Leon H. Gerken
FAIRMONT — Mass of Christian Burial for Leon H. Gerken, age 89, of Fairmont, Minn., will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Fairmont. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery, Fairmont with military honors provided by the Lee C. Prentice American Legion Post 36 and Martin County Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1222. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, at Lakeview Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service Friday at the church. Lakeview Funeral Home and Cremation Service is assisting the family with arrangements.
Leon Gerken was called to his heavenly home Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. He was born on Feb. 1, 1934, to Henry and Edna (Sukalski) Gerken of Silver Lake Township. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul’s Catholic Church and was a member of St. John Vianney Catholic Church. He attended District 8, Rose Lake/District 125, Sunny Brook Country Schools and Fairmont High School. He farmed his whole life in Fairmont Township. Following school, he worked a few years for Rosen Livestock before and after serving in the military from 1956 to 1962. He married Grace Diekmann on Nov. 28, 1959. His lifelong career in farming continued as they raised their family and he was well known for providing custom corn shelling, trucking and baling hay for 38 years, for fellow farmers in the area.
He served as 1st and 2nd Vice Commander and as Commander of American Legion Post 36 in Fairmont from 1995-1997 and as 2nd District Commander for the State American Legion from 2000-2001. He was an active member of the Post Honor Guard. He served on the Fairmont Co-op board and was treasurer for Fairmont Township for 30 years. He was a member of the Martin County Historical Society, Partners for Education and the Knights of Columbus for many years as well.
Leon is survived by his wife, Grace; three sons, Michael, Edward (Amy) Gerken and Patrick (Pam) Gerken all of Fairmont; one daughter, Theresa (Donovan) Baer of Sioux Falls, S.D.; eight grandchildren, Mathew (Jennifer) Oldenburg of Westbrook, Minn., Sara Oldenburg and Victoria McGawley of Sioux Falls, S.D., Derek (Adam) Hochberg of Minneapolis, Minn., Ashley (Matt) Sauck of Granada, Minn., Dylan (Jaiden) Gerken of Ceylon, Minn., Angela Gerken of Faribault, Minn. and Joseph Gerken of Woodbury, Minn.; three great grandchildren, Henry and Chase Sauck and Vivian McGawley; two brothers, George (Mary) Gerken of Moorhead, Minn. and John (Connie) Gerken of Castle Rock, Colo.; two sisters, JoAnn Bagan of Lino Lakes, Minn. and Jean (Dwayne) Ehlert of Fairmont, Minn.; plus many nieces, nephews and other relatives. He is preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Edna; one sister, Charlotte Murphy; one sister-in-law, Elaine Diekman; two brothers-in-law, Edwin Murphy and Donald Diekmann; and one nephew, David Diekmann.
www.lakeviewfuneralhome.net
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