A MESSAGE FROM THE FAMILY

A Tribute to my Mom It’s never easy to say goodbye to a loved one. Most of you were likely unaware, but my Mom (Gerry) contracted Covid last Sunday and was battling the virus this week. Unfortunately, Saturday morning we said goodbye to her as she entered Heaven. For those of you who knew my Mom, she was a kind and special woman that always loved to get to know you and learn about what was going on in your life than talking about her own. She had a knack for remembering people’s names, their children, grandchildren and their stories. My Mom was the peacemaker, caregiver, people person and glue that held our family together. She is that one person no one would have said anything negative or bad about. My Mom was a member of the greatest generation where she lived an interesting but simple life. Not many know this, but she was born in Mankato, MN 1925. She was the eldest of four siblings. As such, when the Great Depression came, she was sent alone on a train to St. Paul at the age of nine to live with her Grandparents because her parents couldn’t afford her. At the time, the St. Paul Berg family owned the Capital Ice and Fuel and had a home residing on the prestigious East Side Payne Ave. (currently where the Super America now sits). She told me they owned fancy Packard cars, had a saloon & land on White Bear Lake and were prominent in the community. The ice for the company came from Lake Phalen and Lake Gervais. She said, locals sometimes paid the family through barter where she received piano lessons from a music teacher and had her teeth fixed from a dentist. Unfortunately, her Grandfather died at an early age and without an experienced person to take over and run the business, it eventually fell into bankruptcy – something about work comp taxes. My Mom liked to joke it was the “darn invention of refrigeration.” In junior high she met that one person at church that would become her sidekick and best friend for the next forty years. That person was Joan Johnson (Anderson). Joan and Gerry were inseparable and became such good friends that it lasted into the 90s’. They went to Johnson High School together, and in their late twenties eventually met my Dad at a movie theater where he flirted with the two older girls by initiating a conversation by throwing a few sticks of gum at them. In the 70’s, Joan and Mom spent countless summer hours shopping together at local garage & estate sales and antique stores. I always think they secretly hoped they’d be related through marriage of a couple of their children … but that’s another story. Prior to marriage, she worked for the Department of Public Safety - Driver License office. She loved and was very proud to work as a Clerk II for the State of MN. Enter my Dad in 1953. While Dad was Catholic and Mom Baptist, it was still very uncommon for mixed marriages of religion to occur. The two were not allowed to be married at the altar and my Mom agreed if they had children, they would be raised Catholic. After marriage, Mom was expected to quit her job and become the homemaker where her role quickly became “super extraordinaire caretaker and peacemaker.” If you know our family, it’s no secret our Dad was an alcoholic up to 1982 when he found sobriety. However, before that it was our Mom that was the peacekeeper and caretaker that showered us with love and hugs and said just the right things to say to ensure us everything was going to be okay. Without her courage, strength and love, the family would’ve ended up broken. Mom always had a way of making everything better. In the mid 1970’s my Mom was able to convince Dad it would be good to go back to work for Public Safety and help earn more money for the family. Early on when they both worked, it was still expected for Mom to have dinner ready for the family when Dad arrived home from work. On this occasion Mom didn’t have much time to prepare a meal and made “pigs in a blanket” (hotdogs wrapped in bread & baked in an oven) with a can of baked beans. Let’s just say, for a meat & potatoes man, Dad was not too happy. A good verbal argument broke about both working, family roles and responsibilities. In the heat of the conversation, my Dad made a comment, “Wieners! Are you #&$%* kidding me? Really? Wieners! I work hard all day long and I have to come to wieners? Without blinking, Mom quickly said, “What do you think comes home to me? A wiener!” It stopped my Dad cold. And they both began laughing. It was awesome watching my Mom assert herself and stand up for what was right. They then had a serious conversation; and from then on, Dad did his share of the cooking. Early in his retirement my Dad was diagnosed with ALS. Watching my Mom’s love for Dad never wavered. Mom was with him every step of the way. And, to make this even more special, despite never earning her Driver License (another story for another time), she would walk about ~2 miles daily from their home to the Ramsey County nursing home to visit and be with him. After his passing and missing him, she didn’t sulk, complain or wither in self-pity. It was amazing to watch her grow in self-confidence, independence and picking up the responsibilities (previously done by Dad) that needed to be done to live independently in her home. It’s with this self-confidence and her gift of gab (and wow did she have that gift), she quickly made friends with the older retired guys at the White Castle on White Bear Ave. several years later. Mom loved the coffee talks and an occasional hamburger with the old guys. Here is where she met one guy that helped fill a void for several years to come. His name was Fritz. Fritz was a gregarious, kind, and gentle man that became special to my Mom. While she was always cautious about what we’d think, we knew her friendship meant just as much to him as it did to her. And, we knew his family felt the same about Mom. I’m so glad they had the years together that they did. My Mom was an amazing woman that was nonjudgmental, caretaker, peacemaker, generous, always put others first, loved her parents, sisters, brother, husband, friends, children, children’s spouses and grandchildren unconditionally. She said her motto to live life was simple. Remember to practice “JOY”: Jesus, Others and Yourself. I’m going to miss you Mom! I love you!

OBITUARY

Geraldine Mae Kleiter

May 30, 1925 – November 21, 2020

IN THE CARE OF

Wulff Funeral Home

Kleiter, Geraldine M., Age 95 of St. Paul.

Born in Mankato, MN to Violet and Clarence. Gerry passed away on Nov. 21, 2020, due to complications from COVID-19 at St. John’s Hospital.

Preceded in death by parents; husband, Anthony “Tony”; brother, Jack; sisters, Jean & Mavia “Mitzi” Hartquist.

Survived by her children, Timothy (Barbara), Kathryn (Barbara Hopperstad), and Michael (Susan); grandchildren, Steven and Katie; step-grandchild, Scott (Jenny) Hillesheim. Many nieces, nephews, and step-great grandchildren.

East Side resident married 42 yrs. Proud employee of the Dept. of Public Safety for 25 yrs. Loved people, close friendships, shopping antiques & main street shops in MN towns.

A private Memorial Service will be held Nov. 30, at 1:30 p.m. The service will be Livestreamed starting at 1:30pm to the Wulff Facebook page at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/104764724610072 This video will still be available on our page after the service for those who have missed the livestream.

Interment will follow the service at Union Cemetery, Maplewood, MN. A celebration of life will be held later.

The family extends gratitude to Homestead at Maplewood and staff for the care she received during her residency. Memorials preferred to the American Diabetes Association and LifePoint Church.

Show your support

Add a Memory

Send a note, share a story or upload a photo.

Share Obituary

Let others know about your loved one's death.

Get Updates

Services

No services are scheduled at this time. Receive a notification when services are updated.

RECEIVE UPDATES

SHARE OBITUARY
RECEIVE UPDATES