Emil Richard Stiller

Emil Richard Stiller, 83 year old resident of Swanville, MN, died Tuesday, June 17 at St. Ottos Care Center in Little Falls, MN.A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, June 23 at 10:00 A.M. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Swanville, MN with Father, Joseph Backowski officiating. The burial will be held at 12:00 P.M. on Monday at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery north of Little Falls, MN. A visitation will be held from 4:00-8:00 P.M. on Sunday and from 8:30 A.M. until the hour of service on Monday at the church in Swanville, MN. A parish prayer will be held at 7:00 P.M. on Sunday evening at the church. The military rites will be conducted by Swanville American Legion and the Swanville VFW Dolvin-Wilcox Post #313.

Emil Richard Stiller was born August 9, 1930 west of Flensburg, MN to the late Sylvester and Martha (Lampert) Stiller. He attended District # 79 country school and then attended the Swanville Public School. He was united in marriage to Rita Mary Lashinski on August 26, 1952 at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Sobieski, MN. He served in the United States Army from December 10, 1952 until September 13, 1954. He served primarily in the Washington, D.C. area.Emil was known as the local barber to his friends in the service. After his honorable discharge, he returned to Morrison County, MN. Emil worked as a heavy equipment operator for Martin Fruth and Larry Starry, as a foreman at Crestliner in Little Falls, MN and also worked at Hennepin Paper Mill for a short time.Emil and Rita also farmed in Swanville Township for several years.He enjoyed riding side saddle on his four wheeler, ice fishing, hunting, sawing lumber with his saw mill and spending time with his family and friends. Emil was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, the Swanville American Legion Dolvin-Wilcox Post #313, VFW and was vice president of the National Farmers Organization.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 61 years, Rita Mary Stiller of Swanville, MN; children, Mary Anne (Bob) Backowski of Little Falls, MN, Rich (Jane) Stiller of Swanville, MN, Roger (Colleen) Stiller of Avon, MN, Carol Anne (Jerome) Blommel of Carlos, MN, Joan (Ed) Voigt of Cold Spring, MN; siblings, Donald (Eileen) Stiller of Rochester, MN,Irene (Joe) Deruytter of Lake Placid, FL; brother-in-law, John Rosty of Swanville, MN; grandchildren, Fr. Joe Backowski, Jake Backowski, Roxanne Backowski, Nick Stiller, Laura Torgerson, Danielle Stiller, Michael Stiller, Robert Stiller, Matthew Stiller, Samuel Blommel, RoseAnna Blommel, Christanna Blommel, Glorianna Blommel, Vanessa Voigt and Hannah Voigt and great-grandchildren, Levi Torgerson, Hailey Torgerson, Karter Backowski, Karson Backowski, Arwen Blommel.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Sylvester and Martha (Lampert) Stiller and a sister, Lorraine Rosty.