Gorden W Beito

Northview - North Mankato Mortuary
2060 Commerce Drive
North Mankato, MN 56003
507-388-2288

A celebration of life for Gorden Beito, age 95 of Mankato will be held at 11:00 am September 18, 2014 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Mankato. Visitation will be held Wednesday, September 17, 2014 from 5:00 p.m. " 8:00 p.m. at Northview - North Mankato Mortuary and continue one hour prior to the service at church on Thursday morning.

Beloved father and husband, Gorden Watsby Beito, was born in New Effington, South Dakota on September 24, 1918 to Nels Gudbrandson Beito and Caroline Sophia Beito. Gorden passed peacefully September 11, 2014 at age 95. Gorden is preceded in death by his wife, Georgian Rose Beito (2014), mother Caroline Sophia (Watsby) Beito (1924), who died of tuberculosis when he was 6, father Nils Gudbrandson Beito (1950), Sister Lorraine Sophia Genevieve Garbe (2005) and son, Michael Gorden Beito (2012). Gorden is survived by his Sons; Thomas Beito (Elaine) and David Beito, Daughter Kathryn Bjorkstrand (Matthew) and four grandchildren; Katrina, Wyatt Beito, Erik and Tommy.

Gorden graduated from New Effington High School, South Dakota, in 1939 and attended Augustana College and South Dakota State University. He moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1941 to stay with his sister, Loraine and her husband Gerald Garbe, there he ended up working at Heil Co where he helped manufacture army truck transmissions and breaches for anti-aircraft guns and other war products during WWII.

Gorden Beito met his wife Georgian (Jean) Rose Forsyth after WWII in Dakota, Minnesota along the Mississippi River, where Jean and her mother Kathleen Forsyth, owned and operated the Havenwood Hotel. Jean was waitressing when he and a friend stopped for lunch at the Hotel. They dated three times and Gorden asked her to marry him. She said yes. So the joke was Gorden stopped for lunch and never left. Gorden and Jean were married on October 21, 1946 in Winona, Minnesota and managed the Hotel until moving to Mankato in 1950, where they made Mankato their permanent residence. Gorden called her the pearl of his life. Gorden and Jean raised 4 children.

Gorden represented and sold Life Time Cookware throughout the 1950s. In 1958 he began his financial advisor career in mutual fund sales for Imperial Financial Services of Wayzata, Minnesota. He continued his financial advisor career for 42 years, as state division manager, representing mutual fund companies: AMVE, St Paul Companies, Fortis, Woodbury Financial and Hartford until he retired in 2002. He was also a licensed Real Estate broker with Midwest Realty.

Gorden was an active, 66 year member, trustee and past Exalted Ruler of the Mankato Elks Lodge #225 in 1970. He had also been President of the Mankato Exchange Club and member of the Masonic Temple Lodge #12, Vice-Chairman of Mankato Charter Commission 1971-1974, Committee Chairman of American Legion Boy Scout Troop 4 from 1967-1969, Lake Washington Club member and director, and Sons of Norway member. In 1975, Gorden was appointed Mankato City Councilman for the 4th Ward, elected in 1976 and served Mankato as the 4th Ward councilman thru 1980. He was also a lifelong blood donor and former Blood Recruiting Chairman for Blue Earth County, volunteered at the Summit Center and served on the Minnesota Regional Library Board of Trustees from 1979-1980.

Gorden loved to go dancing with his wife Jean at the Elks Lodge Ballroom on Saturday nights out, before the lodge was destroyed by fire. His other personal enjoyments in life included being with his family, Golf, Fishing, Hunting, Sailing on Lake Washinton and watching NCAA Basketball, Twins and Vikings. More recently he loved having coffee, playing cards with his retired Wagon Wheel pals and tending to their flowers.

Gorden"s high school class description read "He lives to love and labor as a Gentleman".

The Beito family wishes to thank his care givers at Mayo Health System " Mankato, Ecumen Pathstone Living and Mayo hospice for their loving kindness and support. Gordens wish, is that in lieu of memorials, please give to the charity of your choice.