Steven Michael Vongroven, 63, of Kerrick Township passed away at his home March 4, 2016, two years after a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was born April 28, 1952, to Garland and Marjorie Vongroven in Winona and was raised on a dairy farm. He attended a one-room school, Pleasant Valley School, through sixth grade, and graduated from Winona Senior High School in 1970. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in forestry from the University of Minnesota in 1975. He worked for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources his entire 39-year career: as an area staff forester in Littlefork, an adviser for the Onanagozie Resource Conservation and Development Council in Mora, supervisor of General Andrews State Forest Nursery in Willow River, and as a Utilization and Marketing forester. He retired July 7, 2015. "Trees are the answer," he was known to say. He sincerely loved the connection between the wood and forest management and his interaction with people and markets. He met his wife, Lynn (Sidlo), when she interned at the Littlefork forestry office the summer of 1979. They were married in Brooklyn Center September 20, 1980, and raised three sons: Matthew, Brett and Clinton. Steve enjoyed hunting, camping, fishing, gardening, putting up firewood, working with his Suffolk Punch draft horses, wild mushroom hunting, and especially baling hay and making maple syrup. He unequivocally loved spending time with his family, including teaching his sons how to hunt, drive a tractor, or plant a garden; quizzing them routinely on tree and plant identification while driving around town or while on one of many family camping trips. Hanging out with his adult sons and their families and being a grandpa brought him joy beyond words.
Steve served as a volunteer firefighter, an EMT, a township planning commission member, church council member and was a member of Oak Lake Lutheran Church.

Steve was preceded in death by his parents; his father- and mother-in-law, Robert and Carletta Sidlo; his brothers-in-law, Joseph Berglund and Glen Sidlo.

Steve is survived by his wife of 35 years, Lynn; sons, Matthew (Ashley), Brett (Alyssa) and Clinton (Megan Donhauser); granddaughters, Molly, Hanna and Etta; five siblings, Kristen (Alan) Bielema, Laurie (Bill) Bale, Lynn (Charles) Harstad, Scott (Pam), Kari (Jeff) Vongroven-Durham; brothers- and sisters-in-law, Kyle and Val Sidlo, Lisa and Dave McCorison; nieces, nephews, great-nieces and -nephews, aunts, uncle, cousins and friends.

A gathering of family and friends will be Friday, March 11, from 10 AM until the 11 AM Memorial Service in Oak Lake Lutheran Church, Kerrick.

To sign the guestbook online, go to: www.hhkfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are with Hamlin-Hansen-Kosloski Funeral Home, Moose Lake.