Gordon Russell Anderson was born at the Chippewa County Hospital in Montevideo, Minnesota, on December 18, 1917, to Anders and Hannah Anderson. Gordon was baptized and confirmed by Pastor G. S. Froiland at Baxter Lutheran Church near Dawson, Minnesota. He attended grade school at District #15 in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota, and graduated from Montevideo High School in 1935. Gordon grew up on his parents farm six miles west of Montevideo. When Gordon was 12 years old, Anders decided to be a carpenter. They had an auction sale in February of 1929 and moved to Montevideo. After a year of work as a carpenter, the family returned to the farm and continued farming. After graduating from high school, Gordon worked on the home farm and at the Providence Store near Dawson. In 1939 he and a friend went to Detroit, Michigan, to buy a car. Gordon found the car that he wanted, a two year old Studebaker coupe. It was quite a sporty car. ln 1941, Gordon sold the car to his brother Clifford and went to California with a couple of his friends. Gordon spent the summer in Los Angeles working at an oil station earning $20 a week, it cost them $12 for board and room so there was not a lot of money for spending. At the end of the summer his parents sent him an extra $20 and Gordon bought a bus ticket home for $32. It didn't cost any more to go home the northern route, so Gordon took that, traveling through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. During the next winter Gordon enlisted. He joined the Air Force on January 15, 1942. He became a mechanic on airplanes and was stationed in northern England at the largest airfield in the world at that time. He worked preparing the planes for their bombing missions. At the end of the war, Gordon was transferred to Germany where the bombers were used to transport soldiers back to England. The planes were getting old and needed more repairs, but were kept in service because the soldiers were anxious to get home. Since Gordon helped service the planes, he had to wait for the last plane to leave Germany. He was never fond of flying and over France, and one of the four engines stopped. It wasn't a good situation and the captain was told to return to Germany. However, the soldiers on the plane were so anxious to get to England that the pilot was given permission to continue the flight and the plane continued over the English Channel. That was the last time Gordon rode on an airplane. He returned to the USA on the Queen Mary. Gordon returned home in 1946. In January of 1947, Herbert Gustafson, who was his sister Marion's husband, died. A month later, Marion asked Gordon if he would operate the farm for her. He accepted and moved to the Gustafson farm three miles north of Hanley Falls, Minnesota. This was his immediate family for the next 53 years. Two years later when Marion's son, Arlan, returned from the service and took over the farm, Gordon bought the Hanley Falls Trucking Line from Kenneth Wilson. When Gordon started trucking, it was primarily to haul livestock to South St. Paul, Minnesota. Gradually the business of hauling freight from Minneapolis to the rural area increased and eventually became only a freight business. This business continued until November of 1997 when Gordon was one month shy of being 79 years old. The following two and one half years were spent driving for Prairie Five, giving people who had no mode of transportation rides for their various appointments. Gordon has been a member of the American Legion for the past 52 years. He is a member of Yellow Medicine Lutheran Church in Hanley Falls. The highlight of this past year was the trip Gordon had longed to make for many years. That was a trip to Tucson, Arizona, to see his Air Force buddy, Ivan Hawkins. Ivan and Gordon had been the best of friends in the Air Force and except for some correspondence, Gordon had not seen him for 53 years. Ivan had become a lawyer, but in the words of Gordon, "he was still okay." On February 5th, Gordon and Marion set out for Arizona. Gordon knew the trick was to drive a moderate distance each day and not get too exhausted. It took them five days to get to Arizona. It was a memorable trip for them both. They had to be back in Hanley Falls before the end of February, because as the treasurer of Yellow Medicine Lutheran Church, Gordon had to make his report to the church council. They returned home on February 28 at 5:23 p.m., just when Gordon said they would be back. The "Cranberry Merchant," as he was known around Hanley Falls, was blessed during his life with good health and an optimistic spirit. During the past ten years, the "Paper Merchant" would have been a more correct title, for he sold paper product until the end, always giving people such great deals. He felt fortunate to have such good friends and a good way of life. Any complaints he had were usually about the simple gullibility of Johnny Q. Public. One of his well-remembered characteristics will be his very loud, long and infectious laugh. We will all miss him! Gordon is preceded in death by his parents, Anders and Hannah Anderson, and a sister Agnes Janke. He is survived by his sister Marion Gustafson of Hanley Falls, and her children: Arlan Gustafson of Granite Falls, Minnesota, Eileen Schwarz of Appleton, Minnesota, Joyce Hauge of Glenwood, Minnesota, and Diane Rasmussen of Apple Valley, Minnesota; a brother and sister-in-law Clifford and Sylvia Anderson of Montevideo, Minnesota; and many nieces and nephews. Funeral Service Saturday, April 22, 2000 * 11:00 a.m. Yellow Medicine Lutheran Church, Hanley Falls, Minnesota Officiating, Rev. Matthew K. Griggs Organist, Colleen Hewitt Soloist, David Gustafson Congregational Hymns "How Great Thou Art" "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" Casket Bearers John Gustafson, Paul Schwarz Michael Gustafson, Ronald Janke Christopher Rasmussen, Steven Anderson Interment East Yellow Medicine Cemetery Hanley Falls, Minnesota Arrangements by Lynner Funeral Home Since 1891 Clarkfield Minnesota