Gordon D. Felper, 80, of Grinnell died on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014, at Grinnell Regional Medical Center.
A memorial service was held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the United Methodist Church in Grinnell. A private family burial will be at the Woodland Cemetery near Lynnville. Memorials may be directed to the University of Iowa Foundation.
Gordon was born on July 18, 1934, in Grinnell to Lyle and Genevieve Vogt Felper. He grew up in Grinnell and graduated from Grinnell High School with the Class of 1952. He also attended the University of Iowa. From 1953 to 1955, he served with the United States Army. Following his discharge from the military, he returned to Grinnell and managed Brown’s Shoe Fit and worked for the General Telephone Company of the Midwest.
On Apr. 8, 1977, he was married to Evelyn Brown Arthur in Grinnell. The couple lived in Searsboro, and they owned and operated the Longhorn Restaurant in Grinnell. He had resided at St. Francis Manor in Grinnell for the past few years.
Gordon was a member of the United Methodist Church in Grinnell, the Elks Lodge, the Eagles Club, and the American Legion. He enjoyed golfing, fishing, softball, dancing, and playing cards. He enjoyed singing in the United Methodist choir and supporting the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Survivors include his wife, Evelyn Felper of Grinnell; two daughters, Sheri (Ron) Wilson of Grinnell and Jennifer Lott; his stepchildren, Carolyn (Jim) Taylor, Warren Arthur, and Marsha (Russell) Nieland, all of Cedar Rapids, Steven (Marilyn) Arthur and Boyd (Kathy) Arthur, both of Lynnville, and Neil (Connie) Arthur of Sterling, AK; 14 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; and his twin sisters, Maxine Smith of Rochester, MN, and Marjorie Hajeck of Lake St. Louis, MO.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
