Garnet Lucille Gerdes, 86, of Minonk died at 8:54 p.m. Friday (March 5, 2010) at OSF Saint James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center, Pontiac.

Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Minonk, with Father Neri Greskoviak officiating. Burial will be in St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at Calvert & Froelich Memorial Home, with the  rosary to be recited at 7:30 p.m. There will be an additional visitation from 9:30 a.m. until the service Tuesday at the church. Memorials may be made to the Minonk Food Pantry.

Garnet was born April 23, 1923, in Low Point, the daughter of Louis F. and Ruby L. Schoaff Pelz. She married Edwin C. Gerdes on Sept. 4, 1942, in Minonk. He died on Dec. 12, 2005.

Surviving are her children, Wanda (Jerry) Lay of Minonk, Dwight (Kim) Gerdes of Morton, and Lynden (Lawson) Gerdes of Isabella, Minn.; seven grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Verda McKeon and Vera Schneider.

Garnet graduated valedictorian at Low Point High School. She had worked as a bookkeeper for E.C. Gerdes Sealtest Dairy, Minonk. She also had worked at Heritage Manor Nursing Home in Minonk for 19 years.

She was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Minonk, and a member of the Altar and Rosary Society at the church.

Garnet was a loving mother and grandmother and will be missed by all who knew her.