01 May Brent Gatzke

Brent Alan Gatzke, 52, Mandan, North Dakota unexpectedly and sadly left us on 30 April 2024. A routine stent turned into an emergency heart surgery where he was unable to fully recover.  Services will be on Friday, May 3, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church.  Visitation will be on Thursday, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Bismarck Funeral Home.  Inurnment will be on Monday, May 6, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery.

Brent was born November 2, 1971 in Bismarck, North Dakota.  Brent’s greatest achievement in life was raising his three independent and courageous daughters to be the wonderful women they are today.  As he was a stay-at-home father for ten years of their lives. He was happily married to the love of his life for 28 years.  They met and have been by each other’s side since August of 1990.

He was an outdoor enthusiast who loved to go camping with his family and friends. He loved to go hiking and go on walks with his crazy four-legged sidekicks Ollie and Tucker.  He enjoyed fishing, although he would tell you he never caught many. He mainly went to spend time with his friends and family. He was always known to say we’re “making memories” which he made a lot of them and blessed so many with his presence and quick wit. Brent was known to be a high-spirited, fun loving and all-around wonderful person. To know him was to love him.  He could make a new friend with one smile, one joke or inappropriate remark (always a comedian). He would brighten up a room when he walked into it. He was probably most known for being the gadget guy and was known as Gadget Gatzke.  He had them all, and probably more than one.  He would always say he was not book smart but street smart.  Common sense was in no short supply with Brent. He was extremely intelligent and was always researching his next hobby or task he was going to get around to when he felt better.  He had an amazing heart and would do anything to help anyone as he was a very kind and generous man. He’d gladly hand money to someone in need when he felt called by God to do so as well as pick up people alongside the road to get a little closer to their destination.  He enjoyed visits to Deadwood, SD, live music, and anything to do with music as long as it was loud! He was a fire bug who loved sitting around a bonfire out camping with his favorite people or having one lit in the fireplace in the house or wood burning stove out in the garage.  He would always say you can never have enough wood.  If you would see his back yard there is definitely enough wood.

He was very mechanically inclined and loved to tinker with anything mechanical. He was employed with Subaru of Mandan and prior to that with Mid Dakota Wheel Alignment and Frame of Bismarck.  He graduated from Century High School where he met some of his greatest friends that will be forever family to the Gatzke’s.

He was preceded in death by his stepfather, Vance A. Preszler; grandparents, Rosella Gatzke, Helen and Richard Bartow. Recently his Mother In-law Violet R. Ohlhauser who shared the same birthday with Brent and many additional family members.

He is survived by his wife, Sherise R. Gatzke; his daughters, Ashley R. Gatzke, Alexis R. Werre and Her Husband Aaron K. Werre, and Amanda M. Gatzke; mother, Jane Preszler; father, Gordon Gatzke; stepmother, Lorraine Gatzke; sisters, Penny Gatzke, Annette Gatzke, Carol Ann (Mike) Miller; brother Travis (Jenny) Gatzke; stepsisters, Jennifer Erhardt & Melanie Erhardt Along with his many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.