Lucy Ann Gerber

Lucy Ann Gerber Obituary

May 25,1931 - January 8, 2021

Lucy Ann Gerber, known as Ann, was born in Umbarger, Texas to Otto and Marie Skarke on May 25, 1931. She had 2 sisters, Jerri and Dorothy and 2 brothers, Jim and Bob. She attended school in Umbarger TX.

Ann and MJ Gerber shared many love letters during WWII. When he returned from the war, they attended many celebrations and dances, and they were married on September 14, 1949. They were spot fancy in their 1940’s clothing! They farmed and raised chickens, taking dozens of eggs to town to sell on the weekend. They had a beautiful family of 6 kids: Gerald, Glenn, Dick, Darlene, Keith and Lyn. In February 1965, the family moved to Colorado.

Ann was the house anchor. She operated a beautifully stocked kitchen to keep those hungry boys fed, and we girls tried to stay up with them because the platters were always clean. No leftovers at our house! She made the best fried chicken. Ann had a garden every year that would have been the envy of many commercial gardeners. She would feed us from the garden all summer, and the basement stock of canned goods and frozen items she had put up the rest of the year. The house was always orderly and the laundry done for she never knew when MJ would request her help with planting, running after parts, or driving the truck for harvest. Darlene recalls that when sitting in line at the elevator, she would adjust her scarf and put on lipstick! And, yes, the harvest meals were fried chicken or meatloaf and the trimmings served hot in the field, or an occasional sandwich. Those meals were the glamour meals in the corn field 50 years before they were popular with the white table cloths! This trickled into a lifetime of Sunday family gatherings for barbeques and the many games she loved to play.

Ann had a hearty laugh and was game for anything. We don’t recall her saying no to much, including her first motorcycle ride at her 60th wedding anniversary party, at age 79! She was a competitive bowler which landed her many awards.

Ann had a lovely flower garden which was kept neat as a pin, and weed free as she was always picking, hoeing, and raking. In the 70’s when the kids had married or moved out, she arranged flower bouquets for Sunday morning church. On Sunday afternoon drives to see the country, she would ask MJ to stop so she could pick a flower from a field or ditch to add to the next bouquet. They were generally uniformly shaped, as she liked things orderly. She even won ribbons at the Baca County Fair.

Ann was crafty and quite good with a sewing machine. The boys grew so fast that she was always patching their jeans to make them last longer. She and the family women would create items for home decorations, gifts, the church bazaar, or Holidays for the grandkids. One of her most beautiful creations was the wedding dress sewn for Darlene’s wedding and worn by many other young brides!

Ann was a member of the Catholic Church Ladies Auxiliary for many years. She kept a supply of religious gifts for any occasion available in the Springfield Church.

Ann had music in her heart and on her lips. She always had a tune to sing, or hum, and wanted each and every one of us to sing along with her. When you think of her, sing a song, particularly a Christmas song. She also loved,  “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow” from the musical Annie.

Ann was preceded in death by her husband MJ Gerber, her parents Otto and Marie Skarke, her brother Jim, and two grandsons Sean and Chad Gerber.

Ann is survived by her children Gerald & Jo Ann Gerber, Glenn and Suszette Gerber, Dick Gerber, Darlene and Curtis Bryan, Keith and Shannon Gerber, and Lyn Margolis, 22 grandchildren and 35 great grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to SECHD Long Term Care Center, 373 E 10th Ave, Springfield CO 81073 or Annunciation Catholic Church, PO Box 174, Springfield CO  81073.