Leroy J. Wacker, 86St. CloudJune 18, 1931 - June 19, 2017Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday, June 22, 2017 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Cloud for Leroy J. Wacker, 86 of St. Cloud who died at his home on Monday. Rev. Janine Olson will officiate and burial will be at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery near Little Falls at a later date. Friends and relatives may call one hour prior to services at the church on Thursday morning. Arrangements have been entrusted to Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home, Sauk Rapids.Leroy John Wacker was born on June 18, 1931 in Jordan to Francis and Barbara (Pieper) Wacker. He was married to Dorothy Lattery and they later divorced. He served his country in the United States Marine Corps, stationed in Virginia, and was honorably discharged in 1954. Leroy returned to Minnesota and began his love of traveling with his vocations of truck driving, construction, and a journeyman in the plastering trade which took him to several states. He remodeled a school bus for his journey to Alaska and was there through the earthquake in 1964. He also spent time as a logger in British Columbia and did farming in Ontario.Leroy loved kids, having 10 of his own. They have become as successful, independent and innovative as he was. In 1979 he married Betty Jean (Schumacher) Ubel and together they moved to Florida where he rebuilt boats, including a 52' sailboat that they lived on in the winter. When living in Wisconsin they owned a "you-pick" strawberry business and eventually converted it into a nine-hole golf course called Barronett Hills. During retirement he loved big remodeling projects, focusing on RV's and ultralight airplanes. Leroy loved to read and watch the Western Channel. He will be remembered for being a hard worker, a great cook, very determined, independent, and for his ability to tinker and fix things. He was always helping his family and could do just about anything.Survivors include his loving wife, Betty of St. Cloud; children, Leon (Char Peterson) of St. Cloud, Tim (Cheryl) of Perham, Tom (Karen) of Monticello, Luan (Rusty) Haskins of Detroit Lakes, Ron (Jewel) of New York Mills, Hope (Bruce Korpi) Bjelland of Minnetonka, Dori (Scott) Zenner of St. Cloud, and Faith (Chris) Johnston of St. Cloud; stepchildren, Sherri (Kevin) Winkelman of St. Augusta and Mark Ubel of Minneapolis; sisters and brothers, Sylvester(Leona), Barbara, Katie (Val), Delores (Dick), Mary Ann, Don (Rose) Jim (Debbie); 29 grandchildren; 36 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Francis "Frank"; infant brother, Leon; infant son, Richard and sister, Lorene.Obituary and guestbook available online: www.williamsdingmann.com