GORDON LESTER "TOBY" TOBIASON, age 94, of Magnolia, died Monday, November 4, 2013, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne. He was born January 30, 1919, on a farm north of Kenneth, to Pete and Inga (Lee) Tobiason. Gordon attended country school in rural Hardwick. He was inducted in the US Army on April 15, 1942. After training in Ft. Sill, OK and the Mojave Desert, he was shipped to France and ended up at Rouen. As a member of the 105th Field Artillery, Gordon was a bazooka man. For a time his job was to guard German prisoners of war. While a guard at the camp, he adopted a stray dog. He was a guard at the Lucky Strike Prisoner of War Cigarette Camp. Gordon received his honorable discharge in January of 1946.
Gordon married Lauretta Pank on June 16, 1947, in Luverne. After their marriage, the couple moved to the farm northeast of Magnolia. Gordon lived there until he became a resident of the Minnesota Veterans Home in December of 2010. He was excited to join his fellow veterans on Luvernes third Honor Flight to visit the WWII Memorial in Washington D.C.
He was a member of the Kenneth Lutheran Church; and a lifelong member of the Luverne VFW. Gordon was a farmer all of his life, raising crops and livestock. The early years all of his farming was done with horses. His favorite kind of tractor was an Oliver.
After he became a resident at the veterans home, the highlight of each week were the kids coming to visit in the "adopt a grandparent" program. Gordon praised each one of them as they were very special to him.
He enjoyed visiting with people and loved to joke around & tease.. He also enjoyed farming, raising horses, his dogs, camping & fishing.
Gordon is survived by his three children, Linda (Doug) Broich, Montevideo; Lyle Tobiason, Magnolia; and Laurie (Jeff) Deutsch, Ellsworth; six grandchildren, Michael Broich, Todd (Kristin) Broich, Ryan (special friend, Sarah Senger) Broich, Jennifer Deutsch, Tiffany Deutsch and Nicholas Deutsch; eight great grandchildren, Staci, Cathi, Zachary, Danielle, Xavery, Hunter, Megan & Miley Broich; and a sister, Helen Kruger, Luverne.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Lauretta on October 17, 2002; a brother, Alfred Tobiason; and two sisters, Mabel Oldre and Ida Enger.

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