Celestine, county fire departments to honor fallen firefighter

The Celestine Volunteer Fire Department will take part in the funeral of one of its own this Saturday and is inviting the community to join in honoring him.

Firefighter Luke Gehlhausen was killed in a single-vehicle crash while responding to a structure fire on Sunday, Sept. 7.

Mr. Gehlhausen is survived by his wife, Brittney Gehlhausen and three children, Bryce Cato, Hayden Gehlhausen, and Lenore Gehlhausen.

Celestine Fire Chief Ryan Wineinger, who joined the fire department the same year as Mr. Gehlhausen, sent out a message inviting the public to line the procession route.

Wineinger shared details on the procession from the funeral home to the cemetery and invited anyone who would like to honor Celestine Firefighter Luke Gehlhausen’s service to line the route.

Saturday’s procession, led by the participating county fire departments, will begin at approximately 9:25 a.m. at Becher-Kluesner Funeral Home’s downtown location, 214 East 7th Street, and will travel south on U.S. 231/Newton Street.

They will continue south on Newton over the Memorial Bridge, where Jasper and Ferdinand will be posted with two ladder trucks. After passing under the ladder trucks, the procession will turn left onto Brucke Strasse and then continue east on Highway 164 to Celestine.

It will then proceed along 164 for 11 miles to St. Isidore Parish- St. Celestine Catholic Church’s east parking lot entrance, where Huntingburg and Springs Valley fire will be set up with a garrison flag in the east parking lot, which will be reserved for procession apparatus to file into with the two ladders.

Upon completion of the Mass, the procession will proceed to the church cemetery, where Mr. Gehlhausen will be given full firefighter honors following completion of the graveside service.