Rev. Stephen M. Sherer, 74, of Minneapolis, died peacefully at home on January 26, 2026, after a two-year battle with bile duct cancer.  He was a beloved husband, father, brother, and uncle, and a dedicated caretaker of rescue pets.  As a Lutheran minister called to spread God’s word, he valued prayer in action, honest conversation, and appropriately placed acts of misbehavior. Stephen lived a full life of compassion, community, creativity, joy, and light-hearted reverent irreverence. 

Stephen is survived by his three children: Joshua of Minneapolis, Katharine (Michael) of Minneapolis, and Meghan (Don) of Brooklyn, NY; his brothers John, Michael, and Peter; many nieces and nephews; and his darling rescue pets, Hudson (dog) and Luther (cat).  He was preceded in death by his wife, Janet Denney Sherer; his parents, Luther and Lillian (Baumgartner) Sherer; and brothers Christopher, Timothy, and Joel.

Stephen was born on October 16, 1951, in Bird City, KS, the seventh and youngest son of the Sherer brood.  As the family of a Lutheran minister, the family moved regularly and Stephen spent his youth in Bird City, KS; Colorado Springs, CO; Avoca, NE; and Saginaw, MI; and graduated from Bridgeport High School (MI) in 1969.  He attended Texas Lutheran College, where he met his wife, Jan.  Stephen and Jan were united in marriage on June 28, 1975, in Omaha, NE, and were married for 34 years until her death in 2009.

After marrying, they lived in Dubuque, IA, where Stephen completed his seminary training at Wartburg Seminary.  Stephen’s first parish call was to Scobey, MT, where Stephen and Jan also welcomed their first child, Joshua, in 1980.  Stephen’s next call was to Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Townsend, MT, where they had their second child, Katharine, in 1983.  They welcomed their third child, Meghan, in 1985, while serving at Capron Lutheran Church in Capron, IL.   As a minister dedicated to rural parish service, Stephen’s next calls took the family to small towns across the Midwest: Hettinger Lutheran Church (Hettinger ND) in 1994; Cokato Lutheran Church (Cokato, MN) in 2001; and St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church (Manson, IA) in 2004.  Stephen formally retired from ministry in 2013 but continued to provide pulpit supply for congregations in the Western Iowa Synod for several years. 

Stephen was highly involved in his children’s extra-curricular activities—chaperoning field trips, coaching baseball and basketball teams, and, as the self-appointed documentarian of the family, could be found with a video camera perched on his shoulder for every football game, wrestling match, cheerleading event, band and choir performance, and theater production his children took part in.

In addition to his ministerial work, Stephen was a talented finish carpenter and cabinetmaker, and he left a string of decks, roofs, porches, bookshelves, kitchen cabinets, tables, and the like in every town where he served.  His children’s homes are similarly filled with his custom-built pieces; if you didn’t need a project done, he would come up with one for you.  He regularly advised congregants that it would be easier to find him in his garage than in his church office and routinely provided counsel over sawdust and woodwork.  He kept his garage door open, blasting Chicago, Tower of Power, Fleetwood Mac, and The Beach Boys for all to enjoy.

Never one to sit still for long, Stephen was an avid distance cyclist, loved exploring the wide-open spaces of the Rocky Mountains and Northern Plains, enjoyed gardening and growing roses, and dutifully cared for 11 rescue dogs over the course of his family life.  He was an amazingly present dad, loved good beer, and believed in the healing powers of a great bowl of ice cream.  He was always willing to speak up and lend his voice to help others, railed against those who would weaponize faith, and was tirelessly devoted to his wife Jan, the love of his life.  He thrilled in telling his kids what he wanted to be “the next time I grow up” well into his seventies and he would encourage all to do the same, regardless of age.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.  The family has asked that anyone moved to make a memorial contribution in Stephen’s name may do so to the Animal Humane Society of Minnesota (www.animalhumanesociety.org) or Heifer International (www.heifer.org).