Hedstrom, Gerald John (1927-2016)

HEDSTROM, JOHNSON, JENSEN, DALEY, LARSEN, LACEY, DAVIS, SCHRODT, FEDDES, FURGASON, CRIPPIN, WEBSTER, OSLUND, MOLLER, ABBOTT

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 8/20/2016 at 10:59:33

Gerald John Hedstrom
January 5, 1927 - July 14, 2016

Gerald J. Hedstrom, age 89, of Storm Lake, Iowa, on died Thursday, July 14, 2016, at the Methodist Manor Retirement Community in Storm Lake.

The oldest of six children and the only one born in a hospital, Gerald John Hedstrom, a son of Jubel Franklin and Florence Mae (Johnson) Hedstrom, was born on January 5, 1927, in Odebolt, Iowa. He came into a home filled with love, activity, and faith. In his youth, he attended an evangelistic meeting with his family and realized he was a sinner, separated from God by his sin. He accepted Christ’s free gift of salvation on “Decision Sunday.” At the age of 11 or 12, out of obedience to God’s Word, he was baptized at the Kiron Baptist Church. He attended school in Kiron, graduating from high school in 1944.

In April 1945, Gerald was drafted into the United States Army. After completing basic training in Texas, he served his country during World War II at Fort Meyer, Virginia. Because he had played cornet in school, he played taps at the base. Moreover, he was selected for the honor guard protecting various visiting dignitaries including President Eisenhower. While stationed at Fort Meyer, he worshiped at the same Baptist Church that President and Mrs. Trumann attended. He was honorably discharged in October 1946. After returning home, he started farming with his father and brother and driving a Standard Oil delivery truck.

On June 25, 1950 (the day the Korean War broke out), Gerald married Gladys Mae Jensen in Schleswig. Subsequently, they were blessed with three daughters: Glenda, Gail, and Glee. They farmed Gladys’ father’s farm south of Ida Grove. On March 28, 1965, Gladys died suddenly. To help her brother and care for her three nieces, Gerald’s sister, Evangeline Hedstrom, came back from her mission work in Peru.

On January 15, 1967, Gerald married Shirley Josephine Daley, of Sioux City, a friend from his youth. They passed on a good and godly heritage, raising their three daughters to know, love, and serve the Lord, to work hard but trust God’s providence, and to love others. After almost forth-six years of marriage, Shirley died on December 16, 2012.

In addition to God and family, Gerald enjoyed farming and traveling. He and Shirley traveled to Europe and Scandinavia several times as well as to Alaska and Hawaii. Moreover, Gerald served on mission trips three times to Nicaragua. Proud to have served in the army, he really enjoyed taking the honor flight to Washington D.C. Nevertheless, he, most of all, enjoyed just spending time with his family, often bringing his fry pan along and treating everyone to “Gerald’s Famous Pancakes.”

Gerald’s faith in the Lord always came first in his life. He grew up in the Kiron Baptist Church where he remained a member for many years, serving and leading in many capacities, but he especially influenced many young lives as a high school Sunday School teacher. Gerald and Shirley moved to Storm Lake about ten years ago and became members of Bethel Baptist Church in Newell where he served on the Mission Committee and prayed faithfully for the church and its pastors.

He hoped and prayed that his family would “continue to seek and trust God, read and apply the Bible, and live godly lives full of dignity. "I thank the Lord daily for His faithfulness and all the ways He has directed the paths of my life” (Proverbs 3:5,6).

Those left to cherish his memory include his daughters: Glenda (Irvin) Larsen, of Urbandale, Iowa, Gail (Doug) Lacey, of Sioux City, Iowa, and Glee (Dr. David) Crippin, of Storm Lake, Iowa; his grandchildren: Ann (David) Davis, Eric (Melanie) Larsen, Amy (Michael) Schrodt, Dr. Benjamin (Katie) Lacey, Jen (Nathaniel) Feddes, Jill (Shane) Furgason, Alexander (Laura) Crippin, and Dr. Nicholas (Dr. Brittany) Crippin; his great grandchildren: David III, Abigail, and Clare Davis; Isaiah, Elliott, and Judah Larsen; Corbin and Weston Schrodt; Evangeline, Daphne, Vivian, and Bianca Lacey; Jonathan, Callen, and Owen Feddes; his brother, Bueal Hedstrom, of Schleswig, Iowa; his sisters: Evangeline Webster, of Denison, Iowa, Maydelle Oslund, of Ashburn, Virginia, and Evelyn (Jim) Moller, of Spirit Lake, Iowa; his sister-in-law, Jan Abbott, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and a special friend, Shirley Rippstein, of Phoenix, Arizona; as well as extended family members and friends.

Gerald was preceded in death by his parents; his wives, Gladys and Shirley; his brother, Burdette; his sister-in-law, Deloris Hedstrom; his brothers-in-law, William Webster and Harvey Oslund; and his great granddaughter, Piper Jean Schrodt.

Funeral services will be held Monday, July 18, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. at Bethel Baptist Church in Newell, Iowa. Burial will follow at 2:00 p.m. at the Kiron Community Cemetery in Kiron, Iowa. Visitation will take place Sunday, July 17, 2016, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. Memorials may be made to Bethel Baptist Church in Newell. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements.

Copyright © 2016, Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Homes

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