Vern George Gehring

Vern George Gehring, 88, of Cottonwood, Idaho, passed away on December 20, 2025 at his home, leaving behind the kind of steady, quietly lived legacy that marks a life rooted deep in the land and the people who work it.

Vern was born December 14, 1937 to Joseph H. and Nora (Luchtefeld) Gehring, at home on the breaks of the Salmon River-a place as rugged and honest as the man he would become. He grew up knowing the value of hard work, mornings that start before the sun, and the satisfaction of seeing a job through.

A month after graduating from St. Gertrude's Academy in 1956, Vern voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Army. After basic training, he went on to artillery school at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, finishing his service at Fort Lewis, Washington. He received an honorable discharge in 1958 and returned home with the same sense of duty and grit that carried him all his life.

After the Army, Vern settled into the work he loved most: farming and ranching. He worked alongside his father until his father's retirement, then partnered with his brother Charles until 1981. After that, Vern ran his own outfit-managing land, cattle, and crops with the steady patience only years on the prairie can teach-until his retirement in 2000. He was the kind of man who knew the seasons by heart and carried a lifetime of knowledge in his hands.

In 1970, Vern met Sonya "Sunny" Scarano. Vern and Sunny shared 41 years as companions and confidants-true partners in every sense-until her passing in 2011.

Later that same year, Vern met Barbara "Barb" (Vogel) Frei. They married on August 16, 2012, and enjoyed five good years together, full of simple pleasures and shared days, until Barb's passing in December 2017.

Though he worked hard, Vern knew how to enjoy the land, too. He loved snow skiing in his younger years, taking long country drives, collecting guns, and spending time hunting and fishing. In later years he took great joy in riding 4-wheelers and side-by-sides-never one to turn down a good look at the backroads.

Vern was preceded in death by his parents; his brother John "Charles"; his sister Ellen and her husband Richard VonBargen.

He is survived by his sister Patricia Gehring and sister-in-law Bonnie Gehring, both of Cottonwood, Idaho, along with numerous nieces, nephews and step-children who will miss him deeply.

A rosary will be recited on Monday, December 29, 2025 at 10:00 am at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Cottonwood. A memorial mass will follow at 10:30 am. Inurnment will take place at Keuterville Cemetery. A luncheon will follow at Keuterville Hall. Arrangements are under the direction of the Blackmer Funeral Home, Grangeville. Send condolences to the family to blackmerfuneralhome.com.