Gilbert William “Gib” Elbers, 89, Luverne, died Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne.
A funeral service was Wednesday, Aug. 19, at the Christian Reformed Church in Luverne. Burial with military honors followed at Eastside Cemetery near Steen.
Gilbert Elbers was born Dec. 25, 1930, to William and Elizabeth (Timmer) Elbers in Lester, Iowa. In 1932 he moved with his parents to a farm north of Luverne under the Mounds. In 1942 they moved to a farm north of Steen. Gib attended District 61 Country School in Rural Steen.
In March 1953 Gib entered the U.S. Army. He received his basic infantry training in Fort Lewis, Washington, and MP training in Fort Baker, California. He attended cooking school in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and then went to Camp Gordon near Augusta, Georgia, where he was a cook for 17 months.
Gib married Henrietta VandenBerg on Dec. 29, 1954. He was honorably discharged from the Army on March 15, 1955. Gib worked for Nick Van Iperen as a farmhand for one year. For the next six years he and Henrietta farmed near Luverne and George, Iowa. In 1965 the couple moved to Gib’s parents’ farm, where they lived for the next 28 years. During that time Gib worked various jobs at Bell Telephone, Filter Cleaning Company and then for the veterinary at the Sioux Falls Stockyards. He later worked for different commission companies within the Sioux Falls Stockyards. He also spent five years working as a crossing guard for the Luverne Public Schools. Gib acquired his GED in 1982. The couple retired in 1991, and the following January they moved into Luverne. Henrietta died at home on Feb. 1, 2020.
Gib was a member of the Luverne Christian Reformed Church. He served as deacon and elder in the churches he attended. Gib was very proud of the accomplishments of his children. He especially enjoyed going to farm and livestock auction sales and was his son Keith’s best promoter and advertiser for his auction business.
Gib is survived by his four children, Kevin of Luverne, Sharla (Dean) Broersma of Sunnyside, Washington, Keith (Annette) Elbers of Hills, and Kurtis (Lanette) Elbers of Steen; nine grandchildren, Kaitlyn (Patrick) Visscher of LeMars, Iowa, Marisa (Ryan) McNamara of Chandler, Arizona, Brittany (James) Vander Schaaf of Escalon, California, Emily Broersma of Sunnyside, Tyler (Kala) Bush of Hills, Brock Elbers of Las Vegas, Nevada, Whitney, Sean, and Lanae Elbers of Steen; five great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Cena Mae (Arvin) Tilstra of Steen, and JoAnn Moeller of Mitchell, South Dakota.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Henrietta.
Memorials may be directed to Southwest Christian School.
Arrangements were provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, www.hartquistfuneral.com.
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