Dorothea “Dot” Annette Gerads, 85, St. Joseph

April 25, 1939 - May 17, 2024

Dorothea (Dot) Gerads passed away peacefully on May 17, 2024, in her home at Serenity Place Apartments in St. Joseph.

The Requiem Funeral Mass will be 11:00 AM on Friday, May 24, 2024, at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church in St. Cloud for Dorothea Gerads, age 85, of St. Joseph, Minnesota. Reverend Isaac Delmanowski will officiate. Burial will be in the St. Francis of Assisi Parish Cemetery near Freeport, MN. There will be a visitation from 4-8 PM Thursday, May 23, with a Rosary at 7 PM, and visitation again at 9:30 AM Friday, at the Miller-Carlin Funeral Home in St. Cloud.

Dorothea was born April 25, 1939, in the St. Cloud Hospital to Edward and Effie (Oelrich) Michel. She was the ninth of eleven children and grew up in Clearwater, MN. Dorothea minored in Theology at Marquette University and graduated from St. Cloud State University with a degree in Elementary Education. She loved teaching, especially English Grammar. After college, she taught 1st grade at the Elementary School in Upsala, when she met Gregory Gerads. Gregory and Dorothea married on August 3, 1963, at St. Francis of Assisi Church in St. Francis. They were married for 58 years and were blessed with eight children.

Gregory and Dorothea farmed the Gerads family dairy farm near St. Francis for most of their lives and raised their family there. Dorothea was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She especially loved babies and children. She enjoyed teaching, reading, music, singing, homemaking, baking, gardening, sewing, puzzles, games, crafts, birds, and butterflies. She continued to teach for many years at various schools her children and grandchildren attended.

Dorothea’s faith and family were the most important things in her life. She especially loved spending time with her family and friends, visiting, getting letters and phone calls. She was a member of St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church, was devoted to the Mass and Rosary, enjoyed singing in the church choirs, and was a member of the Christian Mothers. She enjoyed helping others and socializing with people at church and where she lived.

Dorothea is survived by her eight children: Ruth (Joe) Bloch, St. Francis; Stephen (Lee Ann) Gerads, Hayden, ID; Jeffrey (Melissa) Gerads, Little Falls; Sister Mary of Jesus (Beth), Massena, NY; Peter (Becky) Gerads, Albany; Peggy (Darren) McClanahan, Sauk Centre; Karen (Brian) Lillis, St. James, MO; Judy (John) Anderson, Corydon, IN; sister, Emily Lunsford; 57 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren and many relatives and friends.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Gregory; her parents, Edward and Effie Michel; brothers, Lee Michel, William Michel, Thomas Michel, Dehlbert Michel, Alvin Michel, Vincent Michel, Robert Michel, and Stephen Michel; sister, Marilyn Imholte; and granddaughter, Beth Gerads.

Pallbearers are grandsons Jordan Gerads, Martin Bloch, Patrick McClanahan, Roman Gerads, Nicholas Anderson, Damien Gerads, and Robert Lillis.