Peters-Gerthe
Shirley Ann Peters-Gerthe, age 82 of Rockdale, graduated into Heaven on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, at Baylor Scott & White Hospital in Temple.
Private family burial was held Dec. 23, at Oaklawn Cemetery in Rockdale.
Shirley was born Sept. 26, 1941, in Caldwell to William H. Peters and Metha Weichert-Peters.
She was raised on a farm and had fond memories of gardening, picking cotton, playing with her siblings (Lillie Mae and Eldie) and going to weekly Sunday family lunches at Grandma Weichert’s house.
After graduating from Caldwell High School, Shirley moved to Austin and became a stenographer at the state capitol.
Shirley received her bachelor’s degree in Biblical studies from Charis Bible College in Dallas and attended Durham’s Business College in Austin.
For most of her career, Shirley was the assistant to the controller for Alcoa.
Shirley met Gunar Gerthe in a chance encounter at the lake in May of 1960. A few months later, they were married on July 30 in Caldwell. From this union, they were blessed with three children: Duane, Diane and Karl.
Shirley was a talented seamstress; we are in awe of all the beautiful outfits she created and repaired over the years. If she couldn’t fix it, there was probably no saving that garment. A favorite family memory is when she stitched a kite out of a bed sheet just to see if Karl and the guys could make it fly. Duane would also tell you she was quite gifted at recreating the Polo Ralph Lauren logo.
Shirley loved all things organization and could often be found in her office with her label maker in hand.
In her free time, you could find her reading her Bible, fishing at the pond (where she taught all her grandkids how to fish), listening to music, playing board games and dominoes. In particular, she treasured laughing and playing games with Diane.
She enjoyed shopping, especially for shoes, and loved coordinating a day after Christmas girls’ trip to Olive Garden and the mall each year.
She enjoyed a good practical joke every now and then and had the most infectious laugh. She was quick witted and a gifted problem solver. If she felt called to make something happen, she would always find a way.
Most of all, her greatest goal in life was for others to know and love Jesus. In partnership with Gunar, they spread the word of God throughout the U.S. and in countries around the world (including Germany, India and Mexico, to name a few). Recently, her nurse said the thing she was most grateful for about Shirley was that she always wanted to pray with her and talk about Jesus. Even in her final days, she was still bringing people closer to God.
Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, William H. and Metha Peters; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Walter and Helene Gerthe; granddaughter Melanie Gerthe; brother Eldie Peters and wife Joyce; brothers- in-law Bohus Hyvl and Henry Herrmann; sisters-in-law Ruth Gilbert and husband Ed, and Rosemary Gerthe.
Shirley is survived by her husband of 63 years, Gunar Ger the of Rockdale; sons Duane Gerthe and wife Lisa of Rockdale, Karl Gerthe and wife Angela of Lindale; daughter Diane Gregory and husband Collin of Godley; grandchildren Alesi Gerthe, Ayrton Gerthe, Caleb Gregory, Abigail and Brian Luedke, Hannah and Trenton Kellogg, Daniel and Jamie Gerthe.
She is also survived by Lillie Mae Hyvl, Ilse Herrmann, Fred and Ruth Gerthe, Chris Gerthe, and numerous family and friends.