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David L. Gerke DaveDavid L. Gerke Dave age 73 passed on to his new life at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque NM on Friday December 13 2013. A celebration of his life will be held Monday December 23 2013 in the Dunn Memorial Chapel beginning at 11:00AM Dave was born September 9th 1940, in Merrill Wisconsin to Hilda Johnson (who later remarried Alvin Toschner) and Lawrence Gerke. He was told he was the prettiest baby born there. Dave was the second of four children, Dave grew up working hard and fighting hard to achieve. He remembered warmheartedly his first fight on his first day of kindergarten with the biggest first grader who picked on him. He came out on top.Dave's first job was raising rabbits for the local butcher. He was made fun of because he could raise them, sell them but could never eat them. After that he worked as a newspaper i boy. He was very proud of buying his first suit, blue, which he wore to graduation and his first wedding. He married young to Janet (divorced) with them having five children, four boys and one girl. They moved to upper Michigan where Dave worked as a Lumberjack.When diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 35, he decided to follow his dream and headed to Alaska to hunt bear, moose and go king salmon fishing and climb mountains. He joked What do you see on the other side of the mountain? Just more and more mountains to climb. In Alaska his hard work and dedication paid off. He became Deputy Director of Housing of the North Slope Bureau in Barrow Alaska. A massive heart attack ended his career. He then moved to Nome Alaska and met Loretta, his second wife. They had three daughters Loni, Sarny and Daniel. Together Dave, Loretta and family moved to the lower 48 for better climate. They settled in Carlsbad New Mexico. Health complications progressed resulting in the loss of his legs. Henever gave up and continued to walk on prosthetics until thevery end. He became a painter, a cowhoy( along with teaching his daughters the iove and care of horses.) He loved his cowboy hats. He was a UFO hunter. After a second divorce life continued and Dave taught himself how to play base guitar and immensely enjoyed his Thursday night jam sessions at the Senior Center on Mesa Street. While his daughters were in school, he accomplished so much including hobbies of fixing cars and gardening.After Loni, his olders daughter graduated from high school, Dave met the love of his life Julia They married and traveled most of the US settling in Arizona for a time. They shared their hobbies together which included writing books, singing old country western tunes, gold canning. RVing to the many places they traveled. While Writing his books Dave and Julia made many friends across the US.Dave will be remembered for his sense of humor, big personality, Go-Get-Them attitude and constant tenacity to the face of adversity. He would laugh at the irony that he was admitted to the hospital on Halloween and passed on Friday the 13th. Dave wanted the last thing to be said at his service to Look, he winked!.Dave is preceded in death by his mother, Hilda and her husband Alvin, His father Lawrence: infant brother, infant daughter, Sarny; and granddaughtei, Zoey. His survivors include his sister Peggy Marek husband Lonnie and brother Gust wife Dodie all of Wausau, Wl. Dave's daughters and sons in laws - Loni Daub Zip, Daniell Frey Stephen and grandson Branden Frey all of Carlsbad NM and Julia Calbert, the love of his life of Tucumcari NM.Arrangements entrusted to Dunn Funeral Home of Tucumcari New Mexico.
Newspaper Details
Quay County Sun
Tucumcari, New Mexico, US
Wed, Jan 01, 2014
Page 3
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Anonymous
NM, USA 12 Dec 2021
Other Publications Near Tucumcari, New Mexico
The Tucumcari News and Tucumcari Times
The Tucumcari News
Quay County Sun
