Meet Gordon & Dolores

Meet Gordon & Dolores

Military service was a part of both Gordon and Dolores’ lives.

Gordon and his younger brother, Dennis, grew up seven miles south of Sabin, Minnesota. Their family farmed so they were no strangers to hard work. During war time farmers were needed at home, so his Dad never served in the military but both Gordon and Dennis did. Dennis was a pilot in the Air Force and Gordon was a radar technician on a PT Boat in the Navy.

Gordon credits his successful career to the military. After enlistment, he was sent to Bliss Electrical School and received an excellent education before being stationed on Maddalena Island off the coast of Italy. Gordon’s job as a radar technician on a PT Boat kept him busy as he had to keep the wave guides free of moisture in order to keep the radar working. This was challenging considering they were on the Mediterranean Sea.

The mission of Squadron (RON) 15 was harassing the German ships between the coasts of Africa and Italy. The Germans used the European seaports in Southern France. Gordon served in the Navy from 1943 – 1947. After the war, Gordon went to school at the University of Minnesota for electrical engineering.

Dolores was born and raised in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. She has one sister and two brothers. Both brothers served in the Navy during the war; one was a dentist and one was a doctor. Dolores attended nursing school at the University of Minnesota. She was accepted as a Nurses Cadet in the military and received two years training while attending school. The war ended just as she was graduating so she was discharged before she got the chance to serve.

It was at the U of M that Gordon and Dolores met. Their dorms were one block away from each other and one day on the way to class their eyes met; it was love at first sight. They started dating and found out that they were both Missouri Synod Lutherans. From that point on, “The Lord took care of us,” said Gordon. They have been happily married since 1949.

The Rehder’s moved around quite a bit with Gordon’s jobs to Wisconsin, Colorado, New Jersey and Kwajalien Island, a part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in between Hawaii and Guam before coming back to Minnesota in 1973. Gordon got his nursing home license and was administrator of Good Shepherd Lutheran Home for about 5 years before he retired. Dolores was a public health nurse for Stearns County for 19 years before she retired.

Gordon and Dolores have two children, John and Kristen and five grandchildren. They lived in their home on the Mississippi River until November 2015 when they moved into Shepherd Court apartments at the spry age of 93 and 89. They enjoy the security and easy living at Good Shepherd and the fact that there is a lot to do. They are both very health conscious and looking forward to using the new fitness center equipment coming to Shepherd Court.

We are proud that the Rehder’s have joined our Good Shepherd family!

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