farm.

In 1951, he had a cerebral hemorrhage, and spent some time at Fort Harrison. He returned home to recuperate and the stroke led to limited mobility on his left side for the remainder of his life. This did not keep him down, as he continued to operate and work on machinery, custom combine, move buildings, and all the other duties it takes to run a successful farm.

He enjoyed family gatherings, cooking, hunting and was a collector of guns and coins. In 1957, he and his brother, Richard, purchased the family farm from their mother. They continued to farm together until George was unable to care for himself at the age of 86.

He was on the ASCS Board for a term and on the Farmer’s Union Elevator Board for 20 years.

He entered Valley View Home in 2007, and has lived there until his passing. This seemed to be a perfect fit as he made many friends. He loved to visit, play cards, color pictures, tell stories and jokes, play pranks, and made sure all staff were on task and in a timely fashion. He was a caring, fun-loving guy, always up for a good laugh, and enjoyed being the center of the party. He was very good with numbers and had an excellent memory up to the very end.

He was preceded in death by six brothers, Francis, William, Joseph, Steve, Louis, and Charles.

Survivors include three brothers, Richard Winderl, of the family farm; Harold Winderl and his wife, Ann, and family of Syracuse, N.Y., and Martin Winderl and his wife, Janet, and family of San Francisco, Calif.; many nieces and nephews, including R.J. Winderl and his wife, Deb; Richard Winderl, and Teresa Breipohl and her husband, Grady, of the surrounding area.

Bell Mortuary of Glasgow is in charge of arrangements.