Gerald Edward Apel

Born: October 2, 1930 – Passed: September 17, 1993

It has been so long since my father passed away. Actually, as I am writing this, it is twenty seven years ago today that he passed away. Even though so much time has gone by, I still miss him and think about him everyday.

Gerald Edward Apel was born in Bucklin, Missouri in October 2, 1930 to Carl and Edith Apel. He was the first born child to my grandparents. My father was born at home, in a small farmhouse in a very small town. His childhood was fairly average for that time period. He grew up on a dairy farm. I heard many times how he had to milk several cows before he went to school each day. My father excelled in math and science at his one room, elementary schoolhouse. High school was a larger school with about thirty classmates in his graduating class. In high school, he played basketball and trumpet in the band.

Upon graduating in 1948, he entered college in Kirksville, Missouri with plans to study music and become a music teacher. His plans changed shorty after entering and he enlisted in the Air Force during the Korean War. He served his country for about two years. He was honorably discharged due to a vision problem. My father then enrolled in Finlay Engineering College in Kansas City, becoming a HVAC engineer.

His professional career saw him working at a few companies, Bendix and E. K. Campbell in Kansas City, MO. A funny story my mother tells is that if I had been a boy, he wanted to name me Eric Kevin and call me E.K. for short. My mother wasn’t too excited about that, and thankfully, I was a girl, so the name never was used in the family.

In 1962, my father met my mother, Harlene Kessler. Both my father and mother had been married to other people and divorced. In a twist of fate, commitment, and an immeasurable amount of good luck, my father married my mother after only dating for thirteen days. He worked with my mother at the same company and they were only acquaintances. He always said that he loved her coconut cream pie that she made for him in those thirteen days and that is why he married her.

My father was a step father to my oldest brother, Marq. My father legally adopted Marq after my parents were married. They welcomed their second child together, Karl Ryan Apel in 1964. Their third child (me, Karyn Lee Apel) was born in 1968.

In 1968, the family moved to the Detroit, Michigan suburbs. My father worked for Charles Strand company from 1968 to 1985. The company built air houses on the large car manufacturing plants all over the country, but primarily in the Detroit, Michigan area. He spent the little free time he had gardening, a little bit of piano playing, and laying out in the sun during the summer. Several summers in Michigan, he planted two hundred strawberry plants along with many other vegetables. The farmer in him bestowed on us more strawberries than anyone could imagine. The neighbors loved the strawberries. He would enlist the neighborhood kids to come and pick them. At times, the kids would run and hide when they saw him coming. They knew that he wanted them to pick the strawberries! My father also was always available to help me with my math homework. He knew how to solve any math problem that came his way.

In 1985, my father changed jobs. He worked for Gamewell Manufacturing in Salisbury, NC. They designed and manufactured air houses as well, for large automobile plants. He enjoyed North Carolina more, because it was warmer. He didn’t like to be cold, so the warm, humid temperatures suited him well.

During the years from 1979 until his death in 1993, he was plagued with heart issues. He had a heart valve replacement in 1980. Thankfully, he was able to live a more energetic and healthier life due to that surgery.

In 1992, my father found himself looking for work. He and my mother relocated to Georgetown, Kentucky for a position at the Toyota plant there in Georgetown. He worked for one year there. In 1992, he had surgery on a herniated disc in his back. For whatever reason, he had a hard time recovering from that. He also had gout. Unexpectedly, in the very early morning of September 17, 1993, my mother rushed him to the hospital. He had a heart attack and was gone very quickly.

My father was probably the most honest and hardworking person I have known. He was a simple man, who really saw things as black or white. There was no pulling the wool over his eyes in any instance. He had a funny sense of humor. He did not tolerate laziness. He was a wonderful father. I am lucky to have had such an amazing role model and father. Even though I have lived over half my life without him, his morals, character and parenting still ring in my ears. I miss him.

Written by his daughter,

Karyn L. Ulishney

Family

Father: Carl F. Apel
Mother: Edith M. Apel
Sister: Elaine M. (Apel) Henderson
Wife: Harlene L. (Kessler) Apel
Sons: Marq Apel, Karl R. Apel
Daughter: Karyn L. (Apel) Ulishney
Grandchildren: Devon Apel, Brandon Apel, Victoria Apel, Ryan Apel, Noah Ulishney, and Jordan Ulishney

Feel free to share your thoughts and prayers for Gerald Apel below.

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Wilma Householder
Wilma Householder
3 years ago

Beautifully written. A wonderful remembrance of your father and your childhood.

Nicole
Nicole
3 years ago

This is awesome Karyn!! 13 days!! Must of been a heck of a pie!! EAT DON’T PLAY will forever be my first memory when I think about your dad!! Love y’all!!

Daniele
Daniele
3 years ago

Do NOT make any noise while riding in the car with him, eat do not play, and he taught me how to “correctly” write my numbers…the engineer way. Loved him very much and cannot wait to eat another bowl of bryers mint chocolate chip ice cream in heaven w him. Love you Karyn! P.S. I ❤️❤️❤️ a man in overalls! Great pic!!!!