Dr. Lloyd A. Steffensmeier, D.C., 91, of Laguna Vista, Texas, passed away Friday, April 26, 2024, at his residence 
.
Lloyd Anthony Steffensmeier was born on June 14, 1932, the son of Bernard “Ben” and Rose Umthun Steffensmeier. Growing up on the family farm with nine brothers and sisters, he learned to make and fix everything from furniture to machinery. He graduated from St. James School in St. Paul, Iowa in 1950.
Lloyd was working construction when he was drafted into the army on September 16, 1952. After basic training, he went to Korea with the 555th field artillery battalion. Attached to a gun crew, Lloyd was usually a “handy man” doing maintenance and repair on the guns. In his spare time, he built things with the lumber from the wooden shell boxes. On July 14, 1953, Lloyd and several others in his unit were injured during an attack by North Korean and Chinese soldiers. Lloyd spent five months recovering in Tokyo before returning to his unit. He received a Purple Heart and an honorable discharge with a 50% disability pension from the military.
Growing up, Lloyd received chiropractic care and had an older brother and a brother-in-law who were both chiropractors and this influenced his decision to be a chiropractor. After he was discharged from the army, he enrolled at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. As a student at Palmer in the 1950s, Lloyd designed, produced and sold portable adjusting tables. He graduated in 1957 as a Doctor of Chiropractic. In 1960 Lloyd set up a Chiropractic practice in Mount Vernon, Iowa, where he continued making chiropractic tables and soon founded Lloyd Table Company. Lloyd designed tables for his own needs at first, but as he learned new chiropractic techniques and met other chiropractors, he developed tables to fit their needs. By 1972 Lloyd Table Company moved to a larger facility in Lisbon, Iowa. The company continued to expand and develop new tables for various chiropractic techniques. He received many awards; in 2010 he received the Parker Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his countless contributions to the advancement of the chiropractic profession. When asked what he wanted to be remembered for, Lloyd said “just what I have been doing…making the best tables…. helping chiropractic to be spread across the world.”
Lloyd married Colette Lecler on June 14, 2015. He retired and they moved to Texas in 2020. Lloyd died at home after a short illness.
Lloyd is survived by his wife: Colette; two step-children: Michelle Lecler and Stive Lecler, Texas; his brother: Paul (Phyllis) Steffensmeier, Fort Madison, Iowa; his sister: Annette Nares, Davenport, Iowa; and 33 nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, June 14, 2024, at St. James the Less Catholic Church in St. Paul, Iowa, with Father Dan Dorau officiating.
Burial will be at St. James Cemetery in St. Paul with military honors.
Schmitz Funeral Home of West Point is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.