Sidney Hietala

(From Clark Funeral Home)

Sidney Ray Hietala was born May 20, 1931, in Corliss Township, Ottertail County, Minnesota, the oldest of nine children raised on a farm west of Sebeka.

Sidney, a proud, patriotic Korea veteran, served in the Army from 1951 to 1954 and flew an American flag everywhere he lived. He trained at Camp Roberts, CA and Fort Bliss, TX before serving in Korea at K16 Air Base, Seongham, South Korea and K13 Air Base in Pusan. He worked in the motor pool, anti-aircraft artillery and pursued missing prisoners while stationed in the U.S.

From 1956-1960 he worked at ND farms and grain elevators. There he met and married Carol Jorgensen. From 1962 to 1965 he owned and operated a Skelly Service Station in Bismarck, ND. For a short time, he served as a favorite Detention Officer at the Mandan, ND Boys Reform School. While he was on vacation, some of “his” boys ran away from the school, broke into his home, and stayed there until he returned.

His children fondly recall travelling with Dad when he drove semi over-the-road from 1965 to 1983 in ND, MN, MT, IL, and MI where he shared jokes at truck stops and helped stranded motorists along the roadsides. During Teamster Wildcat Strikes and uprisings, he travelled back roads with the benefit of an additional fuel tank the company added to his new Peterbilt, and his truck was hit once by snipers.

He returned to Minnesota in 1969 and to his hometown in 1985 Sidney where he married Donna Coventry. After managing the City Package Store 1987-1993, he drove 14,250 volunteer hours for Wadena County MN Social Services, served as a DAC Board member, served several years as President of the Sebeka Senior Citizen Center, frequently drove for Meals on Wheels and belonged to the Sebeka Methodist Church. In 2016, they moved from Sebeka, MN to Neosho, MO where he joined the Sheep Shed Church.

He is survived by a daughter, Cindy Forbes, and a son, Russell Hietala (Lora), both of Neosho, MO, four brothers, Arnold Hietala, Harvey Hietala, Marvin Hietala, and Ronald Hietala, a sister, Viola Barten, brother-in-law, Jerry Siegel, sister-in law, Jeri (Hietala) Jacobson, stepdaughters, Doris Coventry and Audrey Olson, three grandsons, Aaron (Emilie) Albrecht, Matthew (Kassity) Hietala and Joshua Hietala, five step granddaughters and numerous great grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Donna M. (Coventry) Hietala, his parents, Walfred and Ruby Hietala, a sister, Edith Siegel, two brothers, Richard Hietala and Clarence Hietala, three infant sons, a granddaughter, a son-in-law, Al Forbes, and a stepdaughter, Debra Gettel.

Services will be held at Living Hope (formerly Methodist) Church, Sebeka, Minnesota on Friday, February 23rd, 2024, at 11 a.m. Interment of the cremains will be in the Haycreek Cemetery in Sebeka, Minnesota.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be sent to the Living Hope Youth, 100 S. Jefferson Avenue, Sebeka, MN 56477