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Dr. Harold E. Windschitl

Mass of Christian will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Sartell for Dr. Harold E. Windschitl, age 86, of Sartell who passed away on Wednesday, November 11, 2020 at Diamond Willow Assisted Living in Little Falls. Reverend Ron Weyrens will officiate. Burial will take place at Japanese Martyrs Parish Cemetery in Leavenworth.

Visitation will take place one hour prior to services on Wednesday at the church in Sartell. Arrangements are with the Daniel Funeral Home in St. Cloud.

Harold Edmund Windschitl was born February 26, 1934 to Carl Windschitl and Leonora, Groebner Windschitl. He grew up one of four siblings on the family farm where hard work was the rule of the day. Baseball was a favorite summer pastime.

He played for both township, and school teams. Harold’s undergraduate degree was from St. John’s University in 1955. The next four years were spent in medical school at Creighton University in Omaha. While there, he resided at a local orphanage helping to care for their residents.

Dr. Windschitl did one year of internship in St. Paul before heading to the Indian Reservations of South Dakota where he and his wife, Shirley, spent three years working at Indian Health Service Hospitals and Clinics. Dr. Windschitl, Shirley, and their two sons, Jeffrey and Michael, returned to Minnesota where he completed his internal medicine residency. Harold then completed a hematology/ oncology fellowship. The family then put down roots in Sartell where he practiced at both the St. Cloud Hospital, Centracare Clinic, and St. Cloud Veterans Administration Hospital. Dr. Windschitl retired from his very busy practice in 2012.

Dr. Windschitl was instrumental in providing access to excellent care for patients with cancer who previously would have to travel to Minneapolis/ St. Paul for their treatments. Dr. Windschitl was universally respected by his colleagues, admired by the hospital and clinic staff, and most importantly, valued and trusted by the numerous patients and families whom he touched.

When not caring for patients, Harold had many varied interests and activities. He was a master of “do it yourself.” A new basement edition, a new roof, a new septic system, or a new driveway, why pay someone else to do something he was sure he could do himself. Gardening was also a passion. Before the snow melted, he would be seed shopping and planting, often with his longtime friend and gardening buddy, Dom.

Harold first started playing hockey after moving to Sartell. Family games were frequent pitting Shirley and Jeffrey against he and Michael. About the same time, he started playing regularly with the St. Cloud Old-timers. 8:45 Wednesday evenings were somewhat sacred. Even when on-call he would bring his two-way radio to the game.

Harold will be missed deeply by those surviving him, his wife Shirley, his sons, Jeffrey and Michael (Jacque), his grandchildren, Megan (Ryan), Erin, Katie, Rebecca, Andrew, Sarah, and Hannah, his surviving siblings, Maggie, Paul (Gail), and his sister-in-law, Valerie. He was preceded in death by his parents, his older brother Cletus, and brother-in-law, James Manion.

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