John R. Winters

John R. Winters, age 75 of West Union, passed away unexpectedly from natural causes on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at his home in West Union, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, September 9, at St. Alexius Catholic Church in West Union with Rev. Kevin Soenneker officiating with Rev. David Grundman and Rev. Mark Botzet concelebrating. Interment will be held in the parish cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and from 10 to 10:45 a.m Wednesday at St. Alexius Catholic Church in West Union. Parish prayers will begin at 4 p.m., followed by the St. Joseph’s Society leading the Rosary at 6 p.m.

John Robert Winters was born August 30, 1951 in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, to Verne and Esther (Bromenshenkel) Winters. He graduated from Sauk Centre High School in 1969. He was united in marriage to Catherine “Cathy” Grundman on July 22, 1978 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Osakis, Minnesota. John ran West Union Service for over 50 years. Working with his brother, Gary, the shop became so much more than a mechanic shop. It was a place for people to gather, visit, and solve all the world’s problems.

With his wife, Cathy, they built a home outside of West Union. Together, they raised six kids. He served as the best role model and helped his kids until the day he died. In his free time, he enjoyed farming with his brother, Ron and his brother-in-law Danny Meyer, hauling golf carts for his son Matt, and giving his grandkids golf cart rides. He also enjoyed giving a hard time to absolutely anyone he came across.

John enjoyed helping anyone, especially his kids and St. Alexius Catholic Church. He loved helping at the Sausage Supper, socializing with people from under his shade tree at the West Union Fourth of July parade, and making sauerkraut with his family. John was an avid State Fair attendee, and yes, he went this year.

He was a man who worked hard, lived with integrity, and truly made the world a better place.

He will be missed by all who knew him.

Survivors include his wife, Cathy Winters; children, Matt (Shelly) Winters, Mark (April) Winters, Tom (Erin) Winters, Paul (Becky) Winters, Michelle Winters, and Katie (Eliah) Anderson; 15 grandchildren, Luke, Jack, Joseph, and Leo Winters, Michael, Sloane, and Marlowe Winters, Johnny, William, James, and Adeline Winters, Max, Millie, and Maisy Winters, and Archie Anderson; brothers and sisters, Ron (Nancy) Winters, Rita Winters, Gary Winters (Patty Becker), and Liz Melby (Mark Bartholet); mother-in-law, Marilyn Grundman; in-laws, Jim (Ruth) Grundman, Tom (Kasey) Grundman, Teresa (Danny) Meyer, Fr. David Grundman, Peggy “Toots” (Dave) Becker, Sandy (Mike) Moritz, Linda (Larry) Keenan, Judy Cazeao, Marilou (Pat) Exner, Jennifer (Randy) Rodgers, and many nieces and nephews.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Verne and Esther Winters; siblings and in-laws, Beverly and Richard Friedrichs, Jim and Mary Winters, Susan Winters, Mike Melby, and Rudy Cazeao; and father-in-law, Herb Grundman.