Donald Gerlach

Donald Gerlach, age 79, of Aurora, died Friday, January 19, 2007 at Memorial Community Care.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 A.M., Thursday, January 25th at the Aurora United Methodist Church. Inurnment will be at the Aurora Cemetery. Higby-McQuiston Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: DONALD GERLACH

Donald Edwin Gerlach, the son of Reuben and Bernice (McDaniel) Gerlach, was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on March 30, 1927 (and don’t you forget it!) and died in Aurora, Nebraska on January 19, 2007, at the age of 79.

He was raised in Lincoln and graduated from high school. Don served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. His ship was in Tokyo Bay when the Armistice was signed.

Don was married to Marva Best on February 15, 1948. Don worked in the dry cleaning business in Lincoln, Broken Bow and York before settling in Aurora. He owned and operated Gerlach Dry Cleaning in Aurora for many years. Don then went on to serve as Ambulance Director for Hamilton County for several years, before working at the Aurora United Methodist Church.

Don was a member of Aurora United Methodist Church, Lion’s Club, Jaycee’s and a volunteer at the Aurora Country Club. In Broken Bow, Don was a member of the Mason’s, Elk’s Lodge, Cosmopolitan Club and Jaycee’s. While in York Don belonged to the Jaycee’s.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and his grandson, Daniel Gerlach.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Marva Gerlach of Aurora; four children, David (Patsy) Gerlach of Grand Island, Barbara Gerlach-Bice and her husband Bob Bice of Mead; Bill (Rita) Gerlach of Aurora and Ann Gerlach-Lindauer and her husband Paul Lindauer of Boise, Idaho; 10 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.