Lawrence Raymond "Bud" Wendroth

Lawrence "Bud" Raymond Wendroth, 91, of Paynesville, passed away peacefully at his home on Friday, August 22, 2025. His visitation was on Wednesday, August 27th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Grace United Methodist Church in Paynesville. A memorial service was at 11:00 AM on Thursday, August 28th at Grace United Methodist Church with a visitation at 10:00 AM. Arrangements were with Johnson Funeral Home in Paynesville. www.hafh.org

Bud was born on October 18, 1933 in rural Eden Valley, MN to Engelhard and Florence (Groskreutz) Wendroth. He attended country school and graduated from Eden Valley High School in 1951. Bud enlisted and served in the US Army during the Korean Conflict. He was stationed in Augsburg, Germany. He fondly remembered his time in the service and he loved telling his family stories about those days. He was honorably discharged and was a member of the VFW and the American Legion for 68 years.

Bud married Leola Bergstrom on October 26, 1955 at the Methodist Church in Paynesville. He started his business as a milkman for Oak Grove Dairy in 1955 in Paynesville. He loved his job and worked for 43 years before retiring in the spring of 1998. During the prime of his business years, Bud knew who lived in every house in Paynesville. He was a member of Grace United Methodist Church where he served as an usher and a greeter.

Bud enjoyed sports, especially those involving family members. He took every opportunity to attend their basketball games, cross country and track meets. He would often stop his milk route to attend an afternoon sporting event and then go back to work when the game or races were over. He also enjoyed reminiscing about growing up on the farm during the 30's & 40's. He especially liked to talk about riding his pony to and from country school each day when he was young.

He was also a Leader in the Boy Scouts of America for many years. His genuine interest, dedication, and respect of the outdoors helped numerous boys advance in the scouting program including his 3 sons and several grandsons. Bud loved to travel. He and Leola were in 46 of the 50 U.S. states. A highlight of their travels was finding the actual home of his ancestors in Mardorf, Germany while on a trip in Western Europe.

Upon retirement, he and Leola spent nearly 20 winters in Apache Junction, AZ where they socialized and attended dances numerous times each week. He loved to dance and it's estimated that he and Leola attended well over 1,000 dances during their years together.

Bud is survived by his wife, Leola; children Lynn Wendroth of Sauk Rapids, MN, Lyle (Cindy) Wendroth of Zumbrota, MN, Loren (Robyn) Wendroth of Rochester, MN, Larry (Sharon) Wendroth of Paynesville, MN and LeAnn (Tom) Lymburner of Hinckley, MN; 16 grandchildren; 32 great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Laura May Ackerman.

Bud will be remembered for his love of family, his work ethic, and his good-natured personality.

A special thank you to Bud's devoted caregivers Cece Scheierl, Terri Winter, Angie Fuchs and the entire hospice team for their compassionate care.