Earl A. Kampmeier, Sr.

Earl A. Kampmeier, Sr., age 90, of Graceville, MN, passed away on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at Haven Homes Senior Living and Health in Maple Plain, MN.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, March 15, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Graceville, MN. Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 14, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a prayer service and Rosary to follow at Mundwiler and Larson Funeral Home in Graceville. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday. Fr. Brian Oestreich will celebrate the Mass and burial will be at Graceville Consolidated Cemetery.

The service will be livestreamed and recorded and will be viewable at the bottom of this page. 

Earl Andrew Kampmeier, Sr. was born on February 18, 1934, at Stevens County Medical Center in Morris, MN, to Walter and Loretta (Fritsch) Kampmeier. Earl was baptized and confirmed at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Chokio, MN. He attended school in Chokio and was graduated in 1952.

Following graduation, Earl moved to Minneapolis to study Morse Code at the Gale Institute. While attending school, Earl also worked at Grais Drug Store. He greatly admired the two     brothers who owned the pharmacy and the pharmacist, Mituso Yoneji, who entrusted Dad with his Studebaker to deliver prescriptions around town. After completing the six-month course, Earl moved to Chicago to work for Santa Fe Railroad. He was a messenger sending Morse Code messages from Western Union and also started using radioteletype.

In 1953, Earl moved home to help on the family farm. He also worked at the Chokio hardware store. In 1955, Earl enlisted in the United States Army. He did Basic Training at Camp Chaffe in Arkansas. From there, he went to Camp Gordan in Georgia to train in international radioteletype and American Morse Code. In 1956, Earl was stationed in Orleans, France. While there, he saw Amsterdam, Belgium, Germany, and the French Riviera. He was most proud to share his stories of seeing Pope Pius XII at his summer residence, in Castel Gondolpho, and visiting his ancestral homes in Germany. He served two years of active duty and returned home in 1957 to work on the farm. He was honorably discharged from the Army on June 30th, 1963.

On September 13, 1958, Earl was united in marriage with Mary Margaret Leuthard. Together, they were blessed with three daughters: Mary Beth, Laurie, and Susan. Earl started working at Great Plains Supply (GPS) lumber yard in Chokio in 1960. Mary passed away unexpectedly in March of 1963. Earl and his daughters moved in with Walt and Loretta for a short time. In 1965, Earl took over as manager at the GPS lumber yard in Chokio.

Earl found love again in Mary Virginia Drewicke and the two were married on November 4, 1965, in Barry, MN. Seven more blessings came to the family in the form of six daughters and one son: Jennifer, Earl Jr. (“Andy”), Stephanie, Virginia, Anna, Celina, and Fredericka.

Earl was a skilled mathematician and draftsman. He loved his career as a lumberman and his ability to interact with people around the Midwest and help create a plan to make their dreams come true. He was a successful business man and his many promotions relocated the family to Jamestown, ND, Montevideo, MN, and back to his home area with many travels to his yards across the Midwest along the way. 

In 1985, Earl and Mary purchased the Graceville Lumber Yard so they could return to Graceville to be close to their parents and Earl could own and operate his own lumber yard. This was a testament to what really mattered most to Earl, his family. Earl ran Kampmeier Lumber until 1993, when he sold the yard and inventory to Joe and Jean Kohout. He joined their team to establish Hooter’s Lumber in his hometown, Chokio. He was awarded Lumberman of the year in 2010 and later retired in 2016 after 56 years in the lumber business. Earl and Mary moved to the Twin Cities in 2019. 

Earl truly felt that home was not a place, but rather it was wherever his family was. He was a faithful Catholic, member of the Knights of Columbus, Eucharistic Minister of Holy Communion, and member of the parish council. He was proud of his community, served on the city council, and ultimately invested his time and talents to the community and the people within it.

Earl is survived by his wife, Mary Virginia; 10 children: Mary Beth (Douglas) Paulson, Laurie (David) Dripps, Susan (Kenneth) Wangen, Jennifer Kampmeier, Earl Andrew Kampmeier, Jr., Stephanie (Scott) Biehn, Virginia (Corey) Wethern, Anna (Matthew) Helson, Celina (Tyler) Sheppeck and Fredericka (Antonio) Leon; 21 grandchildren: Emily (Chris) Fickes, Laura Madsen, Nicholas and Jacob Dripps, Jamie (Stephanie) Wangen, Jodie (Dan) Berg, Janessa (Max) Harrison, Sabrina and Jerod Hofbauer, Earl Andrew "Drew" Kampmeier III, Joseph, Charles, Michael, and John Biehn, Scarlett Wethern, Charlotte Helson, Ava and Alexander Sheppeck, Elena, Natalie, and Sofia Leon; seven great-grandchildren: Hanna Sorum, Mea Mahon, Jayden Leuthardt, Tenley Madsen, Ryder Moe, James Harrison, and Emma Harrison; and two brothers: Ralph Kampmeier and Don (Barb) Kampmeier.

Earl is preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Margaret (Leuthard) Kampmeier; parents, Walter and Loretta (Fritsch) Kampmeier; infant brother; in-laws, Rudy and Roxie Leuthard / Roy Ahlvin, and Joseph and Jane Drewicke; sister-in-law, Donna Kampmeier; grandson, Jesse Wangen; and great-granddaughter, Hailee Sorum.

Earl was a positive man who touched many lives throughout his lifetime. If you met him, you likely liked him. If you knew him, you likely loved him. He has left an enormous void and will be greatly missed. We are so fortunate that he was part of our lives.