Col. (Ret.) Gerhard Adolph ‘Doc’ Malm DVM, age 89, who resided in Valley Falls, Kansas for most of his life, died August 28, 2023, at Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Illinois.

Gerhard was born October 21, 1933, in Auburn, Kansas, the eldest child of Oscar and Bertha (Henderson) Malm. He attended various grade schools in the Topeka area, graduated from Auburn High School in 1951, and attended college at Kansas State University. He received a B.S. in Zoological Science in 1955, and became a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1957. He went into veterinary practice with Dr. James W. Knox in Valley Falls.

Gerhard spent two years in the U. S. Army Veterinary Corps at Ft. Dix, New Jersey, beginning in 1959, then became a member of the U.S. Army Reserves. In 1991, he took part in Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia as the Commander of a Preventative Medicine Unit, where he inspected food for the soldiers. He retired as a full Colonel in 1993.

On May 29, 1965, he married Lois Ann Cleavinger at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. They settled on a property to the south of Valley Falls, where Gerhard opened his own veterinary practice. He and Lois had three children. Lois preceded him in death on August 23, 2006.

Gerhard was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in the bishopric of the Topeka Third Ward and was Branch President of the Holton Kansas Branch. He served for 15 years on the Topeka Stake High Council.

Gerhard- primary hobby over the years was collecting bridle bits. He wrote three books on the subject, published a periodical for many years, and was widely regarded as an expert. He also collected paintings with Western themes, and in his later years took up painting as a hobby. He was an outdoorsman who liked hunting, walking in the woods, gardening, and bee-keeping. He also enjoyed genealogy research.

In early 2022, due to declining health, he moved to Keokuk, Iowa, to live with his oldest son, Per. In his last years, he enjoyed watching Western movies and also “Music and the Spoken Word” on BYU TV.

He is survived by his three children: Per Malm (wife, Celia) of Keokuk, Iowa; Eric Malm (wife, Marlene) of Payson, Utah; and Kristen Phillips (husband, Troy) of Fremont, California. He is also survived by nine grandchildren: Zachariah (wife, Allison), Andrew (wife, Emmy), and Jessica Malm, Dylan Malm (wife, Jorie), Sierra (husband, Arturo) Canela, Sabrina and Dyson Malm, and Sheridan and Trevor Phillips; and four great-grandchildren: Rowan, Ember, and Lincoln Malm, and Jonathan Malm. His brother Richard Malm of Valley Falls survives. Gerhard was preceded in death by his brother John Marcus Malm and his first grandchild, Jair Elizabeth Malm.

Visitation will be held from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. on September 9, 2023, at Mercer Funeral Home in Holton, Kansas. A procession will follow to the Valley Falls Cemetery for a graveside service at 11:30 a.m. with military honors. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Grahem-Herbers VFW Post 3084 c/o Mercer Funeral Home, P.O. Box 270, Holton, KS 66436. To leave the family a condolence, please visit www.mercerfuneralhomes.com