Gustave W. "Gus" Rossknecht Ii

Gustave W. “Gus” Rossknecht II, age 86, of Grants Pass, Oregon, died Friday, January 1, 2010 at his home surrounded by his family.

Family services were held. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Remembrances may be made to Lovejoy Hospice, 939 SE 8th Street, Grants Pass, Oregon 97526

Gus was born August 23, 1923 in Grenora, North Dakota the 10th of 13 children to Gustave William Rossknecht & Mary Elize Marion Rossknecht. In 1931 during the Great Depression the family moved to Hot Springs, South Dakota. In 1942 Gus graduated from Hot Springs High School and attended college in Los Angeles, California before entering the United States Navy in 1943. He served as a radioman processing Japanese code and was honorably discharged in March 1946. On July 25, 1950 he married Nona Jane Beresford and they raised four children in Hot Springs, South Dakota before moving to Livermore, California in 1970. Both Gus & Nona worked for Veterans administration until he retired in 1988. In 1989 they returned to Hot Springs, where they lived until 1996 when they moved to Grants Pass, Oregon.

Gus was a life member of the Elks Club; Veterans of Foreign Wars; and American Legion.

His hobbies included gardening, landscaping, woodworking, golf, playing cards, travel, and computer dabbling.

Survivors include three sons, Gustave W. “Bill” Rossknecht III of Grants Pass, Oregon, Daniel H. Rossknecht of Livermore, California, and Curtis J. Rossknecht of Lincoln, Nebraska; a daughter, Jane M. Evans of Castro Valley, California; a sister, Lucy Wilson of Custer, South Dakota; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Nona Rossknecht on Decmeber 16, 2000; and eleven siblings, Annie Stone, Rose Englebert, Irene Wolverton, Alice Stevens, Gertrude Rossknecht, Theodore Rossknecht, Joseph Rossknecht, Francis “Fritz” Rossknecht, Herman Rossknecht, Raymond Rossknecht, and Ralph Rossknecht.