Henry David Gerdes left this earth at the age of 70, doing what he loved most, working on his farm. He was a strong caring man who was dedicated to his job and his family. Hank, as he liked to be called, was born on November 28, 1943 to Orville and Vivian Gerdes. As a child, he was inquisitive. Many a time you could find him in deep concentration as he dissected the family clocks. As a teen, Hank met his best friend, Ray Darr, and his little 'tag-a-long' sister. They shared many adventures in the peat bogs of Illinois. As an adult, he honed his talent for electronics and used it to serve his country for 10 years in the Navy as a Sonarman First Class. One day, Hank took leave from his destroyer to seek out that little 'tag-a-long' sister, Janice Darr. They soon became man and wife, and over the years had two wonderful children. After his time in the Navy, Hank mastered many computer programming languages. His intelligence and dedication were an asset to every company that he worked for. As a whole, Hank Gerdes, the pillar of our family, was a remarkable human being and his passing will leave a hole in the hearts of everyone who knew him. Hank is survived by Jan, his wife of 48 years; his two children Michael and Jo Ann; his two sisters Marille and Betty; his brother John; and his four loving grandchildren. A funeral service will be at 1:00 pm, Thursday, May 8, 2014, at Zeyer Funeral Chapel, 83 N Midland Blvd, Nampa. A viewing prior to the service will be from 11 am - 1 pm. Burial will follow at the Melba Cemetery in Melba, Idaho. Hank's favorite quote: "Beam me up Scotty...there's no intelligent life down here." Service: Thursday May 8, 2014 @ 1 PM Zeyer Funeral Chapel, 83 N Midland Blvd, Nampa, ID 83651 Visitation: Thursday May 8, 2014 @ 11 AM - 1 PM Zeyer Funeral Chapel
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