Gary Alan Ferch

Nora Springs - Gary Alan Ferch, 58, of 109 6th St. NW, Nora Springs, died suddenly in his home Friday (December 30, 2011) of natural causes.
Funeral services will take place at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, January 3, 2012, at Nora Springs First United Methodist Church, 202 N. Hawkeye Avenue, Nora Springs.
Interment will take place at Park Cemetery, Nora Springs, where full military honors will be conducted by the Nora Springs American Legion Post 449. Memorial contributions may be designated to the Gary Ferch Memorial Fund.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. today, Monday, January 2, 2012, at Sheckler Colonial Chapel, 114 North Hawkeye, Nora Springs, Iowa.
Gary was born to Lloyd and Eleanor Louise (Fernelius) Ferch on August 9, 1953, in Minneapolis. He was a graduate of Hopkins High School in Hopkins, Minn. He served his country in the Army during the Vietnam Era.
He was united in marriage to Carolyn Wilkins on December 18, and they raised two sons, Michael and Dallas.
Gary and Carolyn lived in California for a time where he worked for McDonald Douglas Aircraft manufacturing. He later became a lock- smith after a course of home study. He attended Southwest Technical Institute to be a surgical tech, earning top honors.
Gary's favorite pets included Rocky his squirrel, Cookie, Luke, and Pepper, his dogs, and his cats. Gary loved to grill and cook outdoors every Labor Day weekend at the family Dutch oven cook-off. He gathered an extensive collection of Smurfs figurines. He enjoyed his Harley and sunny Sunday afternoon rides with his family. He also enjoyed video games with Dallas and his granddaughter Mikayla. He collected military issue rifles with Mike.
Gary is lovingly remembered by his wife, Carolyn; sons, Mike (Jamie Thompson) Ferch of Mason City and Dallas Ferch of Nora Springs; granddaughter, Mikayla Ferch of Mason City; mother, Louise Ferch of Hopkins, Minn.; sisters, Dianna (Kirk) Bredenberg of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Linda (Mark) Fritch of Maplewood, Minn; brother, Duane Ferch of Hopkins, Minn., and mother-in-law Alice Wilkins of Nora Springs.
Those also cherishing his memory include his brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws, Jim Wilkins of Clear Lake, Alice (Tim) Kaasa of Nora Springs, Connie (Paul) Yerkes of Greene, Alan (Dodie) Wilkins of Portland, Iowa, Brian (Denise) Wilkins of Mason City, Larry Wilkins of Mason City, Sharon (Todd) Hauser of Mason City, Ron (Kris) Wilkins of Nora Springs along with many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by father, Lloyd Ferch.
Sheckler Colonial Chapel, 114 North Hawkeye Avenue, Nora Springs, Iowa 50458, 641-749-2210, www.colonialchapels.com.