Obituary of Jane E. Gehrke

Jane Gehrke of Mountain Lakes, NJ beloved wife of Forrest Gehrke and mother of eight children, passed away peacefully on March 17th, at age 80. Janes life and the lives of so many others were enriched by her love of children and devotion to early childhood education. Jane lived in Mountain Lakes for 42 years where she worked as a preschool teacher for more than 20 years. She was also a dedicated community volunteer, provided thereby for autistic children, and helped beautify local public gardens. Jane was a member of the Mountain Lakes Garden Club and the Mountain Lakes Womens Club. Jane and Forrest were married for 57 years before Forrests death on November 4, 2005. They met in New York City at Sperry Gyroscope, where they both worked after graduating from College. Jane earned her B.A. in Biology from St. Lawrence University, and also had a passion for art. She put her artistic talent to work in many creative projects throughout her teaching and Girl Scouting careers. Jane gave birth to 8 children 6 girls and 2 boys all of whom attended Mountain Lakes schools. She is survived by 7 of them along with their spouses and 10 grandchildren, who will miss her dearly. Jane and Forrests surviving children are Robbin Gehrke of Altadena, CA, F. Scott Gehrke of Kinnelon, NJ, Lauren Stephens of Edgewood, NM, Karen Fetchin of Loveland, OH, Jeryl Ehrhard of San Antonio, TX, Jill Main of Wiscasset, ME, and Russell Gehrke of Newton, NJ Their grandchildren include David and Steven Gehrke, Arianna Pelullo, Laura, Alyssa and Leah Ehrhard, Sarah, Jason and Samantha Main, and Kylie Moses. Their eldest daughter, Susan Gehrke Pelullo, died in 1997. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations in Janes memory to the Huguenot Historical Society of New Paltz, NY (www.hhs-newpaltz.org) of which Jane was a member. Funeral arrangements handled thru Norman Dean Home for Services Denville, NJ www.normandean.com.