Louis James Gehrts

Louis James Gehrts, "Jim", of Royal City, WA, a truck driver and adventurer, died May 15, 2014 of a sudden heart attack at age 63. Jim was born June 8, 1950 to Katherine and Lewis Gehrts in Seattle, WA. Jim attended Garfield High School in Seattle and then enlisted in the Army. He served in Vietnam with the G Company 75th Airborne Rangers. After returning from service he became a long-haul truck driver for Allied Van Lines. He crisscrossed the country for 30 years and put over a million miles on his odometer.

Jim was a voracious reader and enjoyed classic rock, Camels, golf, Texas holdem, hunting, exploring, driving fast, and spending time with his wife of 22 years, Georgene. The couple recently moved from Maryland to the Canyon in Smyrna. He was a wealth of knowledge about carpentry, horses, cars, weapons, and pretty much anything else you can think of.

Jim worked hard and ran hard. He had more "times I almost died" stories than anyone could count. Many who knew him were surprised that he made it this far. He was the last of the highway cowboys and he will be missed by everyone who knew him.

He is survived by Georgene, her daughter Heidi, his mother Katherine, brothers Gary and Bennet Gehrts, sisters Karin Garton, Linda Redman, Charla Haer, Mary K. Frost, Marga Waggoner, Frances and Monica Gehrts. A memorial with military honors is being planned at the VFW in Kittitas for late spring or early summer.