John Edwin Shoemaker

John Edwin Shoemaker, age 81, passed away at home unexpectedly, from heart failure, on Wednesday evening, October 14, 2020.

Public visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, October 19, 2020 at the Mankato Mortuary, 1001 N. Riverfront Drive, Mankato. A private family service will be held at Grace Lutheran Church in Mankato. A public interment will be held at 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Mankato.

John, the son of Fredric Joseph and Evelyn Hope (Babcock) Shoemaker, was born on September 2, 1939, in St. Paul.  He enjoyed his youth there, where his family lived between Como Park and the State Fair.  He fondly remembered many days exploring those areas with his sister and friends.  Afterwards, he spent his teens in Mitchell, SD, and Albert Lea, where he graduated from high school.  He went to college at Mankato State, earning a BA and BS in math, with minors in biology, chemistry, and physics.  While at college, he met his future wife, Dianne, the younger sister of his roommate.  Early in his career, he taught math at MSU while taking graduate classes and later taught high school math.  He then went on to work in the computer divisions of Hubbard Milling and Hickory Tech until his retirement.  

John loved baseball, following the MN Twins and all the teams avidly.  Every year he had new "500 Home Run Club" t-shirts and sweatshirts printed.  He also enjoyed yearly week-long family vacations to Lake Superior, as well as vacations in the eastern and western U.S. John was an active member of Grace Lutheran Church, serving over the years on the church council and the choir. He also enjoyed his Saturday noon lunches at River Hills food court, his activities with the Mankato German Stammtisch Club, and visiting the Mankato Pow-Wow and Minnesota Renaissance Festival each year.

John is survived by his wife of 54 years, Dianne, and by his daughter, Rebecca Patton (husband Charles) of Ashburn, VA, and son, James of Brooklyn Park, MN.  He is also survived by his sister, Sara Paulson of Bend, OR, and by brother- and sister-in-law, Earl and Elfriede Gildemeister of North Mankato and by brother-in-law, Morris Gildemeister of Hastings, MN, as well as one cousin and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, uncle Maltbie Babcock, and aunt Joy Babcock.