Frank Gerads

Frank F. Gerads, age 90 of St. Francis, passed away surrounded by his family on Monday, August 4, 2025 at his home in St. Francis, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, August 12 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in St. Francis with Rev. Jimmy Joseph officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday and from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Tuesday at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in St. Francis.

Frank Gerads was born October 19, 1934 in Freeport, Minnesota to Charles and Loretta (Harren) Gerads. He was united in marriage to Doreen Douvier on September 29, 1959 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in St. Francis. Frank worked for Stearns County Highway Department in Albany before working as a mechanic for Kramer and Soltis in Holdingford. Frank and Doreen purchased a farm near St. Francis and farmed for many years. He did heavy equipment construction, was a mechanic, and an operator for his brother, Norbert Gerads and later for his nephew, Dave Gerads. He enjoyed operating equipment so much that he purchased his own equipment so he could “play” in the dirt.

Frank was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. He enjoyed playing cards, especially with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, tinkering in his shop, and fixing and building things. He would only buy something if he could not make it.

Survivors include his wife, Doreen Gerads of St. Francis, sons, Michael “Mike” Gerads of St. Francis, Tom (Jeanette) Gerads of Freeport, and Jerry (Julie) Gerads of Melrose; 14 grandchildren and 33 great-grandchildren; sisters and brothers, Magdalen “Toots” Schwanke of St. Cloud, Loretta (Herbert) Thull of Melrose, Jake (Judy) Gerads of Freeport, Dolores Linn of St. Cloud, Bertha Herdering of Upsala, and Gilbert (Carol) Gerads of Freeport; sister-in-law, Angie Gerads of Albany, in-laws, Eugene Douvier of Randall, Irene (Rod) Gerads of Albany, Jim (Judy) Douvier of Avon, Allan (Renee) Douvier of St. Francis, and Rita Douvier of Florida.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Loretta Gerads; father and mother-in-law, Frank and Rose (Van Heel) Douvier daughter-in-law, Joan Gerads July 31, 2025, three grandchildren; one great-grandson; sisters, Martha Gerads, Sister Marie Gerads, O.S.B., and Elizabeth Bechtold; brothers, Martin, Jerome, Joseph, Bernard, John, Norbert, and Herbie Gerads; in-law, Mildred Gerads, Ambrose Herdering, Dean Schwanke, Dennis Linn, Alphonse Bechtold, Dorothy Gerads, Beatrice Tschida, Jeanette Tschida, Melvin Douvier, and Diane Becker.