Joseph "Joe" Woitalla

Joseph “Joe” Woitalla, 86 year old resident of Harding, passed away on Monday, May 6 at the Pierz Villa. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, May 9 at 11:00 A.M. at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Harding. Visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00 P.M. on Wednesday, May 8 at Emblom Brenny Funeral Service in Pierz. The Knights of Columbus will Pray at 6:30 P.M. on Wednesday evening.  A Rosary will be said at 9:30 A.M. followed by visitation from 10:00 A.M. until the hour of the service Thursday at the church. The burial will be held in the parish cemetery.

 Please follow the link to view the livestream for the service: 

 https://private.memoryshare.com/memoryshare/video/joseph-woitalla-8061831

Joseph Woitalla  was born on December 28, 1937 on the family farm in Platte Township to the late Peter and Mary (Kozulla) Woitalla.  He attended Country School until the 8^th grade.  As a   teenager, he went to North Dakota to work in the potato fields for two years.  Joe farmed the family farm while his dad built the church in Harding. Joe and brothers built Woitalla Service in Harding in 1960. He was united in marriage to Lois Janson on June 14, 1961 at the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Harding. Joe served his country for 2 years from 1961-1963 in the United States Army. He earned his high school equivalency in the service. He took a trade school correspondence course in mechanics and spent 1 month in Chicago to finish the course.    He went to basic training in Fort Carson, CO and then was stationed at Fort Riley, KS. While he was in the service his brother, Edward operated Woitalla Service until Joe returned from the military. Joe resumed operation of Woitalla Service Co where, he was the owner/mechanic until he sold the station to his sons, Tom and Greg. Joe remained active in the fuel oil business until his health declined due to Parkinson’s. He was an active member of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Harding, serving as the church trustee, on the planning committee for the church addition, Knights of Columbus, he was a Grand Knight and a District Deputy. He also was a member of the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, TEC, and Prisoners Encountering Christ. Serving Gods will was a huge part of his life.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Lois Woitalla; children, Susan Woitalla of Pierz, Ann (Doug) Daub of Morgan, MN, Robert (Maren) Woitalla of Utah; siblings, Allen (Debbie) Woitalla of Harding, Louise Brill of Freedhem, Stella Stuckmayer of Lastrup; sisters-in-law, Marcella Woitalla of  Harding, Martha Woitalla of Harding, Bernice Woitalla of Harding; daughters-in-law, Lynn Maleski of Circle Pines and Bernice Woitalla of Harding; 17 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sons, Thomas “Tom” Woitalla, Greg Woitalla; siblings, Alfred, Roman, Edward, Alma; brothers-in-law, Alcuin and Leola Welle, Melvin Stuckmayer, and Richard Brill.

Emblom Brenny Funeral Service of Pierz is Cherishing the Memory and Celebrating the Life of Joe.