Gordon E. Praefke, 82 Gordon E. Praefke was born to eternal life on Nov. 27, 2011, at the  age of 82 on his farm, Equus Paradise, in West Bend. A celebration of Gordon’s life will be held at Advent Lutheran Church  located at W63 N642 Washington Ave., Cedarburg, on Friday, Dec. 9, at  6 p.m. The family will receive friends on Friday, at the church from  3 p.m. until the time of the service. The Rev. Dr. Janis J. Kinens  will be presiding. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Washington County Habitat for  Humanity or to Advent Lutheran Church are appreciated. For online condolences, please visit www.Mueller-funeralhome.com. Mueller Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the family. Gordon was born to his earthly life on Feb. 7, 1929, in Milwaukee.  Growing up at 3286 N. 47th St., Milwaukee, he graduated high school  from Boys Tech. From there, the family moved to a cattle ranch in  Bellvue, Colo. While spending a couple of years on the ranch and study at Colorado  State University, he was drafted by the U.S. Army. After basic  training in Georgia, Gordon was stationed in Japan, where he fixed  tracked and untracked vehicles for the Korean War. Serving his  country for two years and making rank of corporal, Gordon was  honorably discharged on April 7, 1953. Upon returning to Colorado, he resumed his studies and graduated from  Colorado State University in 1956 with a degree in animal husbandry.  Shortly after graduation, he returned with the family to Milwaukee. It was at this time, Gordon went back to work for his father, who  resumed management of Praefke Auto Electric at 29th Street and Fond  du Lac Avenue.  Around 1960, the name was changed to Praefke Brake  and Supply Corp. and Gordon purchased the company from his father,  Edward. Under Gordon’s leadership, the company progressed from a small local  distributor and remanufacturer of various automotive parts, to adding  a network of three Gordon’s #1 Wheel Service center locations across  the greater Milwaukee area. From there, his focus was to transition from a parts distribution  and service center organization, into a manufacturer of automotive  aftermarket brake parts. This began to be realized after moving the  automotive aftermarket operations to a facility on 8075 N. 76th St.  in 1986. The transition was completed after purchasing an OEM trailer  brake division from EIS/Parker-Hannifin located in the Pick  Manufacturing Plant at 133 Oak St., West Bend. The operations were  eventually sold in 2003 when Gordon retired. Throughout most of his life, Gordon was an active member of a number  of different organizations. When he was a child, he was a member of  the Boy Scouts and a member of the Cudworth Drum and Bugle Corps  where he played his drums at sunrise services on the Milwaukee  lakefront. While attending Colorado State, he was a member of the Acacia  Fraternity.  Then, into his adult years, he became a free and  accepted Mason. He was a longtime standing member of the Brown Deer  Lodge, and served as the secretary for many years. More recently, he  became a member of George Washington 1776 lodge when the Brown Deer  Lodge merged with them in 2002. Building on his roots in Masonry, Gordon became a member of the  Tripoli Shrine. Once a member of the shrine, he joined the Spahis  Horse Patrol. It was here, where Gordon’s current passion for horses  and horsemanship were realized. Through this group, he had the joy  and privilege to ride his horse in events such as the Tripoli Shrine  Circus, the Great Circus Parade, The Midwest Shrine Packer game, the  Wauwatosa 4th of July Parade, and other great venues. Because of Gordon’s dedication to the members and their animals, he  was appointed the highest honor and rank, serving as the groups’  commandant (leader). Along with these groups, Gordon was a member of  the Order of the Jester’s, George Washington Stein Club, Cudworth  Post, past member of Automotive Parts Remanufacturers Association and  numerous other automotive groups. It was Gordon’s farm and home, Equus Paradise, in West Bend where all  of his passions merged. Whether practicing for the next parade,  entertaining family and friends, taking his grandchildren for a hay  ride or his never ending dedication to working hard, the farm  provided the stage for it all. Purchased in 1987 through the same man his dad bought his farm from,  with unimaginable hard work and determination, Gordon transformed a  retired dairy farm, barn and house into a wondrous place for family,  friends and animals to enjoy. Even though he considered himself retired, those who knew him came to  realize he never wanted to retire from here.  It was fitting that it  was this place, where he set out to do one of his projects, when his  earthly life suddenly ended and his heavenly life began. Gordon was the beloved husband of Mary (nee Arnold); loving father of  Carson Praefke, Barbara Praefke, Jason (Susanne) Praefke, Kathryn  (James) Spaude, Kurt (Connie) Willer, Mary Beth (Rick) Waters, and  James (Karen) Willer; loving grandfather of Nicholas (Julie) Taraboi,  Michael (Sarah) Taraboi, Nicole (James) Roca, Joseph Taraboi, James  Taraboi, Rebecca Willer, Kyle Willer, Ethan Willer, Tommy Willer,  Charlie Willer, Samuel Spaude, Wyatt Praefke, Elisabeth Praefke, and  Matthew Willer; loving great-grandfather to Michael Taraboi, Daniel  Taraboi, Abigail Taraboi, Lydia Taraboi, and Andrew Taraboi. He is  further survived by a niece, Janice Priebusch-Hauke; nephew, Jeff  Zemple; and other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Edward H., and his mother,  Linda R. (nee Nommensen) Praefke; and his sisters, Bernice (Earl)  Brandau, Charlotte (Leonard) Zempel, Alice Praefke and Grace Praefke.