1919
Gordon
2013
Gordon Minzel
May 17, 1919 — February 3, 2013
Gordon Minzel, 93, of Willmar, died Sunday, February 3, at Bethesda PleasantView Nursing Home in Willmar.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, February 8, at Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar. Interment will be at Hope Cemetery in Odessa. Military Honors will be provided by the Willmar American Legion Post. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.
Gordon Henry Minzel was born on the family farm in Adassi Township near Bellingham, Minnesota, the middle son of Henry and Mabel (Kuist) Minzel. He lived and helped on the family farm until he was 22 years old when he was drafted into the US Army. He was inducted on September 11, 1940, and served with the 7th Infantry Division, 32nd Regiment during World War II. He was proud of his ability to live through the war and was the only man in his squad not killed or wound. During the war, one of the neighbor girls, Venice, began writing letters to Gordon and continued after he returned from the war. They were married on September 18, 1946 in Odessa. After they married, they moved to a farm near Madison, where Gordon worked for a farmer and they raised their six children, four boys and two girls including one set of twins. They lived on the farm for over 17 years. After leaving the farm, Gordon ran and drove bus at Stateline Station. In 1969, they moved to Willmar where Gordon worked as a custodian at the college and later at the high school before retiring in June 1981.
Gordon enjoyed fishing on the Big Stone and Minnesota Rivers, attending the county fair in Madison, trapping and eating homemade ice cream with raspberries. He was a member of the VFW Post in Madison.
Gordon is survived by three sons, Lee Minzel of Spicer, Glenn (and Linda) Minzel of Madison and Robert Minzel of Mankato; two daughters, Renita (and Gerald) Reichert of Mobridge, SD and Bonnie (and Darrell) Burke of Isabel, SD; twelve grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Venice in 1997; a son, Mark; and two brothers, Francis and Allen.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, February 8, at Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar. Interment will be at Hope Cemetery in Odessa. Military Honors will be provided by the Willmar American Legion Post. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.
Gordon Henry Minzel was born on the family farm in Adassi Township near Bellingham, Minnesota, the middle son of Henry and Mabel (Kuist) Minzel. He lived and helped on the family farm until he was 22 years old when he was drafted into the US Army. He was inducted on September 11, 1940, and served with the 7th Infantry Division, 32nd Regiment during World War II. He was proud of his ability to live through the war and was the only man in his squad not killed or wound. During the war, one of the neighbor girls, Venice, began writing letters to Gordon and continued after he returned from the war. They were married on September 18, 1946 in Odessa. After they married, they moved to a farm near Madison, where Gordon worked for a farmer and they raised their six children, four boys and two girls including one set of twins. They lived on the farm for over 17 years. After leaving the farm, Gordon ran and drove bus at Stateline Station. In 1969, they moved to Willmar where Gordon worked as a custodian at the college and later at the high school before retiring in June 1981.
Gordon enjoyed fishing on the Big Stone and Minnesota Rivers, attending the county fair in Madison, trapping and eating homemade ice cream with raspberries. He was a member of the VFW Post in Madison.
Gordon is survived by three sons, Lee Minzel of Spicer, Glenn (and Linda) Minzel of Madison and Robert Minzel of Mankato; two daughters, Renita (and Gerald) Reichert of Mobridge, SD and Bonnie (and Darrell) Burke of Isabel, SD; twelve grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Venice in 1997; a son, Mark; and two brothers, Francis and Allen.
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