Obituary of Gerald Mathias Kuefler

Gerald Mathias Kuefler was born to Fred and Adeline Kuefler of Galahad on April 1, 1950, and passed away on May 18, 2018, at the age of 68 years. Gerald is survived by his loving wife Karen of 42 years, their four children: Brent, Andrea, Gillian, and Blair (Becky), and his two precious grandchildren: Max and Paige. He is also survived by his mother, Adeline; his mother-in-law, Rose Mahdiuk; and his special grand-puppy, Gucci.  He is also lovingly remembered by his siblings: Larry (Sharon), Noreen (Hunter) Armstrong, Betty (Steve) Saruga, Iva (Bryan) Hardy, Grant (Elaine), and Peggy (Loren) Erion, as well as Karen’s brother Brandon (Angele) Mahdiuk, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his father, Fred, and his father-in-law, William Mahdiuk.

After completing his Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture, Gerald worked in Saskatoon with Federated Co-op before he returned home to Galahad when he and Karen were married on June 28, 1975.  It was at this time that he began his 29-year career working at Luscar’s Paintearth Mine where he held a variety of positions over the years, including a scraper operator, dozer operator, dragline operator, and relief foreman. After a farming accident in 1999, Gerald returned to the mine as a coal hauler driver where he continued to work until 2004.

Gerald entered the world of municipal politics when he was elected County Councillor for Flagstaff County in October 2004. He loved giving back to the community he lived in and he worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the county’s residents. He was honoured to be selected Reeve of Flagstaff County by his fellow councilors for 8 years, a title he held until he left the council in 2017.

While he held a variety of positions over the years, Gerald’s real passion was farming. From a young age, he loved the farm life. In 1976, Gerald and Karen bought a farm and began grain farming with his father and brothers. Along with the grain operation, he expanded his farm to include a farrow-to-finish hog operation, which he managed until his accident in 1999. Over the last 6 years, Gerald was proud to be able to work alongside his son Blair and daughter-in-law Becky to grow the family farm.

Gerald was a dedicated member of the community. He volunteered for many organizations over the years and was one of the persons instrumental in the development of the Galahad Agriplex. From 2005-2012, he served as a Board Member for the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta - six of those years was spent as ARECA’s Chair. He was also a Director of the Alberta Pork Board from 1986-1992.

Gerald loved spending time with family and friends. He was never too busy to sit down for a visit over coffee, even if he said he was busy. He enjoyed spending time with Max, Paige, and Gucci; camping; playing cards; putting puzzles together; reading; researching family history; staying updated on current events; attending the Big Valley Jamboree every summer; and going to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas with his family over the past number of years. He was loved and will be missed by his many family and friends; his memory and love of John Deere will continue to be passed on for generations to come.

A Funeral Service will be held at the Galahad Agriplex on Sunday, May 27 at 2:00 pm.  In lieu of flowers, Gerald’s family requests that donations be made to The Kidney Foundation, STARS, The Ronald McDonald House, or The Flagstaff Food Bank.