Donald O. Hildebrandt

Donald O. Hildebrant, age 93 of St. Peter, passed away on March 11, 2025 surrounded by family.

Memorial service will be 2:30pm Sunday, March 30, 2025 at St. Peter Lutheran Church, St. Peter with visitation beginning at 1:00pm. Burial will be at a later date at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. A livestream of the service can be seen at www.saintpeterfueralhome.com.

Don was born June 6, 1931 at the Union Hospital, New Ulm, MN to Otto Karl and Laura Wilhelmine Caroline (Schmidt) Hildebrandt, Gaylord, MN.

He was the eldest of nine children, baptized and confirmed at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, ALCA, Gaylord, MN. He attended District 9, Country School in Sibley County for eight years and graduated from Gaylord High School in 1949; during high school he set pins in the Green Lantern Bowling Alley and when he arrived home after school, he helped his Dad with the farm and field chores; feeding the chickens, ducks, geese, hogs and milking the cows and after graduation he worked for his Uncle Bob Lund as a farm hand and truck driver.

In February of 1952, he received a letter from “Uncle Sam” stating, “Your friends and neighbors have selected you to serve in the United States Army. Induction was in Fort Sheridan, Illinois, Basic Training then being sent to Fort Knox, KY. His wish was to travel to Germany but he received his permanent location in the 84th Tank Battalion, Fort Knox, KY as a Tank Crew Member Instructor for two years. On his first leave in November 21, 1952, he became engaged to Gerry (Geraldine) Reed and they married September 6, 1953 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, New Ulm, MN. They lived in Elizabeth Town, KY until he was discharged in February 1954 and received his honorable discharge March 31, 1960 as Cpl (E-4) ER 55-228-359 Armor, USA. He also received a 3M Award of Excellence from 3M, in recognition of an innovative and cost savings approach to pollution prevention in 1993.

He attended HANSON TRADING SCHOOL, Fargo, North Dakota from March 8, 1954 until December 24, 1954. He worked for Ed Mueller, plumbing and heating, Paul Lindholm, Liquid Fertilizer and truck driving for his Uncle Bob Lund. He attended Mankato State Plumbing and Heating and received his certificate in Plumbing and Heating. He then moved his family to Lafayette, MN where he worked for Johnson Plumbing and Heating in Lafayette, MN for ten years. He returned to Gaylord, MN and worked for USDA, Soil Conservation Service as a technician being transferred to SCS (Soil Conservation Service) Department in Faribault County; they purchased a home and moved their family to Blue Earth, MN in 1966. He worked for SCS for ten years, his neighbor Helen Stenehjem encouraged him to apply at 3M in Fairmont, MN; taking various tests in 1973; he was hired as a Maintenance Mechanic and staying with this company for 20 years, retiring June 1, 1993. After retirement he worked part time as a grounds keeper at St. Luke’s Lutheran Home, Blue Earth, MN. He and Gerry purchased a home and moved to St. Peter, MN in November 1997.

He used Donald Duck as a CD handle. He was talented in wood working, as he proudly stated, “I made an 8 x 10 child’s cabin for my grandchildren in Lake Elmo, as well as a bridge over a pond without a blue print. He also used his innovative ability to help his children when they were building their new homes. In 1998, he and Gerry traveled to Pharr, TX for six weeks in their Award Travel Trailer; they enjoyed staying in TX consequently they stayed for three months every year; purchasing their TX home in Paradise Park, Pharr, TX. They traveled to Progresso, Mexico, purchasing many piñata’s but Donald Duck was the favorite; it brought his nieces, nephews and grandchildren closer to him..

They sold their unit February 2017 but continued to rent for two more years and 2020, they traveled to Mesa, AZ for three months.

His love was to purchase a truck and revamp it into a camper. He enjoyed sitting by the fire and having his family around him; his children and extended families always expressing their love for sitting by the fire with their Dad/Pops. He was proud to be the Commander at the Blue Earth American Legion post 89 as well as a member of the St. Peter, MN American Legion # 37. He was a life time American Legion member for 65 years. He also was an elder for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Blue Earth, MN for 31 years. He was a quiet man but he loved creating his dreams and he loved his family.

In 2025, he and the love of his life would have been married 72 years; knowing each other for 74 years.

He is survived by the love of his life Gerry, his three children: Allen (Mary Bredemeier) Hildebrandt, Kandy (Dr. Michael) Fraley, Terence (Terry) (Carolyn Tyree) Hildebrandt, extended family, Michael (Julie Carr) Havemeier and Ken Havemeier. Grandchildren, Katie (Jesse) Miller, Molly (Aaron) Jones, Anne (Zakkery) Reese, Trevor (Ali) Davis, Lauren (Shea) Oelfke, Shawna (Alex) Larsen, and Mikayla (Nathan Metzler) John Havemeier and Lauren Havemeier, Phil and Curtis Fraley, eleven Great-Grandchildren: Minerva, Kalcifer and Sylvannus, Leonidas Davis, Blakeley and Hailey Miller, Remy and Stella Jones. Malia and Aletheia Larsen, Rhett Reese, His Godchildren: Loni (Abraham) Osterman and John Hardel, Steven Dallmann, Ken Havemeier, Ronald Rakke, Richie Sunderlin, and Paula (Borman) Lee.

He enjoyed recognizing Gerry’s Godchildren, Victoria (Reed) Spain and Gail Groebner, Brother, Roger Hildebrandt, sisters: Marlene Kloeckl, Lolly (Bob) Bauer, Darla (Larry) Abraham, brother-in-law Craig and Sandy Reed, sister-in-law Gayle Hildebrandt, Sharon Reed and Eunice Hildebrandt, many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his Father and Mother, Otto Karl and Laura (Wilhelmine Caroline Schmidt),Hi debrandt, brothers, Charles, Arlen, Maynard, Jerry, brother-in-law Mervin Reed, Paul Kloeckl, sister-in-laws Marlis, Jean, Lynda Hildebrandt. Mother and father in-law Verna Havemeier Reed Glock and Edward Glock, father-in-law Chester Reed.