Obituary of Quentin B. Brandt

Age 98, died on Feb. 27 in Minneapolis. Formerly of North St. Paul, St. Paul, Roseville, and Prairie du Chien and Danbury, Wis. He was a 28-year employee of 3M, ending as a plant engineer. Survived by son, Steven (Lynda McDonnell) of Minneapolis; daughter, Barbara (Edward) Myers of Prairie du Chien; daughter-in-law Beth Drees Brandt, of Des Moines, Iowa; seven grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by parents, Benjamin and Emma Brandt; sister, Jeanette Brandt Lenardson; his wife of 58 years, Dorothy Marks Brandt; son, Bruce; daughter, Christine Carlson; and  grandson, Scott Carlson. Quent was a tinkerer who could fix almost anything. At 3M, he helped develop a radioisotope thermoelectric generator to power lunar experiments. He rebuilt a single-engine airplane in the 1950s, built a fiberglass sailboat in his garage in the 1960s, and built a backyard solar water heater in the 1970s. He loved the outdoors, whether golfing, bowhunting, exploring the Boundary Waters, tending roses and grapefruit in Arizona or traveling the country with Dorothy in their RV. He served his community in myriad ways: president of the Twin Cities chapter of the Instrument Society of America and the McCarron’s Lake PTA, chair of the Crawford County (Wis.) Safety Council. A proud veteran of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, he served in World War II in Burma and India, which he regarded as the grand adventure of his life. A true child of the Great Depression, he was always on the lookout for a good deal and frugal in making things last. He graduated from North High School in North St. Paul in 1938 and attended the University of Minnesota until money ran out in the Depression. He attended North reunions for more than 70 years. Memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 16 at 11 a.m. at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 2499 N. Helen St., North St. Paul, with visitation one hour before at the church. Memorials are preferred to Catholic Eldercare.