George Arthur Sautter

1941 - 2023

Littlefork - George Arthur Sautter, 82, of Littlefork, MN, passed away to heaven on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at the Littlefork Care Center.

While George was currently living in Littlefork to be closer to his daughter, he always called LeCenter, MN, his home. George was born February 11, 1941, to Joseph and Rosella (Feany) Sautter. He was the third of four children: Leonard, Joannie (Schwartz), George, and Jim.

When the good Lord needed a hard-working, talented, musically-inclined, and gifted baker and expert gardener-he made George. Many, many people enjoyed the homemade fruit pies, bread, and cookies that came from George's kitchen. Many people may not know that the cherries for his famous cherry pies came from George's own cherry trees. People who listened hard enough at the right time could hear George singing in his best operatic voice as he walked the rows in his gardens and field. George could hear a bird's call and imitate it to near perfection. The harvests from his garden filled many plates at many tables.

George also worked a hot, dirty, and hard job as a Die Cast Operator at LeSueur Incorporated until his retirement at age 62. It was a retirement that was deserved and well-earned. For more than 35 years, he spent countless days drenched in sweat and covered in filth. But he resolutely got up and did it again the next day to provide for his family. George spent 20 years in retirement. Most of that time was spent pursuing what he enjoyed and found rewarding.

George married Patricia Anne Croes on June 14, 1969. They started out their marriage in a very old, rented farmhouse west of LeCenter, where they also raised their children, Aaron and Amy. That old house was home to more than George and his family. A large colony of bats lived in the drafty attic, and George often had to run around the house with a bath towel to catch a bat that had lost its way and release it back outside. Aaron and Amy have fond memories of sitting next to their dad on the back steps of that old house, watching as the bats came out at night. They would watch and laugh together as the bats swooped down close to them and fly up and away at "just the right time."

Doing things at "just at the right time" was a motto George lived by. He never wanted to make mistakes, and sometimes pondered on decisions for a long time. He didn't want to do something sooner or later than needed. Things needed to happen "at the right time" and in the end, they usually did.

In 1985, George and Pat purchased Pat's childhood home in LeCenter. Living in "the city" was an adjustment for George. He wasn't fond of the noise and busy-ness of the street near the house. But he adjusted by keeping his little plot of land as rural as he could. He grew his own fruit trees, farmed his few acres, and raised chickens and turkeys. Occasionally, the turkeys would wander across that busy street to the elementary school playground to watch the kids play baseball or play on the swings and slide. Each day at 6:00 PM, the bells from St. Paul's Church were easily heard from George's garden where he'd often be found winding down watering and weeding his plants after a hard day at work. George would stop singing or whistling to listen to the heavenly bells that he enjoyed hearing every day.

George's health began to decline in his late 70s. In 2018, he moved to an apartment in Mankato, MN, to be closer to his son Aaron. He always wanted to return to his beloved home in LeCenter, but his declining health kept him close to his son. In 2020, as his need for more care increased, George moved "up north" to be closer to Amy. George struggled with progressive Alzheimer's, but never lost his personality or his ability to express his own wishes until the end.

George was preceded in death by his parents, brother Leonard, and wife Pat. Also preceding George were many beloved pets including the famous "Poochie," who was known all over LeCenter and the surrounding areas. He is survived by his son Aaron, daughter-in-law Elizabeth, and their children Daniel and Isabelle; his daughter Amy and her husband Duane; his sister Joannie (Sautter) Schwartz; brother Jim Sautter; and their families, including many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who love him very much, and have fond memories of their Uncle and Cousin George. The relationships he had with them were very special and meaningful to him.

Per George's wishes, his earthly body was cremated, and he left instructions with Aaron and Amy for handling his remains. There will be a celebration of George's life in the summer. The next time you hear the church bells, enjoy a slice of cherry pie, or bite into a delicious chocolate chip cookie, think of George and say a prayer. As he would say, he "finished well" and he did it at "just the right time . . . each to their own."