Obituary for
Wallace L Gerdes Jr.
Gerdes, Wallace L., Jr “Junior” age 80 years of Valley, NE
Preceded in death by Parents Wallace and Vastana, wife Elaine and infant brother Paul Dean;
Survived by son Robert of Valley; daughter Sharon (Morgan) Livingston of Omaha; 3 grandchildren; siblings Mary Ellen Roesch of Hiawatha, KS, Donald (Carol) Gerdes and Ronald (Mildred) Gerdes all of Harlingen, TX; Visitation Thursday 4 to 7 PM at the funeral home; Visitation Friday 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM at Dorr Funeral Home in Falls City, NE. Graveside service Friday 11 AM at Steele Cemetery in Falls City, NE; memorials to the Nebraska State Parks; condolences to www.reichmuthfuneralhomes.com
Reichmuth Funeral Home
21901 W. Maple Rd. 402-289-2222
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Wallace L Gerdes Jr., please visit our
Heartfelt Sympathies Store.
Order Flowers
Life Story for Wallace L Gerdes Jr.
Wallace Louis Gerdes, Jr was born on July 30, 1937 on the family farm near Falls City, Nebraska to Wallace Sr. and Vastana (Bradbury) Gerdes. He grew up in the Falls City/Hamlin, Kansas area attending grade school in Morrill and graduating from Hamlin High School in Kansas in 1955. As a young boy, Junior helped on the farm where he was involved in a farm accident at the age of 9 years, affecting his right leg for the rest of his life. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, woodworking, gardening and fast cars. Junior helped as an assistant basketball coach at Hamlin High School.
Junior married Elaine Clark at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Falls City, Nebraska and they were blessed with two children: Robert and Sharon. Junior and Elaine have raised their family in Omaha and Elkhorn before moving to Valley in 1991.
Junior worked for Sample Hart Ford, Mitchell Ford and Markel Ford as a parts manager before purchasing Doud’s Bait Shop south of Valley which he operated from 1981 to 1989. He worked at Productivity, Inc for eight years before opening Venice Bait, which he operated from 2001 to 2008. Junior continued to fish, enjoyed NASCAR and looked forward to coffee with the guys at Travis’. He was an avid Husker fan and enjoyed having family meals and spending time with his grandchildren, Hannah, Fallon and Jack.
Junior passed away suddenly at his home in Valley on Thursday, January 18, 2018 at the age of 80 years, 5 months and 19 days. He was preceded in death by his parents Wallace, Sr. and Vastana, wife Elaine and infant brother, Paul Dean. Junior is survived by son Robert of Valley; daughter Sharon (Morgan) Livingston of Omaha; 3 grandchildren; siblings Mary Ellen (Harold) Roesch of Hiawatha, KS, Donald (Carol) Gerdes and Ronald (Mildred) Gerdes all of Harlingen, TX
