John W Ranta

Funeral service for John William Ranta, 66, of McKinley, will be 11am Monday, June 1, 2015 at Ziemer-Moeglein-Shatava Funeral Home in Gilbert with Brenda Tibbets AIM officiating. Visitation will be Sunday from 3:00-5:00pm and will continue for one hour prior to the service on Monday. Burial and military honors will be at a later date in the Gilbert Cemetery. John died Monday, May 25, 2015 at his residence. He was born December 12, 1948 in Virginia, MN to Wesley and Florence (Korte) Ranta. Following his graduation from Gilbert High School, he served in the US Air Force in Vietnam. On November 17, 1980 he married Cindy Sue Geist in Crystal, MN. He began working at Kronick’s scrap metal in Minneapolis and later attended the Eveleth Vo Tech millwright program. He worked for Ev Tac and Mittal Inland Steel and retired from there. John was a member of the Gilbert VFW Post and a former McKinley volunteer fireman. He was a hunter and fisherman who enjoyed camping and four wheeling. In his spare time he enjoyed reading and woodworking. He was an avid hockey fan who enjoyed watching the Minnesota Wild and at home enjoyed following the Iron Rangers Jr. Hockey League in Hoyt Lakes. Survivors include his wife, Cindy; daughter, Kelly; brother, Charles (Bill Devendorf) Ranta of Minneapolis; sisters: Sandy (Gary) Salo of Georgia and Danya Lundgren of Minneapolis; step-mother, Verna Ranta of Duluth and several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Karen Tannahill.