Crystal L. Gerdes

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 3, from 3-8:00 p.m. and with family from 6-8:00 p.m. at Lauber Funeral Home, Friend.  A funeral service is being scheduled for 10:00 a.m. MDT, on Saturday, June 6, 2020, at the Gracepoint Church in Ogallala.  A visitation is also going to be held in Ogallala on Friday from 9-5:00 p.m. at Draucker Funeral Home Chapel.  Interment following lunch at the Floral Lawns Memorial Gardens in North Platte.  Memorials may be directed in care of the family for future designation.  Lauber Funeral Home, Friend, and Draucker Funeral Home, Ogallala, are entrusted with the care and arrangements. 

Crystal Lorraine Gerdes was born October 20, 1966, in Wheatridge, CO, the second of four children and only daughter born to Ellis and Sharon (Beck) Gibbs, and passed on to Heaven Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Friend at the age of 53.

As a young girl, she attended grade school at Parmalee Elementary in Indian Hills, CO and later graduated from Wheatland High School in Madrid, NE with the class of 1985.  Crystal furthered her education by enrolling in McCook Community College and Kearney State College, graduating with Bachelors of Arts degree with an emphasis in early childhood and special education in 1989.  Crystal was united in marriage to Gregory Gerdes on August 12, 1988, in Kearney and to this union two daughters, Lynn and Mikaela were born.  She was both a daycare provider and a para-professional working with children with special needs.  Crystal’s life-long passion was working with children, even when she was a little child herself.  She enjoyed serving children and was always drawn to those who needed help with special needs, even to the end. Her family was the center of her life and loved the time spent with them, especially Christmas time.  Crystal always put others first.  

Survivors include her daughters, Lynn and Brian Pethoud, Beaver Crossing, Mikaela Gerdes, Lincoln, three grandchildren, Aidyn, Blake and Chloe Pethoud, all of Beaver Crossing, brothers and sister-in-law, Curtis Gibbs, Imperial, Clark and Cathy Gibbs, Sutton, Collin Gibbs, Omaha, mother-in-law, Carolyn Gerdes, North Platte, along with many other relatives and countless friends. 

Crystal was preceded by her parents, Ellis and Sharon Gibbs, husband, Gregory Gerdes in 1993, a niece, Casie Gibbs in 2012, and a father-in-law, Rod Gerdes.   

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Crystal L. Gerdes, please visit our floral store.