Irma J Gerhardstein

Irma J. Gerhardstein, age 93, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, passed away into the arms of Jesus on Sunday, November 27, 2022 at Lincolnshire Place. Born on January 3, 1929 in Buffalo, New York, she was the daughter of the late Adolph Kurz and Anna (Drentwett) Cardamone. Irma was raised in Füssen, Germany by her loving grandparents, and it was there that she met an American soldier by the name of Arthur Gerhardstein during WWII, while taking in laundry from G.I.s. She eventually moved from New York to Fort Wayne at the age of 18 to be with Arthur, and they were married in 1947. Together, they built a life in Fort Wayne and watched their family grow for 51 years until Arthur’s passing in 1998. Irma was a member of Queen of Angels Catholic Church, and was very active in a women’s group which prepared funeral dinners. She enjoyed feeding birds and loved animals. Irma was a talented artist, painting oil on canvas, and leaves behind many paintings of portraits, still-life’s, and scenery for her family to treasure. She was a great cook, and was known for her wonderful German food, but was not known for her precise measurements. When asked for a recipe, Irma would often just state to put in “a little bit of this, and a little bit of that.” She showed her love for her family through the food she prepared, and you didn’t dare leave her house until you ate something. She loved being a grandmother and treasured each one of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She will be dearly missed by her family and those who knew her. Irma is survived by her children, Donald (Mary) Gerhardstein, Gerald (Janice) Gerhardstein, Linda (Mike) Omspach, Shawn (Amy) Gerhardstein, and Kent (Julia) Gerhardstein; 11 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur; parents; and grandparents, Hans and Elizabeth Drentwett. A Mass of Christian Burial for Irma will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at Queen of Angels Catholic Church, 1500 West State Boulevard, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46808. Visitation and a recitation of the rosary will also be held from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on December 6, 2022 at C.M. Sloan and Sons Funeral Home, 1327 North Wells Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 46808. She will be laid to rest at Catholic Cemetery, Fort Wayne, at the conclusion of the funeral mass. Memorials can be written to Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control in Irma’s name. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy can be left for the Gerhardstein family at www.sloanandsonsfuneralhome.com.