LaVergn (Vern) Herman Gemaehlich passed away Wednesday, June 20th, 2018, at the age of 77, in Atwood Colorado. Vern was born October 23rd 1940 in Washington County, Colorado.
He was an honorably discharged member of the Army. He served the majority of his time at Fort Hood, TX. While serving in the army he provided office support to officers. On November 22nd, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated, at which point he was sent to Dallas for military police duty during the time of unrest. He was very proud of his service to his country and loved to reminisce about his time spent with the Army.
After his return from the army, Vern attended Northeastern Junior College in Sterling Colorado. There he studied agriculture and crop support. After he graduated from NJC he was employed by American Fertilizer. He worked with many farmers through the years helping them raise the best crops possible.
In 1978, he met Dianna James and her 2 young children, Stewart and Persephone. Vern and Dianna were married on January 12, 1979, in Sterling, Colorado, in the presence of their parents and children. In August they welcomed Karla. Vern and Dianna enjoyed 33 years of marriage before Dianna passed away in 2012.
Through the years they took in many foster kids. You never knew who would be at their house from one day to the next. They later adopted two boys they had fostered, Philip and Jose. That completed their family.
At one point during a visit with his daughter in Texas, they went to The Sixth Floor Museum in the Dallas County Administration Building at Dealey Plaza, formerly the Texas School Book Depository. He knew where almost everything was all those years later.
In 1992, Vern left High Plains Coop and started D & V Spraying. From there his business grew with the support of local farmers who were very loyal to him. He later partnered with the Anton Coop and they made a pretty good team.
Vern was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Sterling, Colorado.
Vern fully retired in 2010, only doing small jobs for very few people.
Vern leaves behind his 5 children: Persephone James of Sterling Colorado and her two boys, Nicholas and Ryan; Stewart James Gemaehlich, of Sterling Colorado, his wife Nicole, and their 4 kids, Tanner, Amanda, Michala and Zoetta; Karla Ells and her husband Christopher, of Burleson, TX and their 3 kids, Arianna, Hugh and Liam; Philip Gemaehlich of Fort Collins Colorado and Jose Gemaehlich of Atwood Colorado; sister LaVaughn Bresnahan of Cheyenne Wyoming; sister Linda (Dale) Koehler of Sterling Colorado; brothers Don Gemaehlich of Otis Colorado and Norman (Herta) Gemaehlich of Eureka Springs Arkansas; and Ronald (Tammy) Gemaehlich of Greeley, CO.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Helen Gemaehlich, two brothers Arnold and Marvin Gemaehlich, and his wife, Dianna Gemaehlich.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Trinity Lutheran Church, 732 Clark St., Sterling, CO 80751. Visitation will be held Monday, June 25, 2018 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Bowin Funeral Home in Akron, CO. A funeral service for Vern will be Tuesday, June 26th, 2018, @ 10:30 am at Trinity Lutheran Church in Sterling, Colorado. Interment will be at 1:00 pm at the Burdett Cemetery north of Otis, Colorado
Published in Journal Advocate on June 22, 2018