LUVERNE – Services for Virgil Gust Staeffler, 90, of Luverne are at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hardwick. Visitation is from 4-8 p.m. today at the church. Burial is in Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne.

He died Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015, while at the Sanford Luverne Hospice Cottage.

He was born May 27, 1925, to Alfred and Rosa (Wahlert) Staeffler in his grandmother’s house near Luverne. He was raised on the family farmstead east of Hardwick. He attended country school through the 8th grade and then became a full time farmer. On Dec. 6, 1944, Virgil married Marjorie Nece at the Methodist Church parsonage in Luverne. He brought his bride home to the family farm and there together they created their life; working the land, raising cattle, and building a family complete with nine children. Virgil was a farmer through and through and his passion for work never wavered. He formally retired in October of 1988, but it was actually a gradual process over several years. A tornado, in June of 1993, took most of the farm away though he and Marjorie persisted and continued to live there. Marjorie preceded him in death on July 21, 2015.

Virgil was a baptized lifelong member of the Zion Lutheran Church in Hardwick. He truly enjoyed working and having his cattle around. When he took time to relax he enjoyed playing cards, shooting pool, and fishing. His pastimes in later years included bird watching and feeding them, family grill outs, feeding the cats and keeping his John Deere in tip top shape to mow the lawn. He also enjoyed handling the reins of his horses for hayrides through the countryside. Virgil loved time spent with his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and recently his great-great-granddaughter.

Survivors include his children, Geraldine (and James) Haraldson of Luverne, Gary (and Jean) Staeffler of Luverne, Debra (and Daniel) Nelson of Magnolia, Rhonda Edwards of Spirit Lake, Iowa, Rodney (and Ruth) Staeffler of Ruthton, Carol and (Lance) Stueven of Hudson, Wis., Greg Staeffler of Hardwick and his friend Sheryl, and son-in-law, Arlyn (and Rose) Vander Beek of Edgerton; 24 grandchildren; 40 great-grandchildren; three step great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; sister, Delores (and John) Schmidt of Pipestone; and a sister-law, Joanne Lingbeck of Edina, Minnesota.

Virgil was preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Marjorie; parents, Alfred and Rosa Staeffler; son, Larry Staeffler; daughter, Sandra Vander Beek; two grandsons, Kelly Staeffler and Michael Vander Beek; and great-granddaughter, Ashlynn Haraldson.