Gerald Bilderback

Gerald Bilderback

Gerald Thomas Bilderback, 84, died on Sunday, February 26, 2023, at the Minnesota Veterans Home-Fort Snelling, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Born in Lima Township, Pepin County Wisconsin, Gerald grew up attending private Catholic Schools in Lima Township and in Durand, Wisconsin. In 1954, Gerald accompanied his cousin, Lawrence Komro, on a trip to Fall Creek, WI to visit Lawrence's girlfriend - who just happened to be best friends with a pretty girl named Frances "Fran" Adams...That is how Gerald met Fran!

In 1956, Gerald enlisted in the United States Navy and started building his career. In 1958, Gerald bought an engagement ring and hitch-hiked from the East Coast of the United States all the way to Wisconsin - surprising Fran with a proposal of marriage.

On January 24, 1959 at Sacred Heart Church in Eau Claire, Gerald and Fran were married in a beautiful Catholic ceremony, and they began building a life together! Three months later, Gerald's father passed away in an accident. Gerald, less than 21 years old and the eldest of 10 children, received one month leave from the Navy. He and Fran headed back to Wisconsin to be with their family. They then returned to Maryland, where Gerald continued to build his career with the United States Naval Air Corp, earning his wings as a flight crew member.

Gerald served in support of our nation's Early Warning Systems on land and in support of the early years of our nation's Space Program in the air when HAM (the chimpanzee) experienced his first space flight. Twenty-seven minutes after HAM's capsule splashed down into the Atlantic, airman technician "Jerry" Bilderback aboard a Navy P2V Neptune patrol plane became the first person to spot the capsule pitching around in white-capped seas, earning Gerald a congratulatory handshake from the Admiral with photo and story published on the front page of the newspaper at Jacksonville Florida. Gerald was 23 years old.

Gerald also served aboard the aircraft carrier, USS Forrestal in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean Sea. He appreciated seeing the world! As adults, Gerald's children learned from others that Gerald is a veteran of the Vietnam War, though he never spoke of it to them. Learning this fact helped his adult children to understand some things.

Gerald served aboard the U.S.S. Oriskany as a member of Attack Squadron 163 which returned to its home base at Lemoore, CA after a second combat cruise to Vietnam. The trip ended when the Oriskany, while in the Gulf of Tonkin, suffered major damage and loss of life resulting from a catastrophic fire which killed 44 men, including most of the pilots who were still in their quarters, and injured 156 more men. Gerald is said to have been especially moved by the passing of his Chaplain, William J. Garrity Jr., who was overwhelmed by the heat and smoke, while attempting to provide last rites and comfort to those injured and dying. Gerald achieved the rank of Aviation Electronics Technician Petty Officer 1st Class. He earned two Good Conduct Medals during his enlistment and was honorably discharged upon expiration of his enlistment.

Gerald and Fran had made their way from sea-to-shining-sea, together even when apart! They returned to civilian life and Gerald continued his career in the field of aviation electronics - working the next 26 years at Northwest Airlines 'radio shop' at the international airport in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He performed maintenance and repairs on airline cockpit electronics and other equipment. Some Christmases it was "all hands on deck" at the airlines - and Gerald was not too proud to work overtime handling baggage behind the scenes. Outside of his work, Gerald bravely accompanied each of his four children as they gained behind-the-wheel-experience to earn a driver license. Gerald's experiences with take-offs from and landings onto aircraft carriers must have been a good preparation for this task, because the most Gerald is remembered to have commented while supervising his teen-aged drivers is, "Holy smokes! I think we were on two wheels." Faith in God, love and support from extended family & friends, and plain old sheer determination carried Gerald & Fran forward.

While it is natural that we grieve for Gerald, we do not need to grieve as though we will never see him again, for Gerald was a believer in Christ. There is hope mixed with the sorrow. In the Bible, Paul said that "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). Those who receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior are with him in paradise when they die (Luke 23:43).

Gerald is survived by: Spouse of 64 years, Frances "Fran" Bilderback, their four children and their families: Julie Skylark, Steven (wife Pamela , son James), Jeanie (husband Robert) Statz and their sons Daniel (wife Kayla, son Brian, daughter Eleanor) and Thomas (wife Amanda, son Nathaniel), and Amy Johnson (daughter Hailee Mattison, Hailee's fiance, Nic Plott).

Gerald is further survived by: Six brothers and one sister: Robert (Sharilyn), Donald (Marilyn), James (Teresa), Arnold, Dale (Carol), Stephen (Gloria), and Karen Adams; brothers and sisters- in-law: Dr. Gerald (Bernadette) Adams, Janese Adams, and Robert Wathke; numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family.

Gerald was preceded in death by: one baby to miscarriage and one son stillborn; parents Earl & Clara (Hayden) Bilderback; father-in-law and mother-in-law Frank & Alvina Adams; three brothers Wayne, Alan and John (in infancy); brothers-in-law Frank Adams and Kenneth Adams; sisters-in-law Patricia Adams, Jeanne Adams and Joyce Wathke; nephew Wendell Adams.

Private, for the extended family only, burial service with Military Honors will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota.