William H. Gehris

William (Bill) H. Gehris, 93, of Bern Township, passed away on January 24, 2014. Born October 26, 1920, he was the son of the late Mahlon and Mary (Weber) Gehris. He was the husband of the late Mavyn A. (Landis) Gehris, whom he married June 14, 1946.

He is survived by a daughter, Cassandra, widow of Robert J. Evans and a son, Richard H. Gehris, husband of Linda. He is also survived by 6 grandchildren, Jeffrey Gehris, Ericka Evans-Loos, Katie Popovici, Phillip Evans, Christopher Evans, and Lori Reed and 5 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by 2 brothers, Harry and Clarence Gehris, and a sister, Estelle Rupp.

Bill served in the Army during World War II, achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant. He participated in the European Theater as a member of an anti aircraft unit and received several medals and citations, including the Bronze Star. After the war, he worked as a tile setter, owning and operating Gehris Tile for 40 years. He was a member of the Washington Camp No. 68 Patriotic Sons of America for almost 68 years, the Berks County Conservancy, and the Berks History Center.

Bill was fluent in Pennsylvania Dutch. He appreciated the outdoors and liked to hunt. He also raised a variety of animals throughout his lifetime, including sheep, chickens, geese, and ducks. He especially loved his horses, dogs, and his pigeon collection; where he raised and trained different varieties of pigeons. He was also interested in antiques and enjoyed reading. He and his wife liked to take day trips to Lancaster County and cared very deeply about farm land preservation in the Berks County area.

Funeral services will be held at Kuhn Stitzel (formerly known as Walter R. Christ) Funeral Home, Inc. 3300 Kutztown Road Laureldale, PA 19605 on Wednesday. Family and friends are invited to visit from 9:30-11:00 a.m. There will be a service held at 11:00 a.m., officiated by Pastor David Lawton. Interment will take place at Good Shepherd Cemetery, immediately following the service.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to: "Memory of William Gehris" Adopt An Acre P.O. Box 251 Wernersville, PA 19565.

For online condolences, visit www.kuhnstitzelfuneralhomes.com