Gerry Garnes of Beresford passed away peacefully Thursday, November 13. He was 82.
He entered the world on October 26, 1943, at 1:50 p.m. in Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. Born to Ivle Ellsworth Garnes and Delsie Gertrude Garnes, Gerry grew up with a big heart, albeit famously ornery and stubborn, and had a talent for finding the most complicated way to complete any simple task. These qualities only made him more lovable — and certainly more memorable.
Gerry was preceded in death by his parents; his brother Ivle Ellsworth Garnes; his brother Charles William Cretsinger; his brother Oliver Junior Crestsinger; and his sister Dorothy Winfred Young; and by the love of his life, Billy Kestel, with whom he spent 20 years of laughter, horses, camping, fishing and more yard projects than most people would attempt in a lifetime. Together in Perry, Iowa, they cultivated flowers, tended yard after yard, and enjoyed caring for one very beloved fishpond that brought them no shortage of entertainment.
Gerry had a traveler’s spirit; he proudly managed to visit every single state in the USA. He collected stories; and souvenirs like pens, flashlights, pocketknives and the occasional quirky souvenir that no one else quite understood.
Left to celebrate his life are his sons Nick Garnes of Fort Collins, Colorado; Chad Garnes of Harrisburg, South Dakota (and Chad’s wife, Rebecca), his sister Linda Baer and his grandchildren Jackson (26), Aiden (16) and Evie (13).
Gerry kept busy — yard work, flowers and that one memorable fishpond now flower planter. His ornery humor, stubborn determination, and habit of turning even simple afternoons into adventures will be remembered — and missed — by everyone who knew him.
He leaves behind a family that will miss him deeply but will continue to tell his stories, laugh at his jokes, and remember him with the lightness and love he carried through his life.
May Gerry, dad, grandpa rest in peace.
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