From the Brockman-Boeckman Funeral Home; 2/18/2019
Charles E. "Charlie" Gaerke, age 92, of Fort Recovery, Ohio, passed
away on February 18, 2019 at Briarwood Village, Coldwater, Ohio.
He was born July 6, 1926, in Fort Recovery, to the late Henry and
Anna (Fullenkamp) Gaerke. On May 14, 1949 he married Wilma (Uhlenhake)
Gaerke, who died March 13, 1968. On July 31, 1970, he married Betty
(Wuebker) Schwartz Gaerke, who died April 3, 2017.
Surviving
are his children, Bill Gaerke of Fort Recovery, Jack (Judy) Gaerke of
Fort Recovery, Dale (Carolyn) Gaerke of Perrysburg, OH, Randy (Barb)
Gaerke of Coldwater, Donna (Mark) Grube of St. Marys, Theresa (Bill)
Delzeith of St. Henry, Diane (Tim) Homan of Coldwater, Rob (Alice)
Gaerke of Fort Recovery, Marie (Dave) Link of Fort Recovery, Jennifer
(Brian) Ballard of Springboro, OH, and Tim (Julie) Gaerke of Fort
Recovery; 36 grandchildren; 65 great grandchildren; his sisters,
Virginia Tangeman of Maria Stein and Marcie (Richard) Topp of
Kettering, OH; sisters-in-law, Dorothy Gaerke of Fort Recovery,
Lillian Homan of Coldwater and Janet Gaerke of Fort Recovery; and
in-laws, Marilyn Uhlenhake of Coldwater and Harold Wuebker, Sault
Sainte Marie, MI.
Preceding him in death are a son, James
Schwartz; a daughter-in-law, Mary Gaerke; grandsons, Michael Homan and
Steven Gaerke; sisters, Lorine Forthofer, Luella Franck and Mary Ann
Homan; brothers, Jerome, Herbert, Leonard, Harold, Bernard, Virgil and
Henry Gaerke; in-laws, Dorothy Kerber, Wilfred Wuebker, Margie
Hausfeld, Joan Fisher, Janice Wuebker, Tom Uhlenhake, Rita Klosterman,
Ernest Uhlenhake and Mary Lou Unrast.
He was a 1944 graduate of
Fort Recovery High School, served in the US Navy during WWII as an
underwater diver in the Pacific and spent his life farming until
retirement.
Charlie was a member of the American Legion Post
345, a member and past Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post
6515, and the Knights of Columbus Council 3324, all of Fort Recovery.
He was also a lifelong member of St. Peter Catholic Church, St. Peter,
OH, the church's Holy Name Society and the Catholic Financial Life,
Chapter 1118, St. Joe, OH. He was active in the Ambassador Club, Fort
Recovery and served as its president, and also served on the Fort
Recovery School Board. He enjoyed bowling, horse shoes, playing cards,
fishing and traveling. Charlie instilled his love of God, country and
family in the way he lived and the examples he set.
A Mass of
Christian Burial will be 10:30 am Friday, February 22, 2019 at St.
Peter Catholic Church, with Fr. Matthew Feist as celebrant. Burial
will follow at the church cemetery.
Calling is 2:00 pm-8:00 pm
Thursday and 9:00 am-9:45 am Friday at Brockman - Boeckman Funeral
Home, Fort Recovery. An American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars
prayer service will be held 7:30 pm Thursday at the funeral home,
followed by a Knights of Columbus prayer service. Military graveside
honors will be conducted by the American Legion.
In lieu of
flowers and gifts memorials may be directed to State of the Heart
Care, Alzheimer’s Association or the Mercer County Cancer Association.
Contributed by Jim Cox