John Sommer

Obituary

John was born to Carl William and Helen Margaret (Detjen) Sommer August 15, 1951 in Triumph (now Trimont) and was baptized October 14, 1951 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Sherburn. He was later confirmed in his faith at Faith Ev. Lutheran Church, New Ulm.

 One of six children, John and his siblings spent their childhood in Sherburn. Later the family settled in Truman where John was a 1969 graduate of Truman High School. He received his BS degree in Speech, Theatre, and English from Minnesota State University-Mankato in 1973.

 He met Shirley Kleman while attending college. They married August 12, 1972 at Faith Ev. Lutheran Church, New Ulm. John and Shirley lived in George, Iowa and then Mankato. They moved to Winthrop in 1975 where they made their home and raised their daughters, Dana Danielle and Mara Michelle.

 John was a carpenter and worked in construction most of his life, first with Truman Farmers Elevator, then Spore Construction (Mankato) and beginning in 1975 Bussler Construction in Winthrop. John joined the 3M Hutchinson labor force in 2005 and worked there until he was disabled in 2014 after a diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis (farmer’s lung).

 In 2003, John retired after volunteering 25 years as a firefighter with the Winthrop Fire Department where he served as fire chief for 10 years. When his daughters were active in 4H, John served as a Sibley County 4H volunteer. 

 John was a faithful member of Faith Ev. Lutheran Church, New Ulm and then Good Shepherd Ev. Lutheran Church, New Ulm and since 2003, Grace Ev. Lutheran Church, Hutchinson.

 John learned to hunt and fish at a young age and continued to enjoy these sports as an adult, teaching his wife to hunt deer with him early in their marriage. John and Shirley, and later with their daughters, also spent many summers tent and cabin camping and fishing at lakes throughout Minnesota. The tradition continued and soon included new families and grandchildren.

 His family will remember John for his sharp wit, easy chuckle, no nonsense work ethic, and crisp sense of things either right or wrong, but most of all for his strong faith and trust in his Savior.

 John was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by wife Shirley; daughters: Dana Sommer and children Nathaniel, Benjamin, and Mathias Dolan; Mara (Josh) Halverson and children Logan, Ainsley, and Caelyn; brothers: Wayne (Nancy) Sommer of Fairmont, Alan (Fern) Sommer of East Chain, Carl Sommer and friend Bob Vockrodt of Blue Earth.; sisters: Cathy Brandt of Fairmont, Kimberly (Larry) Walders of Armstrong, IA; brother-in-law Stanley Kleman of Rice; sister-in-laws Bonnie (Don) Watson of New London and Lori (RE) Wehrwein of New Ulm; and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends.