Matt Gerhardt

YAKIMA - Dad was born to William and Elizabeth Gerhardt in Timmer, ND on October 30th, 1925. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at Yakima Regional Hospital on May 19th, 2013. Dad only went through the 7th grade; he would tell everyone that he didn’t need to go through the 8th grade because he was smarter than the teacher. He married our mom (Margaret Schmidt) in 1948 in Odeuse, ND. They had three lovely girls and a few years later a boy. Shortly after the birth of their son, they moved the family west to begin a new life in WA state. Dad retired from Yakima Cement Products in 1987 and when our Mom retired in 1988 from Snokist cannery, they turned into sno-birds going south for the winter. Matt is survived by his wife Margaret of 64 years, his daughters Dorothy (Ken) Frenzel of Yakima, Diane (Ralph) Baumgarten of Naches, Debbie (Scott) Morse of Thorp, and one son Rodney (Dorothy) Gerhardt of Lancaster, CA; his sisters Irene Muth of Portland, OR and Rose Langewold of Miles City, MT and his brother Stanley (Lorraine) Gerhardt. He has 7 grandchildren, Jennifer, Michelle, Adrianne, Derek, Renae, Melissa and Matthew, and 5 great grandchildren. Matt was preceded in death by his grandson Ryan Morse and his brothers William, Tony and Valentine Gerhardt, and two sisters, Eva Swanson and Eleanor Stein. At Dad’s request, no services will be held. Arrangements are being handled by Valley Hills Funeral Home, Yakima. Online condolences can be made at www.valleyhillsfh.com. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Matt Gerhardt, please visit our flower store.