The funeral mass for Joseph "Joe" Sanders will be at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 23, at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church, 419 West Lyon Avenue, Lake City, with Father Joseph P. Pete officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Lake City.

Mr. Sanders, 106, of Red Wing and formerly of Lake City, passed away early Friday morning, March 17, 2017 at St. Crispin Care Center in Red Wing.

Joseph Otto Sanders was born January 21, 1911 on a farm near Dumfries in Glasgow Township, just miles west of Wabasha. He was the first child of Otto and Rose (Wilde) Sanders. His siblings were Violet, Jeanette, Richard, Eugene, and Cecelia. He attended District #67 school just a half-mile from the Sanders farm. In those days living on a farm, everyone pitched in working on the farm chores at an early age. At thirteen he was driving a team of horses for threshing and haying. He worked on the family farm until he was twenty one.

On April 7, 1932 he married Rosella Sommers. They had three boys, Merlyn, Gary, and Lynn. Joe and Rosella started marriage farming, while on the farm he also trucked livestock to St. Paul stock yards, and he also bought a sawmill and sawed lumber for neighbors. When one tractor was not powerful enough he would hook up two tractors to the sawmill. When he wanted more power, he bought a steam engine and generated plenty of power. Joe worked for a rock crushing company, as the diesel shovel operator. In 1946 he bought a tavern in Pine Island which was quite successful, but sold due to long hours and lack of good help. Joe was self-employed as a painter of houses and farms and later worked as a supervisor building Quonset type houses. He then pursued an implement business in Pine Island, adding custom combining. His last business was a successful bulk milk route hauling for the Pine Island Cheese Factory that he operated until he retired. Rosella died in 1988 at the age of 73. In 1989 he married Marie Bennerotte and she died in 2004.

Joe enjoyed traveling with his motor homes, and in his early retirement years he spent several winter in Texas. He worked hard and lived a long life.

Joe is survived by two sons, Merlyn (Marguerite) Sanders of Rosemount, and Gary (Jan) Sanders of Bloomington; five grandchildren, Christine DeLaRosa, Cathy (Erik) Weis, Carol (Shane) Gatz, Michael (Heather) Sanders, Matthew (Leah) Sanders; twelve great-grandchildren, Nicole DeLaRosa, Anthony DeLaRosa, Haley Weis, Grant Weis, Hunter Weis, Regan Gatz, Lauren Gatz, Cullen Gatz, Sydney Sanders, Brielle Sanders, Samantha Sanders, and Jack Sanders; one sister, Cecelia Danckwart of Lake City. Joe was preceded in death by his wives, son, Lynn, and siblings, Violet Sprick Irvin, Jeannette Danckwart, Richard Sanders, and Eugene Sanders.

Friends and family may visit from 10:00 a.m. on Thursday until the time of service at the church.

Memorials are preferred to the charity of your choice.