Lyndia M. Gerhart

Lyndia May Gerhart, 77, passed away peacefully Saturday, August 20, 2016, surrounded by family at Willowbrook Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas. She was born Saturday, November 5, 1938 to Carl and Ella Hildebrandt in Westfield, Texas.

She grew up in Westfield, Texas with her parents and older sister, Ani Lourie. Lyndia May was baptized November 20, 1938 and later confirmed October 26, 1952 at St Matthews Lutheran Church, Westfield, Texas. Graduated from Spring High School in 1956. She then married Jimmie Van Gerhart August 23, 1959 at St Matthews Lutheran Church, Westfield, Texas. Longtime friend, David Evans, was their best man and her sister, Ani Lourie Cade was her Matron of Honor and H. F. Meyer was the pastor.

Jimmie and Lyndia raised four sons, Jim (little Jimmie Jr), John, Julius and Joel. She was a homemaker known for her cooking and sewing. She baked cakes at the Shipley Donuts that she and Jimmie Sr owned in Tomball, Texas. Lyndia loved to square dance with the love of life and husband, Jimmie Gerhart Sr. She worked at as a florist and retired from Kroger's floral department in Spring, Texas. She enjoyed garage selling with her long time neighbors of over 40 years, Evelyn Langley and Nell Baxley. In her later years she loved to volunteer at the garage sale events at Trinity Lutheran Church, Klein Texas. She made numerous silk floral arrangements which were donated for the garage sale events which she so generously assisted at. When her husband Jimmie Gerhart Sr created a recycling program for the needy, Lyndia washed and folded dozens of loads of laundry weekly. For the holidays Lyndia was known for baking. She lovingly used old family recipes to make fruit cakes, cookies and other deserts from scratch while her husband made blackberry wine. Friends and family members alike patiently anticipated receiving their annual tin full of baked goodies and small bottle of homemade blackberry wine. Anytime there was an event, Lyndia always baked a cake (usually German chocolate) and prepared her famous German potato salad and chicken salad sandwiches.

She is preceded in death by her parents Carl and Ella Hildebrandt, sister Ani Lourie Cade, son Joel Gerhart. Lyndia is survived by her spouse of 59 years, Jimmie Van Gerhart Sr, son's Jim Jr, John and Julius, grandchildren Jason, Alicia, Brandon and Amber, and many great grandchildren.

Donations can be made to the home-bound ministries of Trinity Lutheran Church, Spring Texas. She is being laid to rest next to her beloved son, Joel Gerhart, at Earthman Resthaven Cemetery, Houston Texas.