Rita Gerads

Rita E. Gerads, age 64 of Upsala, died Sunday, December 11, 2016, after a long hard battle with cancer, at her home in Upsala, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, December 14 at St. Anthony Catholic Church in St. Anthony with Rev. Cletus Connors, O.S.B. officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at the church in St. Anthony.

Rita Ellen Wedel was born December 3, 1952 in St. Cloud, Minnesota to Wilbert and Alice (Meller) Wedel. She grew up and graduated from Albany High School in 1971. She continued her education at St. Cloud State University for two years before moving back home to help her mother after an electrical accident involving her father. She worked as an aide at the Albany Hospital before receiving her LPN degree at Brainerd Area Vocational Institution in 1977. She then went back to work at the Albany Hospital. On September 1, 1979, she married Arnold Gerads at Seven Dolors Catholic Church in Albany. Rita left the hospital after two years to help Arnie on the farm. The couple retired from farming in 2011 and moved to Upsala. During retirement, she worked at the Albany Bakery.

Rita was a member of St. Anthony Catholic Church. She enjoyed painting, crafting, baking, and taking care of her family.

Survivors include her husband, Arnie Gerads of St. Anthony; daughter, Karen Gerads (fiancé, Chad Stevens) of Albany; son, Jason (Lynn) Gerads of Albany; sisters, Darlene (Joseph) Adrian of Freeport and Diana (Doug) Konz of Albany; brothers and sisters-in-law, Werner (Millie) Gerads, Alvin (Lucy) Gerads, Marlene (Fred) Herdering, Carol (Alvin) Herdering, Rosie (Virgil) Burg, Irene (Herman) Wielenberg, Joan Gerads, Evelyn (Fred) Vogel, and Jeanette (Tom) Stadolka.

Rita was preceded in death by her parents, Wilbert and Alice Wedel; mother and father-in-law, Nick and Dora Gerads; brothers-in-law, Jerome and Ronald Gerads; sister-in-law, Elaine Gerads; and nephew, Nick Stadolka.

Serving as casket bearers will be Jeff Gerads, Russ Herdering, Donny Gerads, Brian Konz, Phillip Adrian, and Dennis Gerads. Cross bearer will be Sue Frieler. Honorary bearers will be Rita Lange, Mary Kay Kunstleben, Judy Dirkes, Joan Boeckermann, Elaine Sand, Emma Davis, and Tim and LuAnn Jopp.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.