Gordon F. Atkinson was born Oct. 31, 1929 in rural Highmore, S.D., to Wes and Florence (Shaw) Atkinson. In 1931, his family moved to Pollock, where his mother and father farmed on the Smith Ranch, west of Pollock. They moved to Pollock in 1945 where his parents owned and operat-ed Pollock Food Market and Locker Plant. Gordon worked for his parents as a butcher. They closed the store in 1954, during the time the Town of Pollock was moved up a hill to the south because of the coming Oahe Reservoir on the Missouri River.

He attended elementary school at Kehn Rural School west of Pollock and graduated from Pollock High School in 1948.

On Sept. 4, 1950 he married Marilyn Carlson, daughter of Harold and Thelma (Warner) Carlson of Pollock.

When the Town of Pollock was moved, Gordon and Marilyn’s house was one of the first homes moved from old Pollock to the new town, and Gordon worked for Lester Jones, plumbing and laying blocks for the homes being moved to, or being built in, the new town. Later, his father-in-law, Harold Carlson, opened Carlson Manufacturing, a cabinet making company in the new town and Gordon joined as a carpenter. The company later added manufacturing of fiber-glass boats, which Gordon helped build. Many of the kitchen cabinets in Pollock and the surround-ing area were built by Carlson Manufacturing.

In 1965, Carlson Manufacturing was closed and in the same building, the Carlsons and Gordon and Marilyn opened Pollock Super Valu, a grocery store, meat market and butcher shop, where Gordon worked as the butcher. He and Marilyn later took over sole ownership of the business from the Carlsons. Gordon’s old-style country sausage was one of the most popular items they sold and for-mer Pollock residents would order large quantities of the sausage to take home when they came to visit.

After a fire destroyed the inside of the store in 1978, they rebuilt, opening only the custom butcher shop. A few years later, they closed the meat market. In semi-retirement, Gordon and Marilyn worked part-time in the mailroom at the Mobridge Tribune before fully retiring. They lived in Pol-lock until 2017, when they became residents of the Mobridge Care and Rehabilitation Center in Mobridge. When that center closed in 2018, they moved to the center in Oakes, where their daughter Lori Kunrath and her family live.

Gordon was very active in the Town of Pollock, serving as a volunteer fireman and chief of the de-partment. He was also a member of the Pollock Masonic Lodge, the Jaycees, the Pollock Men’s Club and the Stateline Snowmobile Club.

In 1975, Gordon was elected mayor of Pollock and in 1976, during the U.S. Bicentennial, he hosted Gov. Arthur Link of North Dakota and Gov. Richard Kneip of South Dakota when a flotilla of dig-nitaries and representatives of both states traveled up and down the old Missouri River, meeting in Pollock for a joint celebration of the bicentennial. In the Bicentennial Parade that was held in Pol-lock, Gordon rode a horse, something he enjoyed doing as a boy when his brother Glenn and he rode horses in the hills above the Smith Ranch.

He was a lifelong member of the Pollock Memorial Presbyterian church, serving in many capacities, including elder. He helped work on the construction of the new church when it was built in the new town of Pollock and also used his former block and brick laying skills to help build the structure for the new elevator that was added to the church in 2009.

Throughout his life, Gordon loved to hunt, fish, boat and watch wildlife. He enjoyed the old Mis-souri River and then the Oahe Reservoir after the river was dammed at Pierre. He relished going boating with his grandchildren to fish for walleye and hunting with his family. He also loved sports and so enjoyed attending sporting events in which his children, and later, grandchildren, participat-ed. Although he had opportunities to leave Pollock for work elsewhere, he never wanted to leave his beloved hometown.

Gordon was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Glenn and Darrell, and his sister, Marilyn Cedar. He is survived by: His wife, Marilyn; his son Larry (Roberta) Atkinson of Mobridge; his daughter, Lynn (Mark) Murphy of Aberdeen; his daughter Lori (Tim) Kunrath of Oakes, N.D.; his sister, Margie Atkinson of Richfield, Minn.; his grandsons, Corey (Jennifer) Atkinson of Sioux Falls, Jordan (Stephanie) Murphy of Fargo, N.D., and Matthew (fiancée, Lakyn Boe) Kunrath of Oakes; his granddaughters, Jennifer (Kyle) Porisch of Huron, S.D., Amy (Josh) Joy of Fargo, N.D., JoAan (Jason) Fuhrer of Niceville, Fla., Lisa (Jason) Fuccello of Sioux Falls, and Michelle (Jarret) Schroeder of Oakes. He is also survived by 11 great grandsons and four great granddaughters.

D a t e o f S e r v i c e

T i m e o f S e r v i c e

Gordon F. Atkinson

October 31, 1929 ~ August 3, 2019

Footprints In The Sand

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of

footprints in the sand—one belonging to him and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene had flashed

before him, he looked back at the footprints and noticed that many times along the path

there was only one set of footprints in the sand. He also noticed that this happened

during the lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he

questioned the Lord, “Lord, you said that once I decided to follow You, You would

walk with me all the way, but I have noticed that during the most troublesome times

of my life there was only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why, when I

needed you most, You deserted me.”

The Lord replied, “My precious child, I love you and would never leave you.

During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then

that I carried you.”

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

Gordon F. Atkinson 89 Years ~ 9 Months ~ 2 Days

BORN: PASSED AWAY:

October 31, 1929 August 3, 2019

Highmore, South Dakota Oakes, North Dakota

CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE:

11:00 AM, Friday, August 9, 2019 Pollock Memorial Presbyterian Church

Pollock, South Dakota

CLERGY:

Rev. Floyd Haan Rev. Craig Cedar, Nephew

ORGANIST: Joan Wittmeier

SPECIAL MUSIC:

JoAan Fuhrer, Granddaughter “Amazing Grace” “On Eagle’s Wings”

CONGREGATIONAL HYMNS:

“How Great Thou Art” “Abide With Me”

INURNMENT:

Spring Valley Cemetery Pollock, South Dakota

At a later date

Memorials will be given to Pollock Memorial Presbyterian Church.

Arrangements Entrusted to Kesling Funeral Home, Mobridge, South Dakota