Add a Memory
Send Flowers
Make a Donation
McFarland- Michael E. Gehrke, age 64, passed away at home on Thursday, October 26, 2023 after years of battling health issues. He was born in Madison on August 31, 1959, the youngest son of Raymond and Mildred Gehrke.
Michael attended McFarland High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served his country honorably from 1976 to 1979. Michael worked odd jobs including carpet installation. He was an avid fisherman, and enjoyed hunting with his father when he was young.
Michael is survived by two sons, Joshua (Tara) Gehrke and Adam (Melinda) Gehrke; grandchildren, Kay-Lynn (Cody) Portale, Austin (Preston Vande Slunt) Gehrke, Stephanie, Leland, Kailey and Chloe Gehrke; great grandson, Ryan Portale; two sisters, Debbie (Will) Mack and Sharon (Dennis) McPherson; sister-in-law, Theresa Gehrke; nieces and nephews, Hope (Mike) Kruse, Mathew (Bridgit) Egner, Travis (Kerri) McPherson, Amanda (Nik) Kimball, and Troy Gehrke; great nieces and nephews; and close friends, Jamie (Karen) and Joyce. He was preceded in death by his mother; and brother, David Gehrke.
A memorial gathering will be held from 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM on Saturday, November 11, 2023 at Cress Funeral Home, 5801 US Highway 51, McFarland, with a brief time of sharing and Military Honors to follow.
Memorials may be made to the Madison VA Hospital.
A special thank you to the Madison VA Hospital, to our dad and to Jamie for their care and support of Michael for many years.
Please share your memories of Michael by posting in his Guestbook.
Cress Funeral Services
5801 US Highway 51, PO Box 105, McFarland
(608) 838-0655
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and condolences can be left on the obituary at the funeral home website.
Send flowers
Consider sending flowers.
Add photos
Share their life with photo memories.
Plant trees
Honor them by planting trees in their memory.
Follow this page
Get email updates whenever changes are made.
Donate in Memory
Make a donation in memory of your loved one.
Share this page
Invite other friends and family to visit the page.
The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.
Read moreWhat kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read moreWe'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read moreIf you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read moreLegacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read moreThey're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.
Read moreYou may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.
Read moreThese free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.
Read moreSome basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.
Read more