Mike Pierce 1946-2023
Mike Pierce spoke briefly during a 2022 ceremony recognizing him and his wife, Trudy, as Steele County Senior Citizens of the Year. They were the first husband and wife team to receive the honor. Staff photo by Joni Hubred
To Nicole Wacek, Mike Pierce was a second dad. The two worked together on Owatonna’s new veterans memorial, which will be dedicated this fall.
“When we first started the project, we were in (the Moonlighters) Exchange (Club) together and on the Veterans Memorial Committee,” she said. “He said he would do anything asked of him, but he wanted me to be the public speaker.”
As the 14-member committee moved forward, Wacek said, Pierce was “right there with us, holding our hands.” He was a big part of the fundraising effort and “knew who to tell me to go talk to.”
Sadly, Pierce, who served in Vietnam from 1966 to 1967, will not see the memorial completed. He died July 28 at his Owatonna home, surrounded by his family and leaving behind a legacy of community involvement in veterans organizations, community groups, and the Steele County Fair.
With his wife, Trudy, Pierce was very involved with 4-H. He served as an adult 4-H advisor, president of the Adult Leaders Council, and supervised Junior Leaders at the food stands during the Steele County Fair.
A familiar face at the fair, he was in charge of the courtesy carts, which provide rides for the elderly and people with disabilities.
Pierce also got involved with the Owatonna VFW Post 3723 soon after moving to the community. He served as Post Commander for a total of 17 years, achieved All-State VFW for 10 years, and All-American State Commander for two years. Both programs recognize exceptional leadership and teamwork.
Pierce also belonged to the Am Vets Post 23, Elks Lodge 1395, and American Legion Post 77. He volunteered with American Red Cross bloodmobiles, the annual Memorial Day parade, and at the Steele County History Center.
For years, the Pierces rearranged their own family celebrations to serve up hundreds of meals for their Owatonna neighbors during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Mike worked in the kitchen cooking turkeys and hams, typically starting his day at 5 a.m.
Health issues forced the couple to give up coordinating the dinners three years ago.
In 2022, Mike and Trudy Pierce were named Steele County’s Senior Citizens of the Year. Emcee and Exchange Club member Bruce Kubicek said during the August ceremony that while husbands and wives had been honored separately, judges had never chosen a husband and wife in the same year.
“Mike and Trudy are known as a team, and we just didn’t want to split up the team,” he said.
The couple married in 1974, the same year they moved from Algona, Iowa, to Owatonna, where Mike took a job with Crane Creek Asphalt. He worked there for 33 years as a foreman and a dispatcher.
A funeral service was held July 31 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Owatonna, with burial at Forest Hill Cemetery and military honors provided by the Steele County Military Funeral Unit. Memorials to the Owatonna Veterans memorial are preferred.