WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
Retired Col. Stephen Maynard Gordon, U.S. Army, age 83, of Sturgis, passed away Friday afternoon May 17, 2013, at Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis.
He was born July 20, 1929, in Logansport, Ind., a son of the late Donald and Harriett (Sinninger) Gordon.
Mr. Gordon had resided in Sturgis since 1974, coming from Logansport. He was a graduate of Logansport High School with the class of 1947. Continuing his education, he graduated from Purdue University School of Forestry in 1951.
On July 20, 1972, he married Lois Clarey in Beaverton. She died Feb. 19, 1999. On Aug. 12, 2005, he married Margaret Reese Schwaberow in Centreville.
Following 28 years of dedicated military service in the U.S. Army, Indiana National Guard and Reserves, he retired in 1989, earning the rank of colonel. During the Korean War, he served as A.D. Following his active duty, he accepted the position of forester for Southern Railway Company in St. George, S.C., near Charleston. Mr. Gordon returned to Logansport to establish and operate a landscaping business. He later went into agriculture sales as district manager of various major fertilizer, equipment and seed companies. At the time of his retirement, he held the position of Eastern U.S. regional sales manager for Custom Farm Seed of Maumee, Ill.
Mr. Gordon was a member of the Orient Lodge #277 F&AM in Logansport, Scottish Rite in Fort Wayne, Ind., and Neuman-Wenzel Post #73 American Legion in Sturgis.
He loved to travel, visiting all 50 states and Provinces of Canada, mushroom hunting and gathering and polishing Petoskey stones.
He is survived by his loving wife, Margaret; two grandchildren, Stephen Michael Gordon of Jasper, Ind., and Dolores Weese of Winter Springs, Fla.; six great-grandchildren, Quinten Gordon, Emma Gordon and Dimitry Gordon, Hope Ann Estep, Destiny Weese and Will Weese; several stepchildren, step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren; two sisters, Judy (Jon) Settlemyer of Tucson, Ariz., and Diana (Jack) Stout of Brookston, Ind.; a brother, W.L. “Tim” (Darla) Gordon of West Lafayette, Ind.; a brother-in-law, Bill Holdcraft of Constantine; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Lois; a son, Michael Gordon; and a sister, Edith Holdcraft.
There will be no visitation. A graveside service and burial will take place at 1 p.m. Friday at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta, where full military honors will be conferred by Fort Custer Honor Guard and the U.S. Army Honor Guard.
Hackman Family Funeral Homes — Hackman Chapel 114 S. Nottawa St., Sturgis, is assisting the family with arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donation be directed to Thurston Woods Village, 307 N. Franks Ave., Sturgis, MI 49091.
His obituary is also at www.hackmanfamilyfuneralhome.com, where personal messages of support may be left for the family.
