Obituary: Timothy J. “Tim” Gerdeen

HOUGHTON

Timothy J. Gerdeen, age 51, of Houghton, Michigan, died July 11, 2018, at UP Health System-Marquette.

Tim was born November 27, 1966, in Columbus, Ohio, and lived most of his life in Houghton. He was a 1985 graduate of Houghton High School and a 1990 graduate of Michigan Tech where he earned a degree in Electro-Mechanical Technology. Tim worked 17 years as a technician at Tech and then conducted an online business out of his home on the Houghton Canal road called TG Electronics. He continued this to the end in spite of declining health suffering from epilepsy, kidney cancer, and liver disease. The following quote seems appropriate:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt.

At the end Tim finally surrendered this life, and said he was trusting Jesus who died on the cross for his sins and he was ready to go to heaven. Mercy was triumphant over judgment.

Tim loved the out of doors in “God’s Country”. He loved skiing, snowmobiling, and taking pictures of the beautiful natural scenes in the Copper Country. He loved animals, his dog “Chewy”, their cat “Spirit”, his pet deer, and pet crow.

Surviving are his parents, Jim and Wanda Gerdeen of Columbia, Mo; his former wife, Wendy; his son, Harlan; Tim’s daughter-in-law, Gail; a grandson, Jacksen; his sisters, Lori Younker of Columbia, Mo, and Sonya Tackkett of Kansas City, Mo; and numerous aunts, uncles nieces, nephews and cousins.

Thanks to all the medical staff who cared for Tim these last few weeks in Portage Hospital in Hancock, Houghton County Medical Care Facility, UP Health System in Marquette, and UW Health in Madison, Wisc.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, July 18, 2018, at 1 p.m., at the Jukuri-Antila Funeral Home, 1500 W. Quincy Street, Hancock. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until the time of service on Wednesday.

Burial will be at the Oskar Cemetery. Following the burial, a reception and luncheon will be from 3 to 5 p.m. hosted by Maranatha Free Lutheran Church on US 41, 3 miles South of Houghton.

In lieu of flowers, those desiring may make contributions to Maranatha Free Lutheran Church and/or the Houghton County Medical Care Facility. Arrangements are being handled by Antila Funeral Service, Inc. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at antilafuneral.com.