Gerald L. "Jerry" Korst

On July 8, 2019, Gerald L. “Jerry” Korst, our beloved husband, dad, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend became our guardian angel. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at O’Connor Memorial Chapel. Jerry was born October 6, 1949, to Gerald J. and Loretta (Manguso) Korst in Great Falls. Throughout the next few years, he was joined by his two brothers and five sisters, and this began a bond that could not be broken. On September 3, 1976, Jerry was united in marriage to BethAnn Gauer in Great Falls. With this union, he gained a daughter as well. He took her in as his own. This would be another bond that could not be broken. Jerry was a great family man and this was of utmost importance to him. He was always making sure that they were taken care of, no matter what that meant. The best times of his life was family time, whether it be at the cabin, camping at Newlan Creek, fishing and boating, or just spending time playing cards with his parents and siblings. Jerry was an avid fisherman, hunter, and had a great love for the outdoors. If you could not find him at home, he was usually working, which he did from a young age, leaving high school to go to work to help take care of family. He worked at the Smelter, Liter Newspaper delivering papers, and lastly for the City of Great Falls retiring in 2005 after 32 years. When he was not working, you could find him on a lake, open water or frozen, or “up at the land” enjoying the cabin. Anyone who knew him knew he was a very kind, patient, and humble man. When you first met him, he would come across as gruff and somewhat coarse but once you got to know him, you learned that he was just a great big teddy bear. Jerry is survived by his wife, BethAnn; mother, Loretta; daughter, Stacey VanKuiken (Dave Miller) all of Great Falls; grandchildren, Alex (Hannah) Cloyd of Great Falls and Koltar VanKuiken of Laurel, MT; great-grandchildren, Alyvia and Sawyer of Great Falls; brothers, David Korst and Dale Korst of Great Falls; sisters, Sandy Scott of Vancouver, WA, Diane (Arnie Entz) Korst, Trina Korst-Rogers, Mary Geer, and Lorraine Korst all of Great Falls; sisters and brothers-in-law, Andy and Marie Anderson of Grand Coulee, WA, Dale and Mollye Gauer of East Helena, MT; brothers-in-law, Roger Gauer of Great Falls, Marty Gauer of Columbus, MT, and Glenn Gauer of Lewistown, MT; lifelong friend, Bob Latham of Great Falls; numerous nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly;and a very large extended family. Jerry was preceded in death by his father, Gerald J. (Shorty) Korst; his grandparents; brothers-in-law, Robert Scott, Thomas Geer, and Daniel Nelson; and in-laws, Myron and Connie Gauer. You will be missed tremendously, but we know that you are no longer in pain. Watch over us and guide us until we meet again. And…you might want to give us a hint on what the fish are biting on. Memorials are suggested to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or charity of choice.