Joseph H. Westendorf

St. Cloud, MN

Sept. 15, 1912 - Mar. 16, 2013

A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial celebrating the life of Joseph H. Westendorf, age 100, of St. Cloud will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at St. Paul's Catholic Church in St. Cloud. Joe passed away on Saturday, March 16, 2013 at Quiet Oaks Hospice House in St. Augusta. Reverend Alan Wielinski will officiate. Burial will take place in St. Mary's Parish Cemetery in Melrose


Joe was born on September 15, 1912 in Melrose, Minnesota to Joseph and Mary (Duevel) Westendorf. He lived in Melrose until 1936 when he moved to St. Cloud to attend Business College. He was a U.S. Army Veteran, serving from 1942 to 1946 in New Guinea, Netherlands East Indies and the Philippines during World War II. He was employed as an office manager at Shiely-Petters Crushed Stone Co (now Martin Marieta Aggregates) in Waite Park from 1946 to 1976. He married Bernelda (Be) Veranth on October 16, 1975 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Sartell and they spent many winters in Arizona together until 2004. He was a member of St. Paul's Parish in St. Cloud, the Lions, the American Legion Post #76 and St. Cloud V.F.W. Post #428.

Joe enjoyed playing cribbage and walking the track both at the Whitney Senior Center.

He is survived by his brother and sister, Herman (Norma) of Melrose, and Rose (Al) Wiechman of St. Rosa; brother-in-law, Herman Petermeier of Albany; many nieces and nephews; step-children, Joseph (Lauren) Veranth of Prescott, AZ, and Amy (Rudy Westerbard) Veranth of Portland, OR.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Be in October of 2004; brothers and sisters, Bernard "Ben", August, Sr. Mary Julitta, OSF, Mary Petermeier, Anne Lahr, and Loretta Johnson.