Louis Sostak, 87
Louis Sostak, 87 of Fredericksburg, died Monday, Oct. 2, 2023
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in New Hampton with Pastor Kevin Frey officiating.
Interment will follow in New Hampton City Cemetery.
Friends may greet the family from 9 to 11 a.m. prior to the service at the church.
Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory in Fredericksburg have been entrusted with arrangements.
Louis (Louie) Delano Sostak Jr. was born Jan. 25, 1936, to Louis and Vlasta Marie (Papousek) Sostak on a farm southwest of Gregory, Gregory County, South Dakota. He joined his older sibling Violet, and later joined by two more sisters, Blanche and Beverly.
The parents farmed and the father was employed at the meat market in Gregory. The mother and children helped with farm chores. In 1941, the family moved to a farm near Claremont, Minnesota, to look for greener pastures due to hard times during the depression years of the ’30s caused by drought and grasshoppers. In Minnesota, the family farmed and milked cows. Here, Violet, Louie, and Blanche attended grade school at Dodge County Public School No. 45.
In 1946, the family moved to a farm north of Fredericksburg to be closer to family members. The Sostak family rented the farm known as the Hartson farm and later bought it. It has been in the Sostak family ever since. The four Sostak children attended New Hampton district No. 2 school where all graduated from eighth grade. Louis helped on the farm after graduating while his siblings went into high school. Later, Louie obtained his GED certificate.
In 1961, he was drafted into the US Army. He took basic training at Fort Leonard in Wood, Missouri. He was transferred to Fort Riley, Kansas, where he was a truck driver and a member of the rifle team. He was with the 2nd How. Bn. of the 33rd artillery of the First Infantry Division.
While at Fort Riley, he received the motor vehicle driver badge, the Good Conduct medal, and the expert (rifle) and marksman (pistol) achievement. He was awarded a trophy for third place in the 1963 division artillery rifle match. Louie received his discharge from the Army April 11, 1963. With the rank of SP_4 he returned to lowa to help his parents’ farm.
He received a Quilt of Valor April 14, 2019, at a presentation at the Community Center, Fredericksburg.
Louie liked attending machinery auctions to add to his collection of tractors. He sold the collection at auction September 2022. He enjoyed watching car races at West Union and Cresco. The farm meant a lot to him and he was diligent in keeping the land free of weeds.
He is survived by two sisters, Violet (Darrell) Albrecht of New Hampton and Beverly (Ronald) Hattig of Fredericksburg; and six nieces and nephews, David (Robyn) Albrecht of Jackson, Michigan, Duane (Cecilia) Albrecht of Mountain View, Hawaii, Matt Schildroth of Fredericksburg, Ann (Rick) Heying of Alta Vista, Colene Sassmann of Sumner, and Natalee (Kelvin) Bell of Iowa City. Also surviving are several great nieces, nephews, cousins, great-great niece and a great-great nephew.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents; his sister, Blanche Rae Sostak, Aug 24, 1992; his mother, Vlasta Sostak, April 30, 1996; his father, Louis Sostak Sr., April 5, 2002; and several cousins.
