J. Albert Stenzel

J. Albert Stenzel, 80, of Orion, IL passed away on December 30, 2022, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

Visitation will be from 3-7 p.m. on Thursday, January 5, 2023, at the ARK of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Orion, IL. (1001 9th St., Orion IL). Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, January 6, 2023, at the church. Memorials may be made to St Paul Lutheran Church – Orion, where he was a member for 59 years. Esterdahl Funeral Home, Ltd. Orion is handling arrangements. Burial will be at Western Cemetery, Orion.

John Albert was born Dec. 29, 1942, in Davenport, IA to Maurice & Helen Stenzel, the youngest of 3 sons. He graduated from Orion High School in 1960. Dec. 29, 1963, on his 21st birthday, he married his high school sweetheart Jeannette Swanson. They were married 59 years. In his teenage years Al showed Grand Champion Angus cattle at County & State Fairs, was a 4-H leader of “Osco Hustlers” with his friend, Russ Anderson.  Al was a graduate of Reisch School of Auctioneering in 1960 and the Decatur School of Auctioneering & Appraising in 1975. Al, along with his 2 brothers Ron & Elmer, started the Stenzel Brothers Auction Service in 1970. After his brothers retired, Al and his wife, along with their son & daughter-in-law have owned and operated the Stenzel Auction Service since 1994. He was a vital part of the business. If anyone was looking for Al, you could find him mowing his yard and the farm ground road banks, sometimes twice a week. From start to finish it would take him 4hrs.

Al worked for John Deere Harvester for 30 years, retiring in 1995. Al served on the Board of Directors at BankORION retiring in 2013. Al volunteered his auctioneering abilities in many ways: Orion Fall Festival Pie auction, Orion Education Foundation Gala, Orion FFA labor auction, plus 1,000’s of benefits to help families pay their health bills. Stenzel Auction Service also sponsored two Orion Little League baseball teams for many years, plus helping with many other benefits throughout the 50 plus years. Al also had a beautiful voice and sang at many weddings and funerals over the years. The most important thing in his life was his close family and friends.

Left to honor his memory are his wife Jeannette & their children – Jana Guinn and her son Joey, Osco, IL – Jennifer (Jerry) Johnson, Orion, IL, and their children Krystin (Travis) White and their children Mason & Carter White, Orion, IL & Nic Johnson, Nashville, TN – Jason (Karen) Stenzel and their children Adam (Bridgett) Stenzel & Erik Stenzel, Geneseo, IL.

Al is survived by brother & sister-in-law, Elmer & Janet Stenzel, Coal Valley, IL - Sister-in-laws, Carolyn Stenzel, Geneseo, IL, Natalie Schieferdecker, Cambridge, IL, Sonja Solberg, Orion, IL, Debbie (Bob) DeBaillie, Orion, IL and many loving nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Ron, and two brothers-in-law, Bob Schieferdecker and Denny Solberg.

Memories may be shared on the Tribute Wall.