Herbert Gerhards

Herbert Gerhards, age 86 of Newport, Minnesota passed away October 8, 2018.

A celebration of Herb’s life will be held on Saturday, October 13, 2018 from 3-6 pm at Kok Funeral Home, 7676 – 80th Street S, Cottage Grove.  Private interment at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery.

Born in Oberhausen, Germany on May 21, 1932. Herb immigrated to the US in 1951 and proudly served in the US Army. He was proud of his German heritage and the life he made for his family in Minnesota, first in Cottage Grove and later in Newport.  Herb met Irmgard Asmus while in Frankfurt, Germany and before he returned to the United States, they were married on July 9, 1955.  Herb loved Volkswagens and was known in the area as the “go to repair guy.”  In 1967 he started working for North Star Steel as a maintenance machinist and worked there until he retired in 1990.  He enjoyed skiing, biking and was an avid soccer fan.

Survived by his wife of 63 years, Irmgard; children Mary (John) Piehowski, Cary (Bruce) Feik, Gina Werner, and Angela (Jesse) Gardner; 5 grandchildren Tania Lauby, Kyle Piehowski, Hunter and Hanna Feik and Evan Gardner; 4 great-grandchildren Garrett and Sutton Lauby, Reagan and Logan Piehowski; sister Erika (Wolfgang Schneider) Tümmers.  He is preceded in death by his sister Ulla Tenbrock.

In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation https://themmrf.org or Crossroads Hospice Charitable Foundation https://crhcf.org.