Leon H. Willaert

Leon H. Willaert, age 85 of Le Sueur, passed peacefully on Sunday, July 31, 2022 at the Oaklawn Rehabilitation Center, Mankato.

Mass of Christian burial will be 10:00am Friday, August 5, 2022 at the Catholic Church of St. Peter in St. Peter. Visitation will be 4:00-7:00pm Thursday at St. Peter Funeral Home and also one hour prior to the service at the church. To leave a condolence or view the livestream, visit his obituary at www.saintpeterfuneralhome.com.

Leon was born on September 28, 1936 in Mankato to Cyrille Henry and Mary Theresa (Depuydt) Willaert. He attended Loyola Catholic Schools and was drafted to the US Army in 1955, being honorably discharged in 1957. He returned home to the family farm and farmed with his brothers until retiring in 1992. Leon was united in marriage to Dorothy F. Pietsch on August 30, 1958 at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Mankato. He enjoyed reading history books, visiting with friends at the Nicollet Café, and traveling west when he found time. He loved spending time with his family and was strong in his faith.

Left to cherish his memory are his children: Leo (Wendy), Linda (Al) Mork, Lori Haley, Dean (Lee Ann), Julie (Jay) Juell, Gloria (Brad ) Knaus, Danny, Dale, Pat (Niki), and Gary (Cara); daughter-in-law Mari Willaert; 21 grandchildren; 4 great grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy in 2016; children: Gerald and Peggy Willaert; granddaughter: Ellie Willaert; parents; brothers: Joe, Lawrence, Frank, Art, Andrew and Robert; and sisters: Marie, Joan Mikolai and Ignatia Seys.

The live stream link below is a complimentary service provided by Mankato Area Funeral Homes.

Unforeseen technical, internet, facility, and/or acoustical circumstances may produce a diminished end product. Please note, if the live stream does not appear, we are attempting to record and publish the service for later viewing.