Nils Gordon NilsenRICHFIELD SPRINGS-NilsGordon Nilsen 71 of Johnson Street Extension, passed away on Monday March 6,2000 in Bassett Healthcare, Cooperstown after a long illness. He was born on July 6, 1928 in Brooklyn, son of the late Nils A. and TomollyTallaksen Nilsen. Gordon was raised in Worcester, NY and at the age of thirteenmoved with his family to Brooklyn. He graduated from High School and furtheredhis education at Marietta College in Ohio. A veteran of both World War II andKorea he served with the US Marine Corps, from 1946 to 1948 and reentered theservice in 1950 and was honorably discharged in 1951. On October 1, 1955 hemarried Janet Hind in the Bethany Lutheran Church, Brooklyn. For thirty-threeyears he worked on Long Island for the New York Telephone Company, retiring as aConduit and Manhole Design Engineer in 1985. His Leisure time was spent fishing, boating, raising tropical fish, going togarage sales and raising heifers on his Hobby Farm. He was a member of theHugick, Purcell, Shepard American Legion Post # 616, Richfield Springs, a lifemember of the Ilion Marine Corps League and the Telephone Pioneers of America. Surviving him besides his loving wife of forty-four years Janet, are adaughter Jeryl and her husband Edgar Dropp of Richfield Springs, a son; Gary andhis wife Heidi Nilsen of Smithtown, NY, two sisters; Norma Dobbins of Smithtown,Evelyn Nilsen of St James, NY, four grandchildren; Kari and Karl Nilsen ofSmithtown, Richard and Tara Dropp of Richfield Springs, one great granddaughterKatrina Dropp, three nephews; Thomas Dobbins of Apple Valley, CA, WilliamsDobbins of Oceanside, CA and Richard Dobbins of St James. Funeral service will be on Thursday at 8:00 PM in J. SEATON McGRATH FUNERALHOME, 40 West James Street, Richfield Springs with the Reverend William Harkinspastor of the Church of Christ Uniting officiating. Interment will be in MapleGrove Cemetery, Worcester later this spring. The family will be present in thefuneral home to receive relatives and friends Thursday 2:00 to 4:00 and 7:00 to8:00 PM. Memorial donations may be made to the Richfield Springs Volunteer FireDepartment or the Herkimer County Hospice Memorial Program. Envelopes areavailable at the funeral home. Members of the Hugick, Purcell, Shepard AmericanLegion Post are asked to meet at the funeral home Thursday at 7:30 PM forservices. Members of the Ilion Marine Corps League are asked to meet at thefuneral home at 7:45 PM for their service.