Michael Jeremy Sieve

Michael Jeremy Sieve of Alexandria passed away suddenly on April 6, 2025, at the age of 72.

Mass of Christian Burial is 11 a.m., Monday, April 14, 2025, at the Church of St. Mary in Alexandria with Fr. Dan Ruprecht officiating. Full military honors will be accorded by the Minnesota Honor Guard and the Veteran’s Memorial Honor Guard. Private family interment is at St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Visitation is 4-7 p.m., concluding with parish prayer service on Sunday, April 13th, at Lind Family Funeral Home in Alexandria. The visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church.

Mike was born on November 29,1952 in Sibley, Iowa to Bernard and Helen (Burfiend) Sieve of Ellsworth, Minnesota. The family moved to Long Prairie in 1956 where he learned the rigors of farm life and the beginning of his lifelong work ethic. In 1960, his parents reopened the Grill Cafe in Long Prairie, eventually purchasing Travelers Inn Cafe in May of 1967. His life journey was being charted.

Upon graduation in 1972, Michael joined the United States Navy and was assigned a position of “radioman” on the Destroyer, USS Higbee, the first US warship to be bombed during the Vietnam war in 1972. Following repairs, in 1973, Michael was deployed to the waters around Vietnam where his ship provided fire support for ground action. The Navy years were of the utmost importance to Mike; he was very proud of his service and to this day you would often find him donning his USS Higbee’s Navy Veterans ball cap. Through the years, Mike attended numerous Higbee reunions.

Following a six-year stint, Mike returned to Alexandria where he met Cindy, at his brother's restaurant where she was employed, she became his sweetheart and the love of his life for the next forty-six years. They were married in 1979 and were blessed with their three children Andrea, Evan, and Brendan, who all carry on his legacy in the restaurant industry.

Mike returned to Long Prairie and opened Michael's Cafe and soon gained a widespread reputation as a successful restaurateur with the help of Cindy and the family. He spent the next 26 years there until he returned to Alexandria in 2006 and purchased his brother Kurt’s interest in the Brass Lantern where his skills and personable nature took the restaurant to another level. He was an excellent cook and so enjoyed preparing the wonderful food he served. He was a hands-on operator, rarely with a dish not receiving his personal approval. Brothers, Jon and Kurt often agreed that Mike was the best in the family at ensuring food quality and executing his mother’s recipes. He was appreciated for making time to come into the dining area and engaging his customers. He was a noteworthy storyteller and loved to converse.

Mike decided not to reopen the Brass Lantern in January of 2021, due to closures as a result of the Covid pandemic. He went on to spend his retirement playing cards and seeing movies with Cindy, meeting friends at D. Michael B’s and Fat Daddy’s for a cold beer and doing his regular mall walks. The walks began as a way to take care of his health, but they allowed him to keep in touch with his many friends there, including the staff of D. Michael B’s, D Mike’s, Glik’s, and friendly faces from all over town. He kept track of his miles and once was able to boast that he had walked the equivalent of miles from the front door of his home to his old Navy base in Long Beach, California.

Mike’s career in the restaurants made time off precious. He enjoyed spending time with his golf buddies in Long Prairie and riding his motorcycle. In the late 90’s, he was a Civil War reenactor for 5 years with the First Minnesota and traveled to Gettysburg for a historic reenactment in 1998. In February of 2004, he fell off his roof shoveling snow and broke both feet. He would later joke “The only vacation I ever took was for six weeks in a wheelchair!”

Michael will be remembered for being a kind and gentle man with an encyclopedic mind. He thought of himself as the “family historian.” His recollections of dates, times, and events were mind-blowing. A game of Jeopardy with Alex Trebek was always his to win. He had a deep love for art, particularly the work of Vincent Van Gogh, music (everything from Frank Zappa to the Beatles, to Janis Joplin and Steely Dan), and movies. His sense of humor was unmatched. He loved Monty Python, Pee-Wee Herman, and Weird Al Yankovic, and was never too serious to allow himself to be silly. He was immensely proud of his Irish heritage and loved to sing an Irish song. Mike was a selfless husband and father, always there for his family and others. His legacy of hard work, kindness, the joy he brought to those who called him a friend, and a life of faith and principle will live on in all who knew him. He lived a humble life with the goal of making people around him smile. Most importantly, he loved to make his wife, Cindy, laugh.

He was preceded in death by his father Ben Sieve; mother Helen Sieve; father-in-law Floyd Asmus; sister in-law Cheryl Cramer; and brother-in-law Steve Johnson.

Michael will be dearly remembered by his loving wife, Cynthia Sieve; children, Evan Sieve, Andrea Sieve, and Brendan Sieve; siblings, Mark (Janis) Sieve, Jon (Nancy) Sieve, Kurt (Jeanne) Sieve and Katy Johnson, and their families.

There will be a remembrance walk in Michael’s honor at 4pm on Saturday, April 12th at the Viking Plaza Mall in Alexandria, MN with a gathering to follow at Copper Trail Brewing at 4:30pm.

Pallbearers are Patrick Sieve, Evan Sieve, Nate Lade, Danny Sieve, Adam Sieve, and Luke Johnson.