Frank Gehling, 87 of Carroll, died Saturday, November 2, 2013 at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, November 6, 2013 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Fr. Timothy Johnson. Music will be by Barb McDermott, Holy Spirit Choir, with John Wagner as soloist. Lectors for the funeral mass will be Frank’s granddaughters: Jill Running, Melanie Daniel, Sosie Gehling, and Alison Schroeder. Gift Bearers will be Frank’s granddaughters: Gretchen Bavlnka, Casey Coulter, Holly Venteicher, Lindsey Gehling, Sada Gehling, and Rebecca Schroeder. Frank’s granddaughters will also form an honor guard for the funeral mass. Casket Bearers will be Frank’s grandsons: Jerry Gehling II, Ted Gehling, Nick Coulter, Jason Gehling, Ryan Gehling, Steve Pudenz, Seth Gehling, Stone Gehling, Joseph Schaefer, and Joshua Schaefer. Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Carroll with military honors conducted by the Carroll American Legion.
Friends may call at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll after 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday where there will be a rosary at 5 p.m. and a Christian Wake Service at 7 p.m. The casket will be moved to Holy Spirit Church at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday where visitation will resume until time of the funeral mass.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for Frank’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com.
Born on October 13, 1926 at Carroll, Iowa, Frank Joseph was the son of Theodore and Catherine (Hoffman) Gehling. He spent his entire lifetime in the Carroll area and attended St. Peter and St. Paul School and then Carroll High School. Frank then helped his family with their farm operation. On June 19, 1945 Frank was united in marriage to Norma Jean Schulte at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Breda. Following their marriage he served in the United States Navy during World War II and returned to Carroll following his honorable discharge. Frank and Jean made their home just south of Carroll where they raised their family and were grain and livestock farmers until retirement when they moved into town. He enjoyed fishing, tending to his flowers, his garden, and being active in his grandchildren and great grandchildren’s lives. Frank had served on the Farmers Elevator Board of Directors; and was a member of Holy Spirit Parish in Carroll where he was an usher and also involved on numerous church boards over the years.
Survivors include his wife Norma Jean Gehling of Carroll; his children: Sharon Coulter and her husband Charles of St. Louis, MO, Dennis Gehling and his wife Patricia of Carroll, Jeanine Ann “Jackie” and her husband Randy Pudenz of Carroll, Mark Gehling and his wife Stacy of Carroll, and Marcia Schaefer and her fiancé Jeff Scott of Wall Lake; his daughter-in-law: Corlys Gehling of Omaha, NE; 20 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; his sisters: Ann Rath of Carroll, Lucille Jackley of Sun City Center, FL, and Freda Barron of Niles, MI; his brother: John (Marjorie) Gehling of Atlantic; his in-laws: Donna Gehling of Carroll, Irma Gehling of Carroll, Rufus Boes of Carroll, Darwin (Kay) Schulte of West Des Moines, and Pam (John) McCaslin of Omaha, NE; as well as many nieces, nephews, and other extended relatives.
Frank was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Dr. Gerald Gehling; his son-in-law, Dale Schaefer; his grandson, Nicholas Gehling; his great-granddaughter, Samantha Gehling; his sisters: Marie Von Eschen and Helen Gray; and his brothers: Leo, Leonard, and Vincent Gehling.
