Edward Michael Gerlich 1926 - 2014

GERLICH, GRIEBEL, RUBNER

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 10/10/2014 at 20:16:53

Sioux City Journal
25 September 2014

SIOUX CITY | Edward Michael Gerlich, 87, of Sioux City died Sept. 20, 2014 at Sunrise Retirement Community.

Services will be 11 a.m. Friday at Church of the Nativity Catholic Church. Military rites will follow the service Friday at the church, with lunch and refreshments at noon in the church community room. Friends are invited to join the family in celebration of Ed’s life. A time of sharing with the family will be 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Friday at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel, 6200 Morningside Ave., in Sioux City. Online condolences can be sent to the family via Meyer Brothers www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Ed was born on Oct. 28, 1926, in Bellevue, Iowa, the second of eight children born to Julius Herman Gerlich and Eleanor Pauline (Griebel) Gerlich. Ed graduated from high school in Hopkinton, Iowa. He enlisted in the military and served 1944 to 1946, graduating from Airborne Parachutist School. Following military service, he attended Iowa State College in Ames and graduated in 1949 with a degree in mechanical engineering.

He and his wife, Ruth (Rubner) recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. They married on Aug. 20, 1949, in Worthington, Iowa.

He began his career with Iowa Public Service, now Mid-American Energy and retired in May 1991, after a 42-year engineering career with the company.

Ed applied his mathematical and engineering expertise to many projects both at home and for friends. He was an accomplished woodworker with a special interest in bird carving. He also enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, camping and yard work. He had a strong commitment to his position on the board of directors at Sunrise Retirement Community. Ed will be remembered for his work as a member of the creative team that developed the conceptual plan for the current Sunrise Community campus including The Bernstein Memory Care Neighborhood, Sunrise Hills, John Gerwulf Community Center, The Pointe, Maple Heights Annex, and South Maple St. housing.

He was involved with numerous community and professional organizations including JC’s, Toastmasters, Society of Engineers and served on the board of directors of Sunrise Retirement Community from 1992 through 2009.

Ed is survived by his wife; three children, Wanda Kay Veltkamp of Colorado Springs, Colo., Susan Carol Jarosik of Punta Gorda, Fla., and Gregg Paul (Doris) Gerlich of Blue Springs, Mo.; six grandchildren, Jessica Alley, Kristen (Jesse) Soyk, Whitney (William) Watson, Ross Veltkamp, Gretchen Gerlich, and Paul Gerlich; four siblings, Alice (Jim) Sauser, Mary Underhill, Carol Gassman and Robert (Alvina) Gerlich; and numerous nieces and nephews.

His parents and three siblings preceded him in death, James Gerlich, Velma Jones and Ruth Heying.