Doris Betsy Gath was born July 2, 1929, at home in Kenneth, Minnesota, to Gus and Reba (Wurm) Gullickson. She grew up on the farm and graduated from high school in Luverne, Minnesota, in 1947. Since she lived 20-plus miles from school, and there weren’t any school buses, she rode to school with a boy from a neighboring farm, Elmer Gath. After her graduation Doris’ family quit farming and moved to Buffalo, Minnesota.
In 1949 Doris married Elmer in a small ceremony in Buffalo, and they continued to live in Buffalo for several years, where their three children were born, and Doris worked as a secretary. In 1958 the family moved to an acreage outside of Anoka, Minnesota, and they became owners of a Mister Softee ice cream truck business. They ran this business until 1967 when they sold it and went to work at the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant. Doris worked as a secretary there until the plant was closed, then worked as a secretary at a county extension service office until her retirement in 1987.
On retirement Elmer and Doris moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where they lived for nine years. They then became “snow birds” for 20 years, having a place in Hardwick, Minnesota, near their daughter, and another place in Laguna Woods, California, near their son. In 2012 they made California their permanent home. Elmer died in 2013, and Doris continued to live in their home until August 2023, when she moved to an apartment in the Ivy Wellington facility in Laguna Woods. Doris died in her apartment on Friday, August 30, at the age of 95.
In the early 1950s Elmer and Doris attended many country and western shows in the Minneapolis area and became big fans of the singer Jim Reeves. They met him several times at shows, and Doris became the secretary of his national fan club. Over time Elmer and Doris became good friends with Reeves, even to the point where Jim offered her a job as his private secretary. She turned it down because they would have to move to Nashville, and her family was in Minnesota. After Reeves’ death in a plane crash in 1964, Doris continued his fan club and kept in touch with Reeves’ widow, secretary and band members. Doris continued making friends with other Reeves fans over the years online and became known as a great resource for Reeves material and stories. Doris loved to listen to his songs until her death.
Doris spent over 20 years selling items on eBay, with the handle “TanSamBra.” She sold many items for the Rock County Historical Society in Luverne, Minnesota, which helped with their fundraising. She also loved attending estate and garage sales, always looking for items that could be purchased for resale in her eBay shop. Over the years she made many online friends through selling items, and she was very proud that she never received a negative feedback. She continued selling on eBay until 2023, when she was 94 years old.
In her later years Doris became enamored with giraffes. She collected giraffe items, and she managed to visit several zoos to see them up close and personal. She loved feeding them, and sometimes sneaking in a touch to their nose, even though she was told not to.
Doris also loved watching the show “Pitbulls and Parolees.” There were reruns of the show on for two hours every afternoon, so everyone knew not to call or visit during those hours. Sometimes there were even marathon sessions of the show on a Saturday that would run from 8 a.m. until midnight, and Doris would sit and watch every show.
In the past few years Doris developed a passion for watching NASCAR races and always rooted for Christopher Bell. Her daughter introduced her to the races one summer when she visited, and since Christopher Bell was the favorite driver of her daughter, he became her favorite driver as well. She called him “my boy Bell” and would get very excited watching him race. After watching him win a race, she called her daughter and screamed in the phone “Woo Hoo! He won!”
Doris is survived by her son Eldon and wife Clara of Santa Ana, California, and her daughter Cheryl and husband Thomas Wiedmann of Kenneth, Minnesota. Her passing has left a hole in their lives, and all her friends and family.
At her request there wasn’t a funeral service. Burial of her remains will be at a later date in Fridsborg Cemetery near Isanti, Minnesota.
Doris was preceded in death by her husband, Elmer, her son Jimmie, her parents, Gus and Reba Gullickson, her brother Arthur Gullickson, and her sister Mae Gullickson.
