Ethel & Gordon Hotle Scholarship

C. Gordon Holte, 88, died Wednesday, June 23, 2010, at St. Anne of Winona Extended Healthcare in Winona. Gordon was born July 4, 1921, in Thief River Falls, Minn., the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.C. (Gertrude Sandum) Holte.

He enrolled in the school of journalism of the University of Minnesota in the fall of 1938 and interrupted his studies in 1942 to enlist in the U.S. Army and served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. After serving in the South Pacific Theater in New Guinea, Australia and the Philippines, he returned to the university to complete his studies.

In the spring of 1947, he accepted appointment as sports editor of the Winona Republican-Herald, later the Winona Daily News. He served in a number of editorial positions, including coverage of educational and city government news, law enforcement activities and special events. When the newspaper began publishing a Sunday edition he was appointed Sunday editor, responsible for local publication of the newspaper’s Sunday magazine supplement. For a number of years, he was responsible for covering local news developments for Radio Station KWNO’s 6 and 10 p.m newscasts.

In 1949, he and Ethel Jane Goetzman were married in St. Joseph’s Church in Winona. A daughter, Mary Wendel, died in infancy. Mrs. Holte died Jan. 15, 2000.

During his years at the newspaper, Holte received a special award from the Associated Press Managing Editors Association for outstanding contribution to its national news budget, School Bell Award from the Minnesota Education Association for outstanding contributions to public education, a citation from the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs for outstanding service to the Minnesota National Guard in coverage for the newspaper of Guard activities, a plaque from the Winona Area Vocational-Technical Institute in appreciation of institute activities and programs coverage.

At the University of Minnesota, he was a member of Theta Chi social fraternity. In Winona, he was a member of the American Legion Leon J. Wetzel Post 9, the Winona Kiwanis Club, St. Casimir’s Catholic Church, in 1972 was appointed by Gov. Wendell R. Anderson as a member of the Minnesota National Guard Citizen’s Committee, member of Disabled American Veterans, and served one year as chairman of the annual Winona County Red Cross area fund campaign.

Scholarship contact is James Holte (brother of Gordon).