John Richard Honzalek

John Richard Honzalek, “Sonny”, age 90, of Longville, MN, passed away peacefully at his home with his loving family by his side.  He was born on April 21, 1931, in Braham, MN the son of John and Sadie (Vitek) Honzalek.

John grew up in Braham and was very athletic in school, playing basketball, football, and baseball.  It was during this time he became famous for always whistling in the locker room.  Following graduation from Braham High School in 1949, he attended Hamlin University.  With times being as they were, John decided to enlist in the U.S. Army in 1951 and became an aircraft mechanic.  Shortly after his honorable discharge from the Army, John married his high school sweetheart, Bonnie Guetzkow at the famous Little Brown Church in Nashua, IA in 1954.  They would find their home in White Bear Lake where John would take employment with Northwestern Bell Telephone Company.  During this time, the family vacationed in various areas and found a cabin in the Longville where they would spend a lot of their free time.  It was in 1985 when John would retire and purchase his dream cabin on Child Lake in Hackensack.  Wherever his home was, John’s place was always a gathering site for family get togethers and this brought him great joy.

John was a Boy Scout, an Eagle Scout and active in many area programs.  He volunteered for the Sheriff’s Department water patrol.  He also volunteered for the DNR fish propagation program and the hatchery ponds.  John was very instrumental in implementing the Catch and Release program for the Woman Lake Homeowner's Association.  He drove school bus for the Walker School, and this led to him attending many of the kids’ activities.   John was a fix it guy who wasn’t afraid tackle any project.  He would share his knowledge with his family and help them to build and maintain their own homes through the years.  John enjoyed singing, fishing, hunting and wood working.  He was the guy in the room who everyone wanted to talk to, and he always had a smile for everybody.

John joins again the love of his life, Bonnie, his parents; John and Sadie, and one sister Marge Munson.

Those he leaves behind to cherish his memory are his son; Steven (Mary) Honzalek of Longville, daughters; Kim (John) Bartholomew of Lino Lakes, and Karen (Jim) Widerski of Hackensack, grandchildren; Nate (Amy), Kelly (Julian), Matt (Annie), Krista (Gary), Jes and Keith, great grandchildren; Natalie, Caleb, Brenner, Lynden, Calvin, Arlo, Colin, Pryia and Kylie.

In Lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org/donate

A Celebration of John’s life for family and friends will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Thursday, April 21, 2022, at the Northern Peace Funeral Home of Walker, MN.  Interment will be held in the Rice Lake Lutheran Cemetery at Braham, MN at 3:00 p.m. also on Thursday, April 21.

John’s care has been entrusted to the Northern Peace Funeral Home of Walker, MN.  Online condolences for the family may be given at www.northernpeace.com 

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