John wanted to write his own obituary but never got around to it.  He couldn’t sit still, talked non-stop, worked tirelessly alongside Karen to build a life rich with family, community, and politics. He was busy.
 

The lone man in a family of four, he was surrounded by three powerful, amazing women. He was the perfect guy for the task.  Strong, sweet, nurturing, nerdy, wiry, wonky. He was reportedly good with dishes, baking bread, and Karmann Ghias.  He loved his job.
 

He adored and connected with his grandchildren. In the proud tradition of JLo and JLaw, he and Karen became Gpa and Gma. Even without a man-bun, the kids could plainly see that Gpa was hip. He wrote them a prolific series of long, creatively funny letters, plainly meant to congeal his unique legacy of oddness in their young teen minds.  This was successful.
 

He was a progressive activist and longtime member of the DFL Party who studied history and politics daily. No Twitter drivel surfing for him. He was deeply informed, brilliant, and creative. Broach nearly any topic, and he could deliver a dry, dead-on, quirky, pee-your-pants-funny point about it. This was his passion and his gift.
 

On February 2, 2023, John Deitering was finally laid to rest, at the age of 77, after a long battle with Republicans.
 

For those that want the full story, from the beginning: John David Deitering was born in Swea City, Iowa, and lived on a farm in Bancroft, Iowa, with his father, Arnold Emil Deitering, mother, Helen Marie Wilkinson, and seven siblings. After Helen passed away, John lived with his father and stepmother Josephine Neumann and four more siblings. At age 10, he attended Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska. After graduating in 1963, he attended the University of MN - Mankato where he met and married Karen Frederiksen from Hardwick, MN. He earned a Political Science and Economics degree in 1967. John and Karen settled in Buffalo, MN, in 1969, and through the years, they raised two daughters, entertained four grandchildren, and hosted six foreign exchange students. Their home was always open to family and friends, often hosting young relatives from Germany. 
 

John was self-employed in Wright County since 1972. Early businesses included moving and remodeling houses and insulating homes. In 1979, he owned a Delano woodworking company, Wheels by Bordein, providing wagon wheel fixtures for the lighting industry. In 1985, the company relocated to Howard Lake and expanded into a second business called The Cartmakers, which built retail merchandising units for malls, including Mall of America. Finally, he joined his wife in her tax preparation business in Buffalo, named Deitering McDonough Tax Service and later Deitering McClellan & Rassat Inc, retiring in 2014. John served as a Rockford Township Supervisor from 2005 to present.
 

John enjoyed politics. He was Mayor of Boys Town his senior year in high school, worked as a volunteer for Walter Mondale in Mankato as a college student, ran for MN Senate from Wright County in 2004, was vice chair for Wright County DFL, treasurer for MN senate and legislative candidates, cofounder of Wright County Indivisible, and an activist for the Democratic Party. He also enjoyed writing letters to the editor in support of equality for all, antidiscrimination, and government policy reform. 
 

John is preceded in death by his parents, Arnold and Helen Deitering; stepmother, Josephine Neumann; and siblings, Elizabeth (Tod) Simpson, Dennis (Patricia) Deitering, Rebecca (Jerry) Crimmins, and Frank (Holly, living) Deitering.
 

John is survived by his loving wife, Karen (Frederiksen) Deitering; children, Jill (Richard) Zurawski and Michelle Lee (Jene Worley); grandchildren, Kalyn Zurawski (PJ Heller), Abigail (Benjamin) Stewart, Matthew Grzybowski, and Elizabeth Grzybowski; and siblings, Cyril (Cheryl) Deitering, Donna (Victor, deceased) Chalhoub, Diane (Carlyle) Peterson, Joseph (Kathleen) Deitering, Louise (David) Hennessy, Evelyn Deitering, and Jerome (Pamela) Deitering.
 

John was dearly loved and will be missed by his family and many friends. A celebration of life will be held at a future date in May.