116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Esther Gemilere
ESTHER "BERNICE" GEMILERE
Cedar Rapids
Esther "Bernice" Gemilere entered the glory of heaven on Feb. 18, 2015, at the age of 87.
Born in Waukon, Iowa, on April 8, 1927, her family
moved to Cedar Rapids for her senior year.
Her cousin, Eddie Henrickson, was a shipmate with her future husband, Paul Gemilere. Eddie said, "Paul, you're the squarest person I know in the Navy and I have the squarest cousin back in Iowa. I think you should write her." The letters were the start. Paul and Bernice were wed on Sept. 22, 1945, in San Francisco, Calif., and they would spend 67 years together.
During that time, they would have three boys, Ronald Paul "Rico" Gemilere, Gary Leland Gemilere and Terry Lee Gemilere.
They lived in California, Ohio, Minnesota, Arizona and Iowa. In 2007, they returned to Minnesota to be closer to their sons. Bernice was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and Paul wanted her near her sons when he was gone. After Paul passed away and for the next two years, she would say, "I had a wonderful husband. I miss him so." In December 2014, that statement changed to "I had a wonderful husband. I wish I was with him."
Today, she is with Paul and her son. I'm sure she is baking a pie for all to enjoy.
Bernice was preceded to heaven by her husband, Paul Leland Gemilere; oldest son, Ronald Paul "Rico" Gemilere; mother, Mildred (Larson) Vangen; father, Edgar Vangen; brother, Roy Vangen; and two siblings, who died at very young ages.
She is survived by her sons, Gary Gemilere of Watertown, Minn., and Terry Gemilere of St. Louis Park, Minn.; grandchildren, Jordan Gemilere and Ryan Gemilere; daughter-in-law, Shirley Gemilere of Wilsonville, Ore.; grandchildren Mike Crews, Glenn Crews and Sara Jane Campbell; and great-grandchildren, Cody, Kaitlyn and Brandon Crews.
Visitation will be at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home, 4200 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 4 to 7 p.m. Please call Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home for additional information at (319) 393-8000.
Funeral services will be at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 11 a.m.
She was a wonderful mother and we will miss her so.
Please leave a message or tribute to the Gemilere family on the Web page, www.cedarmemorial.com under Obituaries.
Daily Newsletters