GEERDES, Dena 1884-1987

GEERDES, RUNGE, NEESSEN

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 11/2/2012 at 09:07:10

Dena Geerdes, Age 102, Dies

Mrs. Alberdena (Dena) Geerdes, age 102, of Pipestone, MN, formerly of Wellsburg passed away at the home of her nephew, Harry Doyen, in Pipestone, MN on Saturday, July 11, from complications of old age.

Funeral services were held at the Wellsburg Reformed Church, Wellsburg, on Tuesday, July 14, at 10:30 a.m. Rev. Orwin Duistermars officiated.

Mrs. Dale Murray sang "Where The Roses Never Fade" and the congregation sang "Beyond The Sunset." The accompanist was Mrs. Harvin Meyer, who also played selected numbers for the prelude and postlude.

Grandsons serving as casket bearers were Ron Arends, Art Geerdes, Gale Geerdes, Terry Geerdes, David Geerdes, Gary Geerdes and Mark Geerdes.

The ushers were Delbert Ross and Dale Murray. Mrs. Gideon Wolbrink and Mrs. Minnie Schmidt were in charge of the floral arrangements.

Interment was in the church cemetery.

Relatives and friends were invited to return to the church following the committal services for a period of Christian fellowship and refreshments.

Mrs. Geerdes was born on December 8, 1884, in Wellsburg, to Henry and Augusta Runge Neessen.

She was united in marriage to Henry A. Geerdes on May 24, 1910, in Wellsburg. To this union was born four sons, Henry, Arthur, Clarence and George and one daughter, Augusta Helen.

She was baptized in St. Johns Lutheran Church and later transferred her membership to the Wellsburg Reformed Church.

She was a charter member of the Dorcas Society, which later became the Reformed Church Women. She was also a member of the Amvets Auxiliary and the American Legion Auxiliary.

Mrs. Geerdes enjoyed being in the business world. She was a bookkeeper at her father's lumber yard, worked for a short time in the local post office, taught rural school in Grundy county and later was employed at the Mercantile establishments of D. J. Riekena, H. B. Kuhlman and Charles Sentman.

In her active years Mrs. Geerdes was a staunch supporter of her church and her community. Her kindness and generosity touched the lives of many.

Mrs. Geerdes had made her home with her sister, Minnie Doyen and her nephew, Harry Doyen, at Pipestone, MN for the past ten years.

She is survived by three sons, Henry D. and Clarence A. Geerdes of Wellsburg, George H. Geerdes of Grundy Center; a daughter, Mrs. Arnold (Augusta Helen) Arends of Wellsburg; 13 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Henry, one son, Arthur, three sisters, four grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

A memorial fund has been established.

The Doyen-Abels Funeral Home, Wellsburg, was in charge of the funeral arrangements.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 16 July 1987