Roy Junior Stevens

Funeral services for Roy Junior Stevens, age 89, of Albert Lea, will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, July 18, 2014 at First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea.  Rev. John Holt will officiate.  Interment will be at Hillcrest Cemetery.  Military honors will be accorded by local servicemen’s organizations, VFW and American Legion.  Visitation will be from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Thursday, July 17, 2014 at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church.  

Roy died Sunday, July 13, 2014 at St. John’s Lutheran Community.

Roy Junior Stevens was born on July 23, 1924 in Manchester Township to Roy Leslie and Bessie May (Fessenden) Stevens.  Growing up in Freeborn County, Roy attended various schools.  On May 20, 1944 Roy was united in marriage to Bernice Hillman at the United Methodist Church in Albert Lea.  In 1945, Roy was drafted into the United States Army as a teletype operator.  He received the victory medal, Astatic Pacific Theater Ribbon, overseas service bar, army of occupation medal and meritorious unit award while serving during WWII. Roy was stationed in Japan.  Roy worked as a laborer at Wilson’s for 38 years.  Roy was a member of the Eagles, the Elks, the Moose, the VFW and First Lutheran Church since 1944. He had a special gift for music and enjoyed singing, playing the harmonica and accordion.  Roy had a green thumb and loved to garden, especially roses.  Roy also enjoyed refereeing family sporting events, working on cars, flipping houses with his son, Scott, fishing and working and farming on his acreage.  Most of all, Roy cherished the time spent with his family and dog Molly.    

Survivors include his children, Dwight (Mary) Stevens, Connie Billat, Vickey (John) Mann, David (Cathy) Stevens, Paul (Patti) Stevens, and Scott Stevens; grandchildren, Clint, Jackie (Tony) Flatten, Cole (Crystal) Stevens, Joey (Renee) Billat, Michael (Dionne) Billat, Tammy (Ron) Laite, Joshua Prantner, Angie (Jason) Dauer, Rebecca Stevens, Amber Burkart, and Hailey Stevens; 16 great-grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

Roy was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Bernice; son-in-law, Leon Billat; and siblings, Hersh (Ruth) Stevens, Ruth (Harry) Matthies, Clifford Stevens, Clyde (Bud) Stevens, Dorothy (Milford) Hamberg, Kitty (Ole) Stephenson and Betty (Chris) Larsen.