Gen Gerhardson

Helene Genevieve “Gen” Gerhardson, 80, a resident of Fergus Falls, died Tuesday, September 25, 2012, at Lake Region Healthcare in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.
She was born June 17, 1932, to Gilbert and Helen (Amundson) Fosse in Fertile, Minnesota. Genevieve was generally known by her middle name or “Gen,” except for official business.
Gen grew up as an only child on her family’s farm near Fertile. She had many close cousins, relatives, family friends and neighbors in Fertile. She was confirmed at Little Norway Lutheran Church in Fertile, and graduated from Fertile High School in 1949.
Gen then obtained her teaching licensure, graduating from Bemidji State Teachers College. After teaching for a brief time in Fosston, Minnesota, she moved to Fergus Falls to teach second grade at Adams Elementary School.
Gen met Bennie Roger Gerhardson when he was home on leave from the U.S. Army. After Ben completed his military service, he came home to take over operation of the Gerhardson Family Farm northeast of Fergus Falls. Ben and Gen fell in love and were married on June 2, 1957 at Little Norway Church in Fertile.
Gen continued to teach at Adams for a few years, and then resigned her teaching job to partner with Ben in the farming operations and to raise a family. Gen absolutely loved being with her husband on the farm and raising their four children together. She appreciated the help of her Mother- and Father-in-law, Caroline (Nokleby) and Anton Gerhardson, who also lived on the farm for the remainder of their lives.
As her children got older, Gen once again took on additional work, working in the media center at the Fergus Falls Junior High School, sewing suits at Rosenblatts Manufacturing, and caring for children at Lake Park Wild Rice Children’s Home. For more than 25 years Gen cared for developmentally disabled men at a Lutheran Social Services group home in Fergus Falls until her retirement in 2008.
Along with Ben, Gen was very active in numerous organizations, including 4-H, homemakers club, the Otter Tail County Historical Society, the Norwegian Choir, and the Town and Country Square Dancing Club.
Genevieve was also very active as a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls, serving on the church council, as a Sunday school teacher, singing in the church choir and driving the church van.
Gen had many hobbies and interests. She enjoyed camping and the outdoors, gardening, woodworking, sewing, painting and other arts. Gen was always curious and loved to learn. She was an avid genealogist and student of her Norwegian heritage. She read a great deal and audited studio art college courses after her retirement. Gen did the newspaper crossword puzzle every day.
Genevieve was a generous and kind-hearted woman who cared very deeply for her family, friends and neighbors.
Genevieve is survived by her husband, Bennie, two daughters, Beth (Kevin) Walter of Aliso Viejo, CA and Bonnie (Rick) Denzel of Fergus Falls, two sons, Brad Gerhardson (Jennifer Lynch) of Chicopee, MA, and Bruce Gerhardson (Stefanie Thelen) of Fergus Falls; and nine grandchildren, Jonathan, Tyler, Chloe and Maxwell Gerhardson, all of Chicopee, MA, and Shannon and Reece Denzel, and Jack, Gus and Dagny Gerhardson, all of Fergus Falls.
Preceding her in death were her parents.
Memorials are preferred to the Otter Tail County Historical Society.
Visitation: 5-7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home and resumes one hour prior to the service at the church
Service: 1:00 p.m. Saturday, September 29, 2012, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls
Clergy: Reverends Kate Bruns and Stan Satre
Interment: Kongsberg Cemetery, rural Fergus Falls
Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls is in charge of the arrangements.