Louise Steele

STEELE A military service to honor Louise Stapleton Steele will be conducted, November 1, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Louise was born October 23, 1918 in Adams, NE to Frank and Gladys (Bell) Stapleton. Schooled in Lincoln, Nebraska where a music teacher discovered and encouraged her gift of music, which she spent most of her life immersed in. Louise graduated from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln with a Bachelor of Arts in education with a music major. While in college she was a featured soloist in several University presentations. In 1943, she married the love of her life, Charles Leroy Steele who encouraged her to get involved. She was one of the first volunteers in the newly formed Womans Marine Corps. During her service, she used her education interest to teach new pilots on a training apparatus called a link trainer, teaching pilots to fly only on instrumentation. After her service, she entered the teaching profession and taught until her retirement. While in Rochester she conducted the all city chorus that provided numerous presentations during the school years. After retirement, she kept busy with her love of duplicate bridge and was very active in the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) Louise is survived by a sister, Shirley (Ronald) Doan of Lincoln, NE; a daughter, Shirley Ann Montgomery (Dr. Robert) of Fargo, ND; son, Charles Rodney (Michelle) of Pine Island, MN; grandchildren, Allison Wegman (Randy) of New Orleans, LA, Aaron Steele of Minneapolis, MN, Ryan Steele of San Diego, CA and Taylor Strand (Sarah) of Toronto, Canada. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles; brothers, Edward Stapleton, Myron Stapleton, Robert Burn (Jack) Stapleton and by her parents, Frank and Gladys. The family would prefer memorials be sent to The Wounded Warrior Project P.O. Box 758517 Topeka, Kansas 66675 or the West Toronto Choral Choir at www.gofundme.com/westtorontocc Arrangements entrusted to Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes, 5421 Royal Place NW, Rochester, MN.