65th Wedding Anniversary

Arnold and Gerda Jordheim are celebrating their 65th Wedding Anniversary. They were married on April 9th, 1958 in the village of Gerbrunn, then in West Germany.

Gerda was a refugee displaced person from Danzig, West Prussia. West Prussia had been an independent city-state before being taken over by Hitler in 1939. The inhabitants experienced much adversity and then, in 1945 were taken over by the Russian army, which was even more traumatic. Danzig then became Gdansk, Poland.

Gerda, who was then 13 years old, managed to escape to East Germany, then to the French Zone of occupation, and finally to the American zone of occupation. There she found work as a maid and nanny for Captain Neil Kepp and wife Betty in Wurzburg, where Arnold was stationed with the 10th Mountain Division of the US Army.

In January 1957 they met and were constant companions and in April 1958 they married. Gerda then came to Walcott, North Dakota, where Arnold was to be the long-time postmaster. After raising three sons, (Andre, Chris, and Brent), Gerda then worked at DeLendrecie’s for ten years and also after that for many years did volunteer work at the Sons of Norway.

They have spent their retirement years enjoying their family, including four grandchildren, many do-it-yourself projects, and travelling. They have made about a dozen trips to Germany, Gdansk and Norway (Arnold’s ancestral origin). All their sons have been there, too. They are thankful for 65 years of peaceful and healthy life in Walcott. Gerda celebrated her 90th birthday in May, 2021 at the Sons of Norway.