William Marvin Gertsen

William Marvin Gertsen, 81, of Stillwater, Oklahoma, passed away unexpectedly from natural causes on March 11, 2010. He was born September 12, 1928, in Newton, Kansas to William McKinley and Edythe Mae Unglesbe Gertsen, who preceded him in death. Growing up, he worked as a newspaper carrier for The Newton Kansan, a Safeway store sacker, a Santa Fe Railroad crew caller, and as a laborer, an office assistant, and office manager (after college) at the Newton Ice Company.
After graduating from Newton High School in 1946, Marvin attended Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, where he earned a bachelors degree in mathematics in 1950. He and Mary Ann Unruh, also of Newton, were married in the Bethel College Chapel on June 10, 1951. They were blessed with three children: Jane Ellen, William Henry, and Karen Ruth.
Marvin was employed as an engineer and section head engineer at Cessna Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas beginning in 1953. He received a masters degree in mechanical engineering in 1960 from Wichita State University, and was employed beginning in 1960 by The Boeing Company in Wichita and Seattle, Washington as an aerodynamics engineer, a lead engineer, and a specialist engineer in both the military and commercial divisions. He pursued doctoral research in aerospace engineering at Oklahoma State University for several years, residing with his family in Stillwater from 1968 to 1975. The family then moved to Wichita, where Marvin was an engineering specialist and chief of aerodynamics at Gates Learjet Corporation from 1975 to 1985, returning to Boeing as a lead engineer and a principal engineer from 1985 until his retirement in 1993. He and Mary Ann returned to Newton in 1991. Marvin moved to Oklahoma in 2005.
He was a member of First United Methodist Church, Newton and served in the 314th Engineer Detachment of the U.S. Army Reserve from 1950 to 1961. He was a 32nd Degree Mason, having joined Newton Masonic Temple #142 of the Grand Lodge of Kansas, A.F & A.M. in 1962.
Marvin is survived by Mary Ann Unruh Gertsen of North Newton, Kansas, his former wife of nearly 53 years; his daughter, Jane Gertsen Yetts and husband Steve Yetts of Lewisville, Texas; son, Bill Gertsen of Tulsa, Oklahoma; daughter, Karen Gertsen and husband Brian Simpson of Wichita, Kansas; and four grandsons: Taylor Yetts of Houston, Texas; Preston Yetts, Logan Yetts, both of Lewisville, Texas; and Will Simpson of Wichita, Kansas. Other survivors include his sister, Marilyn Gertsen Borger and husband Larry Borger of Littleton, Colorado, and numerous other relatives and friends.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 19 at First United Methodist Church, 801 North Main Street, Newton, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Down Syndrome Society of Wichita, www.dsswichita.org, Knights Templar Eye Foundation, www.knightstemplar.org/ktef, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, www.komen.org, or First United Methodist Church, Newton.