Gary James “Hot Rod” Mulske, 58, Gladstone, left this world to go to a better place for a well deserved eternal rest on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at CHI St. Alexius, Dickinson. A Celebration of Life Service for Hot Rod will be at 1 p.m., Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson, with Pastor Dorothy Stein officiating. Interment will follow at the Gladstone Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.
Gary was born on June 12, 1964 in Jamestown, the son of Eckhardt “Ike” and Bertha “Nell” (Reichel) Mulske. Two things that come to mind when thinking of Hot Rod is fun loving and hard working. He always strived to do the best in whatever he set out to do. He was a kind and very generous person, always willing to help.
His favorite hobby was to grow a garden, anticipating and planning in the winter. Most of all he loved to give away his garden produce, especially his cucumbers. He also loved his cat that he rescued which he named “Kitty”.
There are different versions of how he got his name “Hot Rod” at a young age, one being the way he did tricks on his bicycle. At a young age, he was faced with his first challenge when he was injured in an accident. This may have been the fuel that sparked his determination. He was able to obtain his GED and this inspired him to learn Trigonometry. He went on to tutor others in the area of math.
Hot Rod lived in Gladstone all of his life except when he was traveling doing seismograph work. His one favorite place was Ely, NV. His least favorite place was when he worked in Louisiana because of them “damn gators”. He did this work for many years, which took a toll on his body. Not one to be idle, he continued working as an all around handy, helping, blessing to many, especially the Stein and Neurohr families. He was especially proud of his title “Fire Chief”. He left us with many precious memories to cherish and will be truly missed!
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Mike; brother-in-law, Bob Smith. Hot Rod is survived by his sister, Terry Smith, Bakersfield, CA; brothers, David and Randy, both of Gladstone; sister-in-law, Jolene; nieces and nephews, Joseph, Kayla, Sean, Zayden, Zayleigh and Remmi.