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.
Robert 'Bob' Cerny
ROBERT "BOB" CERNY
Monticello
Robert "Bob" Cerny, 71, died Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019, at the Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha following a brief illness. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 27, at St. John Lutheran Church in rural Monticello with military honors by the U.S. Army. Interment will be in Oakwood Cemetery. Pastor Caleb Schewe will officiate at the services. Friends may call after 9:30 a.m. Friday at the church. Goettsch Funeral Home has taken Robert and his family into its care. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. John Lutheran Church or the family.
Survivors include his wife, Diane; three sons, Brandon (Atom), Idaho, Ben, Monticello, and Brad (Molly), Cedar Rapids; his three grandchildren, Bailey, Rylie and Kaeli; a brother, Andy (Kris), Washington; two sisters, Carol, California, and Janice, Illinois; three brothers-in-law, Robert (Jan) Null, Richard (Sue) Null and Glen Null, all of Monticello; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his stepfather, John Drucker; a brother, Steven; and two sisters, Joan and Kathleen.
Robert Anthony Cerny was born Dec. 2, 1948, in Adams Village, Minn. He was the son of Joseph and Jeanette Van De Brake Cerny. The family operated a meat locker in Monticello and later in Langworthy, where Bob started working at the age of 10. He graduated from Monticello Community Schools in 1967. He was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Bob married Diane Null on May 1, 1975, at St. John Lutheran Church in Monticello. He made a career of the Army, serving 21 years and retiring in 1995. While in the Army, Bob received many awards and commendations, a few being the Meritorious Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.
The couple returned to Monticello in 1996 after living in South Korea, Georgia, Colorado, Germany, Virginia and Washington state. Bob started a carpentry and roofing business in Monticello and had his three sons working with him at various times.
Bob had a good sense of humor and tall tales to tell. He tested his jokes on everyone who crossed his path.
The family would like to thank Mercy Medical Center and Hospice House of Mercy for all their wonderful care during Bob's illness.
Daily Newsletters