Henrietta Helena Gessner

Henrietta H. Gessner, 95 of Devils Lake formerly of Penn, ND died Friday, September 11, 2009 at the Good Samaritan Center, Devils Lake. Funeral Services for Henrietta will be held on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Devils Lake. Rev. Timothy Stout will officiate and burial will be in the Devils Lake Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake on Monday from 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with the family present from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Visitation on Tuesday will be at the church one hour prior to the funeral service. Serving as Casket Bearers for Henrietta will be Merle Henke, Glenn Lannoye, John Peyerl, Dwight Noltimier, Sid Bingaman, Bruce Burkett, Frank Johnson and Fred Sharbono. Honorary Bearers will be the Members of the Hoe and Hope Garden Club and the LWML Members. Music will be provided by Donovan Foughty, soloist and Elonda Nord, organist. Henrietta Helena Huth was born on Reinhold and Amalia (Schwartz) Huth on February 10, 1914 at Raymond, Minnesota. At the age of 6 her family moved to North Dakota. They spent their first night in an apartment above the McDermott Store at Grand Harbor. She then lived about 12 miles west of Devils Lake and later her family moved to Poplar Grove. Henrietta was educated in rural schools in the area. She was confirmed at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, where she has been an active member until her death. She was a charter member of the LWML (Lutheran Women Missionary League) and sang in the choir past the age of 90. Henrietta was a 4-H Leader, Sunday School teacher, a member of the Hoe and Hope Garden Club, a member of the Penn Homemakers for many years and was an active member of the Democratic NPL. She sang with the Sweet Adeline’s for 10 years, participated in the Retired Senior Volunteer Program in Devils Lake and the Churches Ferry Senior Program. In 2003, Henrietta was named an Unsung Hero. Henrietta visited the shut-ins in the various retirement homes for more than 45 years on a weekly schedule. Those visits brought happiness to the recipient as well as Henrietta, and when in season, Henrietta was always bearing the gift of a bouquet of beautiful flowers from her garden. Henrietta was married to Leland (Bud) Gessner on December 6, 1934. They had four children: Beryl, Brian, Stuart and Sheila. Henrietta and Leland made their home together in the Penn community until Leland’s death in June of 1989. She remained on the farm until August of 2002 when she moved into Devils Lake. She enjoyed being in Devils Lake where she could visit and play cards. Henrietta is survived by her daughters, Beryl and her husband, Marlowe Meyer of Thief River Falls, Minnesota and Sheila and her husband, Gerald Von Berge of Newnan, Georgia and son, Stuart Gessner and his wife, Linda of Penn; Eight Grandchildren: Melani Meyer Reuter, Brian Meyer, Brett Meyer, Lee Gessner, Kim (Gessner) Lunde, Eric Von Berge, Mark Von Berge and Katherine (Von Berge) Forseth; Ten Great Grandchildren; Three step grandchildren; Henrietta was preceded in death by her husband, Leland; son, Brian; brother, Arnold and sisters, Emma and Minnie.