Stephen "Steve" P. Hicks

STEPHEN PALMER HICKS was born to Tracy and Helen (Glotfelter) Hicks on October 23, 1924 in Tracy, MN. Steve passed away at the Good Samaritan Village at the age of 94 years 2 months and 17 days. While an infant, Steve’s family moved to Pipestone, Minnesota where he lived most of his life. Steve attended Pipestone schools where he participated in many sports including track, basketball and football. He was active in chorus and band, playing flute, piccolo and alto sax. Following his HS graduation, Steve began college at Macalester in St. Paul only to be interrupted by WWII when he enlisted in the Air Force. He served as a bombardier on B17’s as a Second Lieutenant in the 8th Air Force in England. Following the war, Steve returned to Macalester where he and his brother, George, won the contest for student government leadership with the catchy title of “Hicks and Hicks of ’46”. While at “Mac” Steve broke records in high hurdling and later was inducted into the Macalester Athletic Hall of Fame. Deciding on a major in Mechanical Engineering, Steve later attended the University of Minnesota where he graduated in 1951. He then returned to Pipestone where he joined his brother George in business. Steve managed the Hicks Oil and tires business, while his brother managed the Ford car dealership, both companies started by their father, Tracy. On February 9, 1957, Steve married Mary Lou Perry, a St. Paul RN from upstate N.Y. They lived their entire married life of 61 years in Pipestone and Steve was always proud to claim it as his hometown. Steve served many years as lay reader of the historic St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in the absence of a full time pastor, also sometimes at Lake Benton and Luverne parishes. Following the closing of the Episcopal church, Steve and Mary Lou joined Faith Community Church, then known as First Baptist where he served as a leader in the AWANA children’s ministry. choir member, sound technician, elder and usher. His Christian faith was always very important to him.

He enjoyed hunting and teaching archery to the youth of Pipestone in his early years. Steve got his pilot’s license, made several trips across the US and to Alaska. He served as chairman of the Airport Commission for many years. A highpoint for Steve was when he went from a Cessna airplane to a Bonanza, which travelled considerably faster and with some revamping of the seating, was large enough for his wife and 3 children to travel with him. He made a couple trips west with the entire family and several to upstate NY. Later in life he joined the Civil Air Patrol and enjoyed keeping his interest in flying alive with local pilots. Steve volunteered with the local “Song of Hiawatha” pageant for 59 of its 60 years and played many roles in its production. He was an active member of the Kiwanis club and Chamber of Commerce for over 50 years, serving a term in each as president, he was also as member of the American Legion and Masons for over 70 years. Steve enjoyed music in many forms and sang over 50 years with the Pipestone Male Chorus including its transition to the Al Opland Singers. Most recently he enjoyed the comradery of singing bass with friends in the quartet the “F.R.O.G.S.” (Four Really Old Guys Singing). Through the years, Steve and Mary Lou enjoyed several travel clubs thereby visiting many states and hosted many strangers in their home, some of whom became lasting friends. Steve especially enjoyed his family and loved showing them our beautiful country with new adventures, small ones such as fishing at Ihlen or travelling to see new places in greater Minnesota, the northeast and southwest. Steve was admitted to Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone in September 2016 where he resided his remaining years.

Steve is lovingly remembered by his wife, Mary Lou, his daughter, Carolyn Hicks Lewis of Greenfield, MN; son, Stephen (Valerie) Hicks of White, SD; daughter-in-law, Alee Hicks (widow of Perry) and step-grandson, Sam of Buffalo, MN; and many nieces and nephews, all of whom he was very fond. Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Tracy and Helen (Glotfelter) Hicks; his son, Perry Hicks; infant children, Karen and John David, who died at birth; his brother, George; sisters, (twins) Mary (Hicks) Morton and Elisabeth “Bobis” (Hicks) Barker; sister-in-law, Donna (Root) Hicks Inglis; and brother-in-law, Donald Morton.