Picture
Kenneth C. Gerstenberg

Born  November 20, 1935
Hired  June 16, 1958
Retired  May 31, 1986
Passed away  December 23, 2018

Photo No. 2427

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Kenneth Charles Gerstenberg, age 83, passed away at his home in Belton, Texas, on Sunday, December 23, 2018. Born November 20, 1935, on the family farm to Leonard and Ethel Gerstenberg, Ken attended grade school in a one-room schoolhouse in Salado, Texas. Upon graduating from Salado High School, he attended Texas A&MUniversity, earning a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1958. He served in the Air Force Reserves and achieved the rank of Master Sergeant. Ken married Vera (Wilkinson) Gerstenberg on November 6th, 1964.

After retiring from Gulf States Utilities (Entergy) in Beaumont, TX, with 27 years of service, Ken and Vera moved to the family farm where he enjoyed working with his father. He was considered by many in the community to be an expert on pecan-grafting. A wall in their home is covered with awards and ribbons attributed to both Ken and his father. In 2014, the Gerstenberg homestead was recorded in the Texas State historical records for being a continuously working farm in the family for 100+ years. Ken also had a special love for playing and sharing dominoes with his family, leaving a multi-generational dominoes legacy of Texas 42 and 84. Throughout his life, he loved to attend local sporting events.

He is survived by his wife, Vera, of 54 years; children, Dennis Gerstenberg, David Gerstenberg, Mark Gerstenberg, Helena (Gerstenberg) Clark and Paul Gerstenberg, 19 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren.

A visitation will be held Friday, December 28, 5:30-7:30 PM at Dossman Funeral Home, 2525 North Main, Belton, TX, 76513. The funeral service will be held Saturday, December 29, 2:00 PM, at the Dossman Funeral Home chapel in Belton. A burial will follow at Rest Haven Cemetery in Belton.



Click Here For the obituary at the Dossman Funeral Home site.

Milton Smith Remembers:
Ken was in next office to me in September 1959, when I went to work for GSU (that will be 60 years ago this year). Later on he worked for me when I was Lake Charles Division Engineer. We fished together quite a bit. Went on one trip over in the Atchafalaya basin. We had planned to sleep in a tent: however, there were so many snakes that we slept in the car. Good memories.