William Ludwig Gehrlein

William Ludwig Gehrlein September 26, 1932 ~ May 18, 2012 William passed away on May 18, 2012, in his home where he had lived for 35 years. William was born as a Machinist's Son to Ludwig and Ella Gehrlein, a homemaker, in the seaport city of Hamburg Germany, on September 26, 1932, where William attended school and played soccer. At an early age, William moved with his family from Hamburg out to the country to temporarily live with friends in a small village to help work for board and room with his parents, Ella and Ludwig, and his siblings, Walter and Sophie, until after WWII ended. After returning to Hamburg with his family, William played on the junior soccer team, Wacker 04; continued his elementary education; and graduated in 1951 as a journeyman carpenter from a three-year wood working school. He then continued to work at the school for a year. At the age of 19, William's Aunt, Sister Theresiana (a Dominican Nun from Speyer Germany teaching at St. Mary's Mission in Omak, WA) and Eddie Workosky from Tonasket, sponsored his immigration trip by ship to the USA. William landed in lower New York Harbor and entered the USA through the federal immigration station at Ellis Island and then flew to Spokane, WA, where he was met by Sister Theresiana and Eddie Workosky. They drove William to his temporary home at Saint Mary's Mission in Omak, where he stayed for five months, learning English and working at the Tonasket hospital as a carpenter to pay for his sponsorship. William then moved to Monroe Street in Wenatchee, and lived with Eddie Workosky's daughter, Louise Workosky, and her good friend, Nell Giltney, for a few months before moving into the Wenatchee YMCA and then a boarding house while working in the ski shop at Wells and Wade. William met Carol Marie Beuhler and they married a year later on August 20, 1954. William received his Certificate of Naturalization in 1961; and he was drafted into the Army and sent to Korea, returning home in two years after being honorably discharged in 1963. William and Carol had four of the most beautiful children any family could ask for, Walter Keith, Christina Lynn, Karl William and Edwin Benson. William loved the great outdoors and enjoyed, skiing, camping, hunting, hiking, fishing and boating. He shared this love with his four children. The children were raised in East Wenatchee, where they would spend their free days exploring the Wenatchee Valley and often they did not return home until dark. William also worked at Mission Ridge, where he taught all his children how to ski. William was a member of the Ski Patrol, a member of the Army Reserve for 23 years, retiring as Sergeant 1st Class. He also sold vehicles for Max May, Leonard Evans, Don Reichert and Gary Johnson, and made many Valley friends before retiring in 1995. William met Darletta Jean Hansen in 1975 on an Army Reserve weekend at Fort Lewis, WA; and they married on April 2, 1976 and moved to their first apartment on Monroe Street in Wenatchee, before moving to East Wenatchee in 1977. William used his carpentry skills to finish the basement and build three decks. He enjoyed tent camping at Alta Lake, Lake Chelan State Park, and Icicle with his children when they were young and later everyone vacationed at Lake Chelan on South Shore, where many priceless family memories were made at the Cove. William is survived by his wife, Darletta; his four children, Walter (Anne) of Graham, WA, Christina (James) of Lake Oswego, OR, Karl (Tricia) of Morongo Valley, CA and Edwin (Mary) of Gresham, OR. William is also survived by eight grandchildren, Dawn (Adam), Cassie (Wilson) and Hailee, Kyle, Tara, Ashley (Justin), Megan (Leon) and Krystal (Ben); and nine great-grandchildren, Zander, Coltin, Onnika, Greta, Emma, Hunter, Caleb, Madison and Kenedi; and his nephew, John Beuhler. William was preceded in death by his parents, Ella and Ludwig Gehrlein; brother, Walter; sister, Sophie; and William's 13-month old great-granddaughter, Savanna Mae Schooler. Willi has returned home to the mountains of Germany to pick Edelweiss with his family and will live on in the lives of his family and those who knew and loved him. William has requested no funeral service or flowers. If you wish, please make donations to the charity of your choice. A private service will be held at a later date.