Alice Gertrude Benson Gerdes, age 90, of Columbus, Miss., died Thursday, February 14, 2008, at Trinity Healthcare Center in Columbus, Miss. Arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Funeral Home, where the family will receive friends from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM Saturday, February 16, 2008. Her funeral service will immediately follow in the chapel of Memorial Funeral Home with Rev. Ron McDougald officiating. Mrs. Gerdes will be cremated following the service , and her cremains will be buried at a later date next to her husband , John F. Gerdes in Bingham Township Cemetery in Woden, Iowa. She was the daughter of the late Tom and Hannah Vorland Benson and was born in Goldfield, Iowa. on March 18, 1917. Her family moved to Woden , Iowa in 1925. Mrs. Gerdes was baptised and confirmed in the Lutheran faith and graduated from Woden High School in 1936. She married John F. Gerdes and lived in Woden until 1992 when she moved to Forest City, Iowa to be near her family. She later moved to Columbus in 2004 to be near her daughter and son-in-law. She is survived by her son, John Gerdes (Lori) of Franklin, Tenn., her daughter, Judy Gjerde (Gene) of Columbus, Miss., three sisters, Thelma Smith of Grand Junction, Colo., Dorothy Etzen( Ed) and Marjorie Anderson two brothers, Victor Benson (Blanche) and Robert Benson, all of Forest City, IA . She also is survived by four grandchildren Julie Jones, Tupelo, Ms., Curtis Gjerde(Lisa), Caledonia, Ms., Dan Gerdes, St. Augustine, Fl. and Amy Floyd(Steve), Chelsea, Al. and 3 great grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Trinity healthcare center, 230 Airline Rd., Columbus, Ms. 39702
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