Doris Magdalen Soutter

Preceded in death by former husband Charles Soutter, partner Paul Baber, daughter Magdalen Mary, and granddaughter Dawn. She is greatly missed by her children, Chris (Mark) Soutter, Robert (Carmen) Soutter, Ann (Lyle) Botten, and Susan Soutter; Peggy Baber; 3 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her many friends in her Jupiter community, where she was affectionately known as the “Queen Bee.”

Doris was born on November 20, 1923, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her parents were Peter and Elizabeth (Winder) Droneck. Doris had two older sisters, Evelyn and Laverne. The Droneck family lived in a neighborhood of modest houses, close to the University of Minnesota and downtown Minneapolis. Doris' father, Peter, was a motorman for the streetcar company in the Twin Cities and Doris often rode the streetcars. Doris' mother, Elizabeth, helped make ends meet by catering and taking boarders into their home.

Doris went to St. Lawrence Catholic Elementary school for grades 1-8 and was graduated from Marshall High School in 1942. After high school, Doris rode the streetcar to the Nabisco factory in Northeast Minneapolis where she made chocolate sandwich cookies and carboard boxes for about a year. Then she and her best friend, Verona, worked in a defense plant in Northeast making batteries for the Navy.

Doris and Verona joined the Navy in September, 1944. Her folks had to sign for her because she was only 20. After training in the Bronx, she served in New Orleans and Memphis. Her primary job while in the Navy was to work on assembly and maintenance of the Stearman planes, which were military trainer aircraft. She was honorably discharged in November, 1945 with the rank of Seaman First Class.

After the war, she spent time in San Francisco before returning to Minneapolis. She worked in a department store downtown, where a co-worker asked if she could fill in on a blind date for a gal that got sick. That blind date was when she met Charlie Soutter.

Doris and Charlie took a liking to each other and not many months later they were married on September 30, 1949 in Minneapolis. Tragically, Doris went into premature labor with their first child; daughter Magdalen lived about six hours. But they went on to have four healthy children: Christine, Robert, Ann, and Susan. The family originally lived in St. Louis Park, a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis. In 1958, the family moved to Roseville, a first-ring suburb of St. Paul. Charlie was the city engineer for Roseville, as the City was newly established and growing rapidly.

Through the 50’s and 60's, Doris was at home, raising her children. She loved working on crafts and served as a leader for Girl Scout Brownie groups. When her children were older, Doris went to work in a dress shop in Har Mar Mall, one of the first malls in the country. Later she worked at a factory making metal parts for machines. Doris and Charlie were active and held leadership positions in the Rosetown American Legion Post. Doris and Charlie divorced in 1975.

Doris' family grew, starting in the 1980's. She welcomed two sons-in-law to the family--Chris's husband Mark Shepard, and Ann's husband Lyle Botten; and in 2001, a daughter-in-law--Rob's wife Carmen. In 1981, Doris became a grandmother, when Rob's daughter Dawn was born. Chris and Mark's children Emily, Leah, and Jon soon followed. Doris became a great-grandmother with the birth of Dawn's sons Damon and Myles; Leah's sons, Ira and Charley; and Emily's children, Sylvie and Leland. Sadly, granddaughter Dawn died of cancer in 2015.

Doris started a relationship with Paul Baber, and they were together in Roseville, then Jupiter, Florida, until Paul's death in 2001. Doris became very close to Paul's daughter, Peggy. As Minnesota winters became more burdensome for them, Paul and Doris moved to Jupiter, Florida, where Doris' sister Evelyn had settled. They were original owners in the Ocean Bluffs North condominium community, buying in 1983. And by 1996, they were full-time Florida residents.

Doris and Paul had many friends and many happy times at Ocean Bluffs North. After Paul died in 2001, and Doris' sister Evelyn died in 2005, the Ocean Bluffs community was especially kind and important to Doris. Doris participated in the social events—playing Rumi Kub, Bingo, exercising in the pool, but she especially enjoyed the cocktail parties, where she was often found holding court with her many admirers. The huge collection of her neighbors’ keys in her cabinet is testament to the trust and value her community placed in her. She was known as the Mayor of Ocean Bluffs to some, and the Queen Bee to all.