Francis Joseph Winker

Francis Winker, of Milan, MN, died on Wednesday, December 20, 2006 at the Avera-McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD at the age of 81.

Funeral services will be conducted on Friday, December 22, 2006 at 5:00 PM at Kviteseid Lutheran Church in Milan, MN with Rev. Tom Opoien officiating. There will be visitation with the family at the church beginning at 4 PM on Friday.  Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted on Saturday, December 23, 2006 at 10:00 AM at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Brookings, SD with Fr. Mike Wensing the Celebrant. Visitation will be Saturday morning prior to the Mass at the church. Interment will be in the church cemetery.

Francis Joseph Winker was born on May 9, 1925 in Kingsbury County, SD to John and Martha (Feuerstein) Winker.  He attended rural schools, Cathedral High School in Sioux Falls, SD and graduated from St. Agatha High in Howard, SD in 1943.  During WWII he worked at a defense plant in Seattle, WA.  In 1946 he returned to South Dakota to work in the field of mechanics.  On November 23, 1953 he was united in marriage to Georgia (Tillie) Luthi in Woonsocket, SD.  They moved to Brookings in 1956, where he worked for South Dakota State University for over 29 years before retiring. During this time he operated home businesses including running a large vegetable garden and operating a transmission shop.  Following Georgia’s death in 1993, he was united in marriage to Suzi Thompson in April of 1997 at Kviteseid Lutheran Church in Milan, MN.  They were currently residing in Milan, MN.  He had been a member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Brookings and the Elks Club.  He loved to garden, work on things mechanical and keep busy tinkering.

He is survived by his wife Suzi; six children: Cindy (Chris) Borges, Scott Winker and LeAnn Winker, all of Dallas, TX, Lonnie (Debbie) Winker of Volga, SD, Brad Winker of Brookings, SD, and Tom Winker (Liz Bara) of Sioux Falls, SD; three step-children: Bruce (Doreen) Thompson of San Diego, CA, Linda (Jamie) Smith of Appleton, WI, and Betty (Matt) Wolkow of LeMars, IA; ten grandchildren: Chad, Adam, Amy, Alaina, Justin, Katie, Whitney, Logan, Matalyn and Nathan; three great-grandchildren: Akasha, Logan and Addisyn; two brothers: George and Charles Winker; three sisters: Ruth Winker, Bridget Hoveland and Mary Ferry; as well as by numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Georgia in 1993; one brother, Al; and six sisters: Anne Feller; Rose Mary Feldhaus, Callista Nelson, Tess Gallaher, Trudy Schwader and Peggy Eide.