Carson Valley rancher dead at 91

A memorial service will be held Friday for Chris Gansberg Sr., 91, who died at St. Mary's Hospital in Reno on Tuesday.

Gansberg was born Aug. 28, 1909, in the kitchen of the Gansberg ranch home in Fredericksberg.

He had suffered a heart attack 10 days before his death. He had been actively working on the family ranch until that day.

Gansberg was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Ellen Gansberg, in February.

The service will be held at 2 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Gardnerville.

In a 1992 interview with the The Record-Courier, Gansberg recalled his pioneer father telling of the family's arrival in the Carson Valley.

After settling in Nevada, Fred Gansberg went back to Germany and got his sisters and brothers. The elder Gansberg married Lena Neddenriep.

By the time Gansberg was old enough to help with the ranching, the Gansbergs were driving cattle on six-day drives to Sacramento Valley each fall and back each spring.

"We were like gypsies," Gansberg said. "It was lots of fun, though - good friends and food."

He said there were some adventures during the drives.

"One time a bear came into our camp and scared the cattle," Gansberg said. "Some ran all the way back to Hope Valley before we caught up with them."

Ellen Gansberg came to the Carson Valley to teach school. She and Gansberg married in July 1940.

Gansberg is survived by his son, Chris Jr.; three daughters, Joan Chacon of Reno, Gaye Tyndall of Gardnerville and Joyce Reeder of Brigham City, Utah; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Gansberg was fire chief for Alpine County for 30 years and a California brand inspector for 50 years.