Donald Sattler

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My father, Donald Paul was born Oct. 21, 1943, in St. Paul to John and Jeanne (Trepanier) Sattler.

In 1964, he married Dorothy Fredrick in West Fargo, N.D. They later divorced, and in 1986, he remarried Kate Przybylski in La Crosse. He received his bachelor's degree from Winona State University in 1992 and EMT in 1999. He was formerly employed as

an orderly at Community Memorial Hospital, job coach at Winona Occupational Rehabilitation Center and a program assistant at Home and Community Options. Music and art were Don's passions. He was a professional musician for many years and taught drums and guitar in North Dakota and Minnesota.

Don is survived by his wife, Kate of Winona; five children, Sara and Cindy Sattler of Chaska, Minn., Melissa, Amanda and John Sattler, all of Winona; four grandchildren, Jamie, Dray, Abbey, & Owen; his father, John of Minneapolis; a brother, Greg of Lisbon, N.D.; a sister, Jeannine (Jim) Dunbar of St. Paul; dearest friend, Carolyn Hill of Wabasha, Minn.; and many dear nieces, nephews and other relatives.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Jeanne; a sister, Anne Hawkinson; and three brothers, Chuck, Gene and Brad.

Don was an amazing father, grandfather, husband, and friend. He had a wonderful sense of humor and his spirit was welcoming and calming. He was always engaged in books and television programs regarding history, and collecting war memoribilia was one of his many passions. Decorating my mother's home are several beautiful paintings and drawings he created throughout his college years and beyond. They reveal the way he interpreted the world and the beauty he saw around him, even obscured beauty that may not have been recognizable to the naked eye. He was a deep thinker, an old soul, and wise. Though quietly thoughtful and at times withdrawn, he was the leader and emotional caretaker of the home. He knew how to lift the burden of stress and instill hope for life in dark times. He was and is a light in my life.

My favorite memories include reading books together and listening to music with him. He used to watch my siblings and I at the pool, always with a diet coke in hand and a book on his lounge chair. He entertained us with stories and impressions, (cheech and chong, german officer, russian, etc) often, and his laugh was contagious. I loved his enthusiasm and his computer of a mind. He stored facts and quotes and memories and never ceased to amaze anyone with this knowledge. I'm sure my friends visited just to spend time with him!

I miss him, and I look for him still. I have dreams about him often, and usually he is tan and carrying travel brochures. I'm positive that is his way of saying he is in paradise right now. I can't wait to see his smile and his eyes, and to hug him again.

Memorial Tributes To Donald

Those we love don't go away, They walk beside us every day, Unseen, unheard, but always near, Still loved, still missed and very dear.
God Bless Donald.
love to your dear family x

Left by maureen 01/03/11

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Memorial Poems Left For Donald

Written by my father...

-Uncle Jimmy's Flag
When I was a boy I was very patriotic, maybe more so than other kids because the flag that flew over our school was the same one that draped my Uncle Jimmy's coffin. He was my idol. A decorated American hero who fought in WWII and was killed in Korea. I'll never forget that cold and windy day at the cemetery. I watched with awe and reverence as the soldiers fired their rifles, the bugler blew taps and the honor guard folded the flag and presented it to my mother. She stood there with tears flowing down her face and accepted it. She was the last living member of her family. Shortly after, she gave the flag to the school. I went out and bought a new one and folded it the same way the honor guard did. I called it "Uncle Jimmy's Flag" and kept it with his medals.
As I grew older my reverence for the flag started to diminish because of events that kept happening over and over again. Vietnam, Watergate and the Iran Contra affair when Reagan did business with Iran and armed the Latin American guerillas in Nicaragua. Currently, in the most flagrant assault on our constitution ever, this (Bush)administration has brought us to a new low in the eyes of the world. In a war of naked aggression, innocent civilians and our troops are killed and maimed every day. This sleazy cabal works in the shadows to hijack our civil rights using torture, fear and lies. Their names are Bush; Cheney; Rice; Rumsfeld; Wolfewitz; et al.
As usual, around election time, the republicans bring out their burning issue of flag desecration. To protest, I thought I'd burn Uncle Jimmy's flag in public, but when I unfolded it, I was stunned to see that it was covered in blood. I clearly saw each little drop from Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. Upon seeing this, I decided I would wait until the people named above are tried in the war crimes tribunal in the Hague. Then, I won't have to burn my flag, I'll just wash the blood off.

Don Sattler

Left by Owens_Mama 05/04/11

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