Julie Wieme, age 66, of Ruthton, Minnesota, died peacefully on Thursday, April 6, 2023 at the Avera Tyler Hospital in Tyler, Minnesota. Memorial visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Victory Christian Church in Balaton, Minnesota with a Prayer Service taking place at 7:30 PM at the church. Memorial service will be held on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 11:00 AM at Victory Christian Church in Balaton. Burial will take place at a later date in the Opdal Cemetery in Florence, Minnesota. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Hartquist Funeral Home – Tyler Chapel.
Julie Kay Wieme, was born on May 2, 1956, to Lester and Shirley Anderson (Edwards) in Tracy, MN. While growing up in the Tracy and Balaton area, Julie enjoyed singing with the Junior Choir, and was active with the Garvin High Fliers 4-H Club for over 10 years where she showed cattle, gardening, canning, and won the titles: “Little Miss Homemaker” and “Dairy Princess” of Lyon County (1974). Julie graduated from Balaton High School in 1974. She then attended Willmar Community College and earned her certificate, before working at the Balaton Nursing Home as a dietary aide and Certified Nursing Assistant. Julie met and fell in love with Dale Wieme, and they were united in marriage on July 31, 1976 in Tracy, MN. Shortly after marrying, they moved onto a dairy farm near Ruthton, MN, where they milked cows from 1976-2004, and still continue to farm. Julie and Dale were dedicated to their farm and family. Their union of 46 years was blessed with four children and they always tried to teach them the values of a strong work ethic, dedication, and faith. Julie and Dale truly enjoyed gardening together. Their garden varied a lot in size over the years but some may say it would have been big enough to feed a small army. Julie’s motto was always “help in the garden, and you can shop the pantry.” Just like gardening, their family also continued to grow and they were blessed with 13 grandchildren whom often referred to them as “Grandma and Grandpa Farm” as titled by the first grandchild. No matter what Julie was doing she always had a free moment to spend time with her kids and grandchildren. In 1997, she began working at the RTR Schools, first as a paraprofessional and later as a secretary. She was always involved in something at the school. Julie spent countless hours constructing costumes for the school plays. Julie was an irreplaceable person at RTR and leaves some big shoes to fill with her retirement. She was an active member of the United Methodist Church in Balaton where she organized the annual ham dinner, and helped with JAM (Jesus And Me) for many years, working with the youth of the church. Everyone at JAM always looked forward to her homemade pickles. Julie truly was one of the Lord’s servants and devoted her life to being a loving and caring Christian woman. Not only was Julie one of the hardest working women around, but she was incredibly selfless. She was the backbone to her family and will be so very missed by all.
After a courageous battle with cancer, Julie entered her heavenly home on Thursday April 6, 2023 while she was surrounded by the love of her family.
Julie is lovingly remembered by her husband, Dale, of Ruthton, MN; four children, Adam (Brook) Wieme of Tyler, MN, Erin (Shane) Bryant of Beresford, SD, Noah (Anne) Wieme of Tyler, MN, and Josh (Briana) Wieme of Tyler, MN; 13 grandchildren: Kalea, Teagan, Jase, Ashton, Jozilyn, Drake, Blaze, Gavin, Jaelyn, Kamden, Lydia, Norah, and Aubree; her mother, Shirley Anderson of Marshall, MN; two sisters, Lori (LaRon) DeBoer of Brookings, SD, and Lisa (Bryan) Teachout of Rapid City, SD; and many other family and friends. She was preceded in death by her father, Lester Anderson; her mother and father-in-law, Irene and Andrew Wieme; her brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Gloria Wieme; and nephews, Roman and Nick Wieme.
Memorials are preferred and will be directed to various local organizations by Julie’s family.