David Paul Gerstenkorn

David Paul Gerstenkorn, 71, of Spring Hill, Kansas, went home to be with the Lord on May 26, 2026, following a brief and heroic battle with stage 4 lung cancer. He was born at Rush County Memorial Hospital in La Crosse, Kansas.

He grew up on a farm in the La Crosse area and attended schools in Rush Center and La Crosse, Kansas.

In 1972, he graduated from La Crosse High School, where he played basketball and golf. He then attended Seward County Community College on a basketball scholarship.

On November 24, 1973, David married Valinda (Lynn) Ratzlaff at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Timken, Kansas.

He began working in the oil and gas industry through Rex Price Surveying of Mason City, Iowa. His career spanned 45 years, working for Enron, MidAmerican Energy Company, and Northern Natural Gas Company. He retired in 2018 and moved to Spring Hill, Kansas, in 2019 to be closer to family.

His favorite way to spend time was with his family. He was very attentive to their pursuits in life and loved vacationing with them. They were the light of his life.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing, and cooking. A favorite afternoon pastime was listening to music with his headphones. He often spoke of discovering music he had never heard before and would share it with his family. He was an avid KU basketball fan and enjoyed watching sports of all kinds. He had a quick wit, an ornery streak, and a memorable laugh. His favorite season was fall because the cooler weather made farm work as a youngster more bearable.

He adored his two daughters, Nicci and Kati, and they adored him in return. His favorite young people were his four grandchildren. He stored away many keepsakes given to him by his daughters and grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife, Lynn, of 52 years; daughter Nicci of Greenbrier, Arkansas; daughter Kati and her husband Kevin Voeller of Spring Hill; grandsons Ian Kelly, Isaiah Kelly, and Isaac Kelly of Greenbrier, Arkansas; granddaughter Halle Sewell of Spring Hill; sister Joyce Winslow of Murrieta, California; sister Sally Bentley of Oak Park, California; brother Marvin Gerstenkorn of Plymouth, Massachusetts; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Hubert and Mary Gerstenkorn of Great Bend, Kansas; brother Irvin Gerstenkorn of Dumas, Texas; and son-in-law Kevin Kelly of Greenbrier, Arkansas.

He was a member of Blue Valley Baptist Church in Overland Park, Kansas.

The family will receive guests for a visitation from 2:00-3:00 p.m. on Monday, June 1 2026, at Penwell-Gabel’s Olathe Chapel with the funeral services following at 3:00 p.m.

To leave a special message for his family or to share a memory of David, please visit the guestbook below.