In Memory of Charles Junior Gaede 1920 – 2009

My father-in-law, Charles Junior Gaede, passed away on 24 February 2009 at age 89. He
was born in Richmond, Indiana on 11 February 1920 to Ruth Vera (Gehring) and Charles
Louis Gaede.

In 1936 he quit high school and performed odd jobs. He also painted houses for his
father for $35 per week. From 1939 to 1941 he worked in a camera shop in Richmond,
Indiana. This was an important position for Charles, as it became his goal to own his
own camera shop.

My father-in-law, Charles Junior Gaede, passed away on 24 February 2009 at age 89. He
was born in Richmond, Indiana on 11 February 1920 to Ruth Vera (Gehring) and Charles
Louis Gaede.

In 1936 he quit high school and performed odd jobs. He also painted houses for his
father for $35 per week. From 1939 to 1941 he worked in a camera shop in Richmond,
Indiana. This was an important position for Charles, as it became his goal to own his
own camera shop.

He joined the Air Corps in December 1941, hoping to be assigned to photography.
Instead, he was sent to airplane mechanics school. In 1943, he passed the entrance exam
for Cadet training, and was sent to the University of North Dakota. He and other cadets
followed a very rigid schedule trying to cram two years of class instruction into three
and one-half months. The cadets were required to study in silence in the barracks from
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM each night. Discipline was rigid, although after passing room and
uniform inspection on Saturday mornings, the cadets were allowed to go into town for the
weekend. The cadets were able to do some flying at UND as well. Charles Gaede graduated
from UND near the top of his class. He then moved on to three flight training air bases:
primary, basic and advanced. Charles graduated as a B-25 pilot on March 11, 1945 at La
Junta, Colorado.

On 15 June 1945 he married Ann Burchik in Del Rio, Texas. After the war ended in
September 1945, Charles and his wife moved to Pueblo, Colorado where they opened a
Camera Shop. Four years later they moved to Denver (1949) where he took over management
of “Denver Foto” with intention of buying the business if he could pull it
out of debt. He managed to make a small profit of $25 after just the first year. Two
years later (1951) Charles took over “Englewood Camera” as well. In 1974
the Gaedes sold their shops and retired. In retirement the Gaedes keep busy by
traveling, building model sailing ships, and going on fishing expeditions in their
motorhome.

In 1989, Charles donated a set of materials, including over 50 photographs, to the
library at the University of North Dakota. The “Charles Gaede Papers” were
deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection. See the complete description at
the UND library website.

Charles first wife, Ann (Burchik) Gaede, was born in Rockvale, Colorado on 21 April
1920, and died on 2 January 1996 in Denver, Colorado. She is interred at Imperial
Cemetery, Pueblo, Colorado.

On 20 November 1999, Charles married Janice Ann Weir, in Aurora, Colorado.

Charles and Janice have been longtime supporters of the Colorado Boys Ranch. As
“Special Ambassadors” they assisted with fund raising activities, and
made frequent trips to visit the ranch in La Junta. In 2007 they were honored as
“Volunteers of the Year” at the annual awards banquet.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, 26 Feb 2009 from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at:

Visitation will also be held on Friday, 27 Feb 2009 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at:

Graveside Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, 28 Feb 2009 at 10:30 a.m. at
Imperial Cemetery in Pueblo, Colorado.

Memorial Service will be held following the burial at 2:00 p.m. at:

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: