Bert Gast Obituary

TO the Gast Family:



My prayerful sympathy on BERT's

passing. He was a master memorial

craftsman, and those of us in the field salute his work and his memory.



F.X. SPEH

Speh Monument Company

St. Louis, MO

I WAS SHOCK AND SADDENED TO HERE OF BERTS PASSING, BERT WAS A GREAT INSPIRATION TO ME OVER THE YEARS. I WISH TO SEND OUR FAMILIES CONDOLENCES IN EVERYONES GREAT LOSS.

SINCERELY:

ALLAN B. MATTSON

My condolences to Jan and the entire Gast family. My sister, Sue Stift, worked in their office for over 30 yrs and they were all so kind to her. Mr Gast was a wonderful and talented man.

dear friends, i was saddened to hear of your fatrhers' death i am so sorry i could not be with you but i know you knew i was there in spirit..when i think of my life and how grew kay and gene who bought me up but it was the people like your Dad that shared lifes gifts...i have such loving memories too much to count ..my love is with all of you marysue

Just returned from cloudy Chicago and bidding farewell to my beloved Uncle Bud. I will miss him very much and extend my deepest sympathies to his immediate family and especially his wife Jan. His life was very well rounded, very full, and successful by any standard. He will always remain an inspiration to me in his love of family and devotion to his art.

TO THE GASTS:

Know of our sincere sympathy on

BERT's passing. We in the memorial

arts field recall his pioneering

spirit and creativity, which shows in his many distinctive

monumental works. Our prayers are with you!



Sincerely,

Len DeMoor

TOM MURRAY MONUMENT CO.

I will miss my uncle Bud. He was an incredibly dynamic man and, yet, a dear man. Jimmy Cagney

Dear Gast Family, May God console you on your loss.

John and Grace, please accept my sincere condolences on the loss of your dear father. I was not able to attend the wake or funeal due to scheduling difficulties. Know of my good thoughts and prayers.

AS A LIFELONG CHICAGOAN and fan of its many cemeteries, I've also been nearly a lifelong fan of the art of

Bert Gast.



He was a real Chicago "original"--transitioning our local funerary trade from staid grave steles to dynamic, stimulating modern figures.

And lots of them had religious themes.



And, whether you were Irish, Polish, Italian, Lithuanian, Greek,

Anglo-American, etc., Bert could design a monument for you that was unforgettable--and definitely got the attention of the many visitors from near and far to Chicago's notable cemeteries.



I'm going to lift an "Ave" for you

Bert, and thank the Good Lord he gave you to Chicago and the monument industry.

JOHN McGRATH & FAMILY

TO THE GAST FAMILY:



Our deep sympathy to all of you on the passing of Bert Gast. He was an outstanding memorialist, and we salute his talent and his memory.

May it be eternal.



Sincerely,

Crawford King, Jr.

Bryan King

POHL & KING MONUMENTS

St. Louis, MO

DEAR GAST FAMILY:



Please know of my sincere sympathy on the passing of Master Memorialist BERT GAST. He was a highly talented and creative artist who knew the monument arts well--as well as the religious and cultural sentiments of the many people he so effectively served! He will be missed by many, especially his colleagues in the trade.

May he Rest in Peace!



Max Kaiser, Jr.

(from SPEH MONUMENT CO.)

St. Louis, MO

My sincere condolences to the Gast family on the loss of Bert. Their home was the site of many memorable gatherings of my youth where Bert was the "little brother." Always a very nice one. Margery Rowbottom Frisbie

Uncle Bud was the very best of uncles, the best of godfathers, the best of men. He touched our lives so much, made such a difference. We'll miss you, but know you're still around us! His wonderful family is in our prayers and good wishes.