H. M. 'Mike' Gerber

H.M. 'Mike' Gerber Services: 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26, Fippinger Funeral Home, Aledo. Visitation: 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, funeral home. ALEDO, Ill. #45;- H.M. 'Mike' Gerber, 93, Aledo, died Sunday, Oct. 23, 2005, at Mercer County Hospital, Aledo. Elder Paul Lindburg will officiate the services. Burial will be at the Aledo Cemetery with military services conducted by the Mercer County Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1571. A memorial has been established at the funeral home for the Mercer County VFW Post 1571. Mr. Gerber was born May 16, 1912, in Eliza Township, Ill., the son of John and Edna Harter Gerber. He married Verna L. French on Aug. 31, 1947, in Joy, Ill. He graduated from New Boston High School; received an associate's degree in elementary education from Graceland Junior College, Lamoni, Iowa; and a bachelor of science degree in agricultural education from Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. In 1942, he was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Force where he served for three years in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany with the 316th Fighter Squadron, 324th Fighter Group. His career in education spanned more than 34 years and included being a teac...[more]

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in area country schools for seven years. He was a veterans on the farm instructor in Durant, Iowa for two years; elementary principal for Aledo Community Unit School District No. 201 from 1951-55; vocational ag instructor for the Joy, Ill. schools from 1955-61; elementary teacher in LeClaire, Iowa; and retired in 1975 as elementary science instructor for the Pleasant Valley, Iowa School District. His memberships included the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, 316th Fighter Squadron Foundation, National Retired Teachers Association Division of AARP, Illinois Retired Teachers Association, Mercer County Teachers Association, Modern Woodmen of America, Honorary Order of the Kentucky Colonels and the National Wildlife Federation. He enjoyed training dogs and horses. Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Kimberly Wilcox and husband Al of Aledo; a son, Kent Gerber and wife Connie of Aledo; three grandchildren, Traci Yates and husband Donnie of New Boston, Ill., Jon Gerber and Kathy Marlow of Atkinson, Ill. and Brian Gerber and wife Kayde of Aledo; and a great-grandson, Kyle Yates of New Boston. He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister.