Ellis Gerber

Ellis J. Gerber was born to Fairy Amstutz and Grover Gerber on July 19, 1923 near Kidron, Ohio. Ellis had an older sister, Dorothy and two younger sisters, Ruth and Celia. Ellis helped his mother and father on the farm during the economic depression of the 1930's. Anabaptist faith was an important part of the Gerber household. Ellis was baptized February 7, 1936 by Aaron Mast at the Kidron Tabernacle and was received into membership at the Sonnenburg Mennonite Church. He loved to read the Bible and learned to milk cows with the Bible perched on his knee. Since the third grade when the church gave him a Bible, he has read through a different version every year for over 80 years. He graduated from Dalton High. Then for a number years he worked for local farmers and a feed mill in order to save money to attend Goshen College. Once in Goshen, Ellis met the love of his life in a singing group. Ellis and Edna married on June 21, 1949. Both graduated from Goshen College, Indiana with teaching certificates. They both had a heart for missionary service. Their first mission assignment was a home mission in Dillonvale, Ohio. In 1953, Ellis and Edna answered the call to serve in the Belgium Congo with African Inter Mennonite Mission. While serving as missionary teachers in Belgium Congo, they had three children: Daniel, Rebecca, and Joanna. During their 20 years with AIMM they lived within the struggle of political upheaval as the Congolese rebelled against the Belgium government. On furlough in 1967, Ellis received his Master's degree in French from Mankato State College. In 1973, they returned to America and settled in Mt. Lake where Ellis became the manager of Mennonite Mutual Insurance until he retired in 1988. From there he did Mennonite Volunteer Service with Mennonite Housing in Wichita, Kansas and served in Haiti on a Christian Peacemaker Team. He had many interests: Bible reading, restoring old houses, gardening, collecting antiques and writing. He was the president of the Cottonwood County Bird Club and served in the church as a deacon and a Sunday school teacher. He also helped Laotian people acclimate to the Mt. Lake community, and sang with the Mt. Lake German singers. Due to declining health, Edna and Ellis moved to Cannon Falls, Minnesota in spring of 2013, in order to be closer to their children. Ellis entered eternity peacefully on Tuesday, March 31, 2015 with his family gathered around in song and prayer. He is preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Dorothy (Gerber) Schrock, brother-in-law David Schrock and Ruth Gerber, and brother-in-laws Harold and Peter Buller. He is survived by his wife of over 66 years, Edna (Buller) Gerber, his sister Celia (Gerber) Lehman, Clarence Buller and Henry Buller and sister in-law Shirley (Buller) Newman. His children, Dan and Terry (Coleman) Gerber in Minneapolis, Becky (Gerber) and Rick Ruddy in Cannon Falls and Joanna (Gerber) and Randy Pinkerton in Wichita, Kansas. He also has six grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Instead of flowers, we invite those interested to make a donation to Africa Inter- Mennonite Mission P.O. Box 744, Goshen, IN 46527-0744. Visitation 9:30 am - 10:45 am Monday, April 6, 2015 Sturm Funeral Home, Mountain Lake Chapel 420 - 10th St. N. Mtn. Lake, Minnesota, United States 56159