Alfred Herman Gergen was born June 24, 1920, on his parent's Momence Township, Fillmore County farm near Shickley, Nebraska and passed away November 8, 2011, at Fairview Manor in Fairmont at the age of 91 years, 4 months and 15 days. He was the fourth of seven children born to Joseph "Joe" and Mary T. "Marie" Volkmer Gergen.
Alfred completed an eighth grade education at District 92, a one-room rural school within a two-mile walk from "Sunny Slope Farm," where he farmed alongside his father through the "Dirty Thirty" Depression decades of horse-drawn two-bottom plows, eventually assuming sole responsibility for the home place after World War II in 1949.
Alfred was a World War II veteran, serving from February 1942 to December 1945. He was an Army Staff Sergeant with the 99th Signal Battalion, carrying out much of his enlistment in New Guinea (Asiatic Pacific Theater). A motor pool mechanic, it was said he drew horses on the jeeps and earned the nickname "Toe" when a fallen axle broke his.
On March 28, 1951, Alfred was married to Susan Ferguson Grobe, herself a war widow, at St. Monica's Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California. Four children were born to them. In addition to farming the home place, Alfred was a longtime and dedicated member of American Legion Post 164 and of St. Mary's Turkey Creek Parish and cemetery committee.
Alfred was preceded in death by wife Susan, parents Joseph and Mary, brother Wilfred Joseph, and sisters Leona Gergen Schwabauer, Marie Gergen Garritson and Bertha Gergen Bauman Weyand.
Alfred is survived by sisters Marcella Gergen Block of Seneca, Kansas and Maxine Gergen Lowery of Hastings, daughter Mary Gergen Dillman and son-in-law Dale Dillman of Kearney, son Joseph Gergen of Omaha, daughter Joan Gergen Wilson and son-in-law Steve Wilson of Hooper, son James Gergen and daughter-in-law Carol Peterson of Topeka, Kansas, and by eight grandchildren and two great grandsons.
Burial with Military honors was in the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery.
Alfred completed an eighth grade education at District 92, a one-room rural school within a two-mile walk from "Sunny Slope Farm," where he farmed alongside his father through the "Dirty Thirty" Depression decades of horse-drawn two-bottom plows, eventually assuming sole responsibility for the home place after World War II in 1949.
Alfred was a World War II veteran, serving from February 1942 to December 1945. He was an Army Staff Sergeant with the 99th Signal Battalion, carrying out much of his enlistment in New Guinea (Asiatic Pacific Theater). A motor pool mechanic, it was said he drew horses on the jeeps and earned the nickname "Toe" when a fallen axle broke his.
On March 28, 1951, Alfred was married to Susan Ferguson Grobe, herself a war widow, at St. Monica's Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California. Four children were born to them. In addition to farming the home place, Alfred was a longtime and dedicated member of American Legion Post 164 and of St. Mary's Turkey Creek Parish and cemetery committee.
Alfred was preceded in death by wife Susan, parents Joseph and Mary, brother Wilfred Joseph, and sisters Leona Gergen Schwabauer, Marie Gergen Garritson and Bertha Gergen Bauman Weyand.
Alfred is survived by sisters Marcella Gergen Block of Seneca, Kansas and Maxine Gergen Lowery of Hastings, daughter Mary Gergen Dillman and son-in-law Dale Dillman of Kearney, son Joseph Gergen of Omaha, daughter Joan Gergen Wilson and son-in-law Steve Wilson of Hooper, son James Gergen and daughter-in-law Carol Peterson of Topeka, Kansas, and by eight grandchildren and two great grandsons.
Burial with Military honors was in the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery.
Alfred Herman Gergen was born June 24, 1920, on his parent's Momence Township, Fillmore County farm near Shickley, Nebraska and passed away November 8, 2011, at Fairview Manor in Fairmont at the age of 91 years, 4 months and 15 days. He was the fourth of seven children born to Joseph "Joe" and Mary T. "Marie" Volkmer Gergen.
Alfred completed an eighth grade education at District 92, a one-room rural school within a two-mile walk from "Sunny Slope Farm," where he farmed alongside his father through the "Dirty Thirty" Depression decades of horse-drawn two-bottom plows, eventually assuming sole responsibility for the home place after World War II in 1949.
Alfred was a World War II veteran, serving from February 1942 to December 1945. He was an Army Staff Sergeant with the 99th Signal Battalion, carrying out much of his enlistment in New Guinea (Asiatic Pacific Theater). A motor pool mechanic, it was said he drew horses on the jeeps and earned the nickname "Toe" when a fallen axle broke his.
On March 28, 1951, Alfred was married to Susan Ferguson Grobe, herself a war widow, at St. Monica's Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California. Four children were born to them. In addition to farming the home place, Alfred was a longtime and dedicated member of American Legion Post 164 and of St. Mary's Turkey Creek Parish and cemetery committee.
Alfred was preceded in death by wife Susan, parents Joseph and Mary, brother Wilfred Joseph, and sisters Leona Gergen Schwabauer, Marie Gergen Garritson and Bertha Gergen Bauman Weyand.
Alfred is survived by sisters Marcella Gergen Block of Seneca, Kansas and Maxine Gergen Lowery of Hastings, daughter Mary Gergen Dillman and son-in-law Dale Dillman of Kearney, son Joseph Gergen of Omaha, daughter Joan Gergen Wilson and son-in-law Steve Wilson of Hooper, son James Gergen and daughter-in-law Carol Peterson of Topeka, Kansas, and by eight grandchildren and two great grandsons.
Burial with Military honors was in the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery.
Alfred completed an eighth grade education at District 92, a one-room rural school within a two-mile walk from "Sunny Slope Farm," where he farmed alongside his father through the "Dirty Thirty" Depression decades of horse-drawn two-bottom plows, eventually assuming sole responsibility for the home place after World War II in 1949.
Alfred was a World War II veteran, serving from February 1942 to December 1945. He was an Army Staff Sergeant with the 99th Signal Battalion, carrying out much of his enlistment in New Guinea (Asiatic Pacific Theater). A motor pool mechanic, it was said he drew horses on the jeeps and earned the nickname "Toe" when a fallen axle broke his.
On March 28, 1951, Alfred was married to Susan Ferguson Grobe, herself a war widow, at St. Monica's Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California. Four children were born to them. In addition to farming the home place, Alfred was a longtime and dedicated member of American Legion Post 164 and of St. Mary's Turkey Creek Parish and cemetery committee.
Alfred was preceded in death by wife Susan, parents Joseph and Mary, brother Wilfred Joseph, and sisters Leona Gergen Schwabauer, Marie Gergen Garritson and Bertha Gergen Bauman Weyand.
Alfred is survived by sisters Marcella Gergen Block of Seneca, Kansas and Maxine Gergen Lowery of Hastings, daughter Mary Gergen Dillman and son-in-law Dale Dillman of Kearney, son Joseph Gergen of Omaha, daughter Joan Gergen Wilson and son-in-law Steve Wilson of Hooper, son James Gergen and daughter-in-law Carol Peterson of Topeka, Kansas, and by eight grandchildren and two great grandsons.
Burial with Military honors was in the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery.
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