Wayne Gebers

August 5, 1943 - November 7, 2020

Wayne was born in Clarkfield, MN, in 1943, to Ken and Harriet Gebers, and he was the third of six children. He attended a one room school, that he would walk to with his brothers and sisters, three miles uphill both ways, as there was a hill in the middle. He lived in an old house with no running water and would wake up with snow on the covers. His mom cooked on an old cook stove that burned corn cobs. It was the kids' job to keep the cob basket full. They had many farm animals and all the kids had chores to do. Wayne moved to Quincy, WA, in 1954. His family left Minnesota in a 1947 Chrysler and a two wheeled trailer with five kids and his mom and dad. They arrived in Quincy with no furniture, so they all slept on the floor. His mom cooked on a two burner hot plate and they had apple boxes for chairs. The house they moved into had running water and indoor toilets. Wayne would flush the toilet over and over. They lived in Quincy for a couple of years. Then, they moved to a farm his dad had rented above Winchester, WA. They all picked rocks and Wayne always said the reason he was shorter than his brother, Butch, was cause he had to lift all the big rocks. Then, in 1959, they moved to the home farm above Quincy. This began Wayne's life as a farmer. School was never a big thing for him, but he was always good at calculating things in his head. His first big purchase was an 806 tractor plow and potato harvester. He did custom plowing and potato harvesting. Around 1970, Wayne and RaNita purchased the farm from his dad. He then started raising potatoes in the Black Sands area. This is where he met Chris Vizena, a lifelong friend. He hired him to ride the back of the potato planter. So over the next 30 years, he went through the ups and downs of farming. He was in joint venture with Jack Jones and helped others get started in farming. Wayne and RaNita had three great kids: Cari, Bart, and Kelli. He was well liked by everyone in the community. He had his ups and downs in life, like all of us, but he always provided for his family. Later, in his farming career, he began working with Blaine Hirai, a person he truly respected and enjoyed working for. Wayne was known as one hell of a potato harvester and always beat everyone on the bruise free rating. He really enjoyed harvest time. He loved his family and was very proud of their accomplishments. He enjoyed snowmobiling and providing all the machines (and many hours of maintenance) for everyone to use. There was also all the 4th of July fireworks and barbecues. Those were special times for the whole family and many friends. His brother, Butch, has many fond memories of the pheasant and deer hunting and adventures at the cabin in Conconully. Julie, Wayne's sister, greatly enjoyed their 3:00 o'clock coffee time and him being a second father to her. Wayne was a farmer at heart and showed his kids the value of hard work, perseverance, and how to solve things for themselves. He was not one to back down from a problem and was often the first to jump in with both feet. Most of the time, he did not know how to fix the problem, but he would persevere until the issue was taken care of. Dad was known for some unique sayings, poems, and words of wisdom. You never knew what he would say next. Often, you would shake your head, while putting a smile on your face. He was definitely not PC, but he would give you the shirt off his back. He would bend over backwards to help someone, while showing his full moon in the process. The man couldn't keep his pants up! He always enjoyed visiting, drinking coffee, and smoking cigarettes. He could definitely bring a smile to your face, as he asked how the hell you are doing. He loved playing with the grandkids and always got them to smile while singing or talking to them in his frog voice. We know that he is squealing tires on pavement up above. I hope you are doing finer than frog's hair. Dad, we know it is hard to be humble, when you are perfect in every way. Love you, Dad! Wayne is survived by RaNita Gebers, his wife of 57 years; daughter, Cari (Chuck) Goble and their three children: Nikki (Andy) Nielson, Bradley and Zachary Berry; son, Bart (Shawna) Gebers and his two children: Brennan and Ella; Kelli (Shawn) Ottley and her three children: Aidan, Finnley, and Stephen; two great-grandchildren: Braelyn and Cooper Nielson; sisters: Janet Goulet, Nancy Armstrong, and Julie Schaapman; and brothers: Merle Gebers and Butch Gebers. In honor of Wayne, the family requests donations be made to: Washington State Potato Foundation, P.O. Box 5051, Pasco, WA, 99302, or Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org.