Steven Ray Sindelir

Funeral services for Steve Sindelir of Baudette, MN will be held on Saturday, September 16th at 2 PM at First Lutheran Church in Baudette.  A visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.  Interment at the Elm Park Cemetery in Baudette.

Steven Ray Sindelir spent half of his September 10th birthday with his earthly family and the rest in his heavenly home after courageously fighting a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born September 10, 1960 in Baudette, MN to Henry and Delphine (Muggli) Sindelir. He attended school in Baudette and graduated from Lake of the Woods High School in 1979. He went to Bemidji Vo-Tech for one year and Thief River Falls AVTI for one year, graduating with a Doctor of Motors degree. Several years later, he attended Brainerd Tech and Brainerd Community College for two years, graduating with an AAS in Natural Resources Management. He then attended Bemidji State U. for two years, receiving a BA in Biology and the U. of Alaska-Fairbanks for two years, receiving a BS in Wildlife Biology.

     Steve worked with his family’s fishing tackle business as well as at a local grocery store for many years, at Zippel Bay State Park, Farm Service Agency in Baudette and Marvin Windows and Doors in Warroad, MN. He was working full time for Lake of the Woods County as the Assistant Zoning Administrator since 2000 and part time for the City of Baudette as the Zoning Administrator for several years. In 2011 Steve received the County Employee of the Year award and in 2016 he received a County Employee “Award for Excellence.” For years he also worked part-time as a contractor for the Star Tribune delivering the Sunday newspaper.         

     Steve married his soul mate and best friend Carol (Abbott) at First Lutheran Church in Baudette on August 18, 1996. He was a loving and faithful husband, son, brother, uncle and Christian. He served on the Evangelism Committee at church and ushered almost every Sunday where he met people with a warm handshake and welcoming smile.  Steve’s church and work families meant a lot to him and he made lasting friendships in those three places. Those friends were also an amazing source of comfort to him and his family during this past year along with other members of the community and area who came together at a benefit for him last October with over 400 in attendance. Steve talked often about how he was blessed even during his cancer struggle which was a true testament to his strong faith.

     Steve loved to hunt, fish, watch game shows and all MN sports on TV, especially the Vikings, attend his nieces’ and nephews’ sporting events, do almost anything outdoors and spend time with family and friends. He enjoyed attending his bank’s trips to the Twin Cities to see the Twins and Vikings play as well as making two special trips to California for reunions with Carol’s family. He was an avid gardener and liked cooking with Carol, doing daily devotions and crossword puzzles and walking to and from work no matter the weather.

     He was preceded in death by his parents, infant brother John Alfred, brothers-in-law Randy Baron and Tom Mitchell, in-laws Forest and Pearl Abbott, many aunts and uncles and yellow lab companion Zoey. He is survived by his beloved wife Carol, siblings Larry Sindelir, Susan Baron, Marilyn (Scott) Guenin, Cathy Mitchell, Connie (Barry) Nesmith, sister-in-law Val (Dan) Nelson, 13 nephews and nieces including special goddaughter Cori Nesmith, many great-nephews, great-nieces, cousins and friends.

     Just after the pastor, family and friends recited the Lord’s Prayer at his hospital bedside, Steve looked upward and passed from this life. Funeral services were held Saturday, September 16 at First Lutheran Church in Baudette. Interment is at Elm Park Cemetery in Baudette.

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