Pamela Jean (Henkel) Steffen of Walnut Grove, formerly of Lamberton, MN, passed away surrounded by family on March 21, 2025 at the age of 71. A visitation will be held on Friday, March 28th from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Walnut Grove Funeral Home with a Celebration of Life from 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Immediately following there will be a gathering of fellowship at the Walnut Grove American Legion. A private family burial will be held at the Walnut Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to Our House of Murray County Hospice.  Stephens Funeral Service – Walnut Grove Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Pam was born to Fred and Myrna (Davidson) Henkel on December 22, 1953 in Rockford, Illinois. From there, they moved to Storden, Silver Bay, and Lamberton. Pam loved school and graduated from Lamberton High School in 1972. During her school years, Pam was involved in music, school organizations, and performed with the cheerleading squad. In 1973, Pam married Mike VanDeWiele and from this union she was blessed with two children, Nicole and Dusty. Pam’s passion was writing songs, playing guitar, and performing. Another passion was her love for antiques and unique finds. Pam was very creative and could turn any “junk” into something beautiful. She was in the retail business in Walnut Grove for almost 30 years. In 1996, Pam married Lee Steffen and their 15 years together was amazing! They adored spending their time together and enjoyed life to the fullest, while also being active in their community by donating their time to various things to improve the community they called home. The highlight of Pam’s life was watching her grandkids play sports. Pam and Lee were wonderful grandparents who spent much of their time with their grandchildren and spoiled them as often as they could.
Pam is survived by her father Fred Henkel; daughter Nicole (Clay) Parker; son Dusty (Jessie) VanDeWiele; grandchildren: Dylan (Shanaya) Albertson, Garret & Porter Marsh, and Cole & Leah VanDeWiele; great-grandchildren: Lexie and Bo; sister-in-law Colleen Henkel; cousin Mary (Terry) Neperman; brothers-in-law: Terry Quiring (special friend Sheli Fast) and Errol Steffen; step-siblings: Jeff (Sue) Stoutland, James (Marianne) Stoutland, and Linda (Jim) Cazett; as well as many nieces, nephews, and step-grandchildren. Pam is preceded in death by her mother Myrna, husband Lee, infant brother Douglas, step-mother Bonnie and siblings Kim & Curt.