Lawrence E. Agerter

Published September 08, 2020 at 4:14 PM

Lawrence Agerter, 80, passed away peacefully at his home in Kasson surrounded by his family on September 4th, 2020 following a courageous battle with COPD.

Lawrence was born May 7th, 1940, in Kasson MN to Alice and Walter Agerter. He grew up in West Concord where he attended school, graduating in 1958. After graduating, Lawrence furthered his education by attending and graduating from Mankato State. He then went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from William Mitchell Law School in 1968. Following his graduation, Lawrence returned to Owatonna, working as an attorney for the Walbrun & Walbrun law firm. Lawrence always wanted to return to the Dodge County area, and he did just that; opening his own private practice in Kasson.

Eventually Lawrence ran for the position of Dodge County Attorney and won in 1970 and was re-elected in 1974. In 1976, Lawrence was appointed to the bench by Governor Wendell Anderson and served as a district court judge for the 3rd district for 34 years, retiring in 2010. Lawrence participated in many organizations including: AFS, Girl Scouts and the Mantorville Opera House. One of his most significant accomplishments while on the bench was the formation of the first drug court in Dodge County, which is still in use today due to the dedication and hard work of his team members. Lawrence always believed that the participants had the ability to change and better their lives; something he was very proud of. He was inducted into the Triton Hall of Fame for football. Lawrence was an avid fan of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings and enjoyed golf, crossword puzzles, and spending time with his family. Lawrence was a quiet and caring individual.

Lawrence is survived by his wife Michelene; his children Dr. Dena Cornelius (Christan) of Phoenix, AZ and Christie Agerter of Kasson; his siblings Ronald Agerter (Marykay) of Escanaba, MI, Stewart Agerter (Darlene) of Rosemont, Steven Agerter of Rochester, Maryanne Agerter (John Walton) of West Concord and Dr. Dave Agerter (Barbara) of Rochester, and his grandchildren Nathan, Bryce, Simplicia, Asher and Penelope.

Lawrence was preceded in death by his parents Alice and Walter Agerter.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a church memorial service will be held at a later date at St. John’s The Evangelist Catholic Church, Rochester, MN. Burial will be at the Berne Cemetery in Berne, MN.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials be directed to the Dodge Center Ambulance Service or the Kasson Fire Department.

Dibble Funeral Home & Cremation Services – Kasson is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be shared at www.dibblefuneralhome.com.