Russell Gardner

RUSSELL GARDNER

Waterloo

Russell E. Gardner, 88, of Western Home Communities in Cedar Falls, formerly of Waterloo,

died at Covenant Medical Center, on Monday, Sept. 8, 2014.

Russ was born May 28, 1926, in Fredericksburg, the son of Floyd and Thersa Morgan Gardner. He married Margaret Jeannine Shufelt on Sept. 10, 1950, in Fredericksburg.

Russ graduated from Fredericksburg High School in 1944. He worked for nine years at Sears, Roebuck and Co., and then as a letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service from 1961 until retiring in 1990. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Barbara (Robert) Priborsky of Port Charlotte, Fla., Linda (Scott) Peters of Shellsburg and Becky Gardner of Cleveland, Ohio; seven grandchildren, Shelle (Danie) VanNiekerk of Fort Myers, Fla., Carrie (Geordie Bigus) Wibben of Chantilly, Va., Benjamin Wibben of Okeechobee, Fla., Sara Davis of Portland, Ore., Tim Davis of St. Louis, Mo., Dan Peters of Austin, Texas, and Dave Peters of Portland, Ore.; three great-grandchildren, Tyler Wibben and Emma Bigus, both of Chantilly, Va., and Isabella VanNiekerk of Fort Myers, Fla.; sister-in-law, Lois (James) Denner of Waverly; and brother-in-law, Kenneth Shufelt of Des Moines.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Alan Gardner; and two sons-in-law, Allen R. Davis and Danny M. Lynch.

Services: 2 p.m. Friday at First Presbyterian Church, with burial in the Waterloo Cemetery, with military rites by Waterloo Sullivan Brothers VFW Post 1623, Waterloo Becker-Chapman American Legion Post 138 and The Iowa National Guard Honor Guard. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Locke Funeral Home in Waterloo, with a public Masonic service by Waterloo Lodge 105 AF&AM at 7 p.m.

Condolences may be expressed at www.LockeFuneral Home.com.