Gerda Hock

GERDA HOCK

Arlington

Gerda E. Hock, 95, of Strawberry Point, formerly of Arlington, died Monday morning, July 6, 2015, at the Regional Medical Center in Manchester. Funeral service: 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 10, at St. John Lutheran Church, Arlington, with Pastor Margaret Jackel-Juleen officiating. Visitation: 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Leonard-Muller Funeral Home in Strawberry Point and one hour before the service Friday at the church. Interment: Taylorsville Cemetery, Arlington.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. John Lutheran Church.

Jamison-Schmitz Funeral Home, Arlington, is in charge of arrangements.

Online obituary at www.jamisonschmitz

funeralhome.com.

Gerda is survived by her husband, the Rev. Albert Llewellyn Hock of Strawberry Point; son, Dennis (Cindy) Waskow of Manchester; daughter, Marlene (Dick) Buckholtz of Andover, Minn.; two stepsons, Erwin (Dee) Waskow of Topec, Ariz., and Paul Waskow of Fond du Lac, Wis.; two stepdaughters, Delores (Harold) Burrack of Suring, Wis., and Lenore (Raymond) Trachta of Spokane, Wash.; five grandchildren; 16 stepgrandchildren; many great-grandchildren and stepgreat-grandchildren; a brother, John (Ruth) Lehs of Winthrop; two sisters, Wilma Keppler of Oelwein and Mary Ann Knight of Oelwein; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; three husbands; stepson, Ronald Waskow; and five brothers, Paul, Randolph, Martin, Heinz and a brother in infancy.

Gerda Elizabeth Lehs was born on Oct. 29, 1919, at Spakendorf, Germany, the daughter of Stanley and Anna (Wessel) Lehs. In 1922, at the age of 2-and-a-half, Gerda moved to the United States from Spakendorf. She became a citizen of the United States of America at the age of 11 and was a longtime resident of the Arlington, Oelwein and Strawberry Point area. Gerda married LeRoy Waskow on May 27, 1939, at Independence, Iowa. LeRoy's first wife had died leaving LeRoy with five children. Gerda raised these five children and she and LeRoy were also blessed with two additional children. Gerda and LeRoy later divorced and LeRoy died in 1981. Gerda married Dean Harkin on July 25, 1969, at Deshler, Neb. Dean later died on June 20, 1977. Gerda then married Harold Waskow on July 10, 1982, at Hampton, Iowa. Harold died on May 27, 2000. Gerda married the Rev. Al Hock on April 8, 2005, in Oelwein, Iowa.

Gerda had previously worked at several restaurants including the Hotel Mealey in Oelwein. She worked for City Laundry in Oelwein for a couple of years and then started her wallpapering and painting business, which she ran for several years. She later worked in the AMPI lab at Arlington for nine-and-a-half years. Gerda was a longtime Arlington resident and moved to Oelwein in 2002. She was a member of Mission in Christ Lutheran Church in Strawberry Point. Gerda had formerly been a member of the St. John Lutheran Church in Arlington where she was active with the quilting women and was a co-chair of the funeral luncheon committee. She was also formerly a member of the Arlington American Legion Auxiliary and Arlington Community Club.