SERVICE & MEMORIAL INFORMATION

Location: 

Bethany Church, 3936 County Road B, La Crosse, WI  54601

Date:

Saturday, September 23, 2023

Times: 

Visitation 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM;

Memorial Service at 2:30 PM followed by a reception with dessert

Memorials: 

In lieu of flowers, if desired, memorials to the family are greatly appreciated.

Gary Kelm

On September 1, 2023, Gary Kelm passed away peacefully and went to join his savior Jesus in heaven following complications from a double lung transplant. His beloved wife of 34 years, Susan, was lying by his side. Gary is also survived by his loving children: Emily (Justin) Schueller, Katie Lynn Kelm, and David Kelm; his precious granddaughter, Leah Schueller; and his caring brother, Gordon Kelm. He is further survived by his mother-in-law, Ruth Olson, sister-in-law Michelle (Roger) Lamping, other relatives and many dear friends who will forever hold him in their hearts. 

Gary was born in Morrison, Illinois to Lowell and Vera Kelm on February 8, 1960. He learned many valuable things growing up on the farm, including the importance of responsibility and the value of hard work. Both his giving nature and his kind heart never needed to be learned though, and we all know Gary would often be the first person to spot anyone in need and lend a hand.

Moving from a small town in Illinois to an equally small town in Wisconsin didn’t leave much hope in Gary’s mind for romance. So, when mutual friends set him up on a blind date with a young elementary school teacher, Susan Olson, he was pleasantly surprised to watch this kind woman become the love of his life.  Together, they built a life they loved, filled with flowers and acorns, handwritten cards, and being one another’s best friends. Together they got through trial after trial, their love and partnership carrying them through. Together they would be until his very last breath, and together they will be again one day, in heaven. (And we all know Gary will have found something to do to improve those streets of gold in the meantime)!  

Coming back to his life lived here, part of Gary’s heart always stayed at the farm, which meant his knack for gardening was well-known throughout the area. Gary produced what Susan often exclaimed were “baseball bat sized zucchini!”, more carrots than he knew what to do with, and the delicious and delicate yellow raspberries, his favorite thing to grow. Gardening was a passion and a hobby for Gary, and he did it with his whole heart, just like he engaged in fishing, playing family games, and of course, finding comics, changing the names to “Gary” and “Susan” where appropriate, and putting them on the refrigerator to laugh at time and time again.    

It wouldn’t be Gary’s story if we didn’t mention his relationships with family and friends. Everyone in Gary’s life knew three things: He would always stand up for what is right, he never wasted the perfect opportunity for a joke, and he could fix or solve about 98.9% of the situations presented to him. He maintained these characteristics throughout each role he had in life. Being a husband, father, brother, friend, neighbor, or the stranger to a family he is helping on the side of the road, all brought him joy and peace. As a Dad, he took the kids camping, on road trip vacations to the coast, and woke up at 4 am to make cinnamon rolls from scratch for special occasions. He also put up beautiful Christmas lights on the house, which became a tradition for both the family and neighbors throughout town. But being a grandfather to Emily and Justin’s baby girl, Leah, was a role he cherished like no other. He had a photo of the two of them centered on his bedside table at the hospital and used it as inspiration while he fiercely fought his illness everything his mind and body had.      

Saying goodbye to someone like Gary is, frankly, an impossible thing to think about. Who will be there to throw in a witty comment at exactly the right time? Who is going to help you fix the million and one things that always seem to go wrong with your home (or your car, your yard, your pet(s), your garage, your driveway, your indoor plants… you get the idea!) Who is going to help you without ever wanting a thing in return? Who are you going to tell that funny story to when you need just the right person to share it with? Who is going to tell you it will be okay? Who will have an interesting conversation with you on topics ranging from financial investments to gardening, to religious theology to daily comics? Who will encourage you in your faith and inner strength? Who will be so authentically themselves that you can’t help but want to do the same? 

There is no way to say goodbye. And perhaps we don’t need to. Gary’s generous heart, his clever mind, and steadfast, unwavering faith continue to live on in each of us who knew him. In each kind deed done, in each moment of fear overcome, and in each sarcastic joke that rolls off the tongue, we can remember this man who gave us all so much. We can remember his legacy… 

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” – Psalm 23:4

Family and friends will come together for a Celebration of Life honoring Gary at Bethany Church 3936 Co Rd B, La Crosse, WI 54601 on Saturday, September 23rd. The visitation will begin at 12:30pm, followed by a service at 2:30pm and dessert afterwards, as that was Gary’s favorite. In lieu of flowers, if desired, memorials to the family are greatly appreciated.