Donna Gerdes
Donna Lou Gerdes, age 85, of Stromsburg, Nebraska, passed away on October 14th, 2026, at Midwest Covenant Home in Stromsburg.
A graveside memorial service inurnment will be held Thursday, October 22nd, 2026, at 10:00am at the Shelby Cemetery with Pastor Evan Christensen officiating.
Memorials are suggested to the family and will be designated later. They may be mailed to: Donna Gerdes Family, P.O. Box 362, Stromsburg, NE 68666.
Donna was born at Irish Hospital in Forest City, Iowa on January 1st, 1941, to Orland S. and Eva Irene (Haugen) Johnson of Leland, Iowa. She lived her youth in Leland and Forest City, Iowa. She attended Forest #3 Country School and later Forest City-Leland Public School, graduating from High School on May 25, 1959. Donna followed her dreams and pursued a career in Cosmetology at La` James Beaute` College in Mason City, Iowa; successfully graduating in June 1960. She was first employed at a salon in Garner, Iowa where she met her husband, Herman.
On February 9, 1962, she was united in marriage to Herman J Gerdes at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Leland, Iowa. To this union four children were born; Derek, Todd, Darla, and Brenda. Over the years the family made their home in various places in Iowa to include Sioux Center, Iowa Falls, Westside, Manning, Wall, Grafton, and Clear Lake. During this time, Donna worked in various salons perfecting her craft of “the shampoo set”. She could work “magic” with hair rollers, pin curls, “back-combing”, and the right amount of hairspray. In 1978 they moved to Shelby, Nebraska and in 1979, Donna opened her own salon, “The Beauty Den”, in their home. The Beauty Den was more than a salon for Donna; it was a space that allowed her artistic expression while cultivating meaningful relationships and revealing beauty in others. She had a dedicated following of “ladies” with standing weekly appointments and most weeks, she was “fully booked”. In 1992, Donna and Herman moved to Stromsburg, and she made the difficult decision to close her salon. Donna then worked in Stromsburg at “Tiny Town” Daycare, then as a DietaryAide at Midwest Covenant Home, and finally as Manager of the Stromsburg Senior Center and Senior Companion Program before officially retiring in 2005.
Donna always made it clear that her true vocation was being a wife and mom, dedicated to caring for her family. She was happiest serving her family any way that she could and always said that her favorite years were those spent raising her family. Donna’s hobbies included cooking and baking. She loved exploring and trying new recipes; as well as baking traditional Norwegian foods. She was proud of her family’s Norwegian heritage and loved to share that rich heritage through food and fellowship. In Donna’s family, she was known for her Kringla, homemade buttermilk pancakes and brownies, and her homemade marinara sauce with ingredients grown in her garden. Donna LOVED coffee-which she referred to as her “Go Juice”. Her love of coffee, experimenting in the kitchen with food, and sharing that love in fellowship with others is something that she passed along to all her children. Her favorite time of day was the first cup of coffee in the morning. She loved to sit with that first cup and watch “her birds”. Donna will always be remembered for her creative expressions and phrases, of course her favorite being “UFFDA!”.
She was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Osceola from 1978-1994, then the Evangelical Covenant Church in Stromsburg. Most recently, Donna returned to the foundation of her Lutheran faith. While a member of St. Paul’s, Donna was active in the Lutheran Church Women and the Women’s Bible Study/Circle. Throughout her spiritual life, Donna enjoyed participating in her faith family and serving Christ through various activities. Donna was also an active member of the Ladies American Legion Auxiliary in both Shelby and Stromsburg.
Donna’s passing comes at the end of a well-lived life; and a life in which her latter years were deeply affected by a diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia. She received the “official” diagnosis in November of 2023, however, she had been affected by the disease process and not properly diagnosed for many years prior. Lewy Body Dementia is a disease that has a gradual onset, insidious process, and devastating consequences. Unfortunately, it is also a disease process that is deeply misunderstood. Donna was affected by the disease itself, but she was also deeply impacted by this lack of understanding. The disease changed many aspects of how she engaged in life and her ability to be in relationship with others; but the essence of Donna’s being continued to shine for those who held her dear. Donna was blessed with some amazing, well-informed physicians and caregivers. Her family would like to commend and express their deep gratitude to the dedicated caregivers at Midwest Covenant Home.
Survivors include her two daughters, Darla (Ron) Hopwood and Brenda (Ken) Toline; grandchildren: Katie, Seth, Cari, Maddie, and Kristen; great-grandchildren: Arika, Rowan, Waylon, Cole, and Johnathan; siblings: Gayle, Sherri and Kevin; and a host of other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Orland and Eva; husband, Herman; sons, Derek and Todd; and grandson, Caelan.
Dubas Funeral Home of Stromsburg and Osceola has been entrusted with arrangements.