Gordon "Gordy" Lee Herrgard

Gordon “Gordy” Lee Herrgard, age 76, of Deer River, Minnesota, passed away peacefully at his home on Sunday, March 8, 2026.

Born on March 11, 1949, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, to August and Jane Herrgard, Gordy graduated from Deer River High School before enlisting in the United States Army, where he served for three years. After his honorable discharge, he returned home and began a long career with the United States Postal Service, serving as Postmaster of Deer River for 20 years. Known and respected throughout the community, he remained active in retirement, working and volunteering at Custer State Park in South Dakota—where he delighted in the daily sight of buffalo and explored the Black Hills by foot and motorcycle—and later taking seasonal employment with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Department.

An avid motorcyclist, Gordy loved traveling across the United States and Canada, taking long rides and spending time outdoors. He knew the Deer River area intimately, from its back roads to the hidden patches of high-bush cranberries he gathered each year to make his prized homemade wine. A passionate hunter, he found great joy in pursuing elk, bear, and deer, and in sharing quiet days in the woods with family and friends.

Gordy was a dedicated community member who volunteered for many years with the Deer River Lions Club and American Legion Post 122, remained active in Deer River VFW Post 2720, and served with the Deer River Honor Guard. He shared a deep and abiding love with Karen; the couple lived together for 17 years before marrying on April 20, 2002.

He was preceded in death by his parents, August and Jane Herrgard, and his sisters, Sharon and Darla. Gordy is survived by his beloved wife, Karen, his son Dasithe “Dusty” (Kari) Cartie, his sister Jane Skelly, and his brothers Ed Herrgard and Kenny Herrgard.