Bernard Bot

Bernard John Bot was born on June 13, 1924, in Grandview Township to Charles and Elizabeth (Brewers) Bot. He attended St. Eloi Catholic School in Ghent, three years of Catholic Prep School at St. John’s, and graduated as Valedictorian from Catholic High School in Grand Rapids, MI. Barney was drafted into the U.S. Navy and served during World War II. After his honorary discharge, he returned to Southwest Minnesota to begin his farming career. On June 27, 1957, he was united in marriage to Alice Schmit. The couple farmed and raised their family in the Minneota area. Barney was very devoted to his family. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and was very interested and involved with their lives. He also enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles, geography and cribbage. Barney was very active at St. Edward Catholic Church and was one of the first Lectors and Communion Distributors after Vatican II. He was a former member of the St. Edward Catholic School Board and a more than sixty year member of the American Legion Post 564 of Ghent. Barney died on Wednesday, October 24, 2007, at the Avera Marshall Medical Center in Marshall. He is survived by his wife, Alice, of Minneota, daughter Lois and her husband Doug Spanton of Minneota, their children Brian and Megan, son Neal and his wife LeaAnne of Minneota, their children Allison, Nicholas and Natalie, son Eric and his wife Phyllis of Minneota, their children Jared, Angela, Karissa and Lucas, daughter Rita and her husband Don Masat of Redfield, SD, their children Tyler, Alan and Drew, son Carl and his wife Kim of Aberdeen, SD, and their daughter, Samantha, siblings Richard, Raymond, Florence Determan, Emerence Derynck, Arnold, Vincent (Judy) Bot, and Francis (Joan) Bot. He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant son, Alan, an infant brother, two brothers-in-law and one sister-in-law.