Dean Gewecke

DEAN GEWECKE was born to Allen and Dorothy (Lincoln) Gewecke on September 15, 1932 in Pipestone, Minnesota. He was raised in Jasper, Minnesota where he received his education. After attending Jasper High School, he continued his education at the University of Minnesota, School of Agriculture, graduating in March, 1951. On October 14, 1951, he was united in marriage to Florence (Jo) Hunstad in Jasper. Following their marriage, they resided on the Golden Guernsey Farm located near Jasper. On September 10, 1952, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during the Korean War. After his discharge from the Navy on August 28, 1956, they moved to Pipestone and he became a partner in Golden Guernsey Dairy with his father and brother-in-law, Charles Eck. In 1962, they sold the dairy to Marigold Foods. He became a branch manager, and they moved the office from Redwood Falls to Pipestone where they expanded the operations. In 1973, Marigold Foods purchased Fenn’s Ice Cream in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In 1978, they closed the Pipestone office and Dean was transferred to Rochester, Minnesota to head up the Department of Transportation. In 1979, he resigned from Marigold Foods and became a partner in Wilson Trucking. In 1981, he started Great Lakes Express in Rochester, Minnesota. In July, 1981, Dean and Jo were divorced. On November 18, 1988, Dean married Janet (Handel) Bradley in Las Vegas, Nevada. Following their marriage, they resided in Rochester. He retired on January 1, 1997. Dean and Jan moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma in 2003. On Friday, October 12, 2012, he entered the Heritage Villa Nursing Home in Bartlesville under hospice care. He died there on Sunday, October 14, 2012 at the age of 80 years and 29 days.

Dean was a member of First United Methodist Church in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. He was also a member of the Michael Boock American Legion Post for 57 years in Pipestone. In 1968, he served as President of the Pipestone Chamber of Commerce. He served as President of the Pipestone Area Development Corporation in 1972. For two years, he was an elected member of the Pipestone City Council; and in 1975, was elected Mayor of Pipestone and served for two terms. In 1974, he was president at the Pipestone Country Club. He served on the Pipestone Police Commission for six years and on the Pipestone Airport Commission for seven years. He was a member of Gold Wing Road Riders Association. He enjoyed flying airplanes and boating. He also enjoyed his Gold Wing Motorcycle Trike Trips through the USA visiting national parks. He loved being a spectator at his grandchildren’s sporting events.

He is lovingly remembered by his wife, Janet Gewecke of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; five children, Donna and her husband Keith Detlefsen of Atwater, Minnesota, Brenda and her husband Darin Staab of Pipestone, Minnesota, Linda Carrow of Ladson, South Carolina, Teresa and her husband Mike Appeldorn of Tea, South Dakota, and Steven and his wife Tami Gewecke of St. Cloud, Minnesota; two step-children, Deb Bradley of Huntersville, North Carolina, and Jean and her husband Ken Shoemaker of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; 16 grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and one sister, Lu Rene Eck of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Debra Gewecke; his parents; one brother, Donald Gewecke; one brother-in-law, Charles Eck; and one son-in-law, Mark Carrow.