Leota M. Gerdes

GARNER – Leota M. Gerdes, 96, of Garner, formerly of Woden, died Thursday, February 4th at the Hancock County Memorial Hospital in Britt.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M., Tuesday, February 9th at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Woden with Rev. S. Kim Peterson officiating. Burial will be in Bingham Township Cemetery in Woden.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 P.M., Monday at Cataldo Funeral Home in Woden and will continue one hour prior to services at the church.

Leota Marie Gerdes, the daughter of Samuel and Emma (Brewer) Smith, was born July 23, 1919 in Dows. At an early age she moved with her family to Preston, SD, Garner, Ventura and Woden where she graduated from high school in 1937. On August 30, 1939 she was married to Freddie Gerdes in Mason City. They lived in Woden until August of 1996 when they moved to Prairie View Apartments in Garner. Leota worked as a secretary at the Woden-Crystal Lake elementary school in Woden for twenty-four years. She enjoyed her family, cooking, flowers, embroidering, reading, watching sports, church work and was an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan.

She was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner and former member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Woden where she sang in the choir, taught Sunday school and belonged to WELCA. She also was a member of the Woden American Legion Auxiliary, Woden Library Board and served as treasurer of the Woden City Council.

Leota is survived by her two children, Janelle (Duane) Thompson of Northwood and Denise (Gerry) Thein of Okoboji; nine grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Freddie, January 10, 1999; son, Duane Gerdes, Sept. 22, 2015; daughter-in-law, Lois Gerdes; and three brothers, Ervin, Lester and Lyle Smith.