Lloyd Henke

Lloyd George Henke

Lloyd George Henke, 88, died Wednesday, August 27, 2025, surrounded by his family at his home in Lino Lakes, Minnesota, after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease and Lung Cancer.

A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday September 2, 2025 at 11:00AM at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Baxter with Pastor Erika Nilsen officiating. There will be a visitation held one hour prior to the start of the service at the church. Burial will be at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls.

Lloyd was born Dec. 7, 1936, in Clinton Falls Township, Minnesota, to Lloyd Ernest and Verna May (Webster) Henke. He went to the country school just off North Cedar Avenue in Owatonna, Minnesota, before he attended Owatonna High School, where he graduated in 1954. He enlisted in the United States Navy, serving from 1955-1959 in the Philippines, Hawaii, and aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger and the USS Shangri-La as a Communications Technician.

He married Helen Josephine West at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa, on July 16, 1971. Lloyd and Helen lived with their family in Owatonna, raising his step-children as his own. He worked as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service for 33 years, serving as union president during that time. Lloyd and Helen were fierce supporters of their children continuing their education, and Lloyd could often be found reading articles on the outdoors, history, and other subjects that interested him.

Lloyd retired from the post office in 1996 and fulfilled a lifelong dream of moving north by settling in Baxter, Minnesota. An avid outdoorsman, he spent his time hunting and fishing all over Minnesota, elk and antelope hunting in Wyoming and Montana, and fishing in Canada. He was a member of Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Baxter, helping with the wooden crosses inlaid on the altar made of walnut.

In 2016, Lloyd and Helen moved to Aitkin, Minnesota, where Lloyd continued hunting and fishing until he physically was unable. He became a member of First Lutheran Church in Aitkin. Lloyd left his mark by helping to secure family hunting land where he enjoyed bonfires, a cold beer, and his last hunt.

Lloyd and Helen moved to Lino Lakes, Minnesota, in 2023 due to his failing health and proximity to Veterans Affairs.

He is survived by his wife, Helen (West) Henke; Jason (Jennifer) Henke, Meredith Noggle, Donna (Dean) Kidd, James (DeAnn) Larson, Patricia (Jack) Weiland; grandchildren Linda Cox, Amanda Cox, Tyler Larson, Garrett (Gabby) Larson, Taylor (Chris) Conlin, Nathan (Skylah) Larson, Martin Henke, Jack Setzer, Chloe Noggle, Logan Henke, and Emma Noggle; numerous great-grandchildren; and brothers Mervle (Marilyn) Henke and Alan (Barbara) Henke.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Lloyd (Verna) Henke, and sister Marlene Shari Heitke.

In his final days, Lloyd said, “I am proud of how I was raised and the man I’ve become.”