Joseph E. Pistulka

Visitation will be 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 3rd at the church with a 6:30 p.m. prayer service and will continue one hour prior to the services on Thursday. Interment is in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Seaforth.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, September 4 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Seaforth.

Joseph E. Pistulka age 93 of Redwood Falls, formerly of Seaforth, passed away on Monday, September 1, 2008 at the Redwood Area Hospital. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, September 4 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Seaforth. Visitation will be 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the church with a 6:30 p.m. prayer service and will continue one hour prior to the services on Thursday. Interment is in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Seaforth. The Redwood Valley Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Email condolences may be sent via: www.redwoodvalleyfuneralhome.com.

Joseph E. Pistulka was born February 11, 1915 in Hecla, SD, the 5th of 10 children to Anton and Mary (Kramer) Pistulka. He attended the village school of Seaforth, graduating in 1929. Joseph was united in marriage to Maxine Castle on July 18, 1951 in Ghent, MN. He worked the family farm until he was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps on February 9, 1942. Joseph served in the South Seas during WWII, and received his honorable discharge in 1945. He returned to the area and the three loves of his life came together when he met Maxine Castle dancing in the local ballrooms to the swing of the Big Band sound. Joseph purchased the Seaforth Grocery Store which he owned for three years, and then bought the Mobile Oil business and house in Seaforth where he worked until retirement. He also drove school bus for many years. Joseph played in the Knights of Harmony Band and the Pistulka/Kramer Orchestra. He was a member of the Catholic Order of Forresters and the Seaforth American Legion. In Joe’s own words he “ached to attend high school,” but because of the Depression and lack of bus transportation, that dream was denied. To accomplish that goal, Joe became a voracious reader, thereby continuing his education in a lifelong love of books. Joe enjoyed golfing, and by his own admission, his partners only wanted him for his handicap. It was a common sight to see Joe walking the roads to and from Seaforth with his cap and walking stick. He loved the Twins even when they lost, and enjoyed vegetable gardening and fishing.

Joe is survived by his wife Maxine of 57 years; children: Robbie Schubert of Ames, IA, Mary Kay Pistulka of Wabasso, Roxanne (Dr. Jeff) Bittner of Redwood Falls, Brian (Marge) Pistulka of Coral Springs, FL, Judy (Mike) Kaplan of Middletown, CT, Stephanie (Daryl) Fladhammer of Wabasso, Valerie (Louis) Serrano of Dana Point, CA, Jolene (Donn) Fahey of Fairfax, Bradley Pistulka of Eagle Lake; 9 grandchildren and 2 step-grandchildren; 2 sisters: Gertrude Wurscher of Redwood Falls, Dorothy Soupir of Marshall; and many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers: Arnold, Chuck, Roy, and Tony Pistulka; sisters: Pat, Deloris, and Loretta; and son-in-law David Schubert.