Cletus “Clete” A. Altermatt, age 84 of Wabasso, passed away Sunday, November 15, 2020 at Carris Health – Redwood Hospital in Redwood Falls. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, June 12, 2021 at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Wabasso. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in St. Mathias Catholic Cemetery at Wanda. Stephens Funeral Service – Redwood Valley Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Cletus “Clete” A. Altermatt was born June 13, 1936 to Sylvester Herman and Marcella Anna (Jenniges) Altermatt in Wabasso, Minnesota. He was a member of the 1956 graduating class from Sanborn High School. Following high school, he married Patricia Wagner on July 6, 1957 and together began a lifelong passion for family and agriculture. Clete maintained his love for farming the land, raising and hauling livestock, seed corn sales and twenty-five years in farm equipment sales before retiring in 2012. He will be remembered for his servant’s heart reflected in his years of service with the Minnesota National Guard, coaching girls softball teams, as a member of Wabasso Lions Club, and willingness to help neighbors, friends and family in need. Clete enjoyed supporting local sports teams and his children and grandchildren in school and community activities. He stayed busy in retirement and took great joy in traveling with his grill to cook at special events and making breakfast at the Roadhouse Bar & Grill where he created his signature breakfast special, the “Haystack”.
Clete is survived by the mother of his children, Patricia Wagner of Orlando FL daughter, Raedi Zimmer (Anthony Kramer) of Orlando, FL; sons: Terry (Shari) Altermatt, Scott (Paige) Altermatt and Todd (Cathy) Altermatt, all of Wabasso. He will be lovingly remembered as “Grandpa Clippy” and missed dearly by 11 grandchildren and 28 great- grandchildren. He is also survived by four siblings: Julie Meiners of Mesa AZ, Jerome (Marge) Altermatt of Gaylord, Ann Jane Spencer (Roger) of Mesa, AZ, and Kathleen Rheingans of Fredricksburg, VA. Clete is preceded in death by his parents, Sylvester and Marcella, sister, Bernadette Ann Ehrreich and grandson, Dane Michael Altermatt.
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart Then I shall bow, in humble adoration and then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”
