Obituary: Gehring, Christian “Chris”
Age 84
He passed away June 6, 2014 in Spokane, WA.
He was one of eleven children of father Gottfried and mother Christina (Schmierer) Gehring.
He grew up on a farm near McIntosh, South Dakota where he attended grade school and high school.
After finishing high school he worked in the South Dakota gold mines for several years before joining the US Army in 1951.
He rose to the rank of Technical Sergeant, and was a decorated combat veteran.
He was a member of the 101 Airborne Division receiving the Combat Infantry Badge and Purple Heart for service in the Korean War, and later received the Presidential Unit Citation.
After the war, he met and married his lifetime love, Lena Silbernagel.
They were married 60 years and had six children together.
He worked as a construction foreman on the building of a number of dams along the Missouri and Columbia River including, Rocky Reach and Wanapum dams.
He settled with his family in George, Washington in the late 1950’s and started his own construction company, C. Gehring Construction.
He is responsible for the construction of homes and farm outbuilding throughout Grant County during his career.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus where he served as Grand Knight, and a proud member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, where he served as Post Commander.
He was also Voted “Community Man of the Year” in George, Washington.
He was an active member of the Republican Party in Grant County and was an avid fisherman and hunter.
Chris is survived by his spouse, Lena; daughters, Sylvia Meloche (Jim), Linda Cocco (Dave), Beverly Edwards (Mike), Linette Laiminger (Mark); and two sons, Virgil Gehring (Donna), and Allen Gehring; along with thirteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
He is also survived by his brother, Bill (Mary) Gehring.
Vigil services will be Tuesday, June 10, 2014 at 7pm with visitation beginning at 6pm at St. Anthony Catholic Church, 2320 N. Cedar St., Spokane.
Funeral Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, June 11th at 11am also at St. Anthony Catholic Church.
Committal will take place at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Spokane.
Arrangements have been entrusted to: