Gerald Allen Kahre

In the home of Vernon & Ethel Kahre, at 2427 W. Boulder (now called Uintah) on August 29, 30 or 31, 1938 (there is some confusion of which day it was, but the legal date is the 30th), Gerald was born the second son following Alfred and then later Lorraine (Plummer), Dwight, Muriel (McNutt), & Dennis came along to complete the family. When yet quite young, the family of the first four children moved into the home on Willamette which his father had built. This is where Gerald spent most of his childhood years. At the time, this home was in the country, so they had chickens, a cow, sometimes a pig, and for a time, they even had a goat along with the normal dogs & cats.

School was not one of his favorite activities, so he dropped out at 16. Around the age of 18 God called him into the ministry so he knew it was time to finish High School so he could go to college and get the degree needed to fulfill his Calling. After his first year of college, he married Elsie Schendel on August 14, 1959. During those next four years he became the father of two sons, Duane & Dale, was maintenance supervisor for the Central Pilgrim College where he attended in Bartlesville, OK & pastored a small church 80 miles away in Uncas, OK, all while also taking 14 to 16 hours of college credit each term. In April of 1960 his schooling was halted for a semester while he returned home to Colorado Springs, following the death of his father, to help close his father’s plastering business.

After graduation, he began pastoring a small church in Rocky Ford, Colorado, from 1963-1966. During that time, the Lord called him to the mission field. Zambia, Africa would become their new home for the next 10 years from 1966-1976. This became his passion as he taught at the Bible School, watched as his students matured and then took on their own responsibilities of pastoring a church. He also served as a mission mechanic keeping all equipment in working order.

While in Zambia, God sent a baby girl who has now been waiting in heaven to meet her daddy. God sent another little girl, Geralyn (Wingett), whom the Africans still call Mutinta. Many years later, he and Elsie were blessed with the opportunity to return four more times to their “second home” in Zambia. What a blessing!

Upon his return to the United States, he began working at the Colorado Springs meat packing plant in 1976. That following year, he became the senior pastor at Knob Hill Wesleyan Church (later called Heritage Wesleyan and then Anchor) here in Colorado Springs, Colorado for the next 24 years from 1977-2001. For 20 of those years, he also worked with the police department as a chaplain. During this time, God sent another little girl, Genice (Lehmkuhl) as the finishing touch to the family.

Retirement was then enjoyed for 25 years. During that time, he filled in for the pastors at Thornton, CO, at Oshkosh/Lewellen, NE and then also at Walsh, CO. Then came those four trips back to Zambia, Africa. Finally, he had time to work on his dream of putting together a bright red 1948 Ford pickup. In 2016 he answered the call one more time to pastor a little church by the name of Calvary Church here in Colorado Springs, CO. I’m not sure, but maybe “retirement” isn’t the right word for these years. In 2022, he did finally fully retire from the pulpit but never retired from pastoring the many lives that he had touched throughout the years and in his daily encounters anywhere he went. Whether it was under the hood of a car, sitting at a restaurant, hunting, fishing, hiking, off roading, or behind the pulpit, his passion in life was to make sure that those who encountered him knew the love of Jesus.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Vernon & Ethel Kahre, brother Alfred Kahre, sisters Loraine Plummer & Muriel McNutt and an unnamed daughter. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Elsie, son Duane (Valerie), son Dale, daughter Geralyn (Bob), daughter Genice (Derick), 22 grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren with one more to be added in December. Also survived by brothers Dwight Kahre and Dennis Kahre and countless other family and friends across the globe.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the African Wesleyan University College in his name.

Fund: AWUC - Campus Building (Zambia)

https://wesleyan.my.site.com/donorportal/s/fund/a1sVu000005rjFRIAY/awuc-campus-building-zambia

Awakening link for live stream:

https://live.yourawakening.org/