Gerald (Jerry) Dennis Gulden

Northview ~ North Mankato Mortuary
2060 Commerce Dr.
North Mankato, MN 56003
507-388-2288


Obituary of Gerald Dennis Gulden, born to Dennis and Stella (nee Klinkhammer) Gulden, at the Union Hospital in New Ulm, Minnesota on August 4, 1942 at 9:17 p.m., died on December 21, 2018.

Mass of Christian Burial to be conducted at 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 27, 2018 at Holy Rosary Church in North Mankato. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 26th at the Northview ~ North Mankato Mortuary, 2060 Commerce Drive, North Mankato and also for one hour prior to the service on Thursday at the church. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in Mankato.

He was baptized at New Ulm's St Mary’s church and schooled there, living on the south side until 5th grade. Moved for a year to White Bear Lake, MN but moved back to New Ulm the next year finishing grade and high school at Holy Trinity. He entered the U.S. Navy serving duty in Hawaii and Guam serving on board the submarines Blackfin SS 322 and was a plank owner on board the nuclear powered Polaris submarine Tecumseh SSBN 628 completing six patrols aboard it during the Vietnam War in the western Pacific Ocean, spending more than a total year beneath that ocean for the freedom for all to voice ones opinion. In my last year of service, he married his high school sweetheart Shirleen Franta at the Pearl Harbor Submarine Chapel in Oahu, Hawaii on December 24, 1966 and they renewed their vows in that same chapel on their 35th anniversary. The love of my life was Shirleen, she gave me purpose in life and a family I have dearly loved. We returned to New Ulm and after finding the call to become a chemist while in the Navy, I used the GI Bill to complete my bachelor and masters degree in chemistry at Mankato State. As his submarine counterparts would say "he is now on his 'final patrol' of which he was proud to serve".

He was hired by Hubbard Milling in Mankato and held many positions over my 24 years. It manufactured animal feeds, flour for bread baking, and turkey production.  He then managed the AGP laboratory in Courtland for five years and retired from MVTL in New Ulm in 2005. His work after retirement was doing animal welfare audits of poultry and hog units. My entire life's work was based upon providing safe foods to the livestock and the people who consumed them.

His interests varied throughout his lifetime. He became a scoutmaster for ten years at Messiah Lutheran Church, taking a southern Minnesota scout troop to the national scout jamboree in 1985. In the '90's I became interested in my roots. He belonged too and held various board positions in the German-Bohemian Heritage Society, Junior Pioneers of New Ulm and the Brown County Historical Society.  I researched my family surnames and have written the rich heritage tales of the Gulden, Henle, Klinkhammer, Groebner, Krambeer and James families. Shirleen and Jerry travelled to the Czech Republic three different times; he stepped on the land of his grandmothers in Muttersdorf CZ. They travelled over 24 countries, much of Europe, Scandinavia, and southern Germany where many of my ancestors had lived. After retirement we completed our tour of all 50 states and did Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica pier in their Corvette. I enjoyed people and participated in Corvette clubs, bridge groups and a gourmet garden club. The family gathered yearly for heritage meals, making and passing on the foods and traditions of the family which was part of my love of cooking and which brought the family closer to their roots.

I proudly present the children of our marriage, Mark (Sheryl) Gulden and two granddaughters, Abbigale (and fiancé, Benjamin Sneer) and Danielle of North Mankato and Michelle Gulden and friend Mark Karbouski of Sussex, Wisconsin. How I loved them, deeply and committed to their independent lives. I loved the yearly family summer outings that took them to different parts of the five state area. After retirement they spent each summer on a family vacation around the Midwest where he endeavored to instill family roots. My sister was Mary Gulden (Dr. Daniel) Groebner of New Ulm, many great nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his parents and older stillborn sister, Patsy 1934 in New Ulm and younger brother, Dennis J. Gulden (Pat) 2016 in Circle Pines, MN.

My eternal thoughts were of family. The vacations over the last years were to compensate for those we missed earlier in life. Family was my inspiration, which I always wanted all of us to remember each other with our good times together. Life is a remembrance of what we have done together and have been part of.

Life is but a journey we travel together. Love the times we and you have had together.

He wrote his obituary so all could see the events in his life from his viewpoint and as he said many times; Gesuientheit - good health.