Guerdon Bushnell

  Noted events in his life were:

• Obituary. Guerdon Bushnell age 91 of Prairie du Chien and formerly of Lafayette, LA passed away Friday, February 4, 2011 at the Great River Care Center in McGregor, IA. Known to some as "Don", Guerdon was a passionate Christian, a soldier, a successful interior designer, a family man, and a pastor to many.
Born in 1919 in Grant County's "Mitchell Hollow" to Ray Medley and Dorothy Marguerete Baer Bushnell of Platteville, Wisconsin, Guerdon was the oldest of eight children: Robert of Monroe, Louisiana who preceded him in death in 2008; Laurence of Pineville, North Carolina; Alice Markunas, Sterling, Illinois; Dorothy Ann Bennett, Spring Arbor, Michigan; Joanne Starr, Wheaton, Illinois;, Elizabeth Guyer, Lakeland, Florida. His youngest brother, Richard, of Seattle Washington, preceded him in death in 2007.
After a year at the University of Wisconsin at Platteville, Wisconsin, Mr. Bushnell joined the Army National Guard in 1938. Called to active duty in October of 1940, he married Stella Garstka of Chicago, Illinois, thirteen days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and while stationed in Montgomery, Alabama, he was granted a transfer to the newly created Army Air Corps. Commissioned a 2ND Lt., Bushnell served as bombardier instructor during the war, writing the manual on "Fast Approach in Bombing a Target". He was honorably discharged as Captain from the Air Force National Reserves in 1952. Thus began his lifelong passion with aviation: he volunteered with the Lafayette Louisiana Cajun Wing of the Confederate Air Force.
In 1958 Guerdon received an associate interior design degree from the Chicago School of Interior Design and practiced his craft in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and in Monroe, Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana. In 1990 he retired and put his full energy into ministry, receiving a Master of Theology, a Master of Divinity and finally Doctor of Ministry from the Christian Life School of Theology in New Iberia, Louisiana.
After the death of his first wife, he married Bette Rheel Knapp, former high school classmate and the widow of life-long friend, Don Knapp of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Relocating to Wisconsin, Guerdon and Bette both worked for Lori Knapp Companies where he used his interior design skills.
Guerdon was passionate about serving his Lord. In 1985 he formed the Springs of Living Water church in Lafayette, LA, where he changed many lives. He passionately pursued his Biblical studies and positively affected many people's lives up to the day of his death.
Mr. Bushnell is survived by his second wife, Bette Rheel Knapp Bushnell and her children: Donald, Jr. (Sandra); Nancy (Lowell) Ahrens; Lori all of Prairie du Chien, and Randy (Stacy) of La Crosse, 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are four children from his 51 year marriage to Stella Garstka who preceded him in death in 1992: Lorene Holbrook of Metairie, Louisiana; Chad Bushnell, Houston, Texas; Jerelyn Bushnell and Debbie Bushnell Springer, Lafayette, Louisiana, by four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 11:00 AM at the Cornerstone Foursquare Church in Prairie du Chien, WI with Rev. Mel Wild officiating. The Prairie du Chien Honor Guard following the service will accord military rites. Interment will be in the Greenlawn Cemetery, Lafayette, LA, and are being handled by the Delhomme Funeral Home in Lafayette, LA. Friends may call on Monday, February 7, 2011 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Garrity Funeral Home in Prairie du Chien and one hour prior to services on Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at the church.

• Miscellaneous: Per Lorene Bushnell Holbrook. Bette and Don and my parents were always close friends even after my parents moved to Louisiana. Don and my father joined the National Guard and went off to basic training together; after the war they both went to Armstrong floor covering school in Chicago and started up similar businesses - the Knapps in Prairie and my father in Sparta Wisconsin.

• Miscellaneous. Per Debbie Bushnell Springer, Actually Guerdon had no middle initial. His birth certificate and death certificate read "Guerdon Bushnell". However, the military wanted his middle initial all the time on forms. He got sick of explaining he had no middle initial and so his mother told him to use Lawrence. Hence, his military record has an "L" as his middle initial. Since his grave marker was supplied by Uncle Sam, it too has an "L".

• msic: Per Lorene Holbrook. Tho' Dad has been gone two years, his 2nd wife is still living in Prairie du Chien, and still in good health. She was also in Dad's class in Platteville - in fact, was the drum majorette when Dad was drum major. She is Bette Rheel Knapp and was married to Don Knapp who did not attend high school in Platteville. My father and Don Knapp enlisted together and went through basic training together in Louisiana (of all places). After the war they both went to the same floor covering school in Chicago and separately opened similar floor covering businesses - Don in Prairie and Dad in Sparta.

Guerdon married Stella Garstka. (Stella Garstka was born on 3 Oct in Chicago, IL and died in 1992.)

Guerdon next married Betty Rheel.