Catherine M. Gacke

Rock Rapids, IA Catherine M. Gacke, age 91 of Rock Rapids, IA, died Thursday, July 16, 2015 at the Rock Rapids Health Care Centre. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 AM, Monday, July 20 th at Holy Name Catholic Church in Rock Rapids, IA, with Father Bruce Lawler officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday, July 19 th from 3:00 to 8:30 PM, with family present from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at Jurrens Funeral Home of Rock Rapids. There will be a 7:00 PM Vigil service at the funeral home Sunday evening. Catherine M. Gacke was born March 11, 1924 at Ellsworth, Minnesota, the daughter of John and Alvina (Kruse) Moran. She was raised on a family farm north of Ellsworth, attended country school and graduated from St. Mary's High School. She continued her education, receiving her RN Degree from McKennan School of Nursing. After her education she and a friend moved to Detroit, MI, where she worked at a hospital for a year. She returned to the Ellsworth area and worked at Royal C. Johnson Veterans Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD and the Adrian, MN hospital. On January 29, 1948 Catherine was united in marriage to Milo Gacke at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Ellsworth, MN. They moved to a farm east of Rock Rapids, where Milo and Catherine farmed and raised ten children. After their children were school age she began working night shift as a nurse at Lyon Manor Nursing & Rehab Center in Rock Rapids, retiring at age 75. In 1988 they moved off the farm to their current home in Rock Rapids. In November of 2001 Catherine's husband Milo died after nearly 54 years of marriage. Catherine was a member of Holy Name Catholic Church in Rock Rapids, active with the St. Catherine's Society and Catholic Daughters of America. She enjoyed cooking and baking. She was famous for her potato salad and making mints for graduations and weddings. She also enjoyed reading, playing cards with family, ceramics and loved being a grandmother and great-grandmother. She is survived by nine children, Colleen Atkins of Rock Rapids, IA, Jerome (Doris) Gacke of Central City, NE, Joseph (Judy) Gacke of Rock Rapids, IA, Michael (Irene) Gacke of Ellsworth, MN, Mary (Gary) Roesler of Sioux Falls, SD, Mark (Pat) Gacke of Canton, SD, Caroline Meyerhoff of George, IA, John (Jacalyn) Gacke of Merrillville, IN and William (Denise) Gacke of Rock Rapids, IA and daughter-in-law Nancy (Carl) DeJongh of Rock Rapids, IA; twenty-five grandchildren, Tony Grote, Josh Gacke (special friend Heather), Amanda (Paul) Sandbulte, Amy (Darrin) Sonek, Chris (Kristina) Grote, Jeremy (Elizabeth) Gacke, Kim DeJongh, Amber (Andy) Leuth, Sara Roesler, Sarah Gacke, Emily (Jordan) Poss, Phillip Gacke, Katie (Pat) Berger, Anna Gacke, Brian Gacke (special friend Amber), Joel (Rachel) DeJongh, Christie Meyerhoff (special friend Seth), Jeff (fiancee Janine) Gacke, Jordan (Abbie) Gacke, Rachel Gacke (special friend Dalton), Lisa (BJ) Kruse, Karrie Meyerhoff, Austin Gacke, Brandon Gacke, Caitlin Gacke; twenty-three great-grandchildren; two sisters, Jean Lonneman and Mary Jenniges; and many other extended family. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Alvina Moran; step-mother, Annie Moran; husband, Milo Gacke; son, Eugene Gacke; son-in-law, Keith Meyerhoff; three sisters, Dorothy Moran, Bernice Linssen and Marge Ross; two brothers, Robert and Jason Moran; and a great-grandson, Trey Gacke.