Charles E. Gaydou Rites Her Monday-Well Known Blair Business Man Ill About Six Weeks

Charles K Gaydou, well known Blair Business man who has been engaged in the poultry and hatchery business for a number of years, passed away last Friday afternoon at the Clarkson Hospital in Omaha. He had been hospitalized about six weeks. Death was attributed to a kidney disorder and other complications.

Charles E. Gaydou was born at Milford Nebraska September 15, 1884, the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Richard Gaydou. He moved with his family to Blair when he was a youth and with the exception of a 2-years period when the family lived in California, Blair had been his home.

On July 15, 1922 he was married to Miss Ruth Wulf who is his only survivor.

While living in California, Mr. Gaydou studied at the San Jose business college and graduated from the institution while living on the west coast.

After returning to Blair he became Commercial Instructor and coach at Dana College, bringing into being several very successful basketball teams for Dana. At that time Dana had an old frame structure, not unlike a good-sized farm barn, which was serving as a gymnasium. Basketball was about the only team athletics Dana had at the time, but he proved to be a vigorous and successful coach. He also became a member of a semi-professional basketball team which traveled about the state considerably, taking on all comers.

After his teaching and coaching at Dana, he launched a business college in Blair which was operated in a frame building located about where the Blair Bakery now stands. From this school he graduated a number of students, many of who are still in this vicinity.

For a time he was a member of a partnership with James Mose in operating a confectionary store in the building now occupied by Burke’s Fashion.

In the early 30’s he became manager of the Porter Incubator Company and the Haller Company compounded a number of patent medicines which were sold through door-to-door salesman over a wide area.

From these activities developed his interest in the poultry business and the Gaydou Hatchery and Poultry Farm came into being. He established a new system of marketing eggs, one which graded eggs as to size and he led the nation in setting up a marketing system for not only more, but for better eggs. This system became so successful that it was soon adopted by several national grocery chains and it eventually led to a write-up in the Country Gentleman and national recognition for Mr. Gaydou.

He became deeply interested in the production of poultry and he conceived a number of new ideas which paved the way for greater profits to poultryman. He served, for a time, as President of the Nebraska Poultry Improvement Association as was Treasurer of that group at the time of his death. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the National Poultry Association.

He distinguished himself with the Nebraska Game Commission as the only commercial hatcheryman in Nebraska who seemed to have success in raising pheasants for the Game Commission and for a number of years he has given personal attention to the hatching of thousands of tiny pheasants which have later been distributed over the state.

For ten years Mr. Gaydou was leader of the Boy Scouts movement in Blair and his enthusiasm and interest was of such degree that Blair has never since been able to muster as much Scout activity as existed during his period of leadership.

He was Secretary of the Blair Rotary Club and the time of his death.

Funeral services were held at the First Lutheran Church Monday afternoon with the Rev. H. C. Jorgensen delivering the funeral sermon. Masonic services were held at the grave in the Blair Cemetery with burial being directed by the Campbell Mortuary. ~~~~Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clipping on file at the Blair Public Library.~~~