Louise Gerbing

Louise was born in Orlando, Florida and moved to Lewis, Kansas, at the age of five years old. She lived through the Dust Bowl days and often spoke of daily sweeping dust out of their home and having to cover her face with cloth to avoid dust pneumonia. Due to the depression, her parents did not have the money to send her to college, so two dear aunts paid for her to go to nurses’ training.

After graduating Nurses training, World War II broke out, and Louise entered the Army Air Corps as a second lieutenant. Near the end of the war, while serving as a Nurse, Louise met a handsome military patient and romance sparked. She married John Robert Gerbing and had a daughter, Christine. In those days, an officer and enlisted man could not both serve in the Army Air Corps, so Louise retired from military service.

When the war was over, the family moved to Tampa, Florida. While in Tampa, Louise became Director of Nursing at the Tampa Bay Shipyards. Throughout her life, Louise responded wherever she saw a need for her service. She became aware of the need for mothers who worked to have help with their children, so she started the Tampa Day Care Nursery.

Louise’s husband was transferred to Rantoul, Illinois to continue as an aeronautical engineer, but was killed in an automobile accident in Kromer, England. Louise then went back to school for further nurses’ training. She graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee and then studied and was granted a degree in Public Health Nursing from Peabody College in Nashville. Following her education, Louise got a job at University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, as the Head of Public Health Nursing for the State of Illinois. After years of service in this capacity, she took a job as a nursing consultant for the United Mine Workers of America in Evansville. She was called to serve as a nursing consultant for the University of Illinois’ Crippled Children’s program and moved to Springfield. She retired and then returned to Newburgh to live with her daughter, Christine and Son-in-Law, Richard Leaf. She lived with her family in Newburgh until she passed away.

Louise was a warrior for the environment. She worked diligently to preserve the environment in the tri-state area, going to meetings and expressing her views, volunteering at Valley Watch, and writing letters. She marched with protest signs for Greenpeace. She was a champion for animal rights and a vegetarian most of her life. She worked tirelessly for Altrusa Club of Evansville whose mission is literacy, serving as president.

Louise’s memory will be honored at a private family service. Surviving Louise, are a daughter, Christine Leaf and her husband, Richard, of Newburgh, Indiana. She is also survived by a brother, Leon Roberts of Winterspring, Florida; a brother, Johnny Roberts of Jefferson, Texas; a brother Jack Roberts of Lewis, Kansas; and many nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to Valley Watch, Greenpeace, or P.A.A.W.S.