Pat Sterzinger, age 80, of Ivanhoe, MN passed away on Saturday, May 6, 2023 at the Hendricks Community Hospital. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30am on Saturday, May 13th at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Ivanhoe, MN. Visitation will be 4 to 7pm on Friday, May 12th at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Ivanhoe with a prayer service at 7pm the rosary to follow. Visitation will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at the Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Cemetery in Ivanhoe, MN. Houseman Funeral Home-Birk Chapel is entrusted with the arrangements.
Patrick Allen Sterzinger was born on November 2, 1942 along with his twin brother Paul to Lawrence and Romelle (Mack) Sterzinger in Tyler, Minnesota. He grew up on the family farm by Ivanhoe. He attended grade school in Ivanhoe and furthered his high school to the tenth grade in Morris at the Ag School. Pat returned home to help on the family farm tending to cattle and farming. Pat was an adventurous man with big ideas, he left home at an early age and spent a couple of years in Texas. Upon returning home his dad had started a John Deere business in Canby and Pat was the jack of many trades – mechanic and delivering machinery. At that time everyone knew him as one of the best race car drivers at the Canby Speedway. It was at this time in 1966 when Pat met the person he would spend the next 56 years with, Virginia Antony. They were married on April 8, 1967. Within 3 years three little girls came into their family. Several big moves were made in the next years. Two years in Minneapolis, this is where Pat started a backhoe business. Pat was always successful in everything he challenged himself to do. They moved back to the Ivanhoe area and continued with the backhoe business which led them into their drainage business for over 40 years. Pat was known as a person others could come to for any kind of help, be it money, a vehicle or a good idea. But let it be known, you might have to help him in whatever he was doing at the time. Pat was always promoting Big Ideas, he had a body shop where he built many of his Super Duties, cars, and tractors. Each daughter helped build their first car. In his lifetime he had a drainage business, autobody shop, mushroom growing company, natural fertilizer business, craft store, used car dealership, and a seafood store. He was a hobby farmer that led to farming on Sundays and required large equipment so he could get it all done in one day. In his spare time, Pat enjoyed fishing and traveling to Galveston, TX and Rollag, MN. He was an active member of the MN Steam Threshers Association. Together with his grandsons, they built two old tractors to show in parades. After a long battle with several medical conditions, a very special man left us to be in a better place.
Pat passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 6, 2023 surrounded by his wife and loving family at the age of 80 years, 6 months and 4 days.
Grateful for having shared Pat’s life is his wife, Ginny; daughters: Jacki Studemann and Julie Covey; 9 grandchildren: Travis (Haley) Studemann, Trysten (Kelsey) Studemann, Jordan (Laura) Garmatz, Lara (Brandon) Reed; Mike (Jamie) Covey, Timmy (Courtney) Covey, Kelsey Covey, Zach (Mary) Fleahman and Brett Fleahman and 10 great-grandchildren; Siblings: Larry (Mary) Sterzinger and Paul Sterzinger; numerous nieces, nephews, and many special friends we call family. He is preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Romelle; daughter, Vicki (Chuck) Fleahman; In-laws, Harold and Irene Antony; sister-in-law, Geraldine Sterzinger.
