JOLIET - Margaret Elizabeth Gerdes, 96, of Joliet, passed away at 8:55 a.m. Saturday (July 6, 2019) at Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County under the dedicated care of both Sunny Hill and Joliet Area Community Hospice.

Margaret was born Oct. 18, 1922, in a farmhouse in Dana. She resided in Minonk and since 2004, Joliet. Margaret and her late husband Larry were married in 1942 for 64 happy years until Larry's death in 2006. She was very proud of managing the accounting at Minonk Equipment Sales for many years along with raising her son Dave.

Margaret and Larry loved their hobby of refinishing wood and building furniture together. Many people in the Minonk area still enjoy pieces of their woodcraft. Margaret also enjoyed spending time in the summer with her three granddaughters when they were young, horseback riding, swimming, going to the park and many other activities including teaching them how to drive her El Camino (even though they were about 10 years old). Margaret never missed a sporting event that her son Dave participated in. Margaret and Larry could not have been prouder of their son becoming Joliet's police chief.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Larry; her father, Clarence Dunham; mother, Esther Dunham; and brothers Glen, Orville and Howard (Bernadine) Dunham.

Survivors include one son, Dave (Peggy) Gerdes, Joliet; three granddaughters, Stacey (Brian) Hertzmann, Stephanie (Jerry) Green and Lindsay (Tim) Anderson; six great-grandchildren, Nina, Tessa, Grant, Brynn, Kyan and Ryker; and one stepgreat-grandson, Zach; sister-in-law, Aline Finnell; as well as several nieces and nephews.

A memorial Mass will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Minonk. Franciscan friars will officiate. Visitation will be one hour prior to service at the church from 10 to 11 a.m. Burial of her cremains will be in St. Patrick's Catholic Church Cemetery following the memorial Mass. Ruestman-Harris Funeral Home, Minonk, is assisting the family with arrangements.

A special thanks to the caregivers in Third Avenue at Sunny Hill Nursing Home, especially Mattie, Jenifer and Wendy.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Joliet Area Community Hospice or Sunny Hill Foundation.