Jerome Sobotta

Jerome A. Sobotta, age 81, of Fountain City, passed away on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at Mayo Health System, Franciscan Medical Center in La Crosse. He was born on August 7, 1935 in Arcadia, WI to Clifford and Sofie (Bautch) Sobotta, Sr. On May 28, 1960, Jerome was united in marriage to Mary Lou Neitzel at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Fountain City. To this union five children were born. Jerome was employed at Archer Daniels and then the fertilizer plant in Winona before he moved to Canada Ridge in the Town of Cross, Buffalo County and began farming in partnership with his brother and sister in law, David and Delores Neitzel. He retired from farming in 2000. He then began working at Quality Sheet Metal Fabricators in Winona, retiring in 2006. Jerome was a man who enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, fishing or doing his favorite outdoor activity…cutting wood. His family will remember him for the love of “Green Tractors”, Sunday joy rides throughout the countryside or how he loved to be an inventor. He was very meticulous with his machinery and automobiles. None of his implements were put away without being cleaned and cared for after being used and his automobiles never missed an oil change. He would always say “I did things once and I did them right…that’s why I was only married once”. Jerome will be sadly missed by his wife of the past 56 years Mary Lou of Fountain City; his children, Gerald (Tanya) of Alma, Allen (Brenda) of Buffalo City, Rosemary Rieck of La Crosse, Kenneth (Wendy) of Fountain City and Sandra (special friend, Duane Chadbourn) Sobotta of Winona; 8 grandchildren, Michael, Jessica, Kelsey, Miranda, Jon, Nicole, Cody and Josh; 5 step-grandchildren, Michael, Derek, Tim and Danielle Nelson; and Haley Chadbourn; a loving bunch of great-grandchildren; 2 brothers, LaVerne (Lorraine) Sobotta and Gary Sobotta; 2 sisters, Annette (Gerry) Guist and Luann (Morris) Guine; also by nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Besides his parents, Jerome was preceded in death by his brother, Clifford, Jr. and a son in law, Rob Rieck. A memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at 10:30 AM at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Fountain City with Father Brian Jazdzewski as Celebrant. Inurnment will follow at the parish cemetery. A memorial gathering will be held on Friday, March 17, 2017 from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM and again on Saturday one hour prior to the Mass all at the church.