andiyohi County lost a longtime doctor and public servant Saturday with the death of Dr. Lyle Munneke who also served as county coroner.
Dr. Munneke, 73, died Saturday at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar. His funeral service will be at 1 p.m. today at Calvary Lutheran Church.
His death has left a void which Kandiyohi County will have to fill. He has served as Kandiyohi County coroner for the past two decades.
He served in this position with outstanding dedication.
Munneke spent many hours in meeting the demands of the coroner position. The doctor believed in his coroner's obligation to the community of Kandiyohi County and always performed with a high level of commitment.
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He was not just the county coroner.
Born in South Dakota in 1934, Munneke was raised on a family farm near Corsica. He graduated from the University of South Dakota and attended medical school at Washington University in St. Louis in 1959.
After serving his residency in Duluth, he opened his practice in Clara City. In 1976, he established his practice, Family Practice Medical Center, in Willmar. He retired from general practice in 2002.
He was involved in many civic, volunteer and professional organizations in the community too numerous to mention. He was a member of the Calvary Lutheran Church. He was also a member of the local Harley Hog Chapter.
Kandiyohi County and west central Minnesota have been blessed by the longtime presence of Doc Munneke. He will be missed.
