Gordon C. Hollrah

Funeral services following MN Heatlh Dept. guidelines for Gordon Hollrah of Warroad, MN will be held on Friday, June 26th at 2:00 pm at the Warroad Baptist Church south of Warroad.  Visitation will be one hour prior at the church and interment will be at America Cemetery. Military honors by the Warroad American Legion. Tune in on the FM channel: Frequencies 101.3 and 101.7

Gordon Carl Hollrah was born to Fred and Ione Hollrah in Charter Oak, Iowa on February 21, 1931.  Raised on corn farms, Gordon dreamed of flying airplanes and of having adventures.  At the age of sixteen, he earned his private license to fly small aircraft and owned an Aeronka Champ.  He kept his eye on the goal of becoming a United States Air Force pilot and eventually became a USAF jet pilot, flying F-86’s stateside.   

 As destiny would have it, he met his fellow pilot’s sister, Agnes Louise Johnson.  This led to an epic romance.  Gordon and Aggie were married on September 10, 1955 at the Zion Lutheran Church in Dennison, Iowa and spent their honeymoon canoeing in the Boundary Waters.  Within a year, Gordon was granted an honorable discharge from the Air Force and the couple moved to Warroad, MN, beginning their next adventure, farming and raising a family of four.

While farm life was rigorous, Gordon also found time to hone many artisan hobbies; carving crossbows and guns, crafting furniture, canoes, sailboats and ceramic ware, including European steins and pipes.  He leaves behind an almost completed Pietenpol Aircraft which resides in his basement.  He had a flare for horticulture, propagating African Violets and grafting varietal apple trees.  In recent years, he “main-cropped” tomatoes and shared them with many fellow gardeners.  Somehow, he was persuaded into joining Warroad Summer Theater and had roles in numerous productions including “The Sound of Music” and “The Fantasticks”.  He dearly loved his family, his grandchildren and great grandchildren, all of whom had a special place in his heart. The loving, committed marriage he shared with Aggie was an inspiration to anyone who knew the two of them.

Gordon had a living relationship with his Lord Jesus Christ and he loved to share his faith with others.  He lived with a zest for life and treasured the friendships he shared with so many.  He was involved with many churches through the years and had a special place in his heart for the Warroad Baptist Church.  It’s often been said, “Gordon had the most joyous laughter and always made you feel at home”.

Gordon passed away on June 20, 2020 surrounded by family at his daughter’s home in St. Francis, MN at the age of 89.

He is survived by his four children; Suzanne Hollrah of Lompoc, CA, David (Kris) Hollrah of Warroad, MN, Juli (Donald) Bitzer of Warroad, MN, and Belinda (Robert) Neumann of St. Francis, MN; six grandchildren, Eric Bitzer, Sasha Bitzer, Chantel Bitzer, Ivy Bitzer, Ashton Neumann and Kiyah Neumann; two great grandchildren, Andrea Bitzer and Maverik Bitzer.   He was preceded in death by his wife, Agnes Hollrah and his sister, Julia Hoover.  He is survived by two sisters, MRuth Hollrah and Jolene O’Connor

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