Gerald Frederick Kercher

1924 - 2011  (87 years)

• Name	Gerald Frederick Kercher  [1, 2]
  Birth	9 Jan 1924	Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan   [2]
  Gender	Male
  Death	21 Aug 2011	Quaker Hill, New London County, Connecticut   [2]
  Notes	In the STRIFFLER-BENKELMAN BROADCAST, Volume 9, September 2, 1946, in a column titled "Still in the Service of the U.S.A.", it was noted that Lt. Gerald Kercher went to Germany in the middle of July. He recently was transferred to Naples, Italy. His wife expects to go as soon as possible. As of the publication date of Volume 18, on September 5, 1955, he and his family were located in Wiesbaden, Germany. As of the 1959 publication date of Volume 22, he was being transfered to Stewart Field, West Point, Annapolis. In Volume 26 it was reported that he had retired from the Air Force after 23 years of service and was associated with the brokerage firm of Goodbody and Company in New London, Conn. Waterford - On Sunday afternoon, Aug. 21, 2011, Gerald Frederick Kercher slipped the surly bonds of earth, put out his hand, and touched the face of God. He died at home in Quaker Hill as he wished. Gerald, the third of three sons of Erwin W. and Amanda (Muck) Kercher, was born on June 9, 1924, in Cass City, Mich. He graduated from Cass City High School in 1942 and married his high school sweetheart, Frances Elizabeth Koepfgen, in 1945 at the "Little Church Around the Corner" in New York City. She died in 1993. Gerald's interests were many and varied. From his first job after high school as a coal passer on the Great Lakes Steamship Cygnus to enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps, Gerald's love of his country was surpassed only by the love for his family. During World War II, Gerald flew the B26 Martin Marauder In European and North African campaigns, as a member of the 320th Bomb Group. He was especially proud of his service during the Berlin Air Lift when he dropped thousands of pounds of food and medical supplies to the German people. Following World War II, Gerald served as the base legal officer in Munich, Germany. Over the next 20 years, the Air Force took Gerald to Texas, Saudi Arabia, Pennsylvania, and back to Germany where he served as an agent in the Office of Special Investigation, working with Belgium and Luxemburg police. He completed his careerat bases inMassachusetts and New York. Just prior to his retirement from the Air Force in 1965, Gerald flew C-123 cargo planes, ferrying personnel and cargo to Vietnam. He retired as a major and began a very different 20-year career as a commodities broker in New London, working for Goodbody & Co., which later merged with Merrill Lynch. In his retirement, Gerald volunteered enthusiastically for Southeastern Hospice for 18 years, stopping only in the past few weeks. He was also a tutor for Literacy Volunteers and volunteered his driving services for the American Red Cross and the local food pantry. He served as a delightful toastmaster for the First Wednesday Club and was known for his recitations and spirited singing. He was an enthusiastic member of Shortwave Radio International, attending their many conferences with special friends around the world. He was a life long Detroit Tigers fan and died happily knowing that his team was in first place. Devoted to his faith, Gerald was a member of the Safe Harbor Assembly of God Church in Uncasville. Left behind to cherish his memory are his six children and their families, Susan and Abraham Chamie, Philip and Jet Kercher, Andrew and Wendy Kercher, Matthew Kercher, Amanda Kercher and David Weinraub, and Caroline and Craig Thurston. He was very proud of his 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He joins in heaven a dear granddaughter, Kathryn Frances Kercher. Visitation hours will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 24, at the Thomas L. Neilan & Sons Funeral Home, 12 Ocean Ave., New London. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25, at Harkness Chapel, Connecticut College. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Southestern Connecticut, 227 Dunham St., Norwich CT 06360. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theday/obituary.aspx?n=gerald-frederick-kercher&pid=153255416&fhid=4346
  Person ID	I29699	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  Father	Erwin W. Kercher,   b. 5 Sep 1888, Michigan d. 14 Nov 1955, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan (Age 67 years)
  Mother	Amanda Lillian Muck,   b. 17 May 1888, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan d. 3 Jun 1953, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan (Age 65 years)
  Marriage	1 Sep 1909	Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan   [3]
  	Cass City Chronicle Friday, September 3, 1909 Page One September Weddings A pretty home wedding was solemnized at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Muck, at eight o'clock Wednesday evening, when their youngest daughter, Amanda L., became the bride of Ervin W. Kaercher. Rev. J. A. Schweitzer was the officiating clergyman who tied the nuptial knot pronouncing the ceremony which united the lives of these estimable young people of our village. The wedding was a quiet one, witnessed only by a few of the immediate relatives of the bride and groom. The bride was becomingly attired in white and never appeared to better advantage while the groom wore the conventional black. Immediately after the ceremony the guests passed to the dining room where a bounteous and delicious lunch was partaken of. The bride is one of our most popular young ladies. From a little girl she has grown up in our midst honored by old and young alike. She is fully capable of filling the home she will adorn with happiness and will prove to be truly a helpmate and companion to the husband she has chosen to honor with her hand. The groom is one of our best young men and at present very ably fills a position at the Chronicle Printery. Mr. and Mrs. Kaercher will be at home to their friends in the Wooley residence on south Ale street. Page Four LOCAL ITEMS Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Kaercher and son, Clarence, of Elkton attended the Muck-Kaercher wedding here Wednesday evening . (Both courtesy of Robert Carlson)
  Family ID	F9567	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Frances Elizabeth Koepfgen,   b. 23 May 1925, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan d. 4 Feb 1993, Waterford, New London County, Connecticut (Age 67 years)
  Marriage	19 Dec 1945	New York City, New York County, New York   [4]
  	Shown in the Texas Birth Index, on the birth records for her sons, Philip and Andrew, as Frances KEFGEN. The 1946 Issue of the Striffler Benkelman Broadcast, (Volume 9), when reporting their marriage, instead lists her as Frances KOEPFGEN. The 1960 issue of the same periodical, dated September 5, 1960, reported that "The five children of Major and Mrs. Gerald Kercher of Newburg, N.Y. were baptized in the E.U.B. Church in Cass City on July 10. Their grandmother was Amanda Muck."
  Children	1. Living   2. Living   3. Living   4. Living   5. Living   6. Living
  Family ID	F9601	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	22 Jul 2008

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 9 Jan 1924 - Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan Marriage - 19 Dec 1945 - New York City, New York County, New York  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S653] Cass City Chronicle, P.O. Box 115, Cass City, Michigan 48726, Published continously since 1899, archived from 1899 through 2005 at http://newspapers.rawson.lib.mi.us/chronicle/, Friday, June 5, 1953 (Reliability: 3). [S333] Ancestry.com - U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-Current [database online], (Ancestry.com. Social Security Death Index [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011. Original data: Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration. The Social Security Administration Death Master File contains information on millions of deceased individuals with United States social security numbers whose deaths were reported to the Social Security Administration. Birth years for the individuals listed range from 1875 to last year. Information in these records includes name, birth date, death date, and last known residence.). [S653] Cass City Chronicle, P.O. Box 115, Cass City, Michigan 48726, Published continously since 1899, archived from 1899 through 2005 at http://newspapers.rawson.lib.mi.us/chronicle/, Friday, September 3, 1909 (Reliability: 3). [S595] Striffler-Benkelman Broadcast, (Family Publication, published sporadically to record family milestones in connection with the annual Striffler-Benkelman Family Reunions, with Vol. 1, Number 1, published Sept. 7, 1936. Issues on file at the Rawson Memorial Library in Cass City, Michigan include Vol. 5 (1941), Vol. 7 (1944) and Volumes 8 (1945) through Vol. 28 (1968). Issues published from 1961 through 1964 were not assigned volume numbers, and 1963 appears to be missing. Xeroxes of the existing issues were also made by Melinda McLemore Strong in 2007. According to a article published by the Cass City Chronicle on August 6, 1981, commemorating the Fiftieth and Final Striffler-Benkelman Reunion, the final issue of the STRIFFLER-BENKELMAN BROADCAST appears to have been Volume 28, published in 1968.), Volume 9., September 2, 1946. (Reliability: 3).