Gordon Hentze

Gordon Hentze passed away on March 24, 2025, at the age of 71 from heart disease complications. Gordon was born on March 22, 1954, to Merle and Alice Hentze on what is now Hentze Family Century Farm, part of the original Danish Settlement in Junction City where his great grandparents from the Faroe Islands settled. Gordon graduated from Junction City High School in 1972. He attended OSU graduating with a degree in zoology. During his college years he began working on commercial fishing boats. After graduation, he joined the Peace Corps and spent 3 years helping the villagers of Mundembo, Zaire hand dig fishponds. Upon returning to the family farm, he began growing crops and turned the family's dairy barn into a retail fresh produce shop. He continued fishing in the winter serving as an observer for the NOAA on international fishing vessels for 7 years. In 1990 he met Jan (Hollis) and in April of 1991 they married. Their daughter Kalina was born in 1992. He continued farming his whole life as well as supplementing with work at Eagle Veneer in Junction City and working at the Harrisburg School District doing building maintenance and driving the school bus for 22 years. Gordon is survived by his wife Jan, daughter Kalina (Cameron) of Atlanta, Georgia, sister Karen and brother Greg of Junction City. A family celebration of life will follow at a date TBD on the family farm.