Harvey Luverne O’Neill, age 80, a lifetime resident of Goodhue (Belle Creek), MN, died peacefully surrounded by family on Friday, March 8, 2024.
Harvey was born on March 5th, 1944 to Charles and Georgina (Clements) O’Neill in Red Wing, MN. He graduated from Goodhue High School in 1962. He started farming with his dad after he graduated and few years after took over all farming operations. He married Sandra Colstrom on May 1, 1965 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Red Wing, MN. They were married for almost 59 years and were blessed with four children, Daneen, Kim, Amy, and Bryan.
Faith, Family, Friends and Farming were the most important things in Harvey’s life. He spent over 50 years milking his dairy herd of 60 Holsteins, raising cattle and managing crops of hay, oats, soybeans and corn. He retired from milking in 2004, and continued planting and harvesting crops until the day he died. His entire family meant the world to him and he enjoyed every minute he spent with his kids and grandkids. He became the lone Packer fan in the family, so Sunday football was a bit contentious at times. During his lifetime, Harvey enjoyed listening to old time music, hunting, fishing, card club and dancing at the Skyline Ballroom. After retiring from milking, he took up culinary experiences baking bread, making yogurt and applesauce, and gardening. Harvey didn’t waste anything and recycled every container and bag that he could for delivering his homemade goodies to family and friends. His kids eventually talked him into a laptop, where he checked the AgPartners website daily, then he mastered his iPad and a Jitterbug cell phone.
Harvey is survived by his loving wife, Sandy; children and their families, Daneen (Sean) Kiger and Cyle, Cory (Hanna), and Colby; Kim (John) Goplen and Matthew, Marcus, and Michael; Amy (Scott) Corum and Maggie and Cecilia; and Bryan (Katie) O'Neill and Hannah, Emma and Lucas; sisters, Ruth Peterson and Rose (Bob) Cyert and twin brother, Howard O'Neill; sister-in-law Sue (Steve) Johnson and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Georgina O’Neill; in-laws Clarence and Rose Colstrom; brother and sister-in-law, George and Sue O’Neill, nephew, Tim O’Neill and brother-in-law, Gerald Peterson.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Holy Trinity-St. Columbkill Cemetery Fund or the Goodhue Area Historical Society.
Funeral mass was on Saturday, March 16, at 11:00 am, at St. Columbkill Catholic Church, 36483 Co 47 Blvd, Goodhue, MN 55027. There was a visitation at the church on Friday, March 15, from 4-7:00 pm, and continued one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. Interment was in the church cemetery.
