Juanita K. (Rieman) Gerken

Juanita Katherine “Aunt Neat” (Rieman) Gerken finished her course peacefully at her home in Perry on Sunday, May 10, 2020. A fitting tribute to her on Mother’s Day! She was 100 years young. Dighton-Marler Funeral Home of Perry has been honored to direct her funeral services.

Visitation will be Monday, May 18, 2020 from 9AM to 8PM at Dighton Marler Funeral Home of Perry. Graveside services will be held Tuesday, May 19, 2020 at 2PM at Richburg Cemetery in Perry. Pallbearers will be Robert Fuxa, Dr. Craig Gerken, 2nd Lt. Conan Maltz, Zane Maltz, Gage Gerken, and Jeffrey Maltz. Honorary pallbearers are Doug Will, Jimmy Smith, Grady Parmley, Tom Rieman, John Rieman and Dr. Blake Baird. She will be laid to rest beside her husband Deb.

Juanita was born August 4, 1919 on the family farm in Sumner, Oklahoma to John and Susie (Rupp) Rieman. She attended Sumner Public Schools through the 10th grade, at which time her family needed her help on the farm. On August 20, 1939 she and Delbert D.W. “Deb” Gerken were married at Christ Lutheran Church in Perry.

She was an avid seamstress, gardener, and cook. She made award winning loaves of bread and cinnamon rolls. Never was it uncommon for her local mail carrier to find a fresh loaf of bread in the mailbox. Tracy Phillips will surely miss the fresh bread. She had to learn to cook at the age of 9 when her father passed, and her mom had to take over the farming and hay cutting. Her family will always remember the awesome Angel food cakes she would make with maple frosting for birthday parties. She always had a big garden and did a lot of canning. Her kids loved to go to the cellar when it stormed so they could open a jar of her fermented dill pickles. She also made all of her daughter’s dresses and blouses out of the feed sacks they picked out at the feed store when she bought chicken feed, and made Shirley, Phyllis, and Shirley’s daughter Shurlyn’s wedding dresses, but not from feed sacks!

Juanita was a huge Thunder Fan. She loved playing basketball herself and was good at it. She absolutely loved being around her family. After Deb passed, Juanita became a caregiver to several neighbors and friends, Leola Bristol, Audra Hansen, and Earl Berryman.
She served on the Sumner Volunteer Fire Department for several years. All the guys sure enjoyed her mixture of ground bologna, weiners, onions, and dill relish sandwiches she would bring to the meetings. She was of the Lutheran Faith. At a young age she was baptized at the Zion Lutheran Church east of Perry and confirmed in both English and German language. After she and D.W. were married she moved her membership to Christ Lutheran Church in Perry where she remained a member until her passing.

Those left to Celebrate her life include her children, Phyllis Fuxa-Stark and husband Eldon of Asher, Oklahoma, Shirley Garvie and husband Larry of Morrison, Oklahoma, and Gary Gerken and wife Becky of Waurika, Oklahoma; 8 grandchildren, Teresa Fuxa and Robert Fuxa both of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Shurlyn Maltz and husband Jeffrey of Guthrie, Oklahoma, Misty Karcher of Perry, Oklahoma, Dr. Craig Gerken and wife Mika of Ardmore, Oklahoma, Michelle Hall of Waurika, Oklahoma, Larri Veit and husband Dale of Morrison, Oklahoma, and JR Stark and wife Teresa of Noble Oklahoma ; great-grandchildren, 2nd Lt. Conan Maltz and wife Alexis, Zane Maltz, MiKaylyn Gerken, Gage Gerken, Matlyn Gerken, Katherine Hope Henderson, Kenedi Weatherly, Shelbi Veit, Kelli Veit, Trevor Stark, and Rachel Stark; several nieces, nephews, cousins, and a host of friends. She was preceded in death by her husband D. W. “Deb” Gerken in October 1989; parents; grandson, Frank Fuxa; three brothers, Bill, Herman, and Henry Rieman and son in law Loren Karcher

The family would like to thank all the caregivers, Misty Karcher, Shana Hogan and Humanity Hospice of Perry for the wonderful care and love they gave her.

Family requests that memorials may be made to Waurika 1st United Methodist Church, Richburg Cemetery, Alzheimers Association via Dighton Marler Funeral Home of Perry.
Condolences may be sent to the family via an online guestbook at www.dightonmarler.com