Date of Birth:
Thursday, August 2, 1917
Date of Death:
Monday, September 27, 2010
Age:
93 years old

Gerald J. Strauss

The funeral for Gerald J. Strauss will be at 11:30AM Friday October 1, 2010 at The Madonna Towers Chapel, 4001 19^th Avenue NW Rochester, MN. Father James Russell will officiate the mass.  Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Rochester. Visitation will be held from 5:00pm to 8:00pm on Thursday, September 30^th 2010 at Macken Funeral Home and one half hour prior to mass at the Chapel.

Mr Strauss, 93, of Rochester, MN died Monday (September 27, 2010) at Madonna Towers.

Gerald was born August 2, 1917 in Bellechester, MN to Frank M and Allie Majerus Strauss.  He attended St Mary’s grade school in Bellechester, McCahill High School in Lake City MN and  completed an accounting degree from The College of St Thomas in St Paul MN in 1939.  His first position out of college was at the Red Wing Court House in the Agricultural Department. In August of 1940 he purchased a  private air plane, to finance this hobby he sold time on his plane to fellow students. Gerald wanted to enlist in the Marines but they wouldn’t accept him because of his poor hearing. He then enlisted in the Army Air Core,and completed basic training in 1941 in Biloxi, Mississippi. His tour of duty consisted of 3 years in Wales, London, North Africa and then Southern Italy as a crew chief mechanic on a B-17 squadron.

His accounting career started with Shannon & Beyers, St Paul, MN in 1945.   He moved with the accounting firm to Rochester in 1946, passing  his CPA exam in 1959.  Gerald retired in 1982 after a 37 year career as an accountant with the firm of McGladrey & Pullen.  After his retirement he was active with the  Rochester SCORE and YMCA.  He was also the treasurer of the Knights of Columbus for many years.

On November 28, 1947 he married Vivian Brown in St Louis Park, MN.  Together they raised their 4 sons and 1 daughter in Rochester, MN.

Survivors include his four sons, Frank (Robin) Strauss and Thomas (Lyn) Strauss of Rochester, MN, Robert (Mary Jo) Strauss of Winona, MN., George Strauss of Apple Valley, MN., and daughter Collette (George) Moreno of San Antonio, TX., 6 grandchildren, sisters Rita Arendt of Mazeppa, MN., and Jeanette Zelenak of Woodbury, MN., He was preceded in death by his brother Clemens Strauss.

Memorials are preferred to Rochester Knights of Columbus and Madonna Towers.