Obituaries / LJWorld.com

Obituaries

RAPID CITY, SD Gordon C. Shreves, 87, died Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, at Rapid City Regional Hospital.
Gordon and his wife, Elaine, were the long time (30 years) owners and operators of the family shoe store, Gordon’s Shoe Center in downtown Lawrence, Kansas.
He was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa on June 18th, 1925 to Roy Earl and Vesta Mae (Feight) Shreves. Born with clubbed feet, he suffered the first five years of his life. The bones in his feet were broken and turned around causing the need for braces on his ankle and feet until about age 7. As a result he always had a limp, not unlike Forest Gump, and, despite his lifetime occupation in the shoe business, never found a comfortable pair of shoes for himself.
Gordon quit high school in 1943, lied about his age and joined the army during the time of World War II. After being discharged he entered the retail business, soon finding his niche in the shoe business.
He eloped with Elaine (Moss) Shreves, on Nov. 30th, 1945 in Hiawatha, Kansas, where there was no waiting time to be married. They were married for nearly 67 years at the time of his passing.
Gordon was a lifetime elder of the First Presbyterian Church, a member of the Elks Club, the Cosmopolitan Club, American Legion, and Odd Fellows.
In 2009, Gordon and Elaine moved to Rapid City, South Dakota to be closer to their family.
He is survived by his wife, Elaine, son Dennis and his wife Sue (Murray) of Hot Springs, SD, daughter Dixie of Council Bluffs, IA, and son Douglas and his wife Kate (Wolfe) of Rapid City, 6 grandchildren, 5 great- grandchildren, brother Kenneth of Sun City, AZ, and sister, Donna Petrie of Topeka, KS.
Besides his parents, Gordon was preceded in death by his son David and daughter Debra and sister Rosalie Christensen.
A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, November 10, 2012 at Edstrom & Rooks Funeral Service at Serenity Springs in Rapid City with Kathleen Batchelder officiating.
A memorial has been established by the family.
Memorial services are planned for a later date in Lawrence.
Friends may sign his online guestbook and offer condolences at www.serentiyspringsfuneralchapel.com
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