Obituary: Gerhart, Doris
Age 93
Doris was born and raised in the gold rush town of Murray, Idaho on March 17, 1922.
Her bedroom was in the upper floor of one of the town’s two general stores built by her grandfather in 1884.
Today it is known as the “Bedroom Gold Mine” made famous by the 8-ounce gold nugget pulled from a shallow mine shaft dug under the former bedroom.
During WWII, Doris was at first a long-haul trucker, along with her husband.
She was later a “Rosie the Riveter” at Hill Field in northern Utah.
Her job was to refurbish the oil pressure regulators on battle-worn B-24 bombers.
It was a job she took seriously and with great personal pride.
She wouldn’t let second-shift workers overhaul “her” regulators; she’d hide any unfinished ones so she could personally overhaul them the following day.
Doris studied education at the University of Idaho and later earned her Master’s Degree at the University of Montana.
In 1947 she became the last teacher at the one room school house in the former gold mining town of Eagle.
Later she taught 4th-grade in Wallace, Idaho.
Doris taught more than what was in textbooks.
Her favorite lesson became a family mantra.
“Not everyone can be smart, athletic and good looking, but everyone can be honest, hardworking and kind.”
Doris loved teaching and as recently as this year, she was still exchanging emails with one of her one-room school students.
Doris and her husband moved to Spokane in 1969 where they founded Computer Programming Center, located on the 6th floor of the Bon MarchĂŠbuilding.
Doris proved so adept at placing graduates in jobs that they spun out an employment agency, which Doris oversaw.
She later worked for the WA Dept.
of Social Security disability office in Spokane until retirement at age 70.
Doris had a lifelong interest in the welfare of animals and was a member of Animal Advocates of the Inland Northwest.
She is survived by her three sons: Travis Prewitt, Greg Lloyd and Mark Lloyd; daughters-in-law: Janice Gillingham and Nola Lloyd; five grandchildren: James Prewitt, Jessica Prewitt, Amber (Lloyd) Martin, Brooke (Lloyd) Barner and Grant Lloyd; and three great-grandchildren.
A celebration in Doris’ memory will be held at the Bedroom Gold Mine in Murray, Idaho at 2pm on September 27th.
Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to SpokAnimal at 710 N. Napa Street, Spokane WA 99202.
The family extends their heartfelt thanks to the staff at Guardian Angel Homes in Liberty Lake for their tender loving care of Doris in her final year and to daughters-in-law Nola and Janice for their oversight of her well-being.