Delores Bayer

Delores "Dee" Bayer, age 76 of Brooten, Minnesota died peacefully at her home on March 18, 2018.

A visitation will be held from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, March 22nd and on Friday from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Elrosa, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 23rd at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Elrosa with Father David Grundman presiding. Interment will follow in the parish cemetery.

Delores Darlene Damhof was born January 27, 1942 in Willmar, Minnesota, the second child of Anthony "Tony" James and Clara Anita Louise (Plumhoff) Damhof. She grew up in Willmar and graduated from Belgrade High School, Class of 1960. After graduation, Dee moved to Minneapolis where she worked for the Wyath Pharmaceutical Company as a secretary. Dee was united in marriage to Allen J. Bayer on July 30, 1966 in Elrosa, Minnesota. Al and Dee continued to live in Minneapolis after their marriage. Their home was the gathering place for friends and family to play cards and just enjoy each other's company. As Dee remembered, they always seemed to have overnight guests or someone living with them because they wanted to help a friend or family member. In 1973, Dee left her job at Wyath, moved from Minneapolis to Brooten and welcomed their only child, Jennifer into their home. After a few years, Dee took a job working at Harry's Bar in Elrosa and in 1980, the Bayer's purchased the Municipal Bar in Brooten and established Bayer's Bar in Brooten. Dee enjoyed operating their business and met so many great people who would make it a point to stop by Bayer's Bar as they traveled through Brooten. In 1990, the bar was sold, and Dee took on a new job at Brooten Area Labor Housing and worked with the migrants. This job would continue until her death.

Dee enjoyed playing cards, putting together difficult puzzles, entertaining and hosting lots of family get-togethers at her home. Going to the casino in search of "Red, White, and Blue Lucky 7's" was always a highlight! She was a hard worker and lived by the motto - "If you work hard, you must play hard!" and that she did. Dee could be found doing the daily Crossword Puzzle in the Willmar newspaper and enjoyed any type of game. It was a well-known fact that for Dee, spoiling her daughter, Jenny was a real treat!! Her generosity did not go unnoticed.

Dee will be deeply missed by her only daughter, Jennifer "Jenny" Bayer (Jamie Greig) of Chanhassen; sisters, Beatrice "Bea" (Roger) Sagadahl of Brooten, Mary (Merlin) Johnson of Hawick, and Ruth (Wesley) Von Eschen of Brooten; close family friend, Jennifer (Mike) Lehner of Brooten; Dee's in-laws, Bob and Marcia Bayer of Elrosa, Jim and Sue Bayer of Belgrade, Deb and Dan Haskamp of Saint Cloud, Pam and Bob Imdieke of Monticello, and Bruce and Peg Bayer of Paynesville; many nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Allen J. Bayer on April 7, 2005; her parents, Tony and Clara Damhof; one brother, Charles Damhof; and her mother and father-in-law, Alvina M. and Edmund M. Bayer.