Gilmer William Stark, 95, of Laurel, died Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 at Faith Regional Hospital in Norfolk.
Funeral services will be on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 10:30 a.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Laurel with the Rev. Jeffery Warner officiating. Burial will be at the Laurel cemetery with military honors by the Laurel American Legion Post 54 & the Laurel VFW Post #4504. Visitation will be on Friday, Sept. 13 at church, from 5-7 p.m. and also one hour prior to services on Saturday.
Pallbearers will be Russell Nitzschke, Tate Cunningham, Jared Nitzschke, Shane Stark, Justin Stark, and Jerry Johnson.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz Funeral Home in Laurel.
Gilmer William Stark was born Oct. 25, 1928 in Martinsburg to Ewald and Bertha (Koeppe) Stark. He was baptized and confirmed in Trinity Lutheran Church in Martinsburg. He attended elementary and two years of high school at Trinity Lutheran Parochial in Martinsburg and then graduated from Ponca High School in 1946. Gilmer served in the U.S. Army in Korea for nine months during the Korean War from 1/11/1952 to 9/13/1953. He received his training in Virginia, San Antonio, Texas and Denver, Colorado.
Gilmer married Mary Frances Bogenrief on Dec. 15, 1951 at St. John’s Lutheran church in Newcastle. He farmed near Newcastle then moved to Sioux City Iowa for four years where he worked in manufacturing and then drove an Omar Bread delivery truck. They returned to farming north of Laurel in 1960, then a year later moved to the present farm, raising cattle and hogs, milking cows and planting crops, where Gilmer and Mary retired. Mary died on April 13, 2023 at the age of 91 years.
Gilmer enjoyed farming, bowling, and playing cards. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church and the Laurel American Legion Post 54 and VFW Post #4504. Gilmer loved and enjoyed being with his family.
Survivors include his six children and spouses, Marlene (Stephan) Swanson of Lincoln, Carol (Jay) Nitzschke of Remsen, Iowa, Patti (Toby) Cunningham of Laurel, Susan (Mark) Koch of Laurel, Steven Stark of Laurel and Alan (Tiffany) Stark of Wakefield; 17 grandchildren; 22 great grandchildren; brother-in-law, James Bogenrief and sister-in-law, Kathy North.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Mary; three siblings Verna Domsch, Arnim Stark, and Wilmer Stark, sisters-in-law Lila Stark and Clarice Stark.
