Donald John Sotebeer

Donald J. Sotebeer, age 86, of Byron, Minnesota passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at his home. Donald John Sotebeer was born September 22, 1935 in Waseca, Minnesota the son of Andrew and Ethel (Schultz) Sotebeer. He was a graduate of Waseca High School. Don worked for the Minnesota Highway Department prior to accepting a position at IBM. IBM sent him to New York for initial training and he later traveled to Germany for additional training. Donald was the first line manager for disc manufacturing and his love for people earned him numerous awards during his prolific career at IBM over the span of 30 years. Donald married Lois Voss on August 29, 1959 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Meridan, MN. They were blessed with two daughters, Lisa and Lynne. He was later blessed with four granddaughters that were his pride and joy. He enjoyed celebrating Christmas and daily coffee with family along with taking family vacations including Disney World where his favorite ride was "It's a Small World" and camping at the river. He was a great cook inside the house and on the grill along with smoking meats. Donald enjoyed woodworking, fishing and hunting, and took great pride in maintaining his property and caring for the wildlife out in the country. He was a member of the Lions Club and cooked at the annual Lions Club Chicken Roast. He was also a charter member of Christ Lutheran Church in Byron, MN. He is survived by his daughters, Lynne (Dave) Baumann and Lisa Sotebeer; four granddaughters, Rachel (JC) Banea, Gabriela Schweizer, Lauren and Lindsey Baumann; sister-in-law, Tommie Sotebeer along with extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents; loving wife, Lois; brother, Andrew Jr. and brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Mardell Sotebeer. The family wishes to express their deep gratitude to all the friends, family and caregivers. A Celebration of Donald's life will be held 11:00 AM, Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at Christ Lutheran Church, 201 Frontage Rd. NW, Byron, MN 55920. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be at Woodville Cemetery, Waseca, MN. Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Sotebeer family; to share a special memory or condolence please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com. In lieu of flowers please direct memorials to Christ Lutheran Church of Byron, or an animal charity of your choice. If you wish to watch the live stream, please click the link: https://youtu.be/UWvWZWBBY-Y