Ellis E. Sprecher, age 81, passed away on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at his home in Cleveland, Minnesota.
A funeral service for Ellis will be held at 1:30 PM on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at Salem Lutheran Church, 401 S. Lake St. in Lake Mills, with Pastor Bill Peters officiating.
Burial will be in Salem Memorial Cemetery, rural Lake Mills.
Visitation for Ellis will be Tuesday, February 11 from 4:00 to 6:00 PM at Schott Funeral Homes-Mittelstadt Chapel, 902 E. Main St. in Lake Mills, and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday.
Schott Funeral Homes-Mittelstadt Chapel is caring for Ellis and the Sprecher family.
Ellis Edward Sprecher was born on August 27, 1943 in Winnebago County, Iowa, to parents Willard and Phyllis (Heltne) Sprecher. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. Ellis attended country school and graduated from Lake Mills High School in 1961. He was active in 4-H, FFA and played football and baseball.
Throughout high school, Ellis had one sweetheart: Delores Brekke. On January 25, 1964, Ellis and Lorie were married at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Scarville, Iowa, and recently celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary. They were blessed with four sons and the family made their home in rural Scarville where Ellis was a lifelong dairy farmer. He had also been a member of the Iowa Pork Producers.
After he handed over the control of the farm, allowing for more free time, Ellis had a huge garden (larger than two people needed), and he enjoyed fishing. Less than two weeks ago he was out fishing with his family. In Cleveland, MN, Ellis was affectionately known as “The Sweet Corn Guy” by the locals around the lake. He would buy hundreds of ears of corn to give away to his friends and neighbors, along with fresh produce from his garden. During harvest, Ellis was the grain cart operator for his boys; something he looked forward to every fall.
Ellis will be missed by his wife Delores “Lorie” Sprecher of Cleveland, MN; four sons: Randy (Michelle) Sprecher of Cleveland, MN, Mark (Doris) Sprecher, Steve (Sue) Sprecher, and Mike (Beth) Sprecher, all of Scarville, IA; two grandchildren Jessica (Joseph) Sprecher-Derrick and Lane Sprecher; 7 step-grandchildren Brian (Meredith) Ziegler, Matthew (Leah) Leuwerke, Andrew Leuwerke, Kristin (Aaron) Beeler, Taylan (Ashley) Virchow, Matt Fjelstad and Andrew Fjelstad; and nine great-grandchildren. He is also survived by two sisters Carolyn Jean Ross of Conger, MN and Rosemary (Jim) Brackey of Thompson, IA; a sister-in-law Arlene Sprecher of Lake Mills; sisters- and a brother-in-law on the Brekke side, DeAnn Brekke and Clarice (Paul) Hyland; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents Willard and Phyllis Sprecher, in-laws Telford and Geneva Brekke, brother Wayne Sprecher, sister-in-law Beverly Sprecher, and two brothers-in-law Bob Ross and Paul Brekke.
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