Gordon Moosbrugger

Gordon left this earth to meet his heavenly Creator on January 19, 2018. He was born on October 31, 1926 to Charles A. and Cecilia C. (Rombach) Moosbrugger in St Paul, Minnesota. He was preceded in death by his parents, and by his sister Donna Jean (John) Goulet, brother Grant, and daughter Mary Therese (in infancy). He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Rita M. (McDonough) Moosbrugger, brother Lloyd (Patricia), and sister Nancy (Frank) Kuettel. Also survived by children Philip (Karen), Catherine (Darrell) Reece, John (Karen), Stephen (Lisa), Elizabeth (Dave) Upgren, Christopher, and Kristin (Greg) Johnson, along with 19 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Gordon graduated from Cretin High School in St. Paul in 1944, and had several adventures with summer jobs during his high school years, traveling out west to a logging camp, spending a summer on a boat on the Mississippi River, and working at the stockyards of South St. Paul. He spent a semester at a pre-seminary during his senior year, but ultimately decided the priesthood would not be his vocation. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946, and again in Korea from 1950 to 1951. He attended St John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, and later received his law degree from the St Paul College of Law in 1954. He had a long and fulfilling legal career including several years with the St. Paul City Attorney’s office and the Minnesota Attorney General’s office, and many years as an attorney in private practice in St. Paul. In 1953, he met and married the love of his life, Rita Marie (McDonough) Moosbrugger. Together they had 8 children; one died in infancy. He was an involved parishioner at the Church of St. Michael in Stillwater, and was a member of the Knights of Columbus. He also served as a Valley Branch Watershed District Manager, and represented Stillwater Township as its attorney for a number of years. He had a great love for nature and passed on this love to his family. He enjoyed outdoor pursuits including gardening, spending time at the lake, and working on his hobby farm. Most of all he enjoyed being with his family, in whom he instilled a strong Catholic faith and sense of virtue. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday, January 25, 2018 at the Church of St. Michael, 611 Third St. S., Stillwater, MN 55082. Visitation will be from 4–7 p.m. with a Rosary service at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 at Simonet Funeral Home, 6429 Osgood Ave. N., Stillwater, MN 55082 and also for one hour prior to the Mass at the church on Thursday. Interment at St. Michael’s Cemetery, Bayport, MN.

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