Alan "Al" H. Riedel

Alan H. Riedel, age 90, of Parkers Prairie, died on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at St. William’s Living Center in Parkers Prairie.

Friends and family will gather to honor and celebrate the lives of both Alan and Diane at 11 a.m., Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at Immanual Lutheran Church in Parkers Prairie with Rev. Kirk Lee officiating. Full military honors for Al will be accorded by the Minnesota Honor Guard and the Parkers Prairie American Legon Post #219. Private family interment will take place at St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery, West Miltona.

Visitation is one hour prior to the service at the church.

Alan H. Riedel was born in Starbuck, Minnesota on March 4, 1935. Growing up in a farming family, Alan ultimately started working with a custom combining crew as his first employment. The job included traveling to the southern part of the United States and moving progressively north toward the Midwest as the crops matured.

From 1955 to 1957, Alan served in the US Army as an aircraft mechanic with training at Gary Air Force Base, Texas with follow-on service in Uijeongbu, Republic of Korea. From 1957 to 1958, Alan used his aircraft maintenance skills at Bellanca Aircraft Company in Alexandria, Minnesota. It was during this time that dad developed his passion for aviation and flying. Mom also worked at Bellanca during the same time, and they married in 1960.

During the ‘60s Alan started as a painter in Alexandria, but after 6 weeks, he realized that painting was not for him. He then worked with Rassumussen Trucking Company hauling cattle and Luedtke Trucking Company hauling and delivering groceries. Alan subsequently met Arland Klein and jointly purchased Parkers Bus Company in 1969 and moved to Parkers Prairie from Carlos.

In 1970, Alan and Diane purchased the family farm where they lived for 55 years. Three years later, they purchased Parkers Oil Company. Farming, selling oil and transporting kids was extremely challenging, so in 1977 they sold Parkers Oil Company to Dick’s Standard/Gappa Oil and purchased the entirety of Parkers Bus Company from Arland Klein. They owned and operated Parkers Bus Company and conducted charter transportation for nearly 29 years and sold the business in 1998.

Alan was an active volunteer at Immanuel Lutheran Church assisting with ushering duties and occasionally serving as a board member. He also served as an EMT with the Parkers Prairie Community Ambulance service.

During their retirement years, Alan and Diane enjoyed 15 winter trips in their recreational vehicle to warmer climates and to spend time with the many Parkers Prairie friends and other Minnesotans in Arizona. Alan remained active in his favorite pastime—flying and going up to the Cozy Cup to catch up on local news. He also restored his 1946 Piper J-3 Cub in 2003. During the summer months, Alan enjoyed working for Olson and Sons hauling grain and doing parts runs to keep farm machinery moving during the hectic harvest season.

Alan was preceded in death by his parents; wife Diane; and two siblings, Susan Kalpin and Harry Riedel.

Alan is survived by his daughter Gale Riedel of Parkers Prairie; sons, Bret (Susan) Riedel of Faribault and Kyle (Maija) Riedel of Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania; sister Sandi Venzke; along with numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and loving friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Immanual Lutheran Church of Parkers Prairie.