Allen M. Steenberg

LA CROSSE - Allen “Al” M. Steenberg passed away peacefully Thursday, May 21, 2015, surrounded by family, after a year-long battle with cancer.

He was born August 1, 1947, in La Crosse, WI to Walter and Irma (Dwyer) Steenberg. Al was a 1965 graduate of Westby Area High School, Westby, WI. On May 27, 1972, he married Mary Trinkes at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in La Crosse, WI.

Al served his country in the National Guard of the United States for 4 years. He then worked as a Bridge and Building Foreman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway for 40 years. During that time, he was also a dedicated union representative, starting as a local chairman and also working full-time for several years at the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division.

Al had many hobbies, including woodworking and tinkering with cars in his garage. He was an extremely talented woodworker, and took pleasure in hand crafting gifts for family. In his younger years, he raced his 1965 Barracuda at area drag racing tracks, and was always fond of working on his ‘65 Fish and his 1936 Dodge truck.

Al’s garage became a special place for his daughters, friends, and family to stop in and spend some quality time with him, where Al may have taught a few life lessons to his visitors, but mostly entertained them with jokes and humorous stories.

Al cherished the outdoors, and took his family on many camping trips across on the country, as well as close to home. His first true love (besides Mary, of course) was fishing. He has reeled in trout and walleye in and around Coon Valley, WI, his hometown, and also in Iowa, Arkansas, and Canada, from just about every river, lake, stream, and puddle he came across. A fishing pole was always in the back of his car, just in case.

In addition to his wife of 43 years, Mary, Al is survived by his daughter Ann Winkers and her husband Tom Winkers of Markesan, WI, and his daughter Heidi Steenberg and her husband, Mike Anderson of Port Washington, WI, as well as his brother Dale and sister-in-law Lou Jean Steenberg of Wisconsin Dells, WI, and many good friends and extended family.

A visitation will be from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m., on Thursday, May 28, 2015 at Schumacher-Kish Funeral & Cremation Services of La Crosse. A Memorial service and celebration of Al’s life will follow at 6 p.m.at the Funeral Home.