Gordon W. Erlandson, 86

Gordon Whitfield Erlandson, retired Professor of Agricultural Economics at North Dakota State University, went to be with his Lord and Savior on December 8, 2009.

Gordon was born on September 10, 1923, on his grandfather’s rural Lowry farm, the farm he later inherited. Gordon was a studentat Glenwood High School for two years but completed his schooling at the Morris Minnesota Agricultural School, which at that time offered a high school curriculum. He was stricken with polio at the age of 23 and had a year of treatment at the Sister Kenny Institute in Minneapolis. He and Isabel (Barron) were married on May 19,1950, and he resumed farming on his grandfather’s farm for several years. This became increasingly diffi cult because of his post-polio syndrome, an affliction which followed him the rest of his life. He quit farming to enter the University of Minnesota as a 32-year-old freshman. He earned his B.S., M.S., and his Ph.D. from the University and began his teaching career at NDSU in 1965, where he had the pleasure of being Faculty Adviser to the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Chapter on campus for many years. In 1984, the college awarded him the Robert Odney Award for excellence in teaching. He retired in 1986, and eventually he and Isabel moved to Charlotte, N.C., to live in a Christian retirement village, where he passed away.

Gordon is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Isabel; sisters, Gertrude of Oakland, Calif., and Agnes of Juneau, Alaska; brothers, Harold (Ellen) of Rogers and George, Jr. (Kathleen) of Glenwood; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Minnie Erlandson of Lowry; and brother, Wallace of Fridley. Gordon was a man of deep faith and will be truly missed by all who had the privilege to know him. A memorial service will be held in Charlotte on January 9, 2010.