Victor Schlinger

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Victor Shclinger, 90
Victor F. Schlinger, 90, of Austin, died on Feb. 6, 2009 at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.
He was born Oct. 17, 1918 in Steele County, Minn., northwest of Blooming Prairie, to Joseph and Rose (Haberman) Schlinger. He attended rural school in Steele County and farmed until his father died in 1946. Victor married Bernice Christianson on Sept. 25, 1941 in Blooming Prairie.
Victor had many skills; among them was his skills as an auto mechanic. He worked as a mechanic until 1952 when he went to work for the George A. Hormel Co., where he worked for 30 years until his retirement in 1982. Victor was a skillful craftsman, but he never bragged or talked about his accomplishments. In the early 1950s he and Bernice built their house in Austin from a wooden shell. Victor also built some of the furniture for their home. Some furniture items were built from scratch and others were old and discarded with missing pieces, like a rocking chair he refurbished to make it look brand-new. 
Victor and Bernice enjoyed their time traveling in their Volkswagon camper. They had traveled to every state except South Carolina. Their most memorable trips were to the Canadian Rockies, the Grand Canyon, Alaska and Seattle, Wash. to visit their daughter, Shannon.
He was always a positive person. Victor enjoyed socializing with family and friends, telling jokes with excellent timing for the punch line. He was humble and had great integrity, always concerned to not hurt or be rude to another person.��People saw his character as an honest, sincere, compassionate gentleman. For those who knew Victor, he was a special guy. He was a beloved husband, father and friend. His wife, Bernice, was loved and adored until his last breath. Victor will be remembered by his smile and twinkle in his eye at each greeting.
 Victor Schlinger is survived by his wife of 67 years, Bernice, Austin; son, Richard Schlinger, Brainerd, Minn.; daughter, Shannon Schlinger, Edmonds, Wash.; four grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters and four brothers. 
A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, in Austin, with the Reverend Daniel Provost officiating. Visitation will be at the church on Saturday for one hour before the service. The organist will be Robert Goetz, with soloist Elise Deppe. Clasen-Jordan Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Memorials are preferred to Yale University c/o Autism Research, P.O. Box 2038  New Haven, CT  06521-2038.

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