Cheryl A. Gerdes

February 19, 1948 - January 7, 2021

Cheryl A. Gerdes, 72 of Kearney passed away suddenly Thursday, January 7, 2021 at Kearney Regional Medical Center in Kearney. Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at First Lutheran Church in Kearney with Rev. Dr. Michelle Holley Carlson and Rev. Dr. Rick Carlson officiating. The service will also be livestreamed through the church website https://firstlutherankearney.org/watch-live/ for those that are not comfortable attending the service. Interment will follow at Kearney Cemetery. Visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 12, 2021, at O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Kearney. Per the City of Kearney mandate, masks will be required at both the visitation and service. Cheryl was born on February 19, 1948 at her home in rural Deshler, Nebraska to Norman and Adeline (Holtzen) Vieselmeyer. She was raised in Deshler and attended Deshler High School graduating in 1966. Cheryl earned her associate degree from Kearney State College. On May 31, 1969, she was united in marriage to Lanny Gerdes at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Deshler, NE. Cheryl worked at Caldwell Manufacturing for ten years before deciding to stay home to raise her boys and help run their family business. Cheryl will be remembered as being very caring and full of compassion. She was always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed care. Family was very important to Cheryl and she enjoyed organizing and providing food for many family events. Cheryl was a longtime member of First Lutheran Church where she was active on the Caring and Sharing committee, Funeral Luncheon committee, G.I.F.T, and VBS programs. Cheryl was a member of Kearney Kiwanis where she led the Backpack Program. Cheryl and Lanny were also involved in Marriage Encounter and maintained several friendships over the years through that experience. Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Lanny Gerdes of Kearney; son and daughter-in-law, Jason and Leslie Gerdes of Ashland; son, Jeremy Gerdes of Kearney; grandchildren; Lauren, Megan and Ben Gerdes; her brother and sister-in-law, Ron and Kathy Vieslemeyer of Deshler; sister-in-law, Alice Vieselmeyer of Friend; step-brother and step-sister-in-law, Terry and Pam Priefert of Malcolm; step-sister and step-brother-in-law, Vicki and Dennis Grummert of Shenandoah, Iowa; uncle and aunts, Larry and Deanna Holtzen of Deshler; Dorothy Holtzen of Hebron; many wonderful cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Cheryl was preceded in death by her parents; Norman and Adeline (Holtzen) Vieselmeyer, brother, Jerry Vieselmeyer, step-mother, Hazel Vieselmeyer. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Carol Joy Holling Camp (NLOM.org/give). Condolences may be shared online at www.osrfh.com. Services are entrusted to O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral and Cremation Services.