Obituary of John Kenneth Gjerdrum

No visitation is being held John Kenneth Gjerdrum, Sr., born January 22, 1923 passed away October 28, 2006 in Olympia, Washington at the age of 83. John spent his youth in the Georgetown area of Seattle. He graduated from Cleveland High School. In 1952 John met and married the love of his life, Rose (Mary) McQueen. Together they raised their family of four children in the Tukwila area where they lived from 1954 through 1983. John, a retired Teamster, drove delivery truck for the Port of Seattle for over 15 years. Prior to his career at the Port he was employed with National Transfer, Weaver Brothers, and others. John's friendships in South Seattle spanned decades. He was always ready with a joke, a laugh, a twinkle of the eye, and even sometimes a tear of joy. He loved deeply and he felt deeply. Following his retirement in 1983 John and Mary sold their home in Tukwila and said goodbye to the city and their lifelong friends. They moved to a cabin they had built on the Satsop River near Elma. There, with the river view from their living room window and 80 foot cedars surrounding their home they lived in peace and comfort on five acres of virgin rainforest land. To his final days John held stewardship over his slice of heaven, protecting the land, the river, the wildlife and birds in the virgin cedar forest he and Mary called home. John's passion for the Washington wilderness and his love of fishing and botony was borne out of summers spent at his parent’s cabin on the Tolt River near Carnation. He was especially proud of his participation with the Trail Blazers for the State of Washington. As a young man he hiked deep into the wilds of the high mountain lakes carrying a backpack full of water and fingerlings armed with only a compass, a topographical map, and a machete. John served his country as a Seabee during World War II. He was stationed in the Pacific. John is survived by his wife Rose (Mary); his son, John Kenneth Gjerdrum (wife Kathy) of Normandy Park, Washington; his daughters, Anna Veldman, of Cedar Hills, Oregon, Charlotte Grindland (husband Leonard) of Hillsboro, Oregon and Sandi Hill (husband Jerry) of Palmer, Alaska; and grandchildren, Alan Veldman, Angela Veldman, Shelly Robinson, Sheri Thomson, Lenny Grindland, Terry Grindland and John LeCount, and numerous great grandchildren. There are no plans for a public funeral service. Remembrances can be posted on this website and/or sent directly to Rose (Mary) Gjerdrum at: Boardwalk Apartments 410 Capital Way, Apt 125, Olympia, Washington 98501 (360) 943-5187