Final Salute

Edward Bernard Gettinger Obituary

Edward Bernard Gettinger, 95, of Warrenton, died on Sunday, April 26, 2020, passing into the loving arms of his Holy Father and reuniting in heaven with his wife of 58 years, Marie.

Ed Gettinger was born on April 5, 1925, in Lutesville, Missouri. The son of Edward Bernard and Hilda Mueller Gettinger, he left home as a teenager and found work as a welder in Muskegon, Michigan.

A World War II veteran, Ed entered the U.S. Navy Reserves in 1943 and served with a Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees) in the Pacific theater, receiving an honorable discharge in 1945.

After the war, Ed returned to Michigan where he met his bride, Marie Jean Moore. Married on Jan. 25, 1947, Ed and Marie raised four children.

Ed owned and operated The Coolaire Company, an HVAC service and installation contractor in St. Louis, and also Schraer Heating and Air Conditioning, providing commercial and residential HVAC services in the Warrenton and Montgomery City areas.

Standing six-foot-three, with distinctive blond hair and sparkling blue eyes, Ed is best remembered for his kind and generous spirit. A pillar of the community and a gracious and helpful neighbor, he was a founding member of the Schutzenground Road Association. He was a faithful supporter of the Holy Rosary Parish.

He loved his acreage east of Warrenton and took endless pleasure improving the land. He raised catfish, planted an apple orchard, and constructed a large lake for his family’s enjoyment.

A devoted family man, Ed cherished any opportunity to open his home and land to friends and family. After his beloved Marie’s passing in 2005, Ed sold most of his property to the Innsbrook development and acquired farm ground in northern Missouri. During the past 15 years he divided his time between Warrenton, northern Missouri, and a home in Muskegon, Michigan. He continued to rehab his properties and operate heavy equipment well past the age of 90.

Edward B. Gettinger is survived by four children: Donald Edward Gettinger (Lorraine), of Milan, Missouri, Julie Marie Cinco (Jerome), of St. Charles, Missouri, Jean Marie Burle (Raymond), of Warrenton, and Anne Marie McEowen (Robert), of Jefferson City, Missouri. Also surviving are nine grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and his sister Teresa Gettinger Szachnieski (Frank), of St. Louis, Missouri.

Due to social gathering limitations related to the coronavirus pandemic, Ed will be laid to rest following a private mass and graveside service for the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Holy Rosary Church or a charity of choice.
The family is being served by Pitman Funeral Home, Warrenton.