Joan Gayle Kretschmer

Joan Gayle Kretschmer, a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, author, and cherished member of her community, passed away peacefully on August 21, 2025, in St. George, Utah, at the age of 89.

Gayle was born in a little white house in Tonopah, Nevada, to Don Perchetti and Margaret Covert on an early spring morning, May 8, 1936. She had one older sister, Dona Bowen, born in Kemmerer, Wyoming, in 1933.

In her personal memoirs, Gayle fondly recalled watching her father and grandfather work their placer mine north of Tonopah, and later moving to a farm in Montpelier, Idaho, where she began school — sleeping on a cot in the kitchen — while her father grew wheat and raised a few cows.

Her early life was shaped by frequent moves: from Tonopah to Henderson, Nevada, then to Las Vegas, and back to Ovid, Idaho, where the family lived in a one-room cabin with no running water. Around the age of 16, they relocated to the small mining town of Tempiute, near Alamo, Nevada, where Gayle completed her education and graduated from Pahranagat Valley High School (PVHS).

It was during these formative years, around 1950, that she met her future lifelong companion, William “Bill” Kretschmer, in Tonopah. After graduating high school, Gayle attended Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. She and Bill were married in Tonopah on April 17, 1955, and began their life together, moving between Arizona, Las Vegas, and eventually back to Tonopah in 1956.

Together they raised four children:

• William Dean (born 1957),

• Tammy (1958),

• Kenneth (1962), and

• Roy (1968, after relocating to Washington State).

After several years in the Seattle area, the family returned to Tonopah in 1979. In 1996, Gayle and Bill moved to Fernley, Nevada, where they lived for over two decades before settling in St. George, Utah, in 2022.

While raising her family, Gayle also pursued her passion for writing. Her sharp mind and creative spirit led her to publish numerous articles for local and state newspapers, Nevada Magazine, and Serb World. She authored several books, many of which, though fictional, were rooted in her personal experiences. Her literary works included:

• The Watermelon Patch – set in Alamo, Nevada in the 1950s

• An Apple for the Teacher

• A Smile for John

• Dust Devil Darlin’

• Guns and Roses – set in and around Las Vegas

Her storytelling captured the essence of rural life, resilience, and the enduring strength of family — themes she lived every day.

Gayle is survived by her devoted daughter, Tammy Ebel, and loving son, Roy Kretschmer and wife Ivette. She was a proud grandmother to Jeffrey Ebel Jr., Justin Ebel, Heather and Ryan Alexander, Ryan Ebel, Morgan Kretschmer, and Allen Dean Kretschmer. Her legacy continues through her great-grandchildren: Natalie Ebel, Tori Ebel, Ashlee Alexander, and Aydenn Ebel — each of whom brought light and joy to her later years.

She was preceded in death by her mother Margaret Covert, father Don Perchetti, sister Dona Bowen, sons William Dean and Kenneth, her beloved husband William “Bill” Kretschmer, and her son-in-law, Jeff Ebel.

Joan Gayle Kretschmer will be deeply missed, but her memory lives on through the stories she told, the family she raised, and the countless lives she touched with her kindness and creativity.

A graveside service for family and friends will be held at 1:00 p.m. at the Tonopah Cemetery. A memorial gathering will take place immediately following the service, location TBD.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages acts of kindness or donations to a charity of your choice in Gayle's memory.