1911
Harold
2005
Harold Gerber
February 25, 1911 — April 16, 2005
Harold Victor Gerber, the eldest son of Edward and Olga Pomerenke Gerber was born on the old Gess place in Ortonville Township on February 11,1911. He was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Odessa.
District 36, a country school that was built on a corner of the family farm provided the elementary education. The teacher lived with the Gerber family. He went to Odessa Public School and graduated from Ellendale High School in 1929.
Because of the depression Harold hopped a train to Rudyard, Montana to work the wheat harvest for $3/day with board and room. After two seasons he purchased a Henderson motorcycle for his trips west. In St. Paul he found work in a restaurant and a second job at the Lowrey Hotel garage while going to school at Dunwoody Institute. Harold?s first real job was working as a mechanic at Speedometer Service.
Harold and Nellie Harding were married at St. Anthony Church in Minneapolis on May 29, 1936. They moved to Sleepy Hollow Farm in 1939 where they raised five children, farmed for 50 years, hosted many 4-H project meetings, club meetings, parties, and family gatherings. Harold encouraged the 4-H animal projects. There were beef, sheep, swine, ducks, and horses. All part of the children?s education! They retired at The Dam Place which Harold and Nellie built overlooking the Minnesota River Valley. They planted fruit and shade trees and Nellie had the hillside covered with flowers.
Fishing trips to Canada with friends, grandchildren and the youth of First English Lutheran Church were a highlight each summer. Harold enjoyed hunting deer and pheasants. He enjoyed playing cards with friends at the Senior Center. Harold and Nellie participated on a farm tour to Australia in 1967and traveled much of the United States.
As a member of the community Harold served as a member of the District 36 school board, Director of the Agassis and Odessa Insurance Company for 10 years and served as president and on boards at First English Lutheran Church. He was a loyal supporter of all his wife?s and children?s activities.
Harold died on Saturday, April 16,2005 at the Northridge Residence in Ortonville. He is preceded in death by his wife, Nellie, parents, three brothers: Alfred, Wally and Raymond Gerber and grandson Dean Sansness.
He is survived by his children: Irene(Lauren )Sansness of Cyrus; Julie (Glenn)Joplin, New London; Warren(C.Leigh Purvis) Gerber, Pretoria South Africa; Allen(Kathy Russet)Gerber, Inver Grove Heights; Ardith (Bill)Eckardt, Odessa; nine grandchildren: Mark Joplin of Odessa, Andrea (Scott) Schroeder of Sauk Rapids; Melissa Joplin of Mpls; Gary Sansness of Hastings; Ryan(Amanda) Sansness of Old Mill State Park, Argyle; Geoff Gerber of Mpls; Michael(Mary Susan) Gerber of Mpls; Alison Gerber of Stockholm Sweden; and Andrew Gerber of Inver Grove Heights; five great grandchildren: Jacey and Avery Joplin, Andrew and Alex Schroeder and Andrew Sansness; sister: LuVerne (Emil) Swezey of Ortonville; Sisters- in- Law: Elaine(Raymond) Gerber of Odessa and Ethel (Alfred) Gerber of Hemet,CA
District 36, a country school that was built on a corner of the family farm provided the elementary education. The teacher lived with the Gerber family. He went to Odessa Public School and graduated from Ellendale High School in 1929.
Because of the depression Harold hopped a train to Rudyard, Montana to work the wheat harvest for $3/day with board and room. After two seasons he purchased a Henderson motorcycle for his trips west. In St. Paul he found work in a restaurant and a second job at the Lowrey Hotel garage while going to school at Dunwoody Institute. Harold?s first real job was working as a mechanic at Speedometer Service.
Harold and Nellie Harding were married at St. Anthony Church in Minneapolis on May 29, 1936. They moved to Sleepy Hollow Farm in 1939 where they raised five children, farmed for 50 years, hosted many 4-H project meetings, club meetings, parties, and family gatherings. Harold encouraged the 4-H animal projects. There were beef, sheep, swine, ducks, and horses. All part of the children?s education! They retired at The Dam Place which Harold and Nellie built overlooking the Minnesota River Valley. They planted fruit and shade trees and Nellie had the hillside covered with flowers.
Fishing trips to Canada with friends, grandchildren and the youth of First English Lutheran Church were a highlight each summer. Harold enjoyed hunting deer and pheasants. He enjoyed playing cards with friends at the Senior Center. Harold and Nellie participated on a farm tour to Australia in 1967and traveled much of the United States.
As a member of the community Harold served as a member of the District 36 school board, Director of the Agassis and Odessa Insurance Company for 10 years and served as president and on boards at First English Lutheran Church. He was a loyal supporter of all his wife?s and children?s activities.
Harold died on Saturday, April 16,2005 at the Northridge Residence in Ortonville. He is preceded in death by his wife, Nellie, parents, three brothers: Alfred, Wally and Raymond Gerber and grandson Dean Sansness.
He is survived by his children: Irene(Lauren )Sansness of Cyrus; Julie (Glenn)Joplin, New London; Warren(C.Leigh Purvis) Gerber, Pretoria South Africa; Allen(Kathy Russet)Gerber, Inver Grove Heights; Ardith (Bill)Eckardt, Odessa; nine grandchildren: Mark Joplin of Odessa, Andrea (Scott) Schroeder of Sauk Rapids; Melissa Joplin of Mpls; Gary Sansness of Hastings; Ryan(Amanda) Sansness of Old Mill State Park, Argyle; Geoff Gerber of Mpls; Michael(Mary Susan) Gerber of Mpls; Alison Gerber of Stockholm Sweden; and Andrew Gerber of Inver Grove Heights; five great grandchildren: Jacey and Avery Joplin, Andrew and Alex Schroeder and Andrew Sansness; sister: LuVerne (Emil) Swezey of Ortonville; Sisters- in- Law: Elaine(Raymond) Gerber of Odessa and Ethel (Alfred) Gerber of Hemet,CA