Gaylan D. Friesenborg

Gaylan D. Friesenborg, 91, passed away Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018.

He was born Oct. 18, 1926, in Gothenburg, Nebraska, to Emil and Hattie Friesenborg. He and Leona Block began their courtship at Gothenburg High School at the age of 15. Following his two years in the Army, they were married May 18, 1947. For 20 years, they worked together managing his family business, Friesenborg & Son, until deciding to step out in faith and enter church work.

Gaylan was a certified church administrator and was recently honored for 50 years of service. During his career, he was the administrator at churches in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and Dayton, Ohio, and managed a retirement home with Leona in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In retirement, they lived in Estes Park, Colorado; traveled the world serving together at missions in San Francisco, Florence, Arizona and Merida, Yucatan, Mexico; and volunteered at the headquarters of the Presbyterian Church USA in Louisville, Kentucky.

Throughout his life, he had a special love of and gift for music, playing trombone in his early years and blessing many with his beautiful baritone voice. He and Leona also enjoyed leading mission trips and work camps to many locations around the world.

The greatest joy of his life was his family.

Gaylan and Leona have a son, Terry (Dee) Friesenborg of Kettering, Ohio, and a daughter, Trudy (Terry) Lee of Cape Girardeau. He was much loved by his grandchildren, Aaron (Jen) Friesenborg, Molly Friesenborg (Nic Subtirelu), Cody (Gordon) Friesenborg-Lee, Erik (Nicole) Lee and Bryndon Lee (Chris Scudder); and his six great-grandchildren, Heather, Samantha, Ana, Briana, Eliot and Maggie.

A memorial service for family and friends to celebrate a life well lived will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau.

To carry on his legacy of Christian service, the family requests memorial gifts be sent to Donaldina Cameron House, 920 Sacramento St., San Francisco, CA 94108, to further its work in Chinatown.

Online condolences may be shared at www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.

Ford and Sons Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.