The Rev. Sylvia Jerdee Obiturary

    The Rev. Sylvia Ann Jerdee, 78, of Red Wing died peacefully on Jan. 21, 2020 at her home at Deer Crest.      
    She was born on April 18, 1941 in Alpine, Texas. Sylvia graduated from Lake City High School in Lake City in 1959 and Luther College in 1963, and later earned a master's of education from Boston University in 1978.  She married Joseph Jerdee in Red Wing at United Lutheran Church on June 15, 1963. She taught German at Washington High School in Sioux Falls, S.D. in 1963-64, GED classes at U.S. Army education centers in Germany from 1974 to 1978, German, social studies skills and psychology at Frankfurt American High School in Frankfurt, Germany from 1978 to 1985, and then served as guidance counselor there until 1991.  The family lived together in Germany and traveled throughout Europe for nearly 20 years.  They returned to Minnesota with Joe in 1991 and soon embarked on a second career as a minister in the Lutheran Church (ELCA).  Sylvia graduated with a master's of divinity from Luther Seminary in St. Paul and was ordained in 1995.  She led congregations in Orr and Fertile, Minn.  Since retirement in 2005, she lived in Lake City and Red Wing near her sister Mary and many cousins and friends, and enjoyed a lake home near Brainerd.  Sylvia was a loving, dedicated, strong, caring and considerate wife, mother, teacher and minister.  She was a lover of learning, language, reading, and conversation, and a passionate supporter of the church and of many progressive social causes.
    Sylvia will be dearly missed by her sons, Jonathan of Falls Church, Va., Peter (Niena) of Ridgewood, N.J. and Theodore (Valerie) Jerdee of Benicia, Calif.; her sister, Mary (Dick) Ulland; grandchildren, Max, Olivia, Alexandra, Jacob, Sophia and Vivienne; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and other family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Rolf Kaasa and Marjorie Kaasa (Smith), and by her husband of 52 years, Joseph C. Jerdee.  
    The funeral will be 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Red Wing, with visitation one hour prior to the service.   Burial will be at 2 p.m. at Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery in Minneapolis. Memorials are suggested to Lutheran World Relief (800-597-5972), Heartland Hospice in Rochester (507-292-1170) or Bread for the World (800-822-7323). Online condolences may be left at www.mahnfamilyfuneralhome.com.