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Gay Ann (Swink) Gellert

CANNON FALLS – Gay Ann (Swink) Gellert, age 80, of Cannon Falls, died on Friday evening, Aug. 21, 2015, at the Kenyon Sunset Home in Kenyon, Minn. A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 28, at St. Ansgar’s Lutheran Church in Cannon Falls.

Interment will follow in the Cannon Falls Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, at Lundberg Funeral Home in Cannon Falls, and from 10-11 a.m. Friday at the church.

Arrangements are by Lundberg Funeral Home of Cannon Falls. Online condolences may be directed to www.lundbergfuneral.com

Gay was born May 21, 1935, in Bemidji, Minn., the daughter of Basil and Velma (Hopkins) Swink. She graduated from Ceylon High School in 1953 and went to the Minn. School of Business and Minn. School of Laboratory Techniques. She graduated in 1954.

She married Randall C. Gellert on April 19, 1955, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Mankato, Minn. They lived on the west coast for a short time, later moving to Mankato, where she worked as a lab tech. Upon moving to Cannon Falls, she worked at Minnesota Malting Company and the Cannon Falls Beacon for several years. After that, she worked at West Publishing House for eight years.

As a very active member of St. Ansgar’s Lutheran Church, she served on the council, helped organize the Crop Walk for many years, and helped raise money for many projects. Gay was always actively supporting her church and community. She was involved with prayer groups, and her spiritual, loving and caring nature helped many in need. She supported the Republican Party and was active in her political beliefs. Gay had an adventuresome spirit, loved to travel, and was always in for a new exploration. She made trips to Israel, Japan, Mexico and around Minnesota and the United States. She was proud of her Irish heritage and had visited Ireland three times. Spending time with her family was so important, and they enjoyed many camping trips together. Her great sense of humor will be missed by her loving family and friends.

She is survived by her four children, William (Carrie) Gellert of Brainerd, Shawn Gellert (Steve Johnson) of Buffalo, Minn., Heather (Harlan) Peters of Kenyon, and Lori (Mike) Fraser of Cannon Falls; 10 grandchildren, Sarah (Abram) Gellert-Cruz, Rachel Gellert, Rebekah (Luke) Wagoner, John (Angela) Gellert, Jennifer and Tony Magnuson, Michelle Johnson, Joshua and Jacob Fraser, and Hannah Peters; eight great-grandchildren, Rosa Forsythe, Tessa, Cosette, and William Cruz, Nathaniel, Eliza, and Lillian Wagoner, and Gabriel Magnuson; sister, Jaclyn (Dick) Creighton of Ramona, Calif.; sisters-in-law, Mary Jane Gellert of Fairmont, and JoAnn (Harris) Eng of St. James; nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Randall on May 9, 2007; parents, Basil, Velma and Edna Swink; and brother, John Swink.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to St. Ansgar’s Picnic Shelter and Playground Fund, American Cancer Society or Heartland Hospice.