Ernest N. Gullerud

1929 - 2024

URBANA - Ernest N. Gullerud, 95, died peacefully in his sleep on Oct. 25, 2024.

He was universally known for his wit and good humor, his gentle nature and his story-telling abilities. He made a positive difference in the lives of many people and will be greatly missed.

Ernie was born on July 16, 1929, to Edwin and Julia Gullerud. He grew up in the small town of Maddock, N.D., where his father owned and operated a service station and his mother was a nurse. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of North Dakota and University of Kansas, respectively. He then enlisted in the Air Force in 1954 and was stationed at Sheppard AFB near Wichita Falls, Texas, where he served as a psychiatric social worker on base. There he met Lois Eleanor McNeil on a triple blind date, and the couple were married in Oakley, Kan., less than one year later. In 1957, they moved to Colorado Springs, Colo., where Ernie worked in a local counseling organization and their first two sons, Eric and Nels, were born. In 1962, they moved to University City, Mo., where Ernie began working on his doctorate at Washington University in St. Louis. After three years, they moved to Champaign, where Ernie took a position as a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) School of Social Work while continuing to work on his dissertation. After five years, their third son, Arne, was born. Ernie was awarded his Ph.D. in social work from Washington University six months later.

Ernie taught at UIUC for 30 years, retiring in 1995. His students remember his ability to make a tedious subject like statistics interesting, accessible and fun. He was known for helping each doctoral student bring their unique abilities to bear while working toward their degree. He established a scholarship fund to help doctoral students defray the cost of gathering data for their research. He traveled on behalf of the School of Social Work to virtually all areas of the state as well as various locations both nationally and internationally, teaching off-campus classes, meeting with students individually and collaborating on various projects.

Ernie was very involved in the community, serving with several mental-health-related organizations as well as the League of Women Voters. After retiring, Ernie volunteered weekly at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at UIUC for several years. He was one of several people cataloging the works of Carl Sandberg; in 2013, Ernie's discovery of a previously unpublished poem entitled "A Revolver" made national headlines.

Throughout their time in Champaign-Urbana, Ernie and Lois were very involved with their church, Wesley United Methodist, near the UIUC campus. They also enjoyed attending events at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, taking hikes and camping trips with the family, and spending summers in Colorado at the family's cabin near Colorado Springs. In later years, Ernie and Lois enjoyed traveling internationally, sampling cultures in other countries. Ernie kept his passion for photography and was known for his ability to compose limericks on the spot, his penchant for puns, his ability to tell a story and his love of singing.

Ernie is survived by his wife of 67 years and 11 months, Lois (McNeil) Gullerud; sons, Eric (Cherie) Gullerud of Corvallis, Ore., Nels (Walter Hodgdon) Gullerud of Terra Ceia, Fla., and Arne (Kristin Satterlee) Gullerud of Albuquerque, N.M.; six grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life ceremony will be held in Ernie's memory at 2 p.m. Dec. 7, at Wesley Methodist Church, 1203 W. Green St., Urbana.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wesley Foundation at the University of Illinois, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and/or the Nature Conservancy.