Wayne Kutzer

Wayne Eugene Kutzer, 69, passed away peacefully in his home near Tintah, MN, on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, surrounded by his wife and children. He had been under hospice care. His memorial service will be held on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 11 am, with visitation beginning at 9:30 am, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Campbell, MN.  

Wayne was born to Helen and Eugene “Gene” Kutzer on May 22, 1956. He was baptized at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Fairmount, ND, and grew up attending Campbell-Tintah Public School in Campbell, MN. After graduating in 1975, he entered the Diesel Mechanics program at Moorhead Technical College, where he studied for two years before returning to full-time farming. He was the fourth generation of Kutzers to farm the family operation, which was recognized as a Minnesota Century Farm in 2007.

He married Linda Kay Ista on July 13, 1991, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Wahpeton, ND. They made their home on the Kutzer family farm, where they raised their son, Scott, and daughter, Mackenzie.

As a child and all through his life, he loved tinkering, building, and repurposing “old” into “new.” From erector sets and custom bicycles to motorcycles, cars, machinery, and beyond, he could always be trusted to fix something broken or turn it into something new. He was barely in high school when he drove a mini bike into the shop and drove it out as a go-kart, to name one of his many projects. One of his favorite things to build was bonfires – the bigger, the better. He was also artistic, with a knack for drawing and designing. He loved music and was an excellent guitar player.

After retiring from full-time farming, he kept himself plenty busy maintaining the farmstead. He enjoyed working in his shop with scrap metal, antique tools, retired equipment, and whatever he could find to make beautiful sculptures to decorate the yard and Linda’s gardens. He was a collector by nature and a meticulous steward of everything he owned. He deeply cherished everything left behind by his dad, grandpa, and great-grandpa before him and was proud to own such an extensive physical history of the farm and homestead.

When he wasn’t tending to the farm and his shop of treasures, he enjoyed seeing friends to reminisce, swap stories, tell jokes, and trade ideas. He couldn’t go anywhere without running into at least one friend to catch up with, whether at a local watering hole or back at his shop for “shop talks” with buddies. You could always count on his famous “Toodle-oo!” before parting ways. He had too many fun expressions to count, and a nickname for everyone: his wife he lovingly referred to as “Hun Bun,” his son “Bud,” his daughter-in-law “Louie,” and his daughter “Doodles.” Wayne was active in his community, having served on several boards, including Cenex and Campbell Farmers’ Elevator, and as a church member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Campbell, MN.

Wayne will be greatly missed by his wife of 34 years, Linda; mother, Helen Kutzer; son, Scott (Lois) Vorachek; daughter, Mackenzie Kutzer; sister, Beverly Terhurne; sister, Lori Kutzer (Kim Gutzmer), and her son, Joe Harper; sister-in-law, Jane (Randy) Allenstein, and their children, James and Kelly; sister-in-law Annette (Laurel) Johnson, and their children, Nick, Nathan, and Cory; and many more family members and dear friends.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Florence and Herb Kutzer; Myrtle and Paul Lehman, Sr.; father, Eugene Kutzer; mother and father-in-law, DeAnn and Allen Ista; brother-in-law, Timothy Terhurne; brother-in-law, Greg Ista; and several aunts and uncles.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to HIA (Hearts in Action) Hospice, Richland Wilkin Food Pantry, and the Campbell and Fairmount Fire Departments.

Wayne’s family would like to extend their sincere thanks to the wonderful caregivers with HIA Hospice for their help and comfort during his last days.