Christ Jerke

Christ Jerke, 101, Gackle, ND died Sunday morning June 26, 2011 at the Wishek Home for the Aged in Wishek, ND.

Christ Jerke was born May 17, 1910 on the family homestead 5 miles northwest of Gackle, ND, the son of John Jerke and Maria (Seitz) Jerke. He attended a 1 room school in Griffin Township and the Gackle Public School and also the NDAC in Fargo, ND from 1920 to 1930 taking courses in Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Woodshop, Blacksmithing, Machining and Accounting.

He and Alvina Suess were married November 6, 1932 at Freidens Congregational Church near Medina, ND. They lived in the Gackle-Cleveland area and in 1940 they moved to their farm home 5 miles north of Gackle. Following the death of his wife in 1997 he continued to reside on the farm in Gackle. He entered the Gackle Care Center in 2003 and in 2009 he entered the Wishek Home for the Aged.

He was a member of the Gackle Congregational Church.

He is survived by his daughter, Arlene Clifton, Owings Mills, MD; 2 granddaughters, Tanya Clifton Sheffer and husband Michel Sheffer, Reisterstown, MD; Tara Clifton and husband Dan Ryder, Bethesda, MD; 1 great granddaughter, Ada Clifton Ryder and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, sons, Donald and Lloyd, son-in-law Ray Clifton and brothers, Edward, Emanuel, Rudolf, Gustav, John, and sisters, Bertha, Louisa, Lydia, Emily and Maria.

The funeral service will be at 11:00 AM Friday July 1, 2011 at the First United Church of Christ in Gackle, ND with Pastor Timothy Blackman, officiating.

The interment will be at the Highland Home Cemetery in Jamestown, ND.

Visitation - 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Thursday June 30, 2011 @ the funeral home in Gackle