Sutton Thomas Junkermeier

Sutton Thomas Junkermeier, 27, passed away suddenly at his home in rural Lake Lillian on Saturday, September 5th, 2026.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, September 14th, at United Lutheran Church in Lake Lillian. Interment will be at Tromso Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Sunday, September 13th, at United Lutheran Church and will continue for one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the ACGC cross country and track & field teams. Arrangements are entrusted to Peterson Brothers Funeral Home.

Sutton was born on July 12th, 1999, at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar, Minnesota, to Stacy and Kimberly (Neyssen) Junkermeier. He was baptized at Grace Lutheran Church and confirmed at United Lutheran Church, both in Lake Lillian.

Growing up, Sutton adored his two older brothers, Jordan and Zachary. His favorite memories with his brothers were spending time at his grandparents’ farm next door, shooting Nerf guns, and playing video games. He was also active in Sunday School, the church’s youth group, Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts. He loved family snowmobiling trips, an amazing cruise to the Bahamas, and the family’s final big trip to see the Redwoods in California.

Sutton attended school at Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City (ACGC) from preschool through high school graduation in 2018, at which time he also graduated from Ridgewater College in Willmar with an Associate of Arts degree. He was involved in Student Council and National Honor Society. Sutton was a straight-A student who loved to learn. His favorite subject was history. He knew since the seventh grade that he wanted to be a teacher and worked the rest of his life to achieve his dream. Sutton was also very athletic. He played baseball and basketball before finding his true calling in track & field, where he excelled at the hurdles.

Sutton followed his love of history to Concordia College in Moorhead to become a high school social studies teacher. He graduated with honors in 2021, earning a Bachelor of Education with a minor in Spanish. Driven by his passion for learning, he returned to Concordia to earn a Master of Education in the summer of 2023.

After graduating from Concordia, Sutton lived in Crookston, Minnesota, for three years, where he taught social studies and coached track & field. He was especially proud that one of his athletes got second place at the state meet.

When a teaching position opened up at ACGC in the fall of 2024, Sutton fulfilled his dream of teaching at ACGC. He was an exceptional teacher who went above and beyond for his students. He quickly became an assistant coach of the cross country team and later the long-distance coach for the track & field team. The following year, Sutton became the head cross country coach and led Knowledge Bowl. It didn’t matter to Sutton if his athletes got first place, last place, or anywhere in between. He always encouraged them to beat their personal bests and celebrated their individual growth. Teaching and coaching at ACGC made Sutton “deliriously happy”. He said that he had achieved the perfect life.

When he wasn’t at school, you could find Sutton perched somewhere writing lesson plans or coming up with new and exciting ways to teach. He loved having his family and fellow teachers take his quizzes and tests prior to testing his students.

Sutton was incredibly generous and kind. He bought ice cream for the cross country team, pizza for Run Club, and books for students. Every year, he wrote personalized letters to each of his students to highlight their growth and show how proud he was of them. Outside of school, Sutton’s thoughtful gifts to family and friends for Christmas and birthdays were unmatched.

Sutton loved spending time with family and friends having bonfires, cracking clever jokes, or playing card games, board games, or trivia. He especially loved his nephew Charlie and niece Lina, who held a special place in his heart. Sutton also organized weekly volleyball games with family and friends and loved going to thrift stores in search of globes and antiques. Unbeknownst to many due to his reluctance to play publicly, Sutton was an incredibly gifted piano player. He could hear a song and almost immediately play it by ear.

Sutton was a remarkable person whose life was far too short. He impacted everyone who was lucky enough to meet him. The magnitude of his loss has forever broken our hearts. The depth of our love for him is all that fills that gap. He will be missed and forever remembered.

“Life is short. Why not laugh along the way?” “Don’t focus on what you won’t have. Focus on what you did and how you lived.” - Sutton

Sutton leaves behind all those who loved him, learned from him, or knew him. He is survived by his parents, Stacy and Kimberly (Neyssen) Junkermeier; his oldest brother, Jordan Junkermeier and wife Rachel (Juetten) Junkermeier; his nephew and niece, Charles (“Charlie”) and Lina; and his cousins, aunts, and uncles.

Sutton was preceded in death by his older brother, Zachary Junkermeier; his paternal grandparents, Allan and Betty (Berg) Junkermeier; and his maternal grandparents, Willard and Deloris (Van Hale) Neyssen.