Obituary of Richard Gebhart

Richard Joseph Gebhart was born on Tuesday, August 5, 1919, in Arbesau, in the Aussig district of Czechoslovakia. He was the fourth child of Clemens and Anna Gebhart. He had two older sisters Erna & Margarethe and a brother Franz. Richard attended school and grew up in and around Peterswald, Czechoslovakia. After completing school he had a short career in the Czech army. Subsequent to the events that followed the collapse of the Munich Agreement, Richard left Czechoslovakia and made his way to Norway. From Norway he went to England. Along with many others from the Sudeten region Richard immigrated to Canada during the summer of 1939. They first set foot on Canadian soil in Montreal, Quebec. From Montreal they made their way across Canada by rail to Edmonton, Alberta. From Edmonton he and his fellow travelers continued their rail adventure to Tupper Creek, BC, where they disembarked into a somewhat wilderness region of Canada. This area would become Richard's new home for life. Richard with his brother Frank and sister in law Charlotte (known as Lottie) settled on a parcel of land that would become the Gebhart "home place" just south of the present day Tomslake School. Like so many others in the Sudeten group, Richard was not familiar with farming or working with livestock. His worldly experience to date included school, working in a factory, his short military career and a glimpse of world travel. His first farm learning experiences came through working with others in the community group in addition to working out on existing farms both in BC and Alberta. It was during this time that Richard acquired a love for the horses he worked with and also for the horses he would eventually own. As time passed it was agreed that Richard would become the farmer and Frank would become the community blacksmith. Evidently it was while Richard was working with a harvest crew that a very attractive dark haired young lady brought lunch to the field. It seems Richard took particular notice of this young lady, and so it started. Richard married Erika Seitner in June of 1943 in the Church that still stands in Tomslake today. The ceremony was officiated by Father Owens with Tony Kopp as the altar boy. Erika recalls Richard giving Tony $5.00 for his part in the ceremony, a princely sum in 1943. Now settled on the home place and as time went on the children were added to the family. In order of their arrival; Kurt, Ruth, Werner, Wilma and Norma. Richard also brought his Mother and Step Father from Europe to live with them in Canada. Farming was a challenge, and the loss of their first home to a fire and a water well that yielded water unfit for humans or livestock added to an already difficult adjustment to their new homeland. Richard worked out for contractors building the Alaska Highway but eventually found full time work with the BC Department of Highways. He worked as a laborer and with the survey crew and in due course became the South Peace "Sign Man". His work took him to various BC locations such as Stewart, Commotion Creek, Mount Lemory and Azouzetta Lake. Richard always had a passion for vehicles. They had to be new or close to it. They had to be powerful. They had to be fast. They had to be clean. Richard loved to host gatherings with virtually anyone welcome at their home regardless of the occasion. On Christmas Eve, the family dinner and gathering were almost mandatory. Punctuality for this occasion was mandatory. After 31 years with the Department of Highways, retirement brought Richard home to playing cards and getting in Erika's way. She soon exiled him from under foot and had him building yard and garden ornaments in the garage. He loved to read and had a book collection that would make a librarian envious. He also had a passion for stamp and coin collecting, photography, singing and dancing. And, with Erika in the kitchen is it any wonder he loved fresh baking, sweets of any sort, and food in general. To hear the family tell it, he also loved to argue. In respect to this occasion today, let's just say "Richard loved to debate". He was often known to say "I may not always be right, but I am never wrong". Retirement also brought the opportunity for more travel both domestically and internationally. Some of their destinations included Germany, Hawaii, Cuba, Mexico and the United States. Known by some as the "Mayor of Tomslake", Richard was active in the development of the community museum, the cemetery and the columbarium. He also served as a member of the Pouce Coupe Community Hospital Board. Anyone passing through or asking for information about Tomslake or the Sudeten settlement were often re-directed to the Gebhart house usually resulting in a grand tour of the entire community. Richard was predeceased by his parents, his brother and his sisters. Richard is survived by Erika, his wife of 70 years, his children; Kurt (Judi) Gebhart, Ruth (Herb) McMillan, Werner (Isobel) Gebhart, Wilma (Dan) Brawner, Norma (Christian) Gunnlaugson, 12 grand children, 12 great grand children, numerous nieces and nephews, and a lifelong accumulation of friends and neighbours. Richard passed away peacefully on August 27, 2013, in Dawson Creek, BC at the age of 94 years. The Gebhart family would like to acknowledge and say a personal "Thank You" to all of the care givers in the Special Care Unit at Rotary Manor not only for Richard's care but also for the open door hospitality provided to all visitors, family and friends alike. He will be sadly missed, and forever remembered, by all who knew him. Richard passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 27, 2013 in Dawson Creek, at the age of 94 years. A celebration of Richard's life was held on Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at 2:00pm from Reynars Chapel, Dawson Creek, B.C. Pauline Haycock officiated. Interment followed in Tomslake Cemetery. For friends so wishing donations may be made in memory of Richard to the Rotary Manor, Special Care Unit South, 1121-90 Avenue, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 5A3. Very Respectfully Reynars Funeral Home & Crematorium