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William F. Gernand, age 94, Colonel U.S. Army (Reserve), and retired bank Vice-President, 36 year resident of Colorado Springs.
Bill was born July 30, 1921 in Ft. Wayne, IN to William John and Lucy Anna (Strieter) Gernand. Bill graduated South Side High School in 1939 and matriculated Purdue University. He married Betty Jean Mougin on October 24, 1943. College was interrupted by WW II. Bill served in the U.S. Army until 1946. He graduated from Purdue with a B.S. in Agriculture in May, 1947.
He was a Marshall County Extension Agent in Plymouth, IN; then worked for Halderman Farm Management out of Wabash, IN and Decatur, IN until 1958. Furthering his education, he graduated the National Trust School of Northwestern University. He became a Trust Officer at Ft. Wayne National Bank and Trust. In 1974 he accepted a position as Vice-President and Trust Officer at Northern Indiana Bank and Trust in Valparaiso, IN.
William Gernand held memberships in the Greater Ft. Wayne Chamber of Commerce, the Ft. Wayne Estate Planning Council, the Profit Sharing Council of America, the American Institute of Banking, and the Trust Committee of the Indiana Bankers Association. Upon moving to Colorado in 1980, Bill joined the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and began working as a consultant to 1st National Bank of Colorado Springs, soon accepting a Trust Officer and Banking Operations position until retirement in 1987.
In a military career parallel to his civilian life, Bill was Army ROTC at Purdue, and served active duty in the Pacific Theatre, 6th Army in WW II. At war's end he was a 2nd Lieutenant. After a hiatus he returned to the army as a Reserve Officer, serving as 'B' Battery Commanding Officer in Decatur, IN, Battalion Executive Officer, and Commanding Officer of the 5th Army 13th Regiment in Ft. Wayne, IN. He graduated Army Command and General Staff School and Army War College, earning the rank of U.S. Army Reserve Colonel by 1973. He was a member of the Reserve Officers Association both before and after Army retirement in 1978, serving as ROA Indiana President and ROA Colorado Financial Secretary.
A life-long Lutheran, Bill was Vice-President of the Board of Lutheran Child Welfare Association of Indiana and was a member of Concordia Gardens Cemetery Board in Ft. Wayne. Throughout the years he was a faithful Sunday School Superintendent, Christian Day School Board Member, President of the Congregation, Church Treasurer, Elder, and many other capacities. In retirement and until 2005 Bill directed the Colorado Springs Lutheran Braille Workers Volunteer Office # 115 headquartered at Immanuel Lutheran Church.
Preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Betty Jean, brother Martin Gernand, brother-in-law Henry Rodenbeck, sister-in-law Donna Kachuk, and daughter Ellen Fitzgibbons, Bill is survived by two brothers: Robert (Jean) Gernand of Huntington, IN; Herbert (Staporn) Gernand of Takuapa, Thailand; sister Eleanor Rodenbeck of Ft. Wayne; sister-in-law Phyllis Gernand of Prairieville, LA; brother-in-law Paul Kachuk of Orlando, FL; two daughters: Linda (Michael) Tussing of Colorado Springs; Norma (James) Kurmis of Rochester, NY; two sons: Frederick (Joyce) Gernand of Ft. Wayne, IN and Joseph (Patricia) of League City, TX; son-in-law Michael Fitzgibbons of Colorado Springs; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a host of cousins, nieces and nephews; friends and care-givers at McCandless Colorado Veterans Community Living Center in Florence, CO.
Dad's caring spirit and example of enduring faith will always be with us.

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