Harry Lloyd Bish Obituaries

Gerald A. Desaire

Gerald A. Desaire, 57, Damar, died Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004, at Graham County Hospital, Hill City.

He was born Dec. 2, 1946, in Hays to Joseph E. and Allene R. (Winterowd) Desaire.

He married Nina C. Wise on May 5, 1971, in Liberty, Mo. He was a farmer and stockman.

Survivors include his wife, Damar; two daughters, Kellie Desaire, address unknown, and Mary Beth Desaire, Hill City; three brothers, Leon Desaire, Hill City, Delbert Desaire, Plainville, and Stephen Desaire, Lenora; two sisters, Marinda Baker, Phillipsburg, and Thirza Wells, Zurich; and two grandchildren.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Damar; burial in the church cemetery.

A vigil service will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the church. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Spencer-Stinemetz Funeral Chapel, Hill City, and from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the church.

Memorials are suggested to Masses.

Gerald Allen Desaire

Gerald Allen Desaire, age 57 years, 317 days, passed from this world on October 14, 2004, at his home in Damar, Kansas. He was pronounced dead at the Graham County Hospital in Hill City, Kansas.

He was born on December 2, 1946 in Hays, Kansas to Joseph and Allene (Winterowd) Desaire.

Gerald was preceded in death by both his parents. He is survived by his wife, Nina, of the home; two daughters, Kellie Desaire and Mary Desaire of Hill City, Kansas; two grandchildren, Anthonalena and Tomas of Hill City, Kansas; three brothers, Leon Desaire, Hill City, Kansas; Delbert Desaire, Plainville, Kansas; Stephen Desaire, Lenora, Kansas; two sisters, Marinda Baker, Phillipsburg, Kansas, and Thirza Wells, Zurich, Kansas; one uncle, Exavier Desaire, Hays, Kansas; one aunt, Irene Salladay, Hill City, Kansas; and many nieces, nephews and other family members and friends.

Gerald served in the U.S. Army. While in the Army, he served two tours of duty in Vietnam. Upon his return in 1968, he returned to work as a Caterpillar mechanic for Dean Machinery in Kansas City, Missouri. While in Kansas City, he met and married Nina Wise in Liberty, Missouri, on May 5, 1971. He was able to live his dream for the next 33 years.

Gerald was a member of St. Joseph Church of Damar, Kansas and Monroe-Taylor-Barnes VFW Post No. 8873 of Stockton, Kansas.

Gerald was a man who never met a stranger; a man who never turned his back on anyone in their time of need; a man who loved his family and friends; a man who faced death many times in the last 16 years with the calm certainty that with God everything would be alright; a man who believed that every living thing, whether it was human, animal or plant, was worth fighting to save; a man who will be remembered for who he was; a man who will be missed forever by those he has left behind.

Funeral services were held at the St. Joseph Church with the Wake Service at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, October 18, 2004 and the Funeral on Tuesday, October 19, 2004.

Burial was at the St. Joseph Cemetery at Damar, Kansas.