Kraig S Gerlock

Kraig Stephen Gerlock was born to David and Ethel Gerlock during the early winter of 1950. He was a delightful baby with shocking red hair just like his sisters and Grandpa Gerlach! From the moment he was born, he was a bundle of entertainment! Extremely intelligent, witty- full of humor and so resourceful. He was the 4th of what was to be 8 children living in the little house with the huge backyard in Commerce City, Colorado, just one block from what is now the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge and across the narrow side street from Gracie and Albert Kinney’s chicken farm. His love of animals was inspired by all of the creatures that were in the area – many of which wandered into his backyard.

Very tragically, Kraig contracted polio at the age of three and he was left with his left arm and hand paralyzed, which were his dominant arm and hand. The aftermath was complete with much pain and operations, which greatly affected the rest of his life. However, he was not one to let the world pass him by! He had an uncanny will to survive.

Despite his disability, he managed to master the piano, the guitar, bowling, shooting pool, restoring to perfection old and ancient guitars as well as become an accomplished fisherman and hunter. Kraig had an amazing voice and penchant for music and could entertain with his singing and guitar or piano for hours at a time. He could tell stories that could make you fall on the floor laughing! He always had a twinkle in his eye – so you never knew what was true or false!

Kraig could fix or analyze any problem – mechanical or otherwise, which led him to be the plant manager of Scott’s Liquid Gold and was an expert in the manufacture of plastics. It was downright amazing the things he could accomplish.

Kraig was a true character of the “Wild West”, people used to say he was born in the wrong century, an “old soul”. He was astoundingly funny; even on his deathbed, he was hilarious. He had a brilliant scientific mind that absorbed information like a sponge – a memory better than an elephant. He was an avid history buff and knew details about thousands of subjects -- if you challenged him and looked them up – he was always correct! He memorized great portions of the whole Bible and was able to quote it verbatim. Kraig loved God, and constantly sought Him. He would study and send whole “sermonettes” and scriptures to encourage family and friends, of which there were many.

He saw himself as an old cowboy. To that end, he requested to be buried with his buckskins on, with a cowboy pillow in an old-timey “toe-pincher” wooden cowboy coffin, lovingly made by his son, Nathan. He also requested his services be held in the church he grew up in – Our Savior Lutheran, with hymns he most loved.

He did wrestle with God about the afflictions and disabilities that tormented him his whole life – so much so that he would sometimes make bad decisions; but ALWAYS ended up praising God and talking about “The Good Shepherd”.

Kraig was a true adventurer and traveler, and his last great adventure was to be flown by Flight for Life from his home in Nebraska to the Loveland, Colorado Anshutz Hospital. He was fully conscious and relayed the entire experience, detail by detail to his brother-in-law, Gary, who was a Flight for Life Pilot for 33 years. He had always wanted to fly in a helicopter.

As God planned, the last two weeks of his life brought him healing comfort of mind and soul. He was tended to by the most gentle, knowledgeable, caring, thoughtful and focused nursing team at the hospital that he was in, along with the tender care of his sons Nathan and Chad. The nurses cried at his passing saying how fond they were of him because of his humor and kindness to them. He passed away peacefully, just slipping into eternity with “The Good Shepherd” – and his precious family surrounding him.

Surviving Kraig are his children, Nathan Gerlock, Chadwick Gerlock, DeDe Norris (Jerry Lee); his grandchildren Danielle Gerlock, Ashlyn Gerlock, Madison Gerlock, Abigail Gerlock, Jonathon Gerlock, Michael Gerlock, Xavier Bourgeois, Adam Overman; brothers and sisters, David H. Gerlock, Arnold R. and Karen (O’Dell) Gerlock, Roger S. and Cindy L. Gerlock, Reba and Gary Drotar, Karen A. Barringer-Brooks, Brother-in-Law F. Alan “Bo” Barrett; cousins; and many, many nephews and nieces, as well as a plethora of friends.

Kraig was preceded in death by his grandfathers and grandmothers, David and Amolia Gerlach and Newton Anderson and Maldia Cypert; his father and mother, David and Ethel Gerlock and sisters Janet Lee Stevenson and Leah Barrett; his nephew Daniel Kevin Gerlock and Sister-in-Law, Beverly Lucas Gerlock, nieces Heidi Christine Dewey and John Dewey.