Ralph L. Hornberger

Ralph L. Hornberger, age 94, of Alexandria, died peacefully surrounded by his family on Friday, January 24, 2025, at Bethany on the Lake under the care of Moments Hospice.

A funeral service will be held 11 a.m., Tuesday, February 4, 2025, at Lind Family Funeral Home in Alexandria with Rev. Megan Preston presiding. Full military honors will be accorded by the Minnesota Honor Guard, American Legion Post #87, Veteran of Foreign Wars Post #936, Vietnam Veterans of American Chapter #235, and the Marine Corps League Detachment #1409. The interment will take place at Kinkead Cemetery. 

The visitation is 4-6 p.m., Monday, February 3, 2025, at Lind Family Funeral Home in Alexandria and will continue one hour prior to the service.

Ralph was born on August 17, 1930, to Charles and Lena (Kieninger) Hornberger in Winneshiek County, Iowa. He was baptized on September 12, 1930, by Rev. Engelhart. He graduated from Cresco High School in Cresco, Iowa in May of 1948. Ralph worked for the FBI in Washington DC from August 1948 to December 1950. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on March 4, 1950, served at San Antonio, Texas and Shiroi AFB in Japan. Following his honorable discharge as Staff Sargeant on March 4, 1955, Ralph worked at Gehl Mfg in West Bend and at Trane Co., in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Ralph was united in marriage to Vernelle A. “Vel” Ball on May 2, 1959, at English Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity in LaCrosse. He started to work for Burroughs Corp and moved his family to Alexandria in March of 1960, where his sons, Bruce A. and Craig S. were born. Ralph retired from Burroughs (currently Unisys) on April 1, 1989, and worked as a part time custodian at First Lutheran Church from April 1990-September 2007. He was an active member of First Lutheran Church, life member of the American Legion Post 87, its Honor and Color Guard, life member of VFW Post 936, life member of DAV, and a former member of Golden Brothers Lions Club. His interests included Boy Scouts, Amateur Radio, camping with family, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, gardening, and woodworking. Ralph especially loved to travel and see the wonders of God’s creations.

He was preceded in death by his father, Charles in 1955; mother, Lena in 1978; sister, Gertrude in 1978; wife, Vel in 1993; brother, Vincent in 2013; and daughter-in-law, Lori in 2018.

Ralph is survived by his sons, Bruce of Ridgecrest, California and Craig (Joni) of Alexandria; and grandsons, Andrew of Bismarck, North Dakota and Joshua of Moorhead.

Pallbearers are Andrew Hornberger, Josh Hornberger, Bruce Hornberger, Todd Vinje, Jerry Amundson, and Dan Weber.