Rodney E. Affeldt

Rodney E. Affeldt, 67, Browns Valley, MN, passed away Saturday, February 17, 2018, at the Coteau des Prairies Hospital in Sisseton, SD.

Funeral services will be Wednesday, February 21, at 10:30 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Browns Valley with Rev. Michael Breach officiating.  Music will be provided by organist Ginny Westbrock.

Burial will be in the Kinkead Cemetery, Alexandria, MN.  Military honors will be provided by the William Krensing American Legion Post 58 of Browns Valley, MN.  Honorary pallbearers will be grandbabies Heaven and Leah Stavick, Amy Kowalski, Greg Nokes, the William Krensing American Legion, Tekakwitha Living Center residents and staff, the Northeast South Dakota Vietnam Veterans of America in Watertown, SD, and nieces, nephews, and cousins.  Active pallbearers will be Jerry Stavick, Jolene Kangas, JoAnn Pederson, Wayne Enberg, Dennis Larson, and Mark Jensen.

Visitation will be Tuesday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. followed by a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. at the church and will continue Wednesday one hour prior to the service at the church.  The Eggers Funeral Home in Rosholt, SD, is in charge of the arrangements.

Rodney Elmer was born February 6, 1951, to Raymond and Evelyn (Enberg) Affeldt in Alexandria, MN.  He attended school in Alexandria, graduating from Jefferson High School in 1969.  He then completed vocational school in Willmar for Auto Body and in Alexandria for welding.  In 1971, Rodney enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.

On June 30, 1973, Rodney married Deborah Olson at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Garfield, MN.  After their marriage, they moved to Washington where he was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base in Cheney.  After being honorably discharged in 1974, Rodney and Deborah returned to Minnesota and Rodney was employed at Lorenz Manufacturing in Benson and at Goodhart Brothers in Browns Valley for many years.  He also worked for the Schiltz Goose Farm in Sisseton until his retirement in 2007.

Rodney was a member of the William Krensing American Legion, where he was a former commander, and was a Browns Valley city council member.

Rodney's hobbies included camping, hunting, and fishing.  He enjoyed traveling to Hawaii and taking a Caribbean cruise. He especially loved playing with his grandkids Heaven and Leah "Bug," who meant the world to him. He even shared the same birthday as Heaven.

Survivors include his wife, Deborah of Browns Valley; son, Jeremy (Stacie Schmitz) Affeldt of Browns Valley; daughter, Kayla (Thor Yarusso) Affeldt of Chokio, MN; granddaughters, Heaven and Leah; and two sisters, Diane Nokes of Alexandria and Linda (Lenny) Sorenson of  New Hope, MN.

Rodney was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Evelyn Affeldt.