Wayne Charles Summer

Wayne Summer, 81 of Alexandria, passed away on June 23, 2026 at Nelson Care Center by Vivie in Alexandria. A Memorial service in memory of Wayne will be held on Monday, June 29, 2026 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Alexandria beginning at 11:00 AM. Visitation will be on Sunday, June 28, 2026 at St. Mary's Catholic Church from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM, with parish prayers taking place at 5:00 PM. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Monday. Burial will be at Camp Ripley Veteran's Cemetery in Little Falls, MN at a later date.

Wayne Charles Summer was born on March 28th, 1945 to Lester and Martha (Grossman) Summer in Graceville, MN. Wayne grew up on his family farm near Chokio and attended public school, graduating with the class of 1963. 

Following high school Wayne went on to attend Dunwoody College in Minneapolis for mechanical training. Eventually Wayne felt the farm calling him back, so he returned to Chokio where he farmed with his dad. Not long after his homecoming, Wayne learned he was going to be drafted into the US Army for the Vietnam War. And, not one to back down from a challenge, Wayne chose to instead enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. His reason for this was knowing if he was going to war, he wanted to challenge himself with what he thought was the toughest, best branch of the military. Wayne served in Vietnam as a communication center lead, earning an honorable discharge at the rank of Sergeant after two years of service. When he came home, he started his own agriculture spraying business, flying airplanes and getting his helicopter certification. He did that until taking over the family farm from his dad, Les. 

On June 5, 1983, Wayne married the love of his life, Kathleen Nelson. The couple had many great seasons, successfully farming their land until their retirement in 1998. During these years, the couple were blessed with two sons, Josh and Ben.

After retiring from farming, Wayne would help out his neighbors or friends with harvest, planting, or other various jobs as needed. Combining corn was his favorite thing to do and he was lucky to operate a combine for himself or friends each harvest season until the year before he passed.

When not spending time on the tractor or in the field, Wayne loved to be with his family and friends – especially his grandkids. He loved playing cards, fishing, farming, tinkering on projects, and wintering in warmer weather with Kathy. In 2022, Wayne and Kathy started spending the colder months in Texas after Kathy’s retirement. The couple always looked forward to seeing their friends in Paradise Park, the above-zero temperatures, shuffle board, and the pool. 

While Wayne and Kathy remained connected in the Chokio community, the couple moved to Nelson Lake just west of Alexandria in 2007. Wayne enjoyed fixing up and working on their retirement home to make it perfect for Kathy and his family. 

Wayne was rarely idle. He was an active member of the Chokio American Legion - Post 629 as the past commander and Sergeant of Arms for the Firing Squad. He was an active member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in both Alexandria and Chokio. He sang on the St. Mary’s Church Choir, was an usher and a Sunday school teacher in the Chokio parish, and frequently enjoyed being a greeter. Wayne also spent time working with Caring and Sharing and serving on the Environmental Committee in Alexandria. When not volunteering his time, Wayne loved fishing, especially with his grandsons on Nelson Lake. He enjoyed his breakfast trips with his family, friends, and his motorcycle buddies. Wayne was very handy with any mechanical, woodworking, and metal work things. There was no project that was out of his scope. Some of his accomplishments noted building his home and grain setup on the farm, remodeling his lake home, helping his son’s fix up their homes, and building small tractors for each of his grandsons to have. 

Wayne will be remembered for his smile, infectious laugh, warm heart, how he could make anybody feel appreciated, as well as his faith. Through all of life’s challenges, he kept his smile and always made sure he was taking care of others first. He was the definition of what it meant to live your life as a good man. 

Left to cherish Wayne’s memory are his wife of over 43 years, Kathy Summer of Alexandria; sons: Josh (Beth) Summer of Alexandria, Ben (Brianna) Summer of Alexandria; grandsons: Jacob, Mason, and Jerimiah, all of Alexandria; sisters: Sharon, Ann, Rebecca, and Sally; as well as many other beloved relatives and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Martha Summer; parents-in-law, Leonard and Judy Nelson; and daughter-in-law, Jessica Summer.