Bob Utendorfer

Surrounded by his loving family, Bob Utendorfer passed away on January 18, 2025 due to complications from a recent heart attack and Parkinson’s Disease. Bob was 72 years old.

Robert Stanley Utendorfer was born on February 20, 1952 in Gaylord, Minnesota. The son of Stanley and Wanda Utendorfer, Bob grew up west of Arlington on a mink ranch that his family operated. Bob was baptized and confirmed at the United Methodist Church in Arlington. In 1970, Bob graduated from Arlington-Green Isle High School.

Growing up Bob loved the outdoors, working at an early age on the mink ranch and exploring the woods around Altnow Lake, near his home. Years later, Bob and Gwen would build a home near that same woods and Bob spent countless hours showing his children and grandchildren where he grew up.

In high school Bob played football and had a love for music. He had a beautiful voice, sang in the high school choir, and played clarinet in the high school band. It was in high school that Bob met the true love of his life, a saxophone player named Gwen Locher. Bob and Gwen shared the same exact birthday and year, February 20, and soon would share their life together when they were married at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Green Isle on August 19, 1972. When Bob started dating Gwen he soon realized that there was a tag-along everywhere they went. Gwen’s sister, Cyndy, was 11 years younger and she was not about to leave the two of them alone.

After high school Bob attended Mankato Vo-Tech for heating and refrigeration. After spending one year working in Mankato, and then at Farmhand in Green Isle, Bob started working with his father-in-law, Bud, at Locher Bros. Starting off with delivering and sales, Bob worked his way to President in 1999, a position he held until the business was sold in 2022. Bob was immensely proud of the beer distributing business he helped build with the original Locher brothers, Bud and Joe, and Joe’s son, Butch. Locher Bros. was often recognized and awarded for excelling in sales in many categories, including the national Miller Masters Award. It was truly a family business, all of Bob and Gwen’s children worked for Locher Bros, but Bob took it a step further, treating all employees like family.

Bob and Gwen raised three children, Daniel, Melissa and Paul, in Arlington. While raising children, Bob and Gwen were active in the community; Bob volunteered with the Arlington Jaycees and Arlington Auxiliary Police. Bob enjoyed bowling, hunting with his children and grandchildren and fishing with his father-in-law, Bud. At a young age Bob fell in love with motorcycles, a passion that continued into his adult life when Bob and Gwen would take motorcycle trips around Minnesota.

Bob and Gwen were married for 52 years.  In addition to raising three children, Bob and Gwen were proud grandparents to nine grandchildren and one great grandchild. Bob was always happiest when he was on the porch, in the woods, or admiring his perfectly manicured lawn with his grandchildren.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Stanley and Wanda Utendorfer, his sister, Helen Foley and brother-in-law, Ron Foley, and his mother and father-in-law, Alfred “Bud” and Shirley Locher. Bob is loved and will be remembered by his wife, Gwendolyn, his children Daniel (Beckyjo) Utendorfer, Melissa (Brian) Jenneke and Paul (Misty) Utendorfer, his grandchildren, Zach (Natalie), Ali, Breea, Owen (Kennedie), Devon (Riley), Brady, Maddy, Megan and Natalie, his great grandchild, Henry, his sister-in-law, Cyndy (Dan) and his nieces and nephew, Adam (Melissa), Alena, Clare (Stephen), and Hannah, along with great-nephews, Dylan & Brayden.

Funeral Service will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at American Lutheran Church in Gaylord. Rev. Paul Kratzke will officiate. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday the 21st at American Lutheran Church in Gaylord and continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday morning.  Interment will follow the service at Arlington Public Cemetery, followed by lunch and fellowship at the Arlington Community Center.  Memorials are preferred to the American Lutheran Church in Gaylord.