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Joanne J. Gjerde, 63

Joanne J. Gjerde, 63, of Blair, died Monday, Sept. 25, 2006, at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair after a courageous battle with cancer.

A private service will be held at a later date.

Joanne J. Merselis was born Dec. 1, 1942, in Gainesville, Texas, to Dr. H. K. and Jurene (Vanetta) Merselis. She was raised in Audubon, Iowa, and received her formal education at Stephens College at Columbia, Mo., Denver University, and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

On April 10, 1982, she married Charles E. Gjerde at First Christian Church in Blair. The couple lived in Blair throughout their 24 years of marriage.

Mrs. Gjerde was an elementary teacher for 25 years, 12 of which were in the Blair Public Schools. In recent years, she and her husband have been real estate brokers in the Washington County area.

She was a member and active volunteer at Country Bible Church in Blair, and was a member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood.

She is survived by her husband, Charles; daughters and sons-in-law, Jalon and Andreas Grogan of Lawrence, Kan., Jennifer and Eric Wyant of Omaha; step-son and wife, Andrew and Debra Gjerde of Avoca; step-daughters and husbands, Elizabeth and Scott Blair of Pierce and Stephanie and Brian Beckman of Blair; 12 grandchildren; sister, Patricia Merselis of Las Vegas, Nev.; brothers, James Merselis of Sammamish, Wash., Kent Merselis of Phoenix, Ariz., and John Merselis of Blair.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Blair High School Scholarship Fund, in memory of Joanne Gjerde.

2) Printed in the Sept. 26, 2006 Omaha World-Herald, Omaha, Nebraska

Gjerde—Joanne, age 63, of Blair. Survived by husband Charles, son and daughter-in-law, Andrew and Debra Gjerde, Weeping Water, NE. daughters and sons-in-law, Jason and Andreas Grogran, Lawrence, KS, Elizaeth and Scott Blair, Pierce, NE, Jennifer and Eric Wyant, Omaah, NE, Stephanie and Brian Beckman, Blair, NE, 11 grandchildren, brothers and sisters-in-law, Kent and Carol Merselis, Phoenix, AZ, James and Catherine Merselis, Sammamish, WA, John Merselis, Blair, NE, sister and brother-in-lwa, Patricia Merselis and Marion L. Hlepage, Las Vegas, NV.

Services to be held at a later date.

Campbell-Aman Funeral Home, Blair, NE 402-426-2191

~~~ Obituaries courtesy of Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska. ~~~

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