Alberta Jean (Gerdes) Cander

Alberta Jean (Gerdes) Cander, 71, of rural Humboldt, Nebraska was born on July 9, 1945 in Humboldt, Nebraska to George and Jean (Miller) Gerdes.  She attended Pine Ridge country school and graduated from Humboldt High School with the class of 1963.  After graduating, Alberta continued her education by attending nursing school at Lincoln General Hospital.  While attending nursing school, she got to know John Cander from Humboldt.  They didn’t know of each other though they attended the same high school.  John was attending college in Lincoln and Alberta would ask for rides back home.  After a while, the rides home turned from studying at the ag library for John to studying at LGH with Alberta.  They both graduated, so they did study.  John proposed in the spring of 1966 at Pioneer Park stating a fact, “that as a dairy farmers wife, there would probably be no vacations.”  Alberta paused for a bit and still said “yes”.  The couple was united in marriage on Alberta’s birthday on July 9, 1967, at the United Methodist Church in Humboldt, Nebraska.  To this union two children, Sus and Tom were born.

Alberta worked as a Registered Nurse for the Nemaha County hospital from August of 1966 to June of 1967, the Humboldt Community Memorial Hospital from November of 1967 to June of 1973, the Colonial Acres Nursing Home from January 1975 to October of 1985, Humboldt Family Clinic from January 1986 to August of 1988, and back to Colonial Acres Nursing Home where she taught nurses aid classes from December of 1988-April of 1995.  She was diagnosed with M.S. in 1994 through an eye exam and retired a few years later.  She was a member of the United Methodist Church, United Methodist Women, and Extension Club.  Alberta passed away at her home in rural Humboldt, Nebraska on Sunday, April 30, 2017, having reached the age of 71 years, nine months, and twenty-one days.  She was preceded in death by her parents and sister-in-law Betty (Cander) McKinzie.

Alberta is survived by her loving husband of almost 50 years John Cander of rural Humboldt, NE; daughter Susanne Cander and her husband Aaron Stalder of rural Humboldt, NE; son Tom Cander and his wife Kari of Lincoln, NE; grandchildren Matilyn and Andrew Stalder of Humboldt, NE; grand dogs Harley and Ozzy of Lincoln, NE; a brother Lee Gerdes and his friend Rosemary of Liberty, MO; a sister Peggy Tesar and her husband Tony of Independence, MO; brother-in-law Charles McKinze of Verdon, MO; sisters-in-law Jeanette Apton and her husband John of Cleaver, MO; Carolyn Amos of Lincoln, NE; and many other nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Although we have lost Alberta, our family believes that we have “won” in providing her with comfort and nearly 72 years of “the Nebraska Good Life”.  As of her request, Alberta wishes to continue her nursing career by donating her body to the Creighton Medical Center.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 20, 2017, at the United Methodist Church in Humboldt, Nebraska with Pastor Dean Joy officiating.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Friday, May 19, 2017, at The Wherry Mortuary in Humboldt, Nebraska.  Family will greet friends from 6-8 p.m. at the mortuary.

Inurnment will be the Humboldt Cemetery at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be given to the United Methodist Church or Humboldt Fire Department.

Online messages of condolence can be left at www.wherrymortuary.com

Services entrusted to Wherry Mortuary-207 Nemaha ST.-Humboldt, Nebraska (402) 862-2915

The family of Alberta would like to thank the Pawnee County Memorial Hospital nurses for their care, concerns, and instructions.  A special thanks to our hospice nurse Tina Hain for her visits and suggestions for Alberta’s care and most of all, for the compliments she gave us on the care for Alberta at home.

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