Gordon Arvid was middle of three siblings: Donald Francis and Agatha Nadine Dahl. He was born in Portland Oregon to which he completely bonded.
Gordon held his older brother in awe; Nadine worshiped Gordon - a feeling which would isolate Gordon's family from his mother-father and nephews and neices.
At an early age Donald rescued his brother from drowning in a sea of kelp in Redondo Beach CAL; he held his brother in grateful admiration for his actions. The brothers became strong swimmers after the near tragedy and competed in city and county swim events with winning successes. Gordon was graduated from Manual Arts High School Los Angeles with a scholarship for artistic skills.
Gordon met Sibyl while drag racing their cars on Western Avenue in Los Angeles. They eloped; one record says to Yuma AZ the other to San Diego Cal. Evidently his sister and mother could not imagine Sibyl in the family so Gordon and family were pretty well ostracized for fifty years. An effort was made on Nadine's part to open communications within days of Sibyl's death; it didn't work.
Gordon and Sibyl settled in Hyde Park of SouthWest Los Angeles.
The Dahl brothers had a strong work ethic that enveloped their wives. Virgina and Sibyl helped in the construction or additions to their homes. This same lessons were passed to their children.
Gordon's children (Diane, John Douglas, Merrilee, Kathleen and Christopher Arvid) have very little knowledge of their paternal family including cousins. Donald Francis died in 1949 and his widow Virginia remarried taking their only daughter (Joanne Louise) to Oroville CA. In recent years Joanne and Gordon's children have become re-acquainted.
Gordon as a maturing teen worked at Ralph's Grocery Stores. After marriage with a growing family he took employment in his father's construction business. Eventually he took a job at North American Aircraft Co. At some point, because Sibyl was frugal with Gordon's wages, she put deposit on a $2000 home in Inglewood, Los Angeles County where the family would live until the children departed as adults.
When WWII broke out he was deferred from active duty because of the nature of his job and having a family of three children.
In 1943 he enlisted in the military and eventually was called to the European Theater with Patton's Army. Dad completed basic training in Nov. 1944 and departed the USA on 22 Dec of that year with the 2nd Infantry Division. They crossed the Normandy Beachhead on D-Day + 1. He fought in France, Belgium Luxembourg, Germany and Czechoslovakia. He participated in the Battle of the Bulge from 16 Dec 1944 - 25 Jan 1945. He saw action in Monschau and Ahrweiler. His Division crossed the Rhine River at Remagden.
Dad was awarded the Silver and Bronze Stars in Germany for bravery.
His unit left Czechoslovakia Jul '45, arriving at Camp Swift, TX, only to prepare to serve in Japan. Fortunately for Dad and his unit (and the rest of the world), VJ day happened during their preparations. He must have been very worried. He and his unit were discharged 7 Oct 1945.
He always believed that God was watching out for him. On one occasion his helmet was pierced but the bullet entered at such an angle that it circled around and around inside next to the skin and burned a line around his head. In another scene the Germans had figured out the foxhole patterns and distances and were accurately firing mortars across the fields knocking out hole after hole. Gordon knew his time was up. The GIs in the foxholes on either side of him were killed but completely missed him and his buddy.
Gordo or Gordie returned from WWII and rarely spoke about his time there; he saw plenty of action and death. He suffered from nightmares for several years.
About 1948 he joined the Los Angeles Police Department completing his service as sergeant. Life with a police officer can be hard - harder on some children than others.
To supplement his salery he did odd jobs one of which was to be a body guard. It was during this time that he met the famous Howard Hughes and Jean Peters. Hughes rewarded Gordon's diligence, integrity and loyalty by presenting him with a valuable chronograph watch.
By 1968 the children had moved on to their lives. Sibyl and Gordon sold their home in Inglewood. For vacations Gordon and Sibyl would take trips throughout the Western States; Gorgon's dream was to return to & retire in Oregon, which is what they did. Sibyl had to be drug clawing and scratching all 800 miles to retard the eventual progress North; she lived there 20 years and learned to LOVE Oregon.
Retirement is difficult for a very bright, industrious and driven man (who suffered with a photographic memory.) After his fill of fishing he joined the Douglas County Oregon Probation Department and had a large impact on that "business". After several years he retired from the department.
Gordon had been waiting to be baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but none of the locals asked him at "the right time," which arrived in the mid-50s. He was very loyal and strong in his testimony of the Gospel and The Church. He and Sibyl were sealed in the Los Angeles California LDS Temple during the early 1960s.
Sibyl died in 1989 and he would continue struggling with loneliness for several year. He sold the "homestead" and moved first to Fullerton Cal to transition back into SoCal life. A year later he bought a home in North Santa Maria to be near his #2 daughter Merrilee. There he died. His body was shipped to Roseburg, buried next to Sibyl.
SURVIVED BY: Diane Dahl (Glenn Ray) Chaves Las Vegas NV; John Douglas (LaFae Barson) Dahl Spanish Fork UT; Merrilee Dahl (Michael Dennis) Foehner Santa Maria CA; Kathleen (Michael Verne) Rich of Costa Mesa CA and Christopher Arvid (Linda Peppe) Dahl of Mariposa CA. Survived by 17 grandchildren.
Gordon held his older brother in awe; Nadine worshiped Gordon - a feeling which would isolate Gordon's family from his mother-father and nephews and neices.
At an early age Donald rescued his brother from drowning in a sea of kelp in Redondo Beach CAL; he held his brother in grateful admiration for his actions. The brothers became strong swimmers after the near tragedy and competed in city and county swim events with winning successes. Gordon was graduated from Manual Arts High School Los Angeles with a scholarship for artistic skills.
Gordon met Sibyl while drag racing their cars on Western Avenue in Los Angeles. They eloped; one record says to Yuma AZ the other to San Diego Cal. Evidently his sister and mother could not imagine Sibyl in the family so Gordon and family were pretty well ostracized for fifty years. An effort was made on Nadine's part to open communications within days of Sibyl's death; it didn't work.
Gordon and Sibyl settled in Hyde Park of SouthWest Los Angeles.
The Dahl brothers had a strong work ethic that enveloped their wives. Virgina and Sibyl helped in the construction or additions to their homes. This same lessons were passed to their children.
Gordon's children (Diane, John Douglas, Merrilee, Kathleen and Christopher Arvid) have very little knowledge of their paternal family including cousins. Donald Francis died in 1949 and his widow Virginia remarried taking their only daughter (Joanne Louise) to Oroville CA. In recent years Joanne and Gordon's children have become re-acquainted.
Gordon as a maturing teen worked at Ralph's Grocery Stores. After marriage with a growing family he took employment in his father's construction business. Eventually he took a job at North American Aircraft Co. At some point, because Sibyl was frugal with Gordon's wages, she put deposit on a $2000 home in Inglewood, Los Angeles County where the family would live until the children departed as adults.
When WWII broke out he was deferred from active duty because of the nature of his job and having a family of three children.
In 1943 he enlisted in the military and eventually was called to the European Theater with Patton's Army. Dad completed basic training in Nov. 1944 and departed the USA on 22 Dec of that year with the 2nd Infantry Division. They crossed the Normandy Beachhead on D-Day + 1. He fought in France, Belgium Luxembourg, Germany and Czechoslovakia. He participated in the Battle of the Bulge from 16 Dec 1944 - 25 Jan 1945. He saw action in Monschau and Ahrweiler. His Division crossed the Rhine River at Remagden.
Dad was awarded the Silver and Bronze Stars in Germany for bravery.
His unit left Czechoslovakia Jul '45, arriving at Camp Swift, TX, only to prepare to serve in Japan. Fortunately for Dad and his unit (and the rest of the world), VJ day happened during their preparations. He must have been very worried. He and his unit were discharged 7 Oct 1945.
He always believed that God was watching out for him. On one occasion his helmet was pierced but the bullet entered at such an angle that it circled around and around inside next to the skin and burned a line around his head. In another scene the Germans had figured out the foxhole patterns and distances and were accurately firing mortars across the fields knocking out hole after hole. Gordon knew his time was up. The GIs in the foxholes on either side of him were killed but completely missed him and his buddy.
Gordo or Gordie returned from WWII and rarely spoke about his time there; he saw plenty of action and death. He suffered from nightmares for several years.
About 1948 he joined the Los Angeles Police Department completing his service as sergeant. Life with a police officer can be hard - harder on some children than others.
To supplement his salery he did odd jobs one of which was to be a body guard. It was during this time that he met the famous Howard Hughes and Jean Peters. Hughes rewarded Gordon's diligence, integrity and loyalty by presenting him with a valuable chronograph watch.
By 1968 the children had moved on to their lives. Sibyl and Gordon sold their home in Inglewood. For vacations Gordon and Sibyl would take trips throughout the Western States; Gorgon's dream was to return to & retire in Oregon, which is what they did. Sibyl had to be drug clawing and scratching all 800 miles to retard the eventual progress North; she lived there 20 years and learned to LOVE Oregon.
Retirement is difficult for a very bright, industrious and driven man (who suffered with a photographic memory.) After his fill of fishing he joined the Douglas County Oregon Probation Department and had a large impact on that "business". After several years he retired from the department.
Gordon had been waiting to be baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but none of the locals asked him at "the right time," which arrived in the mid-50s. He was very loyal and strong in his testimony of the Gospel and The Church. He and Sibyl were sealed in the Los Angeles California LDS Temple during the early 1960s.
Sibyl died in 1989 and he would continue struggling with loneliness for several year. He sold the "homestead" and moved first to Fullerton Cal to transition back into SoCal life. A year later he bought a home in North Santa Maria to be near his #2 daughter Merrilee. There he died. His body was shipped to Roseburg, buried next to Sibyl.
SURVIVED BY: Diane Dahl (Glenn Ray) Chaves Las Vegas NV; John Douglas (LaFae Barson) Dahl Spanish Fork UT; Merrilee Dahl (Michael Dennis) Foehner Santa Maria CA; Kathleen (Michael Verne) Rich of Costa Mesa CA and Christopher Arvid (Linda Peppe) Dahl of Mariposa CA. Survived by 17 grandchildren.
Gordon Arvid was middle of three siblings: Donald Francis and Agatha Nadine Dahl. He was born in Portland Oregon to which he completely bonded.
Gordon held his older brother in awe; Nadine worshiped Gordon - a feeling which would isolate Gordon's family from his mother-father and nephews and neices.
At an early age Donald rescued his brother from drowning in a sea of kelp in Redondo Beach CAL; he held his brother in grateful admiration for his actions. The brothers became strong swimmers after the near tragedy and competed in city and county swim events with winning successes. Gordon was graduated from Manual Arts High School Los Angeles with a scholarship for artistic skills.
Gordon met Sibyl while drag racing their cars on Western Avenue in Los Angeles. They eloped; one record says to Yuma AZ the other to San Diego Cal. Evidently his sister and mother could not imagine Sibyl in the family so Gordon and family were pretty well ostracized for fifty years. An effort was made on Nadine's part to open communications within days of Sibyl's death; it didn't work.
Gordon and Sibyl settled in Hyde Park of SouthWest Los Angeles.
The Dahl brothers had a strong work ethic that enveloped their wives. Virgina and Sibyl helped in the construction or additions to their homes. This same lessons were passed to their children.
Gordon's children (Diane, John Douglas, Merrilee, Kathleen and Christopher Arvid) have very little knowledge of their paternal family including cousins. Donald Francis died in 1949 and his widow Virginia remarried taking their only daughter (Joanne Louise) to Oroville CA. In recent years Joanne and Gordon's children have become re-acquainted.
Gordon as a maturing teen worked at Ralph's Grocery Stores. After marriage with a growing family he took employment in his father's construction business. Eventually he took a job at North American Aircraft Co. At some point, because Sibyl was frugal with Gordon's wages, she put deposit on a $2000 home in Inglewood, Los Angeles County where the family would live until the children departed as adults.
When WWII broke out he was deferred from active duty because of the nature of his job and having a family of three children.
In 1943 he enlisted in the military and eventually was called to the European Theater with Patton's Army. Dad completed basic training in Nov. 1944 and departed the USA on 22 Dec of that year with the 2nd Infantry Division. They crossed the Normandy Beachhead on D-Day + 1. He fought in France, Belgium Luxembourg, Germany and Czechoslovakia. He participated in the Battle of the Bulge from 16 Dec 1944 - 25 Jan 1945. He saw action in Monschau and Ahrweiler. His Division crossed the Rhine River at Remagden.
Dad was awarded the Silver and Bronze Stars in Germany for bravery.
His unit left Czechoslovakia Jul '45, arriving at Camp Swift, TX, only to prepare to serve in Japan. Fortunately for Dad and his unit (and the rest of the world), VJ day happened during their preparations. He must have been very worried. He and his unit were discharged 7 Oct 1945.
He always believed that God was watching out for him. On one occasion his helmet was pierced but the bullet entered at such an angle that it circled around and around inside next to the skin and burned a line around his head. In another scene the Germans had figured out the foxhole patterns and distances and were accurately firing mortars across the fields knocking out hole after hole. Gordon knew his time was up. The GIs in the foxholes on either side of him were killed but completely missed him and his buddy.
Gordo or Gordie returned from WWII and rarely spoke about his time there; he saw plenty of action and death. He suffered from nightmares for several years.
About 1948 he joined the Los Angeles Police Department completing his service as sergeant. Life with a police officer can be hard - harder on some children than others.
To supplement his salery he did odd jobs one of which was to be a body guard. It was during this time that he met the famous Howard Hughes and Jean Peters. Hughes rewarded Gordon's diligence, integrity and loyalty by presenting him with a valuable chronograph watch.
By 1968 the children had moved on to their lives. Sibyl and Gordon sold their home in Inglewood. For vacations Gordon and Sibyl would take trips throughout the Western States; Gorgon's dream was to return to & retire in Oregon, which is what they did. Sibyl had to be drug clawing and scratching all 800 miles to retard the eventual progress North; she lived there 20 years and learned to LOVE Oregon.
Retirement is difficult for a very bright, industrious and driven man (who suffered with a photographic memory.) After his fill of fishing he joined the Douglas County Oregon Probation Department and had a large impact on that "business". After several years he retired from the department.
Gordon had been waiting to be baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but none of the locals asked him at "the right time," which arrived in the mid-50s. He was very loyal and strong in his testimony of the Gospel and The Church. He and Sibyl were sealed in the Los Angeles California LDS Temple during the early 1960s.
Sibyl died in 1989 and he would continue struggling with loneliness for several year. He sold the "homestead" and moved first to Fullerton Cal to transition back into SoCal life. A year later he bought a home in North Santa Maria to be near his #2 daughter Merrilee. There he died. His body was shipped to Roseburg, buried next to Sibyl.
SURVIVED BY: Diane Dahl (Glenn Ray) Chaves Las Vegas NV; John Douglas (LaFae Barson) Dahl Spanish Fork UT; Merrilee Dahl (Michael Dennis) Foehner Santa Maria CA; Kathleen (Michael Verne) Rich of Costa Mesa CA and Christopher Arvid (Linda Peppe) Dahl of Mariposa CA. Survived by 17 grandchildren.
Gordon held his older brother in awe; Nadine worshiped Gordon - a feeling which would isolate Gordon's family from his mother-father and nephews and neices.
At an early age Donald rescued his brother from drowning in a sea of kelp in Redondo Beach CAL; he held his brother in grateful admiration for his actions. The brothers became strong swimmers after the near tragedy and competed in city and county swim events with winning successes. Gordon was graduated from Manual Arts High School Los Angeles with a scholarship for artistic skills.
Gordon met Sibyl while drag racing their cars on Western Avenue in Los Angeles. They eloped; one record says to Yuma AZ the other to San Diego Cal. Evidently his sister and mother could not imagine Sibyl in the family so Gordon and family were pretty well ostracized for fifty years. An effort was made on Nadine's part to open communications within days of Sibyl's death; it didn't work.
Gordon and Sibyl settled in Hyde Park of SouthWest Los Angeles.
The Dahl brothers had a strong work ethic that enveloped their wives. Virgina and Sibyl helped in the construction or additions to their homes. This same lessons were passed to their children.
Gordon's children (Diane, John Douglas, Merrilee, Kathleen and Christopher Arvid) have very little knowledge of their paternal family including cousins. Donald Francis died in 1949 and his widow Virginia remarried taking their only daughter (Joanne Louise) to Oroville CA. In recent years Joanne and Gordon's children have become re-acquainted.
Gordon as a maturing teen worked at Ralph's Grocery Stores. After marriage with a growing family he took employment in his father's construction business. Eventually he took a job at North American Aircraft Co. At some point, because Sibyl was frugal with Gordon's wages, she put deposit on a $2000 home in Inglewood, Los Angeles County where the family would live until the children departed as adults.
When WWII broke out he was deferred from active duty because of the nature of his job and having a family of three children.
In 1943 he enlisted in the military and eventually was called to the European Theater with Patton's Army. Dad completed basic training in Nov. 1944 and departed the USA on 22 Dec of that year with the 2nd Infantry Division. They crossed the Normandy Beachhead on D-Day + 1. He fought in France, Belgium Luxembourg, Germany and Czechoslovakia. He participated in the Battle of the Bulge from 16 Dec 1944 - 25 Jan 1945. He saw action in Monschau and Ahrweiler. His Division crossed the Rhine River at Remagden.
Dad was awarded the Silver and Bronze Stars in Germany for bravery.
His unit left Czechoslovakia Jul '45, arriving at Camp Swift, TX, only to prepare to serve in Japan. Fortunately for Dad and his unit (and the rest of the world), VJ day happened during their preparations. He must have been very worried. He and his unit were discharged 7 Oct 1945.
He always believed that God was watching out for him. On one occasion his helmet was pierced but the bullet entered at such an angle that it circled around and around inside next to the skin and burned a line around his head. In another scene the Germans had figured out the foxhole patterns and distances and were accurately firing mortars across the fields knocking out hole after hole. Gordon knew his time was up. The GIs in the foxholes on either side of him were killed but completely missed him and his buddy.
Gordo or Gordie returned from WWII and rarely spoke about his time there; he saw plenty of action and death. He suffered from nightmares for several years.
About 1948 he joined the Los Angeles Police Department completing his service as sergeant. Life with a police officer can be hard - harder on some children than others.
To supplement his salery he did odd jobs one of which was to be a body guard. It was during this time that he met the famous Howard Hughes and Jean Peters. Hughes rewarded Gordon's diligence, integrity and loyalty by presenting him with a valuable chronograph watch.
By 1968 the children had moved on to their lives. Sibyl and Gordon sold their home in Inglewood. For vacations Gordon and Sibyl would take trips throughout the Western States; Gorgon's dream was to return to & retire in Oregon, which is what they did. Sibyl had to be drug clawing and scratching all 800 miles to retard the eventual progress North; she lived there 20 years and learned to LOVE Oregon.
Retirement is difficult for a very bright, industrious and driven man (who suffered with a photographic memory.) After his fill of fishing he joined the Douglas County Oregon Probation Department and had a large impact on that "business". After several years he retired from the department.
Gordon had been waiting to be baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but none of the locals asked him at "the right time," which arrived in the mid-50s. He was very loyal and strong in his testimony of the Gospel and The Church. He and Sibyl were sealed in the Los Angeles California LDS Temple during the early 1960s.
Sibyl died in 1989 and he would continue struggling with loneliness for several year. He sold the "homestead" and moved first to Fullerton Cal to transition back into SoCal life. A year later he bought a home in North Santa Maria to be near his #2 daughter Merrilee. There he died. His body was shipped to Roseburg, buried next to Sibyl.
SURVIVED BY: Diane Dahl (Glenn Ray) Chaves Las Vegas NV; John Douglas (LaFae Barson) Dahl Spanish Fork UT; Merrilee Dahl (Michael Dennis) Foehner Santa Maria CA; Kathleen (Michael Verne) Rich of Costa Mesa CA and Christopher Arvid (Linda Peppe) Dahl of Mariposa CA. Survived by 17 grandchildren.
