My Gpa (our gpa for brothers Matt Chris and sister Mia, and for Barb and Kathy, and dad of my dad and aunt Renell...)Walt was born in Iowa June 1 1923.
Grew up on a farm.

He was in the United States Marines in World War II in the Pacific.
He married Betty Ann Kosbau.
They had 2 children together my father Gregory George and my aunt Renell.
My Grandma Betty divorced and remarried my dad's teacher Frank. She became a realtor. Having good children (and grandchildren) was one of her proudest accomplishments.
My Gpa Walt remarried to Gma Elva Clarice Sorenson.
My Gpa worked with heavy equipment. When I was young I seen him driving a snow plow. Elva was a music teacher. They both later retired. I was able to be around while they were still working.
Walt and Elva had many hobbies together including gardening, feeding birds, lefsa making, pickling, and genealogy research and documenting.
They celebrated Norwegian heritage.
My Gpa Walt and Gma Elva had many antiques including wind up clocks.
Played solitaire on the computer and emailed with help from gma Elva.

Divorces are hard and sometimes remarriage is hard, but one good thing was at one time I had 6 living grandparents.
Gpa Walt was adamant about having American made automobiles, Ford in particular, and keeping his drivers license even when he stopped driving.
My dad and mom, me, and my brothers and sister visited almost every time we went through Rochester Mn.

Walt and Elva came often to family events, Elva still does.
The family would get together for Thanksgiving at Renell's house where Gpa Walt, Gma Elva, Grandma Betty and Gpa Frank, Renell, Renells friend Greg, my dad Greg and the rest of our family, Grandma Betty's other children Kent & Troy, and the rest of the family would get together.
We brought a foreign exchange student from Japan, Nayuta, to visit in Rochester.
Years Later, my Gpa showed us several videos about world War 2 one was a video from Pearl Harbor, another was about an island where he was. The island had a memorial ceremony once a year where soldiers from both United States and Japan peacefully got together in remembrance.
My Gpa would like to say when we visited, "you haven't eaten this good since the last time you were here." That made my mom a little mad. :)
Gma Elva also has a daughter Sue, granddaughters Kathy and Barb. great granddaughters Nichole and Hailey.

In 2009 I visited Washington DC with my Gpa and Dad. We went on a tour bus around town. We went through Smithsonian buildings, memorials including the World War II memorial where we took photos and looked him up on the computer. There was a young boy that asked if he was in world war II and I took a photo. The woman with him noticed we were 3 generations.

My Gpa survived colon cancer for many years. He was in the hospital in 1998 and later he had a blockage in 2012 which he later passed away that year. He had been well taken care with the help of Gma Elva and with dialysis and with hospice care.
At his funeral Patriot Guard came with flags, active marines in full uniform, and prayers were on the wall in the church asking for peace. Seen relatives and friends that haven't seen for a long time. It was remembered how he would tell Elva at the dinner table "we've had it pretty good" and how he would poke fun of his Norwegian heritage with jokes. Later it moved to Waukon Iowa where I was pallbearer. There was a American legion solute there as well.
Gma Elva still lives in Rochester and I seen her, Barb, Sue, Renell, my Dad Greg (and many others) in September at Chris and Allison's wedding.