Brian Chester Sommers

Brian Chester Sommers, 35 years, 6 months and 17 days old, of Waseca, Minnesota passed away as a result of injuries sustained in a work accident on January 9th, 2024.

Brian was born on June 23rd, 1988, to Mark Sommers and Rebecca (Bartelt) Sommers in Waseca, MN. He was raised on his family’s dairy farm alongside his two older brothers (Brandon and Matthew) and one younger sister (Mindy).

He enjoyed playing sports, especially football and wrestling. He currently holds the Waseca High School record for the fastest pin. Brian was a senior captain for both football and wrestling. If not on the practice field or wrestling room for his own practices, you could often find him there guiding the youth wrestlers during their club practices. He was involved in YSL, 4-H, FFA and anything related to farming. Brian graduated with the Class of 2007 from Waseca High School.

Brian attended Ridgewater College in Willmar, MN, for Dairy Management and graduated in 2009. While he was at college he worked at the Schueler’s dairy farm, Deerview Dairy LLLP. He then returned home to work on the dairy farm with his dad and brother, which included purchasing his own cows. Brian and his brother Matthew started Sommers Brothers Custom Baling LLC in 2006, specializing in large square baling for customers in Waseca County and its surrounding counties. He acted as the customer’s first point of contact and was the face in the tractor. His wife and four children could often be found tagging along with him.

Brian met the love of his life, Kirsten Muotka in Kindergarten. They were united in marriage on February 21st, 2015, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Waseca and were married for 8 years, 10 months and 19 days, but were a couple for 16 years, 6 months and 5 days total. His wife, Kirsten, and their four children, Owen, Caden, Evelyn and Jameson, were his entire world. They meant absolutely everything to him and made him so proud.

Brian and Kirsten spent countless hours with their kids in the 4-H and Open Class dairy show ring showing their beloved dairy cows. They were especially proud of their dairy heifers Hazel and Ruby, who they purchased together to start a show herd for their children. Brian was a 4-H volunteer with a love and passion for dairy cows. At the Waseca County Fair, he was more than happy to share his knowledge about fitting a cow for the show and showing them in the show ring. If not baling, milking cows or breaking heifers with his children, you could find him playing catch with them and the neighbors’ children. He was the designated “all-time quarterback.” They practiced the plays and routes until they ran them the right way. For an unknown reason, the grass in the Sommers’ yard and their next-door neighbor’s yard grew the best — even though it was trampled on day and night by Brian and the neighborhood kids.

Brian shared his passion for football and wrestling by coaching Owen’s and Caden’s youth football teams during the last couple of seasons. He also assisted in the wrestling room by helping the young wrestlers to perfect their wrestling moves and encouraging them to never give up. Brian claimed he did not know a thing about hockey but would be the first to offer Evelyn advice after her games. He was always teaching Jameson about his older siblings’ activities. Beginning in 2012, he became involved with the Waseca County American Dairy Association. He had held various leadership positions, including those of director and since 2014, co-treasurer. While he was proud of the positions he held, he knew the bookwork the treasurer position required was best left in the hands of his wife. Brian most recently joined the Waseca Wrestling Club Board and was working diligently on bringing back the “Fastest Pin” award to the youth tournament in February. Brian was often found volunteering anywhere you needed help; he was your guy.

Flowers and Christmas lights brought him joy, and he would place them everywhere around the home and yard. Around the holiday season, Brian took great pleasure in putting up as many lights as possible on his house, in his trees and in his yard for anyone who saw them to enjoy. There were never enough lights for Brian.

He preferred country music to any other type of music but would jam out and sing to anything the kids wanted to listen to in the tractor or the vehicle. Red tractors were Brian’s way to go.

“If it ain’t red, leave it in the shed.”

Brian was a self-employed dairy farmer for the majority of his life until April of 2022. After the herd was sold, he worked at Berry Pallets in Waseca until July of 2023. He most recently worked for the Waseca County Highway Department and was proud to obtain his CDL and drive the plow truck. Brian continued to crop farm, run his baling business and raise dairy heifers until his passing.  Brian was a member of St. John Lutheran Church, but regularly attended Mass with his family at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. This was always followed by a pizza ranch outing.

Brian is survived by his wife, Kirsten (Muotka) Sommers; children: Owen (11.83 years old), Caden (9.08 years old), Evelyn (9 days shy of 7 years old) and Jameson (2.92 years old); parents: Mark Sommers and Rebecca Sommers (special friend Matthew Harguth); siblings: Brandon (Kelly) Sommers and their children Carter and Ivy, Matthew (Nicole) Sommers and their children Danielle and Henry, and Mindy (Scott) Jewison and their children Eleanor and Lucille; In-laws: parents-in-law, Timothy and Vicki Muotka, sisters-in-law, Allison (Jeremiah Laughlin) Muotka, Haley (Trey Zahradka) Muotka and Madeline Muotka, grandmother-in-law Dianne Johnson. He is also survived by many other beloved relatives and friends.

Brian is preceded in death by his paternal grandparents Marvin and Dolores Sommers, maternal grandparents James (Pa) Bartelt and Dianne Bartelt, grandparents-in-law Marvin Muotka, Gwendolyn Muotka and Nestor Johnson, aunt Pamela Vaughan, aunts-in-law Cynthia Muotka and Karen Johnson and cousin Nicholas Bartelt.

Visitation will be Sunday, January 14, 2:00 PM-6:00 PM, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Waseca, MN. Funeral service will be Monday, January 15, 11:00 AM at Sacred Heart Church, Waseca, MN. Arrangements are by the Dennis-Steffel-Omtvedt Funeral and Cremation Service, Waseca Minnesota.  dsofuneral.com