Geraldine Velde
d. March 2, 2018
Geraldine L (Swang) Velde was born February 22, 1927 in the Montevideo hospital to parents Oscar and Amanda (Westberg) Swang.
The oldest of 5 children, she grew up on the family farm in Stony Run Township, just east of Bergen Lutheran Church, where she was baptized on March 27, 1927 and confirmed on September 29, 1940. She also served as organist for her church in her younger years.
Gerry attended District #4 rural school through the 5th grade, then went to Clarkfield Public School where she graduated in 1944. She attended Teacher Training classes in Montevideo and obtained her teacher's certificate. She taught grades 1-8 in district #12 rural school which was a one room school located between her home and Montevideo. She also worked for a short time in Minneapolis as a secretary for Janney, Semple & Hill which was a hardware company. Later in her life, she was a sales representative selling World Book encyclopedias.
On June 12, 1949, she and Leon Velde were married at Bergen Lutheran Church and moved to the family farm on the banks of the Yellow Medicine River in Wood Lake Township. They lived there for 54 years and raised their 3 children, Gary, Kathy and Alan.
Gerry was active in her new home church, Yellow Medicine Lutheran, teaching Sunday school and participating in Ladies Aid and quilting, as well as enjoying Birthday Club, Homemakers Club and Red Hats. She served on the Countryside Council as a board member from Yellow Medicine Co and for 26 years as a volunteer of the American Cancer Society, being a coordinator for 15 counties in southwestern Minnesota for the Reach to Recovery program for breast cancer survivors. She also enjoyed making homemade meals and lunches for the farm crews, seed customers and the many visitors that stopped by the family farm. Some of her hobbies included gardening, quilting for family members, entertaining, camping and traveling.
After retirement, they moved to their home on Bergeson Drive in Granite Falls in 2003, where she enjoyed the friendship of her neighbors and their Tuesday morning coffee parties.
In May, 2017, she became a resident of the Granite Falls Health Care Center. Gerry left her earthly life on March 2, 2018 at the age of 91 years.
She is survived by her children, Kathy (Larry) Torke and Alan (Cindy) Velde of Hanley Falls, grandchildren Sarah (Austin) Victor, Wendy (Joe) Allen, Melissa (Jeff) Nelson, Jason (Leslie) Torke, Emily (Brok) Johnson, Brian (Heather) Velde and Lisa (Brad) Rustman, 15 great-grandchildren, sisters: Dorothy McCoy of Clarkfield and Delores Luschen of Onamia, sister-in-law Ellyne Conyers of Edina, brother-in-law ElRoy Conyers of Mounds View and several nieces and nephews.
Preceding her in death were her parents, brothers Donald in 1933 and Odell in 1967, brothers-in-law Len Luschen, Duane McCoy and Gerald Velde, sisters-in-law Harriet Velde and Dorothy Gramer, granddaughter Faith in 1975, grandson Todd in 2008, husband Leon in 2013 and son Gary in 2016.
Blessed be her memory. In lieu of flowers memorial preferred to Hospice or the charity of your choosing.
The oldest of 5 children, she grew up on the family farm in Stony Run Township, just east of Bergen Lutheran Church, where she was baptized on March 27, 1927 and confirmed on September 29, 1940. She also served as organist for her church in her younger years.
Gerry attended District #4 rural school through the 5th grade, then went to Clarkfield Public School where she graduated in 1944. She attended Teacher Training classes in Montevideo and obtained her teacher's certificate. She taught grades 1-8 in district #12 rural school which was a one room school located between her home and Montevideo. She also worked for a short time in Minneapolis as a secretary for Janney, Semple & Hill which was a hardware company. Later in her life, she was a sales representative selling World Book encyclopedias.
On June 12, 1949, she and Leon Velde were married at Bergen Lutheran Church and moved to the family farm on the banks of the Yellow Medicine River in Wood Lake Township. They lived there for 54 years and raised their 3 children, Gary, Kathy and Alan.
Gerry was active in her new home church, Yellow Medicine Lutheran, teaching Sunday school and participating in Ladies Aid and quilting, as well as enjoying Birthday Club, Homemakers Club and Red Hats. She served on the Countryside Council as a board member from Yellow Medicine Co and for 26 years as a volunteer of the American Cancer Society, being a coordinator for 15 counties in southwestern Minnesota for the Reach to Recovery program for breast cancer survivors. She also enjoyed making homemade meals and lunches for the farm crews, seed customers and the many visitors that stopped by the family farm. Some of her hobbies included gardening, quilting for family members, entertaining, camping and traveling.
After retirement, they moved to their home on Bergeson Drive in Granite Falls in 2003, where she enjoyed the friendship of her neighbors and their Tuesday morning coffee parties.
In May, 2017, she became a resident of the Granite Falls Health Care Center. Gerry left her earthly life on March 2, 2018 at the age of 91 years.
She is survived by her children, Kathy (Larry) Torke and Alan (Cindy) Velde of Hanley Falls, grandchildren Sarah (Austin) Victor, Wendy (Joe) Allen, Melissa (Jeff) Nelson, Jason (Leslie) Torke, Emily (Brok) Johnson, Brian (Heather) Velde and Lisa (Brad) Rustman, 15 great-grandchildren, sisters: Dorothy McCoy of Clarkfield and Delores Luschen of Onamia, sister-in-law Ellyne Conyers of Edina, brother-in-law ElRoy Conyers of Mounds View and several nieces and nephews.
Preceding her in death were her parents, brothers Donald in 1933 and Odell in 1967, brothers-in-law Len Luschen, Duane McCoy and Gerald Velde, sisters-in-law Harriet Velde and Dorothy Gramer, granddaughter Faith in 1975, grandson Todd in 2008, husband Leon in 2013 and son Gary in 2016.
Blessed be her memory. In lieu of flowers memorial preferred to Hospice or the charity of your choosing.
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