Gordon T. Stofer

Gordon T. Stofer, 71, of Grand Island died Friday, May 5, 2017, at CHI Health St. Francis in Grand Island surrounded by his wife and daughters.



Memorial services will be at 10:30 A.M. Wednesday at St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Grand Island. The Rev. Edgar Schambach will officiate. Gordons wishes were for cremation to take place. Military honors will be provided by the United Veterans Honor Guard and U.S. Navy Honors Team immediately following the services at the church. Burial will be at a later date.



Family will greet friends Wednesday from 9:30 A.M. until service time at the church.



Memorials are suggested to the family to be determined later.



Gordon Thomas Stofer was born August 19, 1945 at Friend, Nebraska. He graduated from Ong High School in 1963. He then attended community colleges in Fairbury, NE, San Diego, CA and Scottsbluff, NE, graduating from UNL in 1977.



Gordon served in the U.S. Navy from August 1965 until July 1969, when he was honorably discharged.



He married Kay L. Olson on April 2, 1972, at St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Grand Island. They lived in various Nebraska communities over the years, as Gordon worked in the newspaper business. They eventually ended up in Genoa, NE where Gordon was the owner/publisher/editor of the Genoa Leader Times. He later moved from journalism into public relations, working with the Central Platte Natural Resources District until his retirement in 1999.



Gordon was a member of St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Grand Island, Elks Lodge #604, the American Legion, Platt Deutsche and the Saddle Club. Gordon enjoyed reading newspapers, following the news, cheering on the Nebraska Cornhuskers, intellectual puzzles and playing cards. One of his favorite things was spending time with his grandson.



He is survived by his wife, Kay Stofer of Grand Island; two daughters and a son-in-law, Kari Stofer of Grand Island, Kristi and Kevin Fraley of Grand Island; grandson, Kyler Ace Fraley of Grand Island.



He is also survived by three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Susan and Tony Turner of Monroe, NE, Cindy Shuck of Genoa, NE, Jodelle and Mike Richmond of Lincoln, NE; five brothers and three sisters-in-law, Ronald and Carolyn Miller of Larimore, ND, Oscar Miller of Ord, NE, Roger and Tammy Miller of Lincoln, NE, Max and Jean Miller of Plattsmouth, NE, John Miller of Omaha, NE, his mother-in-law, Alice Olson of Grand Island; and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bill and RoxAnn Olson of Kearney, NE. He loved and was loved by many nieces and nephews.



Gordon was preceded in death by his mother and step-father, Helene and Clarence Miller; brothers, Robert and Roland Miller; and sister, Bonnie Etherton.