Ervin H. Gilhart, age 73, of Beaver Dam, died Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at Hillside Manor in Beaver Dam, surrounded by his family.
Visitation for Erv will be at the Murray Funeral Home in Beaver Dam on Friday, January 23, 2009 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Funeral services will follow at the funeral home on Friday, beginning at 1:00 PM. John R. Leiting will be the celebrant. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Fox Lake.
Ervin H. Gilhart was born on August 26, 1935 in Fox Lake, Wisconsin, the son of Irvin and Lora (Helmer) Gilhart. He was confirmed at St. John”s Lutheran Church in Fox Lake in 1949. Erv attended Fox Lake Elementary School and graduated from Fox Lake High School in 1953. While in high school, he participated in football and basketball and served as president of the FFA. Erv worked on the family farm until he was drafted into the United States Army. He served on active duty for two years, stationed in Germany from 1958 to 1960. He was then transferred to the US Army Reserves, from which he was honorably discharged in 1964. On February 3, 1962, Erv was united in marriage with Linda Derivan at St. Mary”s Catholic Church in Fox Lake. Erv was employed with Beaver Dam Wholesale Company in the warehouse and later in food services sales from 1960 to 1977. He was also a salesperson for Alpha Distributors in Madison and Waukesha Wholesale in Waukesha. Erv then did maintenance work at apartment complexes and later at St. Peter”s School and Cemetery. Erv loved auto racing and he worked as the race reporter for local Wisconsin area tracks from the late 1960”s through the 1970”s. His reports appeared in the Beaver Dam Daily Citizen Newspaper and on WBEV Radio.
Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Linda Gilhart of Beaver Dam, four children, Jeffrey Gilhart of Beaver Dam, Brian (Renee) Gilhart of Waukesha, Marie Gilhart of Fond du Lac, and Kurt (Tara) Gilhart of Fond du Lac, four grandchildren, Andrew, Elizabeth, Bradley, and Alexander, other relatives and friends. Ervin was preceded in death by his parents, a daughter, Elizabeth in 1968, and his sister, Dolores Clontz.
The Murray Funeral Home in Beaver Dam is caring for the family. Online condolences may be made on our website at www.MurrayFH.com.
Service Details
Friday, January 23rd, 2009, 1:00pm