Stanley Prentice Wendland

After a courageous two-year battle with lymphoma, Stanley Prentice Wendland fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday March 16, 2025 surrounded by his family. Stan was born on December 30, 1948 to John and Louise (née Winholz) Wendland in South Minneapolis, Minnesota, and grew up with his younger sister Nancy. He inherited his life-long love of the outdoors from his parents who would regularly take the family backpacking, hiking, camping, and skiing. God's creation would provide Stan grace, peace, and reconciliation with his maker throughout his life, especially in the most difficult times. A devout Orthodox Christian, Stan loved attending church services, as well as the fellowship of his brothers and sisters in Christ. However, on occasion he would skip Sunday service, wake his family up early, take them to a remote park or preserve to make breakfast over a camp-stove, and let his children play while he sat and enjoyed the Lord's handiwork. To Stan, creation's beauty directed his heart to the artist. This love for all creation stayed with him until the end, as he looked out the windows of his house to watch the songbirds (and squirrels) at the birdfeeders. At an early age, Stan was also captivated by all things automotive. As a four-year old, standing between his parents in the front seat while they drove through town, he started to call out the make, model, and year of each of the cars they passed. His amazed father, whose interest in cars was little more than utilitarian, chased down one of these cars to verify Stan's identification, receiving confirmation from its owner. After Stan graduated from Breck School in 1967, he attended St. Olaf College. There, Stan's love for God's creation and cars was eclipsed when he met the love of his life Kathleen Wendland (née Grundahl) in the spring of 1969. They were married on August 12, 1972 and raised five children Erik, Kjerstin, Nicholas, Linnea, and Heidi. Kathleen knew when she married Stan she would share his heart with cars, but she did not realize she would also have to share (or give up completely) the garage, the shed, most of the driveway, and occasionally the front hall and kitchen counters with cars and car parts. Kathleen's own unconditional devotion (and a good sense of humor) gave her strength to endure parking outside the garage for 50 years of Minnesota winters. Stan graduated from St. Olaf in the spring of 1971 with a degree in English, and two weeks later the draft forced him to report to National Guard basic training in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Following his military service, Stan attended graduate school at the University of Minnesota eventually earning a Bachelor of Science in Forestry. Stan started his professional career in 1976 working for the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) where he served the entirety of his 37-year long career. During its course Stan mentored many and made life-long friends in Ramsey, Carver and Scott Counties and the Area office. He was the first person in the State of Minnesota to become a Certified Professional Agronomist. In 2013, Stan retired and helped care for his beloved mother Louise and, after her passing in 2016, spent his years volunteering at International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), camping in the boundary waters, playing with his grandchildren, and attempting to pass down his considerable automotive knowledge to his children and grandchildren. His refusal to let go of his inner child, and his penchant for sitting on the floor made him an ideal "Poppop." Stan is remembered for his devotion to Christ, his unceasing generosity, his indefatigable cheerfulness, his willingness to come to someone's aid irrespective of his own schedule or the time of day, and the love he poured out to his family and friends. He is preceded in death by parents John Wendland (1977) and Louise Wendland (2016). He is survived by his sister Nancy Anderson, and his wife Kathleen, his children, and his fourteen grandchildren Reider, Colette, and Rosemary (Erik and Lacey Wendland); Henrik, Aine, and Saoirse (Kjerstin and Noel Quinn); Oskar, Freya, Alfred, and Ingrid (Nicholas and Heidi Wendland); Gunnar, Haakon, and Anneli (Linnea and Dustin Elbing); and Morgan (Heidi and Jacob Fishstrom). Services will be held at St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 22, 2025 at 10 a.m. The family requests any memorials be made to IOCC US Operations, an organization that Stan loved. Please be sure to select the United States in the drop down menu on the donation page and note in memory of Stan Wendland.

Tributes

Stanley Prentice Wendland

December 30, 1948 - March 16, 2025

Tributes

Stanley Prentice Wendland

December 30, 1948 - March 16, 2025

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