Delbert Glanzer

Delbert “Del” Glanzer was born January 14, 1949 to Albert and Mary (Hofer) Glanzer in Carpenter, SD. He grew up on a farm there and attended high school in Willow Lake, SD. Del’s mother passed away when he was 6 years old. He was raised by his father with the guidance of his aunt and uncle, Ed and Betty Glanzer. In high school he was involved in wrestling and FFA, winning many awards in both. He received a BS in Agriculture and taught the Adult Ag class in Herman, MN until he moved to Alexandria where he started his independent crop consulting/ farm management business. You would be hard pressed to find anyone who enjoyed his job more than Del. He worked tirelessly with complete dedication and a burning desire to see each one of his clients be successful and “win the game.” One of his biggest disappointments in life was having no choice but to slow down in these last few months. Del was married to LeAnn Tonak and had three children Travis, Stephanie, and Shanna. This union ended in divorce. On September 10, 1988, he married Mary Labraaten. They made their home in Alexandria, MN and raised three children, Libby, Benet and Gabe. Over the years, Del was active in Alexandria Jaycees, teaching Sunday School, and being on various boards in the community and with consulting organizations. Along with the help of his wife and children he started Glanzer’s Pick Your Own Pumpkin Patch which was enjoyed by many families in the Alexandria area. Del loved his kids and spent many hours playing cards and games with them. When they were younger, he would put them to bed by telling his favorite bible stories. He leaves his children with a legacy of working tirelessly towards something they love and truly believe in, trusting their own instincts. Del was diagnosed with stomach cancer in December 2013. Since then he has undergone constant treatment with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. He did this with incredible courage, determination and stamina, never losing hope and trusting God’s will. He worked full time up to the last few weeks. He spent 20 years grooming his son, Benet, to carry on his business and really doubled down on sharing his knowledge these last two years. On Wednesday, September 9, 2015, Del died at home, on hospice peacefully, holding the hands of his family. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at the Alexandria Covenant Church on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at 2:00pm with lunch to follow. A visitation will take place at the church from 12:00pm - 2:00pm the day of the service. It was Del’s hope that his service would include a portion where his clients would share memories and funny stories of their experiences with him. Del is survived by Mary, his loving wife of 27 years; children, Travis Glanzer of Minneapolis, Stephanie Adler of Minneapolis, Shanna Chalker, of Taos, New Mexico, Elizabeth Glanzer, of Los Angeles, CA, Benet Glanzer and Gabriel Glanzer of Alexandria, MN; grandchildren, River Chalker, Jack and Savannah Glanzer; brother, Dr. Duane Glanzer of Mission, SD; many nieces, nephews, cousins, and two aunts. He was preceded in death by his parents, special aunt and uncle, Ed and Betty Glanzer; mother and father-in-law, Walt and Helen Labraaten and several aunts and uncles.

Delbert Glanzer

January 14, 1949 - September 9, 2015