1997 OBITUARY:
LIEUTENANT COLONEL RALPH FRANCIS GERDES,USAF (ret.) of Corvallis, Oregon died Monday, September 1, 1997, at Good Samaritan Hospital. He was 74.
Ralph was born in Fargo, N.D. to Frank and Leona (Vondal) Gerdes. He was raised in Wenatchee, WA and graduated from Wenatchee High School in 1942. Ralph then joined the U.S. Air Force and had a career that lasted 23 years, including service in Europe and the Pacific during World War II. Among his awards and ribbons were the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. Following his military retirement in 1966, he settled in Redlands, CA where he worked for the Ballistic Missile Office of TRW, Inc. at Norton Air Force Base. He retired from there in 1986 and moved to Corvallis in 1991.
He was survived by his wife of 47 years, Norma Gerdes of Corvallis; daughters, Chris Miller of Corvallis and Nancy Gerdes of Yucaipa, CA; son, Jamie Gerdes of Fontana, CA; and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his twin sister, Jeanne Harriet Ball in 1989.
Private family services were held in Corvallis. DeMoss-Durdan Garden Chapel was in care of arrangements.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL RALPH FRANCIS GERDES,USAF (ret.) of Corvallis, Oregon died Monday, September 1, 1997, at Good Samaritan Hospital. He was 74.
Ralph was born in Fargo, N.D. to Frank and Leona (Vondal) Gerdes. He was raised in Wenatchee, WA and graduated from Wenatchee High School in 1942. Ralph then joined the U.S. Air Force and had a career that lasted 23 years, including service in Europe and the Pacific during World War II. Among his awards and ribbons were the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. Following his military retirement in 1966, he settled in Redlands, CA where he worked for the Ballistic Missile Office of TRW, Inc. at Norton Air Force Base. He retired from there in 1986 and moved to Corvallis in 1991.
He was survived by his wife of 47 years, Norma Gerdes of Corvallis; daughters, Chris Miller of Corvallis and Nancy Gerdes of Yucaipa, CA; son, Jamie Gerdes of Fontana, CA; and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his twin sister, Jeanne Harriet Ball in 1989.
Private family services were held in Corvallis. DeMoss-Durdan Garden Chapel was in care of arrangements.
1997 OBITUARY:
LIEUTENANT COLONEL RALPH FRANCIS GERDES,USAF (ret.) of Corvallis, Oregon died Monday, September 1, 1997, at Good Samaritan Hospital. He was 74.
Ralph was born in Fargo, N.D. to Frank and Leona (Vondal) Gerdes. He was raised in Wenatchee, WA and graduated from Wenatchee High School in 1942. Ralph then joined the U.S. Air Force and had a career that lasted 23 years, including service in Europe and the Pacific during World War II. Among his awards and ribbons were the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. Following his military retirement in 1966, he settled in Redlands, CA where he worked for the Ballistic Missile Office of TRW, Inc. at Norton Air Force Base. He retired from there in 1986 and moved to Corvallis in 1991.
He was survived by his wife of 47 years, Norma Gerdes of Corvallis; daughters, Chris Miller of Corvallis and Nancy Gerdes of Yucaipa, CA; son, Jamie Gerdes of Fontana, CA; and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his twin sister, Jeanne Harriet Ball in 1989.
Private family services were held in Corvallis. DeMoss-Durdan Garden Chapel was in care of arrangements.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL RALPH FRANCIS GERDES,USAF (ret.) of Corvallis, Oregon died Monday, September 1, 1997, at Good Samaritan Hospital. He was 74.
Ralph was born in Fargo, N.D. to Frank and Leona (Vondal) Gerdes. He was raised in Wenatchee, WA and graduated from Wenatchee High School in 1942. Ralph then joined the U.S. Air Force and had a career that lasted 23 years, including service in Europe and the Pacific during World War II. Among his awards and ribbons were the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. Following his military retirement in 1966, he settled in Redlands, CA where he worked for the Ballistic Missile Office of TRW, Inc. at Norton Air Force Base. He retired from there in 1986 and moved to Corvallis in 1991.
He was survived by his wife of 47 years, Norma Gerdes of Corvallis; daughters, Chris Miller of Corvallis and Nancy Gerdes of Yucaipa, CA; son, Jamie Gerdes of Fontana, CA; and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his twin sister, Jeanne Harriet Ball in 1989.
Private family services were held in Corvallis. DeMoss-Durdan Garden Chapel was in care of arrangements.
Gravesite Details
Remains were cremated.
Family Members
Siblings
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