Deanna Scheeler of Cold Spring died peacefully at Quiet Oaks Hospice Home on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, after a courageous battle with metastatic pancreatic cancer. She was 70. 
Please join us to celebrate Deanna’s life Tuesday, June 10, at Kingston Apostolic Lutheran Church with Pastor Bob Tumberg officiating. Visitation will be at 10 a.m., funeral service at 11 a.m., and a luncheon will follow. Friends and family are welcome to visit from 4-8 p.m. Monday, June 9, at Wenner Funeral Home in Richmond with an open-mic Sharing of Memories to be at 7 p.m. A private family burial will take place later in June at Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery-Little Falls, where she will be dutifully watched over by Lloyd’s Brothers in Arms.
Deanna Louise Saukkola was born to George and Doris (Holm) Saukkola on May 10, 1955, in Litchfield. She was baptized at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Kingston, and confirmed by Pastor Oscar Wilson at Kingston Apostolic Lutheran Church where she was a lifelong member. Deanna graduated from Kimball Area High School in 1973, and soon after met the love of her life in 1975, marrying Lloyd Scheeler on Oct. 16, 1976, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Annandale.
She is fondly remembered for her sunshine smile that greeted all auction-goers, clerking auctions with her mother and her three sons, and also getting to work alongside her father and husband who were two of the finest auctioneers in the county. She later earned her gold crown befitting a queen, working for Hallmark for 28 years, and she spent the latter 15 years of her work life as a bank teller with American Heritage National Bank until her retirement in 2021. She thoroughly enjoyed fostering lasting relationships and friendships with her coworkers (and many customers), and she counted them among her best friends.
Family was most important to Deanna, as she and Lloyd took great pride in raising their three sons, and avidly encouraged and supported them in all of their academic and athletic endeavors. In 2007, she entered her favorite and most rewarding phase of life which was being Grandma to her five adoring grandchildren. Some may know that she had been voted Class Clown, apropos of an unabashed lover of humor, and her frequent giggles and peals of laughter earned her the nickname that the grandkids bestowed upon her: “Laughing G-Ma.” Aside from spending quality time with her family and friends, some of Deanna’s favorite things were Hallmark greeting cards and ornaments, Precious Moments figurines, penguins, putting together jigsaw puzzles, watching Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right, getting pedicures, and shopping for dresses for her granddaughters.
Deanna was preceded in death by her parents George and Doris; stepmother Helen; angel granddaughter Lieta Grace; in-laws Jerome and Laverne Scheeler; and brother Larry.
She is survived by her husband, Lloyd; three sons Levi (and Marcie plus Brayden and Eliana), Jake (and Natalie), and Sam (and Kayla plus Kyler, Kashtyn, Lorelai, and baby girl coming soon); sisters Susan (and JeRay) Buerkle, Carol (and Bruce) Selin, and Shirley (and Tim) Meierhofer; brothers Ron (and Darlene), Doug (and Sue), Rick (and Sharon); and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and special canine and feline buddies.
The family expresses their deepest gratitude for the compassionate and skillful care that she received from her entire medical team, as well as the outpouring of love and support from all friends, family, and well-wishers throughout her journey.
Pallbearers for the service will be her three sons, five grandchildren, and her siblings and their spouses. Arrangements are entrusted with the Wenner Funeral Home in Richmond. Any monetary memorial gifts will be redirected to Deanna’s chosen favorite charities in accordance with her request.