William Marvin Gertsen
STILLWATER, Okla. - William Marvin
Gertsen, 81, of Stillwater, passed away unexpectedly from natural
causes on Sunday (March 14, 2010).
He was born on Sept. 12, 1928, in
Newton to William McKinley and Edythe Mae Unglesbe Gertsen, who
preceded him in death. Growing up, he worked as a newspaper carrier
for The Newton Kansan, a Safeway store sacker, a Santa Fe Railroad
crew caller and as a laborer, an office assistant and office manager
(after college) at the Newton Ice Co.
After graduating from Newton High
School in 1946, Marvin attended Bethel College in North Newton, where
he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1950. He and Mary Ann
Unruh, also of Newton, were married on June 10, 1951 in the Bethel
College Chapel. They were blessed with three children: Jane Ellen,
William Henry and Karen Ruth.
Marvin was employed as an engineer and
section head engineer at Cessna Aircraft Co. in Wichita beginning in
1953. He received a master's degree in mechanical engineering in 1960
from Wichita State University, and was employed beginning in 1960 by
The Boeing Co. in Wichita and Seattle as an aerodynamics engineer, a
lead engineer and a specialist engineer in the military and
commercial divisions.
He pursued doctoral research in
aerospace engineering at Oklahoma State University for several years,
residing with his family in Stillwater from 1968 to 1975.
The family then moved to Wichita, where
Marvin was an engineering specialist and chief of aerodynamics at
Gates Learjet Corp. from 1975 to 1985, returning to Boeing as a lead
engineer and a principal engineer from 1985 until his retirement in
1993.
He and Mary Ann returned to Newton in
1991. Marvin moved to Oklahoma in 2005.
He was a member of First United
Methodist Church in Newton and served in the 314th Engineer
Detachment of the U.S. Army Reserve from 1950 to 1961. He was a 32nd
Degree Mason, having joined Newton Masonic Temple No. 142 of the
Grand Lodge of Kansas, A.F. & A.M., in 1962.
Marvin is survived by Mary Ann Unruh
Gertsen of North Newton, his former wife of nearly 53 years; his
daughter, Jane Gertsen Yetts and husband Steve Yetts of Lewisville,
Texas; son, Bill Gertsen of Tulsa, Okla.; daughter, Karen Gertsen and
husband Brian Simpson of Wichita; and four grandsons: Taylor Yetts of
Houston, Preston Yetts and Logan Yetts, both of Lewisville, Texas,
and Will Simpson of Wichita. Other survivors include his sister,
Marilyn Gertsen Borger and husband Larry Borger of Littleton, Colo.,
and numerous other relatives and friends.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m.
on June 19 at First United Methodist Church, 801 N. Main St. in
Newton.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may
be made to Down Syndrome Society of Wichita, www.dsswichita.org,
Knights Templar Eye Foundation, www.knightstemplar.org/ktef, Susan G.
Komen for the Cure, www.komen.org, or First United Methodist Church
in Newton.
