Reverend Ethan C. Gebauer passed peacefully on June 9, 2026, just two days after celebrating his 57th wedding anniversary with his beloved wife, Kathleen, the woman who stood beside him through every congregation, every mountain, every season of life.
Born April 24, 1942 in St. Louis, Missouri, Ethan was the proud son of Reverend Egon Gebauer, who had emigrated from Germany, and Dorothy (Zacher) Gebauer. He carried his heritage proudly his entire life, in his strength, his deep sense of duty, and the uncompromising standards he held for himself and everyone he loved.
Ethan came of age in Fresno, California, where he was among the first graduating class of McClane High School. Raised in the faith and captivated by the fierce beauty of the Sierra Nevada, he spent his summers, through his years at Concordia Prep School in Oakland, California, Concordia in River Forest, Illinois, and Concordia Seminary in Springfield, Illinois, as an elite Hotshot firefighter with the US Department of Forestry, battling wildfire in the very mountains he would love and return to for the rest of his life. He earned his Master of Divinity in 1969, shaped equally by Scripture and smoke.
On June 7, 1969, he married Kathleen (Buchanan) Gebauer at St. John's in Champaign, Illinois, where they had met and where Ethan completed his Vicarage in 1968. On July 27, 1969, he was ordained into the Holy Ministry at First Lutheran in Palmdale, California, and so began a pastoral journey that would span more than five decades and touch countless lives. That he drew his last breath just two days after marking 57 years with Kathleen speaks to a life perfectly bookended by love and faith.
Ethan served with devotion at First Lutheran, Palmdale, California; Mission Station Wrightwood, California; Mt. View Lutheran in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was instrumental in founding Faith Lutheran High School; Hope Lutheran and Faith Lutheran in Whittier, California; St. Paul's Lutheran in Norwalk, California; First Lutheran in Porterville, California; Our Savior's in Pacifica, California; and St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Susanville, California. He was a shepherd to his congregations in the truest sense: steady, faithful, and never once inclined to judge. He had a remarkable gift for seeing the good in people, meeting every soul he encountered with openness and grace.
Beyond the pulpit, Ethan was an NRA Certified Instructor and served as Recording Secretary for the Lassen County CRPA. He believed deeply in the Constitution and in the responsible, respectful handling of firearms, values he passed down deliberately to every one of his children and grandchildren, girls and boys alike, without exception. He was an avid hunter, fisherman, and archer who thrived on the grandeur of the Sierras and Cascades, and in his later be found walking daily with his beloved dog, Joe, a simple joy he never took for granted. He loved History, especially Biblical history, and the Word of God was the bedrock of everything he did and everything he was.

He was, in every sense of the word, a strong and principled man: immovable in his faith, his love, and his convictions. And yet every person who crossed his path left feeling seen and valued.
Ethan is survived by his beloved wife, Kathleen; his children Rachel Tieman (Lucas) of Hollis, New Hampshire, Ethan Gebauer II (Tammy) of Sonora, California, Timothy Gebauer (Desiree) of Janesville, California, and Sara Gebauer of Manchester, New Hampshire; grandchildren Kaylea Gebauer (Jared Bertotti) of Susanville, California, Nathaniel and Jacob Gebauer and Zachariah Tieman of Susanville, California, Benjamin Gebauer of Sonora, California, Saige Gebauer (Bradley Johnstad) of Sonora, California, and Titus Tieman of Hollis, New Hampshire; great-grandchildren Quinnley and Bennet Bertotti of Susanville, California, and Braxton Johnstad of Sonora, California; his niece Sandra Garfield (David) of Clovis, California, and grandnephews Garret and Austin; and Kathleen's beloved nieces and nephew, Sally Peterson (Stanis) of Ashburn, Georgia, John Stanis of Los Angeles, California, and Janet Richards (Buchanan) of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
He was preceded in death by his mother, father, sisters Veda and Hestia, and nephews David and Chris Kinchelo.
Reverend Ethan C. Gebauer lived as he preached, with conviction, with love, and with his eyes always fixed on something greater than himself. The Sierras will feel a little quieter without him. So will we all.