Leonard "Lenny" Sanftner, age 70

Leonard “Lenny” Sanftner

Leonard "Lenny" Sanftner, age 70, Kadoka, S.D., died Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017, at the Hans P. Peterson Memorial Hospital in Philip.
 
Leonard Ray Sanftner better known as “Lenny” or “Len” was born on March 7, 1947, to Florence Marie (Weis) and Leonard Ambrose Sanftner in Kadoka.
 
Leonard attended all 12 years of school in Belvidere and graduated from Belvidere High School in 1965. He attended Black Hills State College majoring in engineering and minoring in industrial arts and journalism.
 
On March 25, 1967, he was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Ruby Buxcel, in Belvidere. They moved to Cokato, Minn., where they raised their family that consisted of three children, Tina, Terry and Tim.
 
While in Cokato, he worked for Mattson Building and Supply, Inc. as a draftsman, estimator and design operator. In 1969, the family moved to Norris where they operated the Norris Pool Hall. In 1971, they moved back to Cokato and he again worked for Mattson Building and Supply, Inc. He and a friend started a construction company which they managed for two years. He also worked for Raydot, Inc. as a production manager. In 1999, Leonard and Ruby moved to Kadoka and he took over his father’s contracted mail routes. He acquired two more mail routes and had been running them until the time of his death.
 
Leonard was active in his children’s sports such as youth hockey, AAU swimming and any other sports his children were involved with. He was an EMTI and volunteered on the ambulance service in Minnesota for 20 years. He was also active in Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church and was a member of the city council. He was a Mason, Shriner, Jester and a member of the Order of Eastern Star.
His greatest love was his John Deere tractor that he finally persuaded Ruby to let him purchase. He enjoyed mowing yards and would often be seen at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, the Kadoka Nursing Home, the Masonic Hall, and of course his own property, keeping the yards looking nice. He also enjoyed gardening, fishing and hunting.
 
Len always enjoyed a good story and a good laugh.
 
Survivors include his wife, Ruby, Kadoka; one daughter, Tina (Randy) Long, New Braunfels, Texas; two sons, Terry (Julie) Sanftner, Minneapolis, Minn., and Tim Sanftner, Kadoka; four grandchildren, Tejai and Ryder Sanftner, Stephanie Long and Lauren (Corbin) Simonson; one great-granddaughter, Ella June Simonson; one brother, Jerry (Angela) Sanftner, Rapid City; and a host of other relatives and friends.
 
He was preceded in death by his parents.
 
A memorial is established to Assisting Children to Smile and the Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church elevator fund. Cards and memorials may be sent to P.O. Box 243, Kadoka, SD 57543.
Memorial services were held Tuesday, Jan. 2, at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Kadoka.
 
Interment was held at the Belvidere Cemetery in Belvidere.
 
  Arrangements were with Rush Funeral Home of Kadoka.

The Pioneer Review

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Philip, SD 57567
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