Marcella Ann (Aslesen) Gerber

**PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATES FOR VISITATION AND MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL**

Marcella Ann (Aslesen) Gerber, 91, of Aberdeen, SD, passed away Monday, December 23, 2019, at Avera Mother Joseph Manor, Aberdeen, from Alzheimer’s Disease.

Mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 a.m. on THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2020, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 409 3rd Avenue SE, Aberdeen, with Father Patrick Grode as celebrant. 

Burial will take place at a later date at Sacred Heart Cemetery.

Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary & Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, is in charge of arrangements. Friends may sign Marcella’s online guestbook and also view her service via the live stream service link at www.schriversmemorial.com.

Visitation will be 6-7 p.m., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2020, at the mortuary, followed by a liturgical wake service at 7:00 p.m.  Visitation continues one hour prior to Mass at the church on Thursday, January 2, 2020.

Marcella was born at Peabody Clinic in Webster, SD on May 11, 1928.  She was the first child of Theodore and Annie (Ronning) Aslesen.  Marcella attended country school in Egeland Township, Day County and graduated from Waubay High School in 1946.  She attended Presentation School of Nursing in Aberdeen, receiving her RN degree in 1949.  Marcella worked as an operating room nurse until the birth of her first child.

Marcella and Bernard C. Gerber were married at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Aberdeen, on September 15, 1951, and moved to Chicago for Bernard to complete his medical education and residency training.  Upon completion of Bernard’s surgical residency in 1958, they moved to Williamson, West Virginia with their three young children.  In January 1960, they moved to Aberdeen, SD, to be closer to family and where their next three children were born.  

Growing up on the family farm, Marcella loved animals.  She had many beloved house cats over the years.  She also enjoyed watching the antics of squirrels.  Dolls and flowers were also a passion. 

Marcella was an excellent seamstress making her daughters play clothes, dresses, and converting adult coats to child sized.  In later years, she enjoyed embroidery.

She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Aberdeen, a member of Band 11, and The Catholic Daughters of Americas.  She also participated in Sewing Circle, SoDak Club, District One SD Medical Association Auxiliary/Alliance, Meals on Wheels, and in Genealogy Club meetings and also assembled notebooks of family genealogy information. 

Marcella will be remembered for her loving care as a mother.  She helped with numerous events during her children’s upbringing including school events and helping the boys with their paper routes.  She had a welcoming hospitality and always wanted to ensure guests were comfortable.  Grandma Gerber always had orange Push-Ems for her grandchildren.  Marcella had a wit and a sense of humor that was enjoyed and appreciated and will be remembered especially by her grandchildren.  

Survivors include two daughters, Karen A. (Richard) Smith of Hayti, SD and Jean L. Gerber of Aberdeen; four sons: Charles B. Gerber (Jian HuaLi) of Boulder, CO, Martin T. (LeAnne Gallipo) Gerber of Maple Grove, MN, Lawrence E. Gerber of Ft. Collins, CO and Christopher J. Gerber, of St. Paul, MN; five granddaughters; four great-grandsons; and two great-granddaughters. She is also survived by one sister, Maybelle Rabuck of Redfield; one brother, Stanley (Ardis) Aslesen of Waubay; several sisters/brothers-in-law, along with many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Bernard C. Gerber; her parents; and her brother-in-law, Glenister Rabuck.

Memorials in Marcella’s memory are preferred to either the Aberdeen Area Humane Society or Presentation College School of Nursing.

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