Obituary of Gary Ostrom

Gary Nyles Ostrom joined our Lord and Savior on August 27, 2009 after a valiant battle with cancer. Gary was born to Loretta B (Strandlund) and Vincent N. Ostrom on August 16, 1949 at Rush City, Minnesota. He was baptized on November 20, 1949 at the Immanuel Lutheran Church at Brunswick, Minnesota. Godparents were Fern and Axel Hedenstrom. Later, Gary was confirmed at Braham Evangelical Church in Braham, Minnesota. Gary attended grade school first in Pine City, Minnesota, then in Grasston, Minnesota before attending Braham Schools and graduated from Braham High School in 1967. Gary was awarded All-Conference athletic awards in football, basketball and baseball. He attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth for one year, then attended and graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. Gary served in active duty of the United States Army from 1971 through 1973 and was Honorably Discharged. On July 26, 1975, Gary and Dana Jean Scott were united in marriage in Outlook, Montana and made their first home in Duluth, Minnesota before moving to Rush Lake in Stanchfield, Minnesota, where they have resided for 30 years. They were blessed with one child, Scott Nathan Ostrom, born May 1988. Gary was a member of Calvary Lutheran Church at Rush Point, Minnesota. Although Gary enjoyed many jobs as a young man, including haying and working as a painter at Braco Company, his career began with Horace Mann Insurance Company for whom he served as an agent for five years from 1974 until 1979. He began working for United Power Association in 1979 in the Land Rights division, and continued there when the company became Great River Energy. He became manager and was extremely proud to be aligned with the company until his retirement on July 24, 2009. His joys have included raising his son, laboring in the out of doors, making his house a home, building ski trails, hunting, fishing, golfing, skiing, both downhill and cross-country, biking, playing any sport, most especially coaching softball, helping at church, exploring Minnesota, carpentry, calling the loons, teasing anyone and everyone, and assigning nicknames to everyone that was special to him. Surviving are his wife and son, his mother, Loretta Gotfredson, Cambridge, Minnesota, sister, Collette Kahn and friend Nels Pierson, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, sister Bonita Gernander and brother-in-law, Robert, Bovey, Minnesota, sister and brother-in-law, Janet and James Strand, Yorba Linda, California, mother-in-law, Darle Scott, Braham, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, and other family and friends, and son Scott's special friend, Allison Knapp.