Gary Duane Harmdierks

After a courageous battle against lung and colon cancer, Gary Duane Harmdierks passed away at his home in Albert Lea on December 17, 2025. He was 71.

Gary was born on June 16, 1954, in Albert Lea. During his early childhood, he lived in rural communities including Oakland and Glenville, before moving to Albert Lea at around age 7. He attended elementary and high school in Albert Lea, dropping out in the 10th grade to help make ends meet for his family.

As a teenager, Gary worked on a potato farm. During his 20s, he spent many summers traveling around the Midwest with a carnival. He would go on to work in various industries, including road construction, residential construction, carpentry, and fabrication.

In his younger years, Gary was the life of the party. He enjoyed socializing at neighborhood bars, where he got involved with local pool and dart leagues. He also loved card games. No family gathering was complete without a few rounds of poker or cribbage. He passed on his love of classic rock to his children. An avid sports fan, Gary was quite loyal to his Minnesota Twins and Vikings (even though they inevitably let him down year after year).

Above all, Gary loved his family. Raised in an era when men weren’t supposed to show emotion, he hated—HATED—being vulnerable in front of anyone. And yet, he never shied away from showing his children affection or telling them how much he loved them. His children have many fond memories of summers spent enjoying family time with him fishing; going to family cookouts; playing baseball, softball, horseshoes, croquet, corn hole, and ladder ball; and taking daytrips to ball games, the lake, and amusement parks.

Left to cherish Gary’s memory are his children: Randy (Angie) Harmdierks, Angie (Andy) Nelson, Beth (Jeff Fistler) Behrends, Brody (Laura Graber) Harmdierks, and Matthew (Karla) Harmdierks; grandchildren Michaela (Livan) Laynez, Zachary (Selena Yebra) Nelson, Christian Nelson, Nataleigh Nelson, Izaiah Behrends, Austin Fistler, and Brook Fistler; great-grandchildren Sophia Nelson and Amara Laynez; siblings Joyce Amys, Darlene Anderson, Linda DeBoer, Virgil (Patricia) Harmdierks, Julie Ballinger, Larry (Penny) Harmdierks, and Cynthia Scherer; siblings-in-law Vicki (Keith) Larson, Nancy Bogue, and Al (Tammy) Bogue; numerous nieces and nephews, cousins, friends and acquaintances (including bonus daughters Shari Nelson and Jackie Otterson—Randy’s sisters—who spent many of their formative years with Gary when he and Randy’s mom were together).

Gary was preceded in death by his wife Jayne Harmdierks, former love Karin Nelson (Randy’s mom), mother Vera Wessels, brother Melvin, father- and mother-in-law Bob and Evelyn Bogue, sister-in-law Sandi Cook; and brothers-in-law Gary Anderson, Dale Amys, Gerald DeBoer, and Chuck Bogue.

The family invites you to a celebration of Gary’s life on Sunday, December 28, 2025, at 2:00 PM at Bonnerup Funeral & Cremation Services in Albert Lea, with a visitation at 1:00 PM. Since Gary was not a formal kind of guy, and in honor of his love for the Vikings, we invite you to come in casual clothes or your favorite Vikings apparel.

In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer contributions toward a memorial stone.