Robert K. Gerloff

HAMILTON - Robert Kay Gerloff, 89, of Hamilton passed away Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at the Discovery Care Centre. He was born in Aurora, Nebraska on August 6, 1922 and raised on a farm near Aurora.
- Bob graduated from Aurora High School in 1939. He attended the University of Nebraska
in Lincoln from 1939 until 1943 and received Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture. Bob served in Hospital Corps of U. S. Navy 1943 until 1946 with duty principally in Fleet Hospital 114 in
the Philippine Islands.
After being honorably discharged in April of 1946, Bob and Rachel were married on May 4 of 1946. Bob continued studies at the University of Nebraska from1946 until 1948 and received his M.A. degree in Bacteriology. He then attended the University of Minnesota from 1950 until 1951 and 1958 until 1960, receiving his Ph.D. degree in Microbiology in 1962.
Bob and Rachel moved from Lincoln, Nebraska to the Bitter Root Valley of Montana in 1948 to join the staff of the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton. He was involved in the study of rickettsial, viral, and chlamydial diseases until retirement in 1976. Bob also did early work in the use of tissue cultures and radioisotopes for studying the aforementioned diseases.
In his early life Bob was a member of First Methodist Church in Aurora, Nebraska.
From 1951 until his passing, Bob was a member of Faith Lutheran Church of Hamilton where he served in many different ways. During his years at the University of Nebraska, Bob was a member of Farm House Fraternity and was elected to these honorary organizations: Alpha Zeta (agriculture); Gamma Sigma Delta (chemistry); and Sigma Xi (science).
In the Bitter Root Valley Bob belonged to the Kiwanis Club and served as its secretary for two years. After retirement he enjoyed delivering Meals on Wheels for some twenty years. Together with Rachel he was active in the Hamilton Hikers Club and the Bitterroot Camera Club. They both greatly enjoyed photography, camping, hiking on the mountain trails, traveling by RV, and collecting recorded music. His greatest enjoyment came from listening to classical and sacred music.
Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Rachel; his parents, Kay Thomas and Meta Andrea Gjerloff; his brother, Gerald Gerloff; and an infant sister, Virginia Gjerloff. He is survived by his niece, Barbara Gerloff of Madison, Wisconsin; his nephew, Robert Neil Gerloff and wife Lynette Lamb of Minneapolis, Minnesota; his sister-in-law, MaryEllen Gerloff of Madison, WI; his niece, Shirley Munson and her husband Jim of San Rafael, CA; his dearly loved and unofficial adopted daughter, Charlene Twist and her husband Mark of Hamilton; and many dear friends and his church family.
- Memorials may be made in Bob's name to Faith Lutheran Church, 171 Lewis Lane, Hamilton, MT 59840 or to the Bitterroot Humane Association, P. O. Box 57, Hamilton, MT 59840.