Gordon Ostrander 1924-1998

JEWSON, OSTRANDER, VICK, OLSON, GRANNEMAN, MAYO

Posted By: IAGenWeb Volunteer
Date: 6/6/2010 at 14:17:29

Decorah Public Opinion, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 1998.

Gordon Ostrander, 74, of Waukon, died Saturday, Dec. 26, 1998, at the Northgate Care Center in Waukon.

Memorial services will be held Wednesday, Dec. 30, at 1 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church in Waukon, with the Rev. Larry Olson officiating.

Visitation will be held at the church Wednesday from 11 a.m. until service time and again following services. The Martin Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Gordon Roy Ostrander was born Feb. 26, 1924, in Fond du Lac, Wis., the son of Earl and Ella (Jewson) Ostrander. His mother died shortly after his birth and he was raised by his aunt and uncle, Iva and Tom West of Alpha, [Fayette Co., Iowa]. He graduated from Alpha High School, then did some farm work with his sister and her husband. He also drove a vegetable delivery truck for a time and was an officer with the police department in Decorah for five years.

On Oct. 8, 1950, he was married to Cora Isabell Vick at the Glenwood Lutheran Church in rural Decorah. He then started a long career as a cook and chef. First, he operated the Ostrander Cafe in Decorah. Later, he ran a cafe in Guttenberg and the Village Inn in Waukon. For the next 25 years, he worked in the La Crosse, Wis., area as a chef at Walt's Supper Club, the La Crosse Country Club, the New Villa Supper Club and numerous other places. In 1995, he and Cora moved back to Waukon. Recently he had been working at Paddy McQ's Restaurant in Waukon.

Gordon enjoyed reading, gardening, fishing and other outdoor activities, and he did some amateur boxing years ago. He also enjoyed following the music career of his wife, Cora.

He was a member and current deacon at First Presbyterian Church in
Waukon.

Survivors include one daughter, Marie and Larry Olson of Greenbush, Minn.; two sons, Eric and Kari Ostrander of Onalaska, Wis., and Earl and Victoria Ostrander of La Crosse, Wis.; four grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; and a brother-in-law, August Granneman of Fayette.

Gordon Ostrander was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Cora; three sisters, Pauline Granneman, Velma Mayo and June Ostrander; and four brothers, Bernard, Daniel, Frank and George West.

Transcribed by an IA GenWeb Volunteer from obituaries found in the Howard-Winneshiek Genealogy Society Library, Cresco, Iowa.