Eddy, Gordon Wayne 1944 - 2020
EDDY, STAVEN, TREANGEN, ODENBRETT, HAHN, PRIVET, STROUF, MULLER, KEENEY, GILDE, JOHNSON, VESTERSE, OLSON
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 7/2/2020 at 19:55:08
Gordon Wayne Eddy, age 76, of Cresco, IA, passed away on Friday May 29, 2020 at Regional Health Services of Howard County.
Please join the family for public services honoring Gordon at 11:00 am on Wednesday, June 3, 2020 at the Cresco Community Chapel. Visitation hours will begin at 9:00 am until time of services. A public graveside service will be held at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, June 3rd at Faith Lutheran of Black Hammer Cemetery in rural Spring Grove, MN.
Gordon was born March 20,1944, in Spring Grove, Houston Co., MN, to parents Bernard (Bud) and Irene (Staven) Eddy. In Gordon’s youth, he was raised by his stepfather, Gilman Treangen and mother on farms in the Black Hammer (Spring Grove), Mabel, and Highland areas. He was baptized and confirmed at Faith Lutheran of Black Hammer, Spring Grove. He attended Spring Grove schools and graduated from Mabel High School in 1962. He graduated from Luther College in May 1966 with a degree in art education and a minor in media-library science.
He taught senior and junior high art in schools in Spring Valley, WI (1966-1969) and Caledonia, MN (1969-1970). He was the high school and elementary librarian-media specialist in the North Branch Schools, North Branch, MN (1970-1984). He did graduate work at Mankato State University for his Master’s in information media and audiovisual. It was on a graduate study trip to Norway where he met Brit. From 1984-2006 he was the media specialist and continuing education director at Crestwood High School, Cresco, IA. He taught evening adult art classes for the schools. He retired in 2006 after 40 years of teaching.
Gordon was married September 3, 1977, at Faith Lutheran of Black Hammer to Brit Oline Staven, daughter of Johannes and Olina Staven, Åfjord, Norway. The couple initially made their home in North Branch and then in Cresco. Two daughters were born to them, Marie in 1978 and Ann Margrith in 1981. The family traveled to Norway many times through the years and the girls spent summers with their grandmother in Åfjord. Gordon and Brit would travel the length of Norway visiting Brit’s relatives and Gordon’s ancestral farms. Their US travels took them to many states in the Midwest, East, and West to visit family and explore sites of interest such as presidential museums, art museums, and historic sites.
They were members of the Cresco Community Chapel, where Gordon had served with Brit on the Missions Committee. He was also a life-long member of Faith Lutheran of Black Hammer and Gordon participated in many church events. Gordon was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Decorah, IA, served on the Cresco Art Council for several years as Asst. Director and a year as Director. He was a member of the Howard County and Houston County Historical Societies and the Decorah Genealogy Society. The couple were members of Sons of Norway, Decorah and served for a time on the board of Giants of the Earth Heritage Center, Spring Grove. Gordon and Brit were married 42 years.
Gordon was the go-to family historian. From a young age, he took an interest in his family history and visited with his elders to learn about his ancestors, family relations, and connections.
He loved his home area of Black Hammer, its people and history and knew the early immigrant history well. He loved sketching and painting the farms and countryside in the area, and for a few years he regularly contributed an article “Out on the Black Hammer” to the quarterly newsletter Aurland Past and Present, which told the stories of the early settlers. He acquired a sufficient knowledge of the Norwegian language so he could use Norwegian books for his genealogy research, and he could converse one-on-one with Norwegians. He kept in touch with extended family and considered 2nd, 3rd, and 4th cousins close relatives. Gordon and Brit were frequently involved with family reunions beyond the immediate family. Gordon is a 12th generation Eddy in the United States and last October his dream of visiting the old Eddy Homestead in Massachusetts was fulfilled. Because he was “family,” he was able to walk through the house on his own even though it was closed for the season.
His granddaughters were his treasures. To them he was Morfar (mother’s father, the title for grandfather in Norwegian) and he retired shortly after they were born, so he was able to take care of them when their parents needed help. He attended grandparents’ days, school and church events, concerts, sports events, played cards, visited museums, and loved to take road trips with them by himself and with Brit (Mormor).
Gordon is survived by his wife, Brit; daughters Marie (Brent) Odenbrett, Farmington, MN and Ann Margrith Eddy, Lakeville, MN; granddaughters Annika and Emma Louise Odenbrett and Grace Eddy; siblings Bruce (Sandy) Eddy, Sheldon, MN, Anita (Mike) Hahn, Spring Grove, MN, Bernadene (Gary) Privet, Caledonia, MN, Nedra (Bruce) Strouf, Albert Lea, MN, Lana (Scott) Muller, Gillette, WY, and Mark (Stephanie Keeney) Eddy, Casper, WY; sister-in-law Aud (Svein) Gilde, Åfjord, Norway and brother-in-law John (Elsa Johnson) Staven, Åfjord, Norway; and many nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews.
Gordon was preceded in death by his parents Gilman and Irene Treangen and Bud and Betty Eddy, in-laws Johannes and Olina Staven, and cousins Denny Vesterse, Connie Vesterse, Gloria Treangen, Craig Olson, and Bruce Staven.
Source: Lindstrom Funeral Home database
Howard Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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