Date of Birth:
Tuesday, November 8, 1927
Date of Death:
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Age:
82 years old

William “Bill” L. Gander

The Mass of Christian Burial for William “Bill” L. Gander, 82, of Rochester, will be at 11:00 am on Friday, July 23, 2010 at Resurrection Catholic Church in Rochester, with the Rev. Shawn J. Haremza officiating with the Rev. Thomas Loomis.  A private burial will be in Gethsemane Cemetery in Lansing, Iowa at a later date.

Mr. Gander died July 20, 2010 at home.

He was born November 8, 1927 in Lansing, Iowa to Frank and Kathryn (Rouster) Gander.  He graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in Lansing, Iowa at the age of 16.  Shortly after his high school graduation, he took a train to Washington, D.C. and worked for the FBI and attended Ben Franklin University.  Returning to Lansing, Iowa in 1946, he worked as a bookkeeper at the Lansing Power Plant.  In 1947, he moved to Dubuque, Iowa and worked as a pipefitter.  He married Luella S. Tiedemann on April 26, 1949 in Rochester, MN.  He worked for various plumbing contractors in

Dubuque, Iowa, Waterloo, Iowa, Humboldt, Iowa, Paducah, Kentucky and Rochester, MN before opening his own plumbing business in 1962 in Rochester.  He sold his

business and retired in 1985.  Mr. Gander was a member of Resurrection Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus and

the Eagles.  He was a past member of the Elks, the Optimist Club, Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors, Rochester Area Builders and served on the Finance Committee at St. Francis Church when he was a member.  He had a wonderful sense of humor, enjoyed playing cards, crossword puzzles, singing, dancing with his wife and being with family and friends.

He will be missed by his wife of 61 years, Luella, three sons, Bob (Linda) Gander, Jim (Lisa) Gander, John Gander; two daughters, Mary Kipp and Deanna Gander, all of Rochester; 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren; three sisters, Darlene (Bob) Russett of Waterloo, Iowa, Patty (Keith) Garin of Lansing, Iowa and Marcella (Chuck) Jones of Paramount, California. He was preceded in death by an infant son, Wayne, his parents, a brother, Earl Gander, two sisters, Irene O’Neil and Lavina Harvey.

Friends may call from 5:00-8:00 pm at Resurrection Church on July 22, 2010 and one hour prior to the service at the church on July 23, 2010.

Memorials are suggested to the family.

Arrangements with Macken Funeral Home.  On-line condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com.