Jan. 28, 1946 ~ April 13, 2022
Delton Ray Gerloff, son of Alvin and Laura Gerloff, was born Jan. 28, 1946, in Fredericksburg, Texas. He was the youngest of three children. As a child, he attended the public schools of Kerrville, Texas, and graduated from Tivy High School in 1964. He was a Southern born gentleman raised with family values.
Delton Faced heartbreak at age 12 when his father, Alvin, passed away. This only strengthened the bond between Delton and his mother as they navigated through their loss and life in a single-parent household. At the age of 13, Delton started his first job at a service station. This stood as the first job of many throughout the years that instilled the value of hard work.
At the age of 18, Delton married his soulmate and childhood sweetheart, Julia Gerloff, on Dec. 18, 1964. In 1966, their first child, Rodney, was was born. Then, their family was blessed with another son, Todd, in 1969. The four of them were inseparable. As a dreamer, Delton sought to better his family and made many of his ideas come to fruition. One of these included opening his own mechanic garage. D’s Wrecker and Road Service opened in 1976 in Kerrville, Texas. His wrecker truck was known to have helped many families and was the talk of the neighborhood kids. His clients were also loyal because they knew Delton as the best mechanic in the area.
Delton loved working with his hands. It would be and understatement to say that one of his passions was anything with a motor. Even when he didn’t have a job working in a shop, Delton was known to have a project sitting in his garage. He has spent many hours with both of his children working on trucks throughout the years. Beyond repairing engines, Delton loved the open road. He was at home in the driver’s seat and enjoyed traveling with his wife. Some of his other favorite pastimes were hunting with his boys, leading Royal Ranger, motorcycles, and spending quality time with his family around the dinner table. His love of family extended to all his relatives, and he loved attending the annual family reunions in South Texas.
In June of 1978, Delton and his family moved to Colorado to being their riskiest adventure. It did not take long for them to settle in Meeker. From a CB Track shuttle driver to a bus driver and mechanic for the Meeker School District, Delton worked to create a new life in the Rocky Mountains. Delton was also a volunteer firefighter for the Meeker Fire Department for approximately 17 years. Once again, Delton’s goals turned to reality when he started his own trucking company, Classic Enterprise. While operating his semi, Julia traveled with him to the best of God’s country as they hauled everything from lumber to gravel. Julia and Delton were also the proud owners of Clark’s Big Burger for a few years.
To know Delton was to know his devout faith. Delton came to know his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at a young age. Raised in the Emmanuel Gospel Church, Delton loved gospel music and worshiping God with the body of Christ no matter where he lived. Throughout his life, Delton translated his faith into action by giving of his time and God-given gifts to those in need
To his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Delton was known as Opa. He was the best listener and greatest supporter of their aspirations. Even during their darkest struggles, he was intentional about reminding them of his love and that God was in control.
On April 13, 2022, Delton passed away in Meeker at the age of 76. He leaves behind the love of his life, Julia Gerloff, along with this sons Rodney (Suzanne) and Todd (Leigh), six grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his siblings, Charles Gerloff (Joyce) and Lois Smith (Ray). Delton is preceded in death by his father Alvin and mother Laura.
As Opa said, “Weep for the glory to come, don’t weep for me. I’m going to be with Jesus.”
Memorial contributions can be made to the Meeker Volunteer Fire & Rescue at PO Box 37, Meeker, CO 81641
