Donald J. Gilsdorf

Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Thursday, March 23, at the VA Medical Center Chapel in St. Cloud, Minn., for Donald Joseph Gilsdorf, 90, of Verndale, Minn. He died on Wednesday, March 15, 2017, at the VA Medical Center in St. Cloud. Chaplain Paul Anderson will officiate. Burial will be at noon on March 23 at the Minnesota State Veteran's Cemetery at Camp Ripley, Minn. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services at the VA Chapel. Arrangements are with Daniel Funeral Home in St. Cloud.

Don was born on July 20, 1926, on a farm near Millville, the son of Raymond and Hazel (Sommers) Gilsdorf. He grew up on the family farm and attended country school. He enlisted into the U.S. Army Air Corps on Feb. 24, 1944. He served his country during WWII, overseas at Adak Island in the Asiatic Pacific Theater of operation as a corporal. He was honorably discharged on Oct. 23, 1946. Upon his return, he attended the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis and later transferred to North Central University also in Minneapolis where he received a degree in ministerial studies.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Darlene, in 2005 and three brothers, Lloyd, Leo, and Jim.

He is survived by his five children, Ben (Deb) Gilsdorf, of Phoenix, Ariz., Joe (Karla) Gilsdorf, of Gillette, Wyo., Beth (Peter) Newland, of Plymouth, Minn., Faye (Dennis) Sewill, of Andover, Minn., and Judy (Kevin) Gilsdorf-Gracie, of Brooklyn Park, Minn.; 13 grandchildren and two stepgrandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren and two stepgreat-grandchildren; three brothers, Dick (Mary) Gilsdorf, of Elysian, Minn., Bill (Gert) Gilsdorf, of Plainview, and Mark (D.J.) Gilsdorf, of St. Charles, Ill.; three sisters, Margy (Ed) Heppelman, of Bellchester, Marlene (Bill) Tolzman, of St. Paul, and Linda (Gerald) Wolfe, of Kellogg; two sisters-in-law, Iris Gilsdorf, of Pensacola, Fla., and Carol Gilsdorf, of St. Paul; nieces and nephews, other relatives and many friends.