Solway - Gordon Loiland, 60, died Monday, October 20, 1997 at the North Country Regional Hospital in Bemidji.
Funeral services were held Friday, October 24 at 11 a.m. at the Sand Valley Lutheran Church in Trail with Reverend Bob Kelly officiating. Interment was at Valle Cemetery in rural Oklee. Arrangements were with the Cease Family Funeral Home of Bagley.
Gordon was born March 17, 1937 at Trail, the son of Ole and Lillian (Sordahl) Loiland. He was baptized and confirmed at the Valle Lutheran Church in Oklee. He graduated from Oklee High School in 1955. He married Elaine Perry on October 14, 1960. He later married Verna Burnham on June 10, 1989. Gordon started out farming and then went into construction. He helped build many buildings around the area including the post office in Bemidji, the court house in Walker, the Oklee and Gonvick schools, the law enforcement building in Crookston, the community center in Red Lake, the school in White Earth and numerous other facilities. He was always busy building or planning something. He loved to hunt and refinish furniture.
Gordon is survived by his wife, Verna of Solway; three sons, Steven Loiland of Trail, Tom (Eunsook) Loiland of Virginia and LuWayne (Jodi) Loiland of Bagley; one daughter, Edith Loiland of Bagley; six grandchildren; four stepdaughters, Vicki (Steve) Jewett of Bemidji, Wendy (Mark) Gullicksrud of Solway, Lori (Roger) Petersen and Kelli Erwin of Solway; one stepson Cory (Lana) Erwin of Solway; 13 step-grandchildren; two sisters, Carla (George) Johnson of Thief River Falls and Joanne (Vernon) Voeltz of Trail; one aunt, Helga Lambert of Thief River Falls; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one nephew.