Allan Keith Sather was born at Harmony Hospital in Harmony, Minn., to Gordon Arthur Sather and Miriam Russell Sather on April 7, 1955. Allan died peacefully at the age of 69 on June 9, 2024, at his home in Ellettsville, Ind.
Allan graduated from Mabel-Canton High School in 1973 and from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, with degrees in history and business management in 1977. After his graduation from Luther, he went to work as a management trainee for Saga Corporation. The first year he was with Saga he moved five times, finally settling in Omaha, Nebr., as the food service director at the College of Saint Mary. After two years at CSM he was promoted to food service director of Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa. During his tenure he helped supervise the design of the dining and kitchen facilities in the new Harold W. Siebens Forum and School of Business. Later he worked at Central Methodist College in Fayette, Mo., and the University of Evansville in Evansville, Ind. This was followed by a 3 ½-year stay at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. While at SIU he was an adjunct instructor in the department of Animal Sciences, Food, and Nutrition and was named Manager of the Year for the Midwest region by Marriott Corporation in 1989. In September 1991 he was the senior food director at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He then served as food service director for 16 years at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. In 2010, he made a career change – serving as the office manager for Sather Management Corporation (a McDonald’s restaurant franchise) until his retirement in August 2022.
Allan was baptized, confirmed, and was a life-long member of the Canton-Scotland Presbyterian Church of Canton, Minn., serving as a Church Elder at the time of his death. He was also an affiliate of the First Presbyterian Church of Bloomington, Ind. Pastor Tommy Grimm of Bloomington described him as an integral part of church community, blessing all with his gentle spirit, active mind, eagerness to serve, and advocacy for the less fortunate.
A history enthusiast, Allan spent much of his free time researching and writing about his family heritage, church and community.
Allan is survived by his brothers Marc (Jeanne Barre) in Albuquerque, N. Mex., and Britt in Fort Wayne, Ind.; eight nieces and nephews: Ryan (Kathy) Sather – children Audrey and Vivian in Dallas, Tex.; Brandon (Jessica) Sather – children Cameron and Everett in Nashville, Tenn.; Jack Sather in Fort Wayne, Ind.; Henry Sather in Shirley, Ind.; Kassandra (Ryan) Supalla – children Ella, Nora, Savannah, and Sadie in Brooklyn Park, Minn.; Katie (Micah) Brewer – children Charley and Rowen in New Castle, Ind.; and very special friends Greg and Linda Turner in Mabel, Minn., and Kirsten and Doug Wyffels – children Drew and Lauren in Mabel, Minn.
The memorial service for Allan K. Sather will be held Sunday, July 21, 2024, at 2 p.m. at the Canton-Scotland Presbyterian Church, 104 Fillmore Ave. West, Canton, Minn. Interment will be at 11:30 a.m. at the Elliota Cemetery, 351st Ave. Canton, Minn. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.
Memorials are preferred to the Canton-Scotland Presbyterian Church, Canton Historical Society, or Elliota Cemetery.