Allen Gerdes

Allen DeWayne Gerdes was born June 15, 1943, in Glenwood, MN, the son of Arnold and Aileen (Townsend) Gerdes. He attended and graduated from Villard High School in 1961. Following his schooling, Allen started working at Pearl Jobbing in Alexandria doing on the road sales. Through his work, Allen was able to meet the love of his life, Barbara. On June 25, 1965, he entered the Minnesota National Guard serving for six years before he was honorable discharged. Allen was united in marriage to Barbara Tvrdik on September 30, 1968, at St. Mary Church in Alexandria. The couple was blessed with 5 children: Kelli, Chad, Tonya, Ryan, and Nicole. He continued working on the road sales for Somody Supply out of Willmar. In 1976, Allen bought the Carlos Grocery Store and renamed it to Al’s Town & Country Foods. Over the next several years he would go on to buy two more stores in Villard and Alexandria. In 1985, Allen and his family moved to rural Villard to take over the family farm. In the early 90s he took on another venture, working at the Corral in Nelson until he retired. Allen sold the farm in 2019 and the couple moved into Villard.

Family was always first in Allen’s life. He loved watching his kids grow up and then start families of their own. Anytime he was able to be with his family he enjoyed every minute. Teasing and giving others a hard time was one of Allen’s true loves.  Since selling the farm and moving to town, Allen’s favorite past time was going for rides to check on the farm or the farming equipment on the Villard Implement lot.

Allen was a member of the Nelson Men’s Club, the Villard American Legion, and attended St. Bartholomew’s Catholic Church.

Allen died on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, at Alomere Health in Alexandria at the age of 78. He is survived by his wife: Barb; his children: Kelli (Kevin) Johnson, Chad (Sandy) Gerdes, Tonya Honrud, Ryan (Mary) Gerdes, and Nicole (Patrick) Gaffaney; 15 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and sister Audrey Gunderson.

He is preceded in death by his parents; son-in-law: Steven Honrud; grandson: Jayme Honrud; sisters, Ardis Oswald and Anita Kovar.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, March 7, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in Villard, MN with visitation from 9:30-11:00 a.m. on Monday at the church. This service will be live-streamed and recorded for family and friends to view from Allen’s obituary page on the Anderson Funeral Home website at 11:00 AM on Monday. Burial will be at Lake Leven Cemetery in Villard, MN.