Glenn E. Berkner, age 61 of Sleepy Eye, MN, passed on at home surrounded by his loved ones on June 14, 2023. A visitation will be held on Monday, June 19, 2023, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel with Parish Prayers at 4:00 PM. Visitation will continue on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, from 9:00 to 10:30 AM at Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at 11:00 AM at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with Father Mark Steffl officiating. The service will be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/stmarysleepyeye/live. Interment will be held at St. Mary’s Cemetery. Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sturmfh.com.
Glenn Edward Berkner, the son of Edward and Colleen (Hengel) Berkner, was born on August 23, 1961, in Sleepy Eye, Mn. The oldest of five children, Glenn grew up in Sleepy Eye and graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic School in 1979.
Glenn had a strong work ethic instilled in him from a young age by working on the family farm. Glenn attended Continental Auctioneer School, discovering his exceptional talent in auctioneering at lightning speed, becoming a lifelong trade at regional auctions and weekly sales at Sleepy Eye Auction Market. He owned and operated Berkner Trucking and Hay, LLC. Glenn was also a gifted mechanic and hard-working dairy farmer. Glenn was a self-starting visionary, which resulted in him building, with his own hands, his dream shop which he loved. Fast and loud is how he rode his Harley and his passion for sprint car racing found Glenn in first place.
Glenn was a straight shooter who loved to share his perfect, and original, one-liners, complete with a telling smirk and twinkle in his eye. He was a charismatic storyteller with a great sense of humor and contagious smile. Glenn was a proud and loving father and the backbone to his family who valued carrying on holiday traditions with his children and grandchildren. Nothing made him happier than being with family and friends.
Glenn is survived by his father, Edward Berkner; significant other, Mary Jo Schuette; children, Stephanie Marie Victoria, Stacy Kay (Dain), Bradley Stanton (Angel), and Matthew Glenn (Claire); grandchildren, Norah Bee, Frieda Rain, and Nelson Wilder; step-grandchildren, Hazel and Samson; siblings, Chris (LaMonte) Heiderscheidt, DeLoy (Annette) Berkner, Maureen (Todd) Heiderscheidt, and Lynne “Tork” (Logan) Schweiss; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Colleen Berkner.