Date of Birth:
Monday, July 9, 1934
Date of Death:
Friday, December 23, 2022
Age:
88 years old

Ethel Mae Gehrking

Ethel Mae Gehrking, 88, of Rochester, MN, died Friday, December 23, 2022 at the Samaritan Bethany Nursing Home where she had resided since January 2022.

Ethel Mae Roos was born July 9, 1934 in Alton, IA to Edward and Esther (Hyink) Roos.  She grew up in the Alton area attending a country school most of the time, until a tornado took their farm in 1944.  She then moved to town until they rebuilt the farm.  Then in 1949 they moved to Fountain, MN and lived on a farm there.

On August 28, 1954 she married William Gehrking and they lived in Rochester, MN.  Together they had three children and were later divorced.  Ethel worked at Mayo Clinic in the Media Lab until she retired in 1993.  Late in her life she found love a second time at the age of 79. She married Lyle Hall on July 14, 2013 in Stewartville, MN where they made their home, until Lyle passed away in 2014.

Ethel enjoyed traveling, watching her grandchildren’s sporting events, where she was their greatest cheerleader. She was an avid Minnesota sports fan and Rochester Royals fan. She loved all forms of music. She especially loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

She is survived by her daughters, Vicki Sikkink (Gary) of Rochester, MN, and Cindy (Wayne) Steege of Zumbrota, MN; son, Michael (Susan) Gehrking of Hayward, WI; six grandchildren Chad (Brooke) Sikkink, Adam (Kelse) Sikkink, Jacklin Steege (Dalton), Kaitlin Steege (Dan), Michael (Amy) Gehrking, Elizabeth (Mickael) Barraza; nine great-grandchildren Grady, Jack, Blake, Nora, Mario, Ira, Mila, Amarianna, and Henry.  One Sister Ruby (Ken) Bushman.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Esther Roos; husband Lyle Hall; former husband William Gehrking; three sisters Joyce, Ethel, and Betty Hellickson; three brothers and their wives, Donald and Bert Roos, Leroy and Dorla Roos, Eddie and Harriet Roos, and an infant brother.

The memorial service will be held at 11:00am Friday, December 30, 2022 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home with Pastor Laura Nordstrom officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service on Friday.  Burial will be at Watson Creek Cemetery at a later date.

The family would like to thank the staff at both Samaritan Bethany and the Mayo Hospice team for the compassionate care of their mom in her last months.

Memorials are preferred to the Watson Creek Cemetery Association in Preston, MN or Mayo Hospice Rochester, MN.