Robert (Bob) Joseph Gerten, of Burwell, Nebraska died August 5,2023 at his home.
A memorial service will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, August 12, 2023 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Burwell, Ne. A memorial visitation will be Friday August 11, 2023 from 5-7 pm at the church with Rosary at 6pm. Fr. Scott Harter will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggest to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Robert was born on December 29, 1942 in Campbell, Nebraska to Virgil and Ramona (Portz) Gerten. He attended and graduated from Bladen Public School in Bladen Nebraska in 1960. He married his high school sweetheart, Kathryn Miller, on August 12, 1961. Robert attended Kearney State Teachers College for one year, then worked as an engineer aide on Interstate 80 until 1966. During that time three children were added to the family. After a brief stint working in the molybdenum mines in Climax, Colorado he returned to Kearney, Nebraska to attend Kearney State College and graduated with a BS in Education in January of 1970. He then taught at Arthur County High School for twenty and one half years. During that time they added their final child, Zachary to the family. While at Arthur he served primarily as science and math teacher as well as the High School Prinipal. He also served as the high school coach of football, basketball, and track. His crowning achievement as a coach was winning the 1979 Class D-2 Eight Man Football State Championship.
In 1990 Robert served as graduate assistance in the Physics Department at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and earned a Master’s Degee in Education.He then completed the course of study for his Ed.D. at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln in 2005. Robert taught Physics and Physical Science at UNK until his retirement in 2008.
Much retirement was spent with family, hunting, fishing, camping and birding. He and his wife Kathi loved traveling the western U. S., Canada and Alaska. He was also a passionate member of Alcholics Anonymous trying always to help others achieve success in the program.
Robert is survived by his wife Kathi Gerten of Burwell, Nebraska. Three children, Kris (Blaine) Hagler of Arnold, Nebraska, Scot Gerten of Beatrice, Nebraska and Miki Gerten of Burwell, Nebraska; eleven grandchildren, and thirteen great grand-children. Two sisters, Joanne VanBoening of Derby, Kansas and Delores (Gerhart) Meyer of Campbell, Nebraska. One brother-in-law Terry Masters of Joliet, Illinois and two sister-in-laws, Darlene Gerten of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Nancy Gerten of Fallon, Nevada.
Robert was preceded in death by his parents, a son E Zachary Gerten, four brothers; Dale, Dick, Lloyd, and James (Skip) and two sisters, Mary Ann and Judi.
Bob was a member of the HuskerMax bulletin board since 1999. We have a mutual connection in Kearney State/UNK and I have relatives in Burwell. We met at tailgates and traded emails on a regular basis. He will be missed. My condolences to his family and friends.
Bob was a member of the HuskerMax bulletin board since 1999. We have a mutual connection in Kearney State/UNK and I have relatives in Burwell. We met at tailgates and traded emails on a regular basis. He will be missed. My condolences to his family and friends.
David Max