Was the gasoline station out of the way? Not really. Highway 610 did not exist back then; the most logical way to get from the farm to the house was Highway 65 south to I-694, across the river, and then backtrack north on County 81. The gas station was only two blocks away from that route. Much speculation has been made about the "I had to use the restroom 5 minutes from home" story, but if he was running low on gas I can see why he might want to top off the tank, and use the restroom while he was there. Then he doesn't have to deal with it the next time he leaves, and there's something psychologically reassuring about having a full tank of gas in your car.
Were there rest areas along the route? There's lot of commercial places to stop along Highway 65 but no "rest areas" where you'd use the restroom, stretch your legs, and have a picnic. That he didn't want to stop until he was almost home and needed the restroom then isn't implausible.
Why wasn't she found wondering around? At the time the area was much more undeveloped and Osseo is very small. A couple of blocks either direction and you're in cornfields. That she could have wandered off unseen isn't implausable, but why wasn't her remains found at harvest time or sometime since. Most of the land has been developed?
Were there rest areas along the route? There's lot of commercial places to stop along Highway 65 but no "rest areas" where you'd use the restroom, stretch your legs, and have a picnic. That he didn't want to stop until he was almost home and needed the restroom then isn't implausible.
Why wasn't she found wondering around? At the time the area was much more undeveloped and Osseo is very small. A couple of blocks either direction and you're in cornfields. That she could have wandered off unseen isn't implausable, but why wasn't her remains found at harvest time or sometime since. Most of the land has been developed?